Thrillers that relate to our thriller

The DaVinci Code is a psychological thriller and relates to our project in that we have a character seeking answers.


Although this is a video game, it does relate to our thriller, as in this game you are playing through someones memory, however at the end this god talks to the person playing the puppet. So this is like the voice in ours.

Donnie Darko is another example (See below)

Location moodboard

Smile

This student thriller has the same setting as our thriller idea, however we will make our music less repetitive and more reflective of the mood. There was not much of a hint towards the narrative, and there was no real reason for the tourist to go into pursuit of the crazed man. However this has some similarities as the priest guy was slightly crazy, and there is another sub character who is confused by his actions.

Pitch Feedback from Andrea

Your idea is really interesting and is clearly a psychological thriller. I would recommend you have a discussion about how you can communicate to the viewer that this person is psychologically disturbed, camerawork and sound will definitely play a part in this process.
Your black and white flashbacks need some detailed planning.
Also ensure you seek permission from the vicar to use the church.
Also, take a look at U2-67 Smile, a previous student thriller with a similar location and concept.

Great work so far, keep going guys.

Our Logo

Our Logo is called Anarchy-Inc and the name was made by Hev and Luke, and the actual putting together of it was done by Chris.

Blog advice from Andrea

Your blog is designed to evidence the research and planning you have done before you start filming your thriller.
A blog in the 'excellent' category could include some of the following detail:

1. Analysis of student thriller
2. More than one detailed analysis of real thriller openings
3. Practise soundtrack for your thriller
4. Practise soundtrack for Taking Lives intro
5. Production company logo
6. Definition of thriller, outline of different sub-genres and hybrids
7. Analysis of examples of political, psychological, action thriller and crime thriller
8. Initial ideas post
9. Final idea post - for pitch
10. Influences and the thriller generic conventions you intend to explore
11. Mood board
12. Research into other films of similar sub-genres
13. Props list - with illustrations
14. Details of costumes - with illustrations
15. Location report - where you intend to film, if it is a public place then you need to consider the logistics of filming there. If it is private property you must seek permission from the owner.
16. Complete shot list
17. Completed storyboard
18. Test footage with a full explanation as to the technique you were testing and how successful the test was.
19. Details of when you intend to film (dates, times and places), who is responsible for bringing what props etc, what actors are needed and who is in charge of ensuring the actors are informed of times and locations.
20. Practise titles, consider the job titles and the names you wish to include. Do some research into titles. Look at Saul Bass as an industry expert in title sequences.

Why Thrillers Thrive

“Why Thrillers Thrive”

A thriller is a genre of film that is characterized by fast pacing, frequent action and resourceful heroes, who must thwart the plans of more powerful and better-equipped villains. There aim is to leave you with mystery and wonder, to put you one the edge of your seat and make your heart race but with your conscience knowing that you are safe.

There are many different types of thriller. Some are supernatural, for example, centering on mystical antagonists. Others are scientific or medical in nature, forcing their protagonists to contend with biological agents or mysterious scientific happenings. Some are simply straight mysteries with clever or horrific antagonists, while others be focused on the inner workings of the legal system, environmental threats, technology, or natural disasters. One long-established thriller genre is the spy thriller, featuring an often heroic and dashing spy who must confront whichever enemy happens to be popular at the moment.

Thrillers have been around for a long time, One of the earliest 'thrillers' was Harold Lloyd's comic Safety Last (1923). Yet it’s 2010 and thrillers are still a popular genre, Why do a majority of people really enjoy thrillers as a genre over the years?

The article ‘Why Thrillers Thrive’ picks up on a really good point, seeing things that ‘consists of emotional disturbance’ that ‘we don’t experience ourselves’ in reality, gives us excitement and the trill of something being able to upset your homeostasis in an environment where you are completely safe. It gets your heart beating faster, and your mind off of other things. ‘We are safe secure, sitting in an armchair and looking at the struggle and turmoil of life through a window, as it were” Here the essay is stating that your conscience knows you are in a safe environment, you are watching an actor who is in no harm and it isn’t real. This is why people watch thrillers, because they can go through emotional journeys such as your own fears by watching them on a screen while knowing they are safe. It is also ‘thrilling’ and sensation seeking to watch other people deal with your fears, traumas and horrific situations but knowing they are safe at the same time, fright and disgust are enjoyable feelings in the framework of fiction.

Another reason why thrillers thrive stated in this article is where “some characters who have won the audiences sympathy is involved in danger” As a human being you may go through your life without someone you like or sympathies go through something traumatic, so some people may enjoy thrillers because they feel emotions they may not come across in real life. For example wanting a character to escape or wanting the traditional ‘truth seeker’ to find out the truth. Or maybe they are experiences you have been through your self, again such as the truth seeker trying to find out the truth but are far exaggerated than your own experiences, which will make feel the emotional journey that character is going throughout the film. This would intrigue the audience and really play on their emotions. Thriller is a genre that can have a plot that is very like real life, it may be far fetched but the audience can really relate to it.

So over all, this article is telling me that people enjoy thrillers for the emotional empathetic journey and the fact they can really understand what is going on, the audience can compare and relate the thriller to real life. 

Thriller opening in more detail

The first shot the screen will be pitch black, and the faint whispering and giggling of the little girl, then a creak of a church door, as it fades in to the scene of the hooded figure walking into the church. This will then go to a close up of the man removing his hood. There will than be a high angle shot and the as he walks closer to the alter and the voice will ask him "What are you doing here? Your not a religious man." he will then twitch to show that this voice is a pain to him, as he twitches the camera will get close to show this. This will then be tracked along the aisle as you see him walking closer to the alter. The closer he gets a flashback will pop up, the first one will be a long-shot still of the assassin with his hood up and a knife in his hand from behind. and he will flinch, "You can't escape..." he will then walk a bit further then two flashbacks will happen in quick succession, a person alive and happy, and then a dead person on the floor, with blood trailing out. the image will then be back to present as he stumbles slightly and the voice will say "...I'm part of you now..." he will then pass a lone man praying and again more flashbacks will appear of his past murders. This will then show his face as he is starting to sweat from the strain as this happens the voice will still taunt him asking him to "remember his past, and all he has done wrong", as he shouts "SHUT UP" The man praying will then look up confused. There will then be a shot of the assassin running up to the alter, so you can see the door behind and how far he has traveled in the church. when he gets to it he will collapse to his knees, and a close up of his face as he shivers, eyes closed and he presses his hands to his face to prey. The voice will then show a quick succession of flashbacks of murders and deaths, some from the earlier flashbacks and some new ones, with the voice constantly taunting "remember, you did this because of me!". The final shot in the flashback montage will be the assassin with a female, this will then zoom out from the assassins eyes as he collapses, it will then fade to black as the assassin passes out. The voice quietly announcing "She is dead because of US!" The title 'voices' will then appear across the screen, initiating the beginning of the film.

Pitch

Title: Voices.

Idea: We are going to develop Chris's idea about the assassin who hears voices that make him do things he is ignorant to.

Actors: Luke Swann, Hev Oglesby

Location: Shadowy, We will use strong colour filters to bring out the darkness in the shadows. Church

Mise-en-scene: Shadow,Enclosed Space, Hitman(Suit)/Assassin(Hood), Candles (possibly), Flashbacks with quick cuts B&W,

Camerawork: Close ups predominantly, Long shots, establishing shot, High Angle shots, CCTV Feel for paranoid ambiance.

Soundtrack for Taking Lives

We made a soundtrack for a film called Taking lives.

We found it very difficult because we didn't have any dialogue and there had to be some sound throughout the whole opening title sequence. We had to make everything from scratch using garage band, this was also quite difficult because we were limited in the sounds we could use, for example we used a 'concrete jungle' background sound for the bus and train station rather than an actual background sound, but it surprisingly sounded like a background bus sound.

We used different diegetic sounds at important parts in the opening sequence such as when the wheel comes off the car and when the bus breaks down, for the rest of the time we used a Non-diegetic soundtrack.

Thriller Idea

My thriller idea is also quite a simple one, passengers are on a train traveling through a mountain (or any place really) with a policeman transporting a prisoner from one prison to another, the prisoner has been convicted for murder, the train then breaks down while traveling though a place in the middle of nowhere the prisoner seizes there chance, kills the policeman and escapes but doesn't leave the immediate area leaving the remaining passengers trying to find there way back while the prisoner is loose around them. I am willing to accept criticism for this and would also like feedback from you guys on what you think and also what you think we should or could change about it for the opening.

Thriller Idea

My thriller idea is about assassins/hitman(or women, or is it the same for both genders?), that has killed so many that he/she feels as if their soul is slowly dieing with each life he/she takes. This will lead the killer to flee from his guild to set up his own life in secret. However due to the guilds beliefs the only escape from their work is death, otherwise their secrets and tricks could be let loose onto the public. This leads the guild to send out their highest killers to take down the protagonist. Plot twists could be that the people told to kill the lead had no idea who they were after, and this could be revealed by one of the protagonists long lost friends with a knife to their throat, only to realise their identity.

Another idea i had (also about assassin/hitman sort of things) is about the protagonist hearing a voice inside of his/her head which plays with the protagonists mind, for example with one of the most powerfulgang leaders in their grasp the spirit inside lets out a highpitched squeal forcing the protagonist to collapse in pain, allowing the target to escape, but helping as in warning of a attack from the left allowing the protagonist to move out of the way and counter the punch. Also the voice can communicate much more clearly through the protagonists dreams, and has slight control of their body. I think i got this idea from a video game Assassins Creed, as this relys ona puppet system giving them complete control of his ancestors, but this will also help to set up a lot of mystery onto who the voice is.

I think i may have thought too much into this... :)

Thriller Idea

My idea is simple but i think it would work well for an opening to a thriller, basically there is a woman/man walking into a church to prey/light a candle, and the use of a handheld camera and how it is edited could be like someone is watching them, and this carries on whilst the person goes about their normal everyday life, and maybe watches them undress in their home. So you feel creeped out that someone is following this person and has somehow got into their house.

I didn't really get inspiration from any films that I watched, I just thought it up, I like the use of the church because it symbolizes sanctity and safety from evil things. I like using things that you think are good and turning them against people, like the waxwork figures in House of wax, they are something people go and see, not realising there are actual people trapped inside the wax unable to move or get out.

"Why Thrillers Thrive"

• To see a life in other perspectives - "The kind we don't experience ourselves"
• To have a little fright or excitement in our life/experience something new. - "Our nature is such that we must have these 'shake-ups,'"
• They drag you in to compelling storylines. - "We don't sit by as spectators; we participate."
• There is a sense of danger, although we are safe. - "In this there is no harm, because in our subconsious we are aware that we are safe,"
• However this safety can be compromised... - "The cinema can leave the spectator with a subconsious of absolute safety, and yet surprise his imaginationinto playing tricks on him."
• You can relate to the character/s. - "...characterwho has won the audience's sympathy is involved in danger,"
• The camera can help show this. - "On the screen he is no greateractual dangers, yet you look over and see for yourself..."
• Having a small fright is good for your health! - "Such scenes, which set the blood pounding through the veins, are highly beneficial for indigestion.
  

Analysis of student Thrillers

Using fast obvious cuts through out this opening sequence shows us that the genre if the film you are about to watch, the glitches make it obvious that it will be a thriller because they are abnormal and distort your viewing. The diegetic sound throughout is a fuzzy heart beat, this again makes the viewer know even before having any sense of narrative that they will be watching a thriller.
They have fitted the opening credits in with visual clips, this gives the opening credit mystery also it stops the viewer getting bored.
The lighting is dark and saturated which is another element of thriller.

Over all the clip defiantly leaves you with mystery and suspense, it also fits in many of the thriller elements but its isn't very original and you don't have a clear sense of narrative.



opening is in black and white which is a nice convention that shows us straight away that it is a thriller, there is the vulnerable female character/s, this is the damsel in distress which is a general convention of the thriller.

Donnie Darko Opening Sequence Analysis

The opening stops at 2:20 minutes in.
Donnie Darko incorporates many conventions of a thriller for example: Main protagonist has a major flaw which is his psychosis and the fact that he sleep walks, the lighting is dark to correspond with the style of the film, the location is familiar to him but at the same time is unfamiliar about how he got there, the non-diegetic eerie music sets the scene, the initial mystery of the film is that you do not know how he ended up asleep on the road in his pajamas in the first place.

JFK - Political thriller

JFK is a political thriller, You know it's the film is politically influenced by the opening sequence.

The opening sequence starts with up beat diegetic music that contains drums, the fact the music

is a drum beat shows its importance which could be represented as a salute to a political leader.

The first visual you see it a quote "To sin by silence when we should protest makes cowards out of men"

- By Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Who her self is a political poet, this also shows us straight away that the film will include a lot of political

behavior.

The film title is JFK, so we know it's will be about assassins which makes it a thriller, they don't need to

make it obvious.

Definition of Genre

A way of categorizing films, A genre has a set of conventions to conform to or challenge.

Audience - Satisfaction/Expectations - Predictable

Surprising audience

Thriller - Hybrid, Action thriller, Horror thriller, Fantasy thriller

- Sub Genre, political thriller - power struggle. crime thriller/legal thriller, war thriller, psychological thriller, apocalyptic thriller, Neo noir, Film noir

[Identity - Psychological thriller] Voice over to start with links in, psychological thriller, You hear the voiceover before visually seeing anything, Complex narrative - cuts out part of the story. Shifting montage editing style put the audience on the edge of their seat.

[Malcolm X - political thriller.]

American flag shows straight away that it's a political thriller, Lighting is dark, The police men, authority, a crowd applauding the voiceover and the voice over preaching tone show its a political thriller. The fact you don't see who id giving the voiceover leaves mystery.

Vertigo analysis

Conventions in Vertigo.
-Identity
-Suspense, Music, score
-Mystery
-Darkness/shadow
-Title is linked
-Damsel in Distress
-Protagonist, flawed hero, fear, in danger
-Women, Voyeurism

Deadlines

Shooting wed 29th feb

Rough cut 1st march mon

Final cut mon 8th march

Inter writing mon 15th march

Final writing 22nd march

Conventions of thrillers

Conventions:

-Music/Sound/Silence
-dark/dingy/shadowy lighting
-fear of the unknown
-Protagonist, in danger, damsel in distress, fear
-Killer, alter ego
-Identity, stolen identity, no identity
-Flash backs
-Not-linear, not following normal concepts
-Mystery
-Film noir, Neo noir
-suspense, putting the viewer on edge
-False sense of security
-Obsession

Prelim Evaluation

Our Preliminary Task

Preliminary Task

Establishing shot of person in corridor.
Close up shot of the person answering the door
then a match on action of the door opening.
A reaction shot of the second character looking towards the door.
A long shot showing both characters.
Filming the conversation.

Over shoulder shot of Nick and zombies
Close up of the window

Long shot and establishing shot of haunted house.




The 180 degree rule displayed in picture.