Reflection of test shoot

Having filmed our first version of our thriller idea we definitely have a more precise idea of what we need to improve. The genre is easily identifiable and through the use of the bomb and surroundings it should be obvious to the audience it’s an opening to a thriller. We did however find the pace of our opening doesn’t quite work it is currently a bit to slow which is bad as it results in a lack of tension which can often leave the viewer uninterested. As well as this our opening is much to short and is only a minute and 8 seconds when it needs to be much closer to 2 minutes long. 

To give it more tension and add anticipation we need to make it faster by adding a larger variety of shot’s which will help to give us an opening scene in which the climax rises. However even though it lacks in tension at the moment our two characters being the girl strapped to the bomb and the police women storming in are made to be clear so the audience understand the situation and who is involved.  

The camera angles in which we used have some good qualities but we need to develop further and incorporate them which should also help with the pace improving  in our final film adding more tension overall. In filming our test shoot we learnt that in our final shoot we want the police officer who storms into the room at the end to come through a door which is located directly opposite to the girl strapped to the bomb as it will make it more dramatic as we can get some good camera shots such as the over the shoulder shot so we see what it would look like from the victims perspective. The second major thing we discovered through filming our test shoot is that we need to add sound, not only to add the tension but also to help the actor out as it’s much easier if we pre- record it so when it comes to filming we can play it aloud and they themselves can hear the police sirens and the general chaos of the outside sound. Also meaning it is more likely to be realistic then if we just add it in the editing phase which leaves us facing the struggle of matching the sound to the actor. 

I think once we add further shots to the sequence the tension should come with that. The thing that has worked well is the two characters remain clear and it is obvious to the viewer the situation that is unravelling before them. Overall I think we have a good basic idea and with the introduction of sound while filming and more shots we will have the opportunity to build real tension making a good opening scene for a thriller.

Test Shoot Video

Below is my test shoot video that my group and I made using just an iphone to film it. 

Scene outline and Pre-production work.

Scene outline- Bomb in a room:

To begin with we have a man who is tied to a water pipe (the ones you see in a factory) at the beginning of our shoot he is unconscious and he gradually wakes up and comes around, as he does this the camera shows us the bomb which is tied around the man’s body with a timer on it that is counting down from two minutes. Gradually he becomes more and more aware of his surroundings with this the ticking of the bomb increases in volume.

 We then hear the background noise of the factory for instance machinery and muffled foreign voices soon after this comes the gunshots from above him. The man’s mouth is taped shut so that when he tries to scream for help we just hear muffled breathing. The camera pans around the room showing us oil drums, dirt and old pots of paint everywhere. To end with a police officer is banging on the door oblivious to what is on the other side and the man again tries to shout and warn him but he slams open the door and we see him storm in then the camera blacks out leaving the audience unaware as to if the bomb has gone off or not.

 Pre-production paper work: 

The location of our actual thriller opening sequence will be the basement of a factory, and this is the setting of our entire scene. We don’t have an actual location like this to film our test shoot in, but this will be easy to work around because the entire scene just uses a single room. So, we decided to film our test shoot in the common room.

There are only two characters visible on-screen in our opening sequence, and the second only appears in the end briefly. This makes it simpler for us to just use two people from our four-person group as actors, and we still have all the characters that are focused on in our scene.

As it will be difficult to show that the main character has a bomb chained to him in our test shoot, we will instead try to convey this through a replacement prop such as a phone. However, this opening sequence is still relatively simple to film throughout, as most of the action happens off-screen. It also uses minimal props and only one room as the setting, so none of the shoots should be too difficult.

The time bomb is the prop most focused on in our opening sequence, but we cannot use a realistic prop for our test shoot. We will substitute this with a VHS cassette and use an iPhone as the timer. We plan to have chains attaching the time bomb to the main character, and we will imitate this by using a scarf. The oil drums and barrels we will show in our opening sequence can be replaced by wastepaper bins.  

Minute Meetings

Wednesday 18th November: As a group we have two ideas "The dancer" and the "church setting"and we need to choose which we are going to use for our backup plan and which as our main idea. 

Targets - 1. Choose our favourite by the end of next lesson.
                2. Develop it and think about how it would work as an opening scene.
                3. Think about location and practicality.

Thursday 19^th November: We have actually changed the location from the church idea to a deserted factory/warehouse as it had no relevance to the detail we wanted to put in. We have decided we will proceed forward with this idea and have “The dancer” as our backup plan.

Targets- 1.We need to think about the scene outline.

                 

Friday 20th November: We have planned for next lesson when we will be shooting our "test shoot".  

Target 1: For next lesson we need to allocate people with what they need to bring. Who is bringing the camera and so on.

Monday 23rd November: We filmed our test shoot in the common room not focusing on mise-en-scene, but on camera angles. We filmed on a simple camera using actors in our group just to give us an idea of what we will need to work on.

Target 1:Finish editing our test shoot for Thursdays lesson.
Target 2: Discuss in a group how we can improve the tension for example (through camera angles) 

Tuesday 24th November:Today we focused on editing the footage from our test shoot and answering pre-production questions. Two of us answered pre-production questions about things such as the props and locations we can use for our test shoot, the other two edited the footage together. We experienced some difficulty editing the footage, as we realised that the variety and length of our shots weren't enough to create tension. We spent some time at the end of class to make some points for our reflection write-up.

Target 1: For Thursday, we need to finish typing up our pre-production questions and our reflections and post them on our blogs, and we also need to post the final edit of our test shoot on our blogs.

Monday 30^th November: We made a PowerPoint to help us present our final pitch as a group on Thursday. Within that PowerPoint we completed a moon board which we had been working on and our test shoot.

Target 1: We need to finalise the pitch and check it over and decide who in our group will present it or if we will all present together.

Target 2: We need to complete our moon board so we can use it as a good visual idea in our pitch.

Tuesday 1^st December: We finished working on our moon board. We then started our next project which is creating a storyboard for our thriller shoot. We have split our group so the artist in our group draws the pictures clearly, enabling the rest of us to work on what camera angles we need in each section of our shoot  and write down what lighting we may need as well as the time period of each shot.

Target 1: We need to carry on working on our storyboard as we are only have half of it done we are aiming to have around 30 boxes with a variety of shots in it by the time we finish.

Wednesday 2^nd December: As a group we continued working on our storyboard’s. We also went over our pitch one last time before our final pitch tomorrow so that we all know what we have to do.

Target 1: Make sure everyone in our group has a copy of the PowerPoint with our pitch on it. 

Thursday 3rd December: Our group pitched our final idea and got positive feedback on how to improve what we already had, by taking on a few extra pointers. 

Target 1: Take on feedback given and add/change bits of our original idea accordingly.

Friday 4th December: As a group we started thinking about the details of what we should change and why. We discussed and all agreed on what needed to be changed.

Target 1: Meet next time to type up our final scene outline with the bits we have altered to improve it.

Monday 7th December: We typed up our final scene outline changing bits particularly our ending to build more tension in our scene and this meant we managed to move away from the "cliche" ending that we had beforehand. 

Target 1:We organised to meet as a group on Wednesday to complete our storyboard so that we can finish that but we need to make sure by the end of the week we have that completed and uploaded onto our blogs. 

Wednesday 9^th December: In our group we discussed casting and who we want in an ideal world to act in our opening scene we discussed why and also chose a backup plan in case the person we want is unable to do it due to other commitments.

Target 1: Take pictures of our potential actors

Target 2: Complete storyboards for Friday 

What makes a good thriller?

Genre – The method of categorising based on similarities in their narrative from which the films are constructed.  For instance a type of genre is comedy.

Sub-genre- A identifiable sub-class within the larger film genre, with their own distinctive subject matter, style and formula. For instance a romantic comedy.

Hybrid Genre – Hybrid means a mixture/fusion, so a Hybrid in film means three or more genres  or mixtures of sub-genres.

List of Sub-genres of thrillers:

Action Thriller – Focusing on the thriller, most common in movies with lots of visual effects such as explosions and violence. For example American Heist

Crime Thriller- Focusing on crime, often from the criminals point of view. Contains classic crime scenes often the police force and is all about gathering evidence. For instance the film No country for Old men. 

Mystery Thriller- Subgenre of both mysteries and thrillers, it is much more fast paced then your regular mystery often the protagonist is on the run whilst other smaller crimes are taking place adding tension. For example Gone girl

Supernatural Thriller- The plot line matches that of a classic thriller but contains characters with psychic abilities and other supernatural elements. For instance the movie Miracles.

Disaster Thriller -  Usually a natural disaster is taking place, the protagonist is often trying to prevent this or help rescue others before it is too late. For instance Into the storms. 

Thriller Idea's 3 and 4

Idea 3:Whole film:There are three men trying to run away from their past. They want to change their ways but sometimes no matter how hard you try you just cant outrun or outsmart some people. These men who now only do petty crime seem to be wanted, why they are not sure but whoever wants them is sending clues ahead of them. Its like a mouse and cat chase each time they think they are safe they are dragged right back to where they started, now however they have a plan they believe they can outsmart this guy but how many innocent people will get hurt along the way.

Idea 3: Opening Scene: They are on a Random lane in the middle of nowhere. Three guys are trying to think of a plan to trap a vehicle so they can steal the car, they manage to make the car crash then threaten two innocent passengers in the car and with a gun pointed at their heads make them exit the vehicle. These two women are hurt really bad and cannot speak the guy’s just drive off and leave them for dead on the side of the road. An hour or so into the drive they hear a cry coming from the back on the car, having pulled over they look at the back seat there is a baby crying. The last shot is one of the men getting his gun.

Idea 4:Whole Film: All about a mother stopping at nothing to find her child. One normal day and then everything changed but why her? This film follows a mother in a desperate bid to find out why someone is having their revenge on her. Was it the affair that kick started it all.

Idea 4: Opening scene: It’s a normal morning and a mother decided to take her little girl to the play-ground,as per usual the park is so busy people everywhere mum’s, dad’s, kid’s and dog’s as far as the eye can see. Mother starts pushing her child on the swing they are both laughing having a great time and then she gets tired so goes to sit on the bench and watches her beautiful daughter from there. Her phone rings so she answers it soon she is in a deep conversation so turns around whilst talking just for a minute max. When she turn back around her daughter is gone the swing still swinging like any panicked mum she runs around screaming her daughters name. People start looking but no one says anything but why? Why does no one help her look for her daughter, then on the ground by the swing she see’s the polka dot scarf her daughter had been wearing just minutes before.

Thriller Idea 2, feedback and my response

Idea 2: Whole film: There is a group of friends who head out on a normal day, to do a normal thing. The question is how could a dog walk with your friends end so badly? Three friends with three different secrets, we learn that sometimes telling the truth can save you. The film follows the horror and heartache that people can cause each other. But the question is who is the killer? And what is their motive?

Idea 2: Opening Scene: Four friends get in an argument they decide instead of sitting in their flat arguing they should head out so they take their dog and go for a walk. Half way through the walk it is still absolute silence no one has said a word we just hear the leaves crackling beneath their feet. Next thing you know. THEY HAVE LOST THE DOG. They split up in two’s and one follows a trail of the main path they find a trail of blood so immediately start running, whilst the others soon hear a scream just like the sound of a dog yelp they thought they had just previously heard. They start running towards the cries but why do they not seem surprised? They pause from running and look at each other for a few moments then carry on.  The scene then ends with the last camera shot focused on one of the friend’s shoe that has fallen off but no sign of the friend.

 Idea 2: Feedback

Positives: They liked the cliffhanger, and that it is very tense and action packed keeping the audience captivated at the beginning, and agree I have all the right ingredients for a good opening scene with girl’s, wood and killer but need to change it a bit to work better and match the genre more closely.

Constructive Criticism:

It is more a cliché of a horror and I am trying too much to get across the plot line of the whole film in the opening scene, which is not really the purpose of an opening scene. It is not a bad thing that it’s a cliché but it does need to be changed to work successfully. The main issue is the genre and that it is too much of a horror film and not so much a thriller. Some people also questioned how you could film with a pet (dog) it could be tricky and complicated when under a time pressure and getting it to do what you want at the right moments in time. 

Idea 2 my response: 

The first thing I would focus on is simplifying it to make it more like an opening scene rather then trying to convey the whole plot line. I would scrap the bit when they are in the flat having an argument and start it right in the woods but the friends would not yet split up instead they would hear their dog yelp out and all start running together towards the sound making it less revealing and adding more mystery as to what is going to happen and hopefully less like a horror with the trail of blood that I originally thought about using. I have thought about scrapping the dog however I do like the idea of using an animal and although it may prove challenging I would like to try and make it work.

Thriller Idea 1, feedback and my response

Idea 1( The beach invasion) The whole film: Group of professional men who are planning to take over a small town and all is going to plan until this “good” nosey citizen works out what is going on. He will do everything in his power to stop it and find out who’s behind it.  He will stop at nothing and let nobody get in his way, but does he go to far and end up hurting those he was trying to protect.

Idea 1: opening scene: Set on West Wittering beach (ideally a foggy/wintery/gloomy day) A man runs down to the beach, he is being chased by serious looking men who know what they are doing, each carrying a gun over their shoulder at first they don’t shout they just run and try to catch him however very soon this all escalates into the men shouting/screaming at this man who is trying to run away. At the bottom of the beach there is a rib or ( a truck/defender something big which is waiting to pick him up and escape. Eventually he manages to jump into the rib/car and they dramatically drive away. Whilst a few seconds behind the group of men in suits come running after them. They stop just before the water front so the sea touches there shoes and one of the three men aims their gun and the camera zooms in on the target through the gun and down towards the man about to pull the trigger then blacks out as he pulls the trigger signifying the end of the opening scene.

Idea 1 feedback: Having pitched my first idea I got some useful feedback from my class and listened to a lot of points of view.

Positives:

 To begin with they commented on how it was good as it matched the genre of being a thriller as it is action packed and very tense whilst the audience are kept on the edge of their seats, with a chase, guns and guys in suits showing they are professional adding an even bigger climax. They liked the description in my pitch and said “they could clearly visualise the scene themselves” as well as the fact I had thought about shot by shot and what was going on particularly the last shot when the scene cuts out after the close up on the trigger being pulled.

Constructive Criticism:

The biggest concern they pointed out to me was that my location was good and different being ‘West Wittering beach’ however it is very hard to control the weather, tide and the boat so realistically in the filming stages this could be tricky. Secondly there is a lot going on and maybe too much, sometimes less is more.

 My response to the feedback for my first thriller idea:
 Idea 1 - Beach invasion.

I would change my idea slightly by tweaking it to make it better and more realistic to film. To begin with I would change the man from running onto the beach for a long time being chased to keeping him running for only a very short time then leaping into the rib maybe meeting an ally to add more tension. Making the most of the beach as a setting I would focus more on the boat and the action around that. I am not yet sure weather the boat is just to unrealistic and would be to complicated with weather and tides therefore I might have to consider changing it to a truck or defender as its so much easier to control on the day of filming. I would keep the ending as I got positive feedback from the idea of ending the opening scene with a close up of the man pulling the trigger for it to then black out and end the scene.