Final thriller production

Question 1 - Use, challenge or develop conventions

The task was to create a two minute thriller opening sequence that engaged the audience and used the conventions of a thriller genre.
The conventions of a thriller film could include; Low key lighting, isolated location, female victim, silence, close ups and hidden identity of the killer.

An isolated location is shown in the film, "The strangers" when the cinematography of a long shot shows an abandoned house in the middle of no where. The point of using an isolated location is to make the victim seem vulnerable and weak but also created an easy target for the killer. The audience become engaged through the shot of the abandoned location as they realise straight away that the victim has no escape and so therefore the abandoned location foreshadows the victims death. This creates a sinister and dramatic effect for the audience because they straight away become intrigued into the film and immediately build a relationship with the victim and sympathise with them. The audience want to know what is going to happen to the victim and so feel encouraged to watch the rest of the film just to find out what happens.

Another convention is low key lighting and this is shown in the film, "Annabelle" when the victim is in the house on her own in the dark. Already the low key lighting creates a sinister effect and the audience know that something bad is going to happen. This engages the audience as they begin to build a relationship with the victim and they can see how vulnerable the victim is as they have no escape and they don't know that something bad is going to happen. The low key lighting makes it hard for the audience to see what is happening in the sequence and this creates shock and surprise when something suddenly happens as the audience didn't expect it. The low key lighting helps to create suspense and leave the audience in tension as to what is going to happen next.

The third convention is using a female victim and this is shown in the film "Insidious." Female victims are very conventional and are used in a lot of thriller films this is because of the stereotypes that has been created for girls. Stereotypically girls are portrayed as vulnerable and weak and cannot defend for themselves and this makes them a very easy target for the killer as the killer is able to murder them easily. Girls are also represented as naive and innocent and this also makes them seem like the weaker sex and the less powerful character. Using a female victim engages the audience as they know straight away that a death is going to take place as the victim cannot defend themselves and so a female victim foreshadows death and pain. This keeps the audience engaged as they want to see how the victim dies and who is the killer. The audience are able to build a relationship with the victim and they feel sympathy towards her as they know that she is going to die.

Another convention is to use silence and this was shown in the film, "Shutter Island" when the two men are walking around an abandoned prison. Silence helps to build suspense within the audience because the audience don't know when something bad is going to happen. It builds up tension for the audience and leaves them on edge as to when the killer is going to appear. By using silence it also creates shock and suspense for the audience because it means that when the killer does appear, it makes the audience jump and this keeps them intrigued even more. Silence also foreshadows death and makes the victim appear weak and vulnerable because as the silence overpowers the victim and makes the killer seem threatening even if the killer hasn't appeared yet. Silence is used in all thriller films to lead the audience into the unknown and make them jump when something sudden happens.

Another convention is close ups and this is shown in the film, "Final Destination" when there are close ups of certain objects such as a nail and powder. Close ups are used in all thriller films to entice the audience and make them wonder what is going to happen next. The close up foreshadows that a death is going to take place but also the audience wonder how certain objects are linked together. Another use of close ups is to show the facial expressions of the characters which helps the audience to build a relationship with them. It also helps the audience to understand how the characters are feeling. Close ups are used a lot on the victim to show the victims vulnerability and to make the victim seem weak and powerless compared to the killer. The close up allows the audience to understand how the victim feels and this also helps when building a relationship as the audience feel sympathy towards the victim. Close ups are also used on the killers face and this makes the audience feel threatened and powerless by the killer.

The last convention is hidden identity of the killer and this is used in the film "Scream" throughout the whole film. Hidden identity helps to create suspense, surprise and shock from the audience as it creates an enigma for them. The enigma makes the audience want to watch the whole film just to try and find out who the killer is. Hidden identity builds up suspense and tension for the audience and leaves them on edge to find out whether the killer is someone they thought it would be or not. The audience are able to build a relationship with the victim as they know as much as the victim knows about the killer and this makes the victim easy to relate as they are put into the victims shoes. The audience begin to understand how the victim feels and they feel threatened by the killer as the audience can't see their face. It makes the killer seem powerful and patronising and using a hidden identity of the killer is a conventional way in order to keep the audience intrigued in the whole film and they feel encouraged to watch it to find out who the killer is.

Some ideas and inspirations I gained was to use a hidden identity of the killer. This would help engage my audience and intrigue them to watch the rest of the film to find out who the killer is. Hidden identity is very conventional to a thriller sequence as it allows the audience to define who the characters and allows the to build a relationship with the victim. Hidden identity will also keep the audience engaged throughout the film so they can see who the killer is when the killer is revealed.

Another inspiration that I gained was silence as I think that this is a massive convention to the thriller genre and this would be used wen the victim is about to get killed by the killer. By using silence at this point it would build up tension for the audience and leave them on edge as to whether the victim is going to die or not. The silence also helps to represent the victim as vulnerable and weak as the silence is over powering and threatening towards the victim. The silence allows the audience to be placed into the victims shoes and feel exactly how the victim is feeling and this is intriguing for the audience and also encourages them to watch the rest of the sequence.

The last inspiration I gained was to use a female victim and this would be used because following the stereotypes, I think that a female victim would engage the audience more as they are represented as weak, vulnerable and naive and so therefore shown to be an easy target for the killer. The female victim also foreshadows that a death is going to take place within the sequence and so this entices the audience to watch the sequence to find out if the victim dies or not.

My thriller opening sequence uses conventions of the thriller genre and follows a stereotypical narrative. As a group we achieved using the conventions by filming our production in constant low key lighting throughout the sequence and also I added effects to make the brighter scenes appear darker, For instance this was used when the filming took place outside and the filming seemed very lighting so I had to edit the production to make the scenes a lot darker in order to create a low key lighting effect. I did this in order to create shock, surprise and suspense for the audience as it made it harder for them to see what was happening and it would help make the audience jump when the killer suddenly appeared. It makes the audience feel vulnerable and so they can therefore relate to the victim and be placed into the victims shoes. The production was filmed in low key lighting in order to create a sinister effect and lead the audience into the unknown.

Another convention used was a female victim. This was because I wanted the audience to feel sympathy towards the victim. Females are shown as innocent and naive and so this would create a very conventional narrative and the the audience would know straight away that the victim is going to die. By using a female victim it means that the audience are left in suspense as to when the victim is going to die and it also makes the thriller sequence more relateable as the female victim enables the audience to be placed in the victims shoes and the audience are able to build a close relationship with the victim and feel exactly how she is feeling.

The last convention that I am going to use in the production is a hidden identity of the killer. I want to keep the identity hidden as it makes the audience wonder who the killer could be and whether the killer is close in terms of relationship with the victim. It also creates an element of shock and surprise for the audience when the killer is finally revealed as the audience would be shocked to see who it is. By keeping the identity hidden, it also creates an enigma and keeps the audience engaged within the sequence as they feel intrigued to watch till the end to find out who the killer is and whether the victim dies or not. Keeping the identity hidden also portrays the killer as powerful and creates more of a sinister effect. It also leads them into the unknown and keeps them on the edge of their seat to try and find out who the killer is. Throughout our thriller, a mask will be placed over the killers face whenever the killer is shown in a shot. For instance, when the killer goes to stab the victim, then a mask will be used to hide the face of the killer and this makes the scene seem even more sinister and creates a dramatic effect for the audience.

Rough cut - Miss Georgiou

Audience feedback is important when creating a production because it tells us what is good about the production and what could be improved. Feedback is also important because it tells us the strengths and weaknesses of our production that we may not have noticed and certain things could be improved like lighting or sound. These feedback comments help us to identify what is wrong with certain scenes and allow us to correct them. It also allows us to see what the audience think of our production and whether they think it fits into the thriller genre and whether it thrills and engages them. This then allows us as a group to make any changes if the audience are not pleased with the production.

A rough cut is essential to carry out because it allows us as a group to decide if any changes need to be made and if the production that we made looks professional and engages the audience. 

We received audience feedback by putting our rough cut on YouTube and people commented what they think of the production. They gave us both positive feedback and negative feedback which then allows us to make any changes in order to create a production that is thrilling for the audience. We also received feedback from our teachers when making the production and they would say what they don't like about the production or what we need to change in order to make it more conventional. They would also tell us to add sounds or transitions in to make the sequence flow more and to make it look more professional. Throughout making our sequence, our group would constantly make comments about what we should add into the sequence and what we should take out. As a group we co-operated well when giving feedback and if one person didn't like something in the group then we wouldn't add it in. This ensured that our thriller sequence would engage and thrill the audience. Our group would be very critical about sounds and transitions that we added in. However this did help us when creating the production because it meant that we would choose a sound that everyone liked and that we thought was the most conventional to the thriller genre. Not only did our group give criticism, but the people in our class did too. This was useful when creating our final product because they said what they didn't like about the rough cut and what they thought could be added or taken out. By giving us feedback it meant that we kept our target audience pleased and they would become more engaged when watching our final product. 

This feedback helps me with my production because it tells me what I need to improve on and what I could do better in order to please my target audience. It has also allowed me to see what people think of our thriller from another perspective and allows the audience to notice any mistakes that we may have not noticed ourselves. Getting feedback would also help with the production industry, as before letting the production out to the public, it allows the industry to improve on their work in order for it to appeal to their target audience. It also lets people give opinions on the film and allow them to see what could be done to make it better or what has been done well. Likewise with our production, it gives the perspective from another view and this helps the industry as something that they thought was good, may not be good or engaging to the target audience and so this allows the industry to change it before releasing the final product.

"This is a good thriller sequence that is conventional to the thriller genre."

"This thriller is amazing, its so good and the techniques used makes it so engaging and conventional to the thriller genre"

"I liked your use of editing and I think you made a really good narrative that was easy to follow."

The main positive comments we got as a group was that our thriller opening sequence was very conventional. This is very useful when creating our thriller production as we know that we have included what the audience look for in a thriller. These comments have also been useful because it means that we don't have to change anything to our plot because the audience know straight away that our opening sequence belongs to the thriller genre. This has meant that our group has successfully completed the aim of the task and we have produced something that means that our target audience will be engaged into our production. Another good feedback we got was that the techniques we used were very good and this is also helpful as it means that our group has also created a thriller production that looks professional. This type of feedback is very useful when creating our production because it means that we don't have to add any more sounds or different types of shots because the audience are engaged into our sequence.

"it could use more edits and filters to increase the suspense created for the audience"

"I felt some of the sounds suddenly cut out whereas I think they should fade out to build up more suspense."

"the sounds are done really well in the beginning of the sequence but later on in the sequence the sounds don't fade in and out and don't feel like they are a part of the scene"

This feedback has also helped when making our final production because it tells us as a group that we need to create more suspense within the thriller film and this is so we engage our target audience. As a group we need to edit our thriller production and add certain things into it to make it seem more suspenseful. We need to add edits to build up tension within the audience and properly engage them into the sequence so that they are intrigued to watch till the end. This feedback has allowed our group to understand that our thriller production isn't as suspenseful as it could be and our group didn't pick up on that. We also got another negative comment which was to make sure our sound fades out. This is very useful because it means that we can make our thriller production more professional by fading out the sound instead of cutting it out. This also appeals to our target audience more as they feel like they are watching a proper thriller film.

The changes that we will make to our thriller sequence is that we are going to add more transitions in to the production in order to build suspense. An example of where we would add a transition and effect is during the flashbacks, as looking back on our production, the flashbacks are not clear enough and I feel as though the audience are going to get confused when they watch the thriller sequence.We are going to fade out the sound slowly so that our thriller sequence seems a lot more professional. This will appeal to our target audience more as they would be more intrigued to watch the thriller sequence to the end and they will enjoy the thriller sequence more if it looks professional and engages the audience.

To conclude, feedback is useful when releasing a rough cut because it allows you to spot mistakes that you may not have noticed before or take out anything that is deemed to be unconventional to the thriller genre. Film industries also release rough cuts for a small amount of people to watch as they want to know what the target audience think of their production and whether  it appeals to them or not. Rough cuts enable us to get positive and negative feedback which then allows us to decide what we need to change and what can stay the same. 

Group Meetings - Miss Georgiou

The purpose of group meetings is to get every one together and discuss any more ideas on the thriller sequence. Meetings take place so that each individual member can talk about any other ideas they have and elaborate on them and explain what they mean to the rest of the group. This helps the group to have a better understanding on what ideas could take place and how we would go about doing them. The meetings also allow our group to discuss the content of which is going in our thriller film and any micro elements or editing we need to add to make the sequence flow or to make it more thrilling. The meetings allow the group members to talk about any problems that have occurred when filming or any suggestions that someone has to make to improve the thriller sequence or to talk about when we should film next and who is needed. It helped my group when constructing the production as we elaborated on ideas to make them more detailed so we knew exactly what to film. It also helped when filming as were able to know exactly what to film and when to film it and what possible Mes-en-scene elements we were adding in. By having meetings it meant that we could decide when we were next going to film and who was going to be there and this helped when creating the production because it meant that there was no confusion as to what was going on and this resulted in wasting less time. It also helped when filming as we got together and discussed changes that needed to be made with the thriller sequence and this meant that when we did actually film we knew how that filming needed to be improved and what we needed to do when dealing with the camera and the shots we were actually filming. The strengths of having group meetings is that it keeps the group organised and  makes sure that we each know what we're doing within filming the scenes. It is also a good thing to have as it lets the group know if there are any changes that need to be made to our sequence or if there is anything that someone doesn't like. It is also a strength as we talk about who we think is doing enough work and who we think maybe needs to work more when editing or filming. This helps our group to make sure that the work is spread evenly between everyone. I think there could be some changes to the group meetings by talking about who we think should film next or edit because as a group we each do the same job all the time and I think that we could discuss when we think someone should edit next as otherwise the people in our gout do the same job all the time such as editing and some other people in our group don't get to edit. By discussing this it means that we can keep our group organised and make sure that editing and filming is done by everyone in our group.

From carrying out group meetings, I have learnt that we can keep our group organised and waste less time by discussing when we are going to be filming next and who is going to do it. It has also helped when creating blogs because it means that we can talk about what we are going to put into our blog and we can communicate to make decisions about our group narrative and storyboard. I have learnt that group meetings help to create blogs as it means that we can easily talk as a group about strengths and weaknesses of each persons ideas and then as a group we can combine our ideas together. Group meetings allow us to do this as it makes sure that we are all together to discuss our ideas. I think that our group does work well as group because we each put in input and we each take it in turns to different jobs such as editing or filming. I also think our group works well because we co operate with each other and make sure that one person doesn't do all the work. We even the jobs out and make sure that everyone is doing something.

If I was to work in a group next time I think I would make sure that everyone has an important role to do and that not one person is doing most of the work. I would make sure that the jobs are spread out evenly and when deciding what day to film, I would make sure that everyone could make it. I would also change the fact that we would alternate roles to do, instead of just having each person allocated to one role, I would want everyone to do different roles so that they get used to doing everything. I think as a group, we stuck to one role each and I would want to change that so everyone in our group can have a go at doing something different. I also found that in our group, one person would just do editing all the time while someone else always does the filming and if we were put into other groups I would want to change that as I think it is important for each person to learn about the different roles and to understand what each role consists of. I would also want to change the way we film as I felt like we didn't plan our filming days that well because we didn't always decide what we wanted to film until the day and this led to our group having to constantly film every night because we didn't have the right costume or equipment to film with. I think that if I was put in a group again, I would make sure that we knew exactly what shots we were filming and not change our mind about it. I would also want the filming to be done in one long chunk instead of doing little bits at a time as this wasted a lot of time and meant that each time we would waste half an hour setting up the equipment and sorting out make up and costumes when we could of been filming. I would make sure we doing a long filming session instead of lots of little filming sessions as this would mean we would have more time editing and less time filming and wasting time.

Production Roles - Miss Miller

The important of allocating people to specific roles is to make sure that everyone can do something while on set or filming. It helps to keep everything organised and it means that one person isn't doing all the jobs. It also spreads the jobs out evenly and makes sure that people are actually doing something on set. It also prevents confusion and prevents one person from doing all the main roles and another person doing only small roles.

The main production roles are;
producers, 

directors, 

actors, 

director photography, 

music producers, 

screenplay writer, 

mes-en-scene co-ordinators and 

editors.

Producers are in charge of everything such as the location, costumes, and camera work. Directors are in charge of making sure that the actors involved in the scene are in the correct positions and making sure that the shots they are filming have been done properly. They tell the actors when to move or when to come into a scene. Actors are the people in the actual film and who the audience are going to be watching. Director of photography are the camera crew who film the scenes and make take care of the type of shots that are going to be used in the film. Music producers decide what music or sound is going to be played over each image. Screenplay writers are the people that have written the narrative and the storyboard and so tell the producers what is going to happen in the sequence or what is going to happen in the next shot. Mes-en-scnene co-ordinators take care of costume, hair and makeup and make sure that the actors are dressed for their characters. Editors edit everything that has been filmed and link of the shots together which make up the sequence. They decide where editing techniques should be placed and whether some stuff should be cut or not.

As a group we decided which roles were going to be allocated to who based on who are the actors in the sequence. We also based it on who we would think would suit each role. 

We made Luca the producer because we thought that he could organise everything and make sure that everyone is doing what they are supposed to be doing. We also made him producer because it means that he can take charge and decide where the location is and how we should film each scene. We didn't make John or me producer because we are both main characters in the sequence and so it would be too much to be director and actors. It would also get confusing if either of us were producer because it would mean we would be having to do several jobs at the same time. We didn't choose Ciara as producer because we have decided that she has got another important role of editing and so if we made Ciara producer then it would be too much and she would also be doing several jobs at the same time. She is also have many other jobs and so it could get confusing. Luca as a producer has made sure that everyone is in their correct positions and that everyone is where they should be. Luca has also made sure that the filming is done correctly and that there are no hazards when filming. On set Luca makes sure that in each frame we are doing the correct things and that all the makeup and hair is done to how it should be. I think Luca was good at producing because he got everyone organised and was able to control the group well and produce a good thriller opening sequence. He made filming and making the film a lot easier as it meant that our group didn't waste time because he kept us organised.

For the director this is me and Luca. This is because both of us know what is happening exactly in each frame and we know how we want the camera shots and the lighting. We also know exactly where we want the actors to stand to make sure that it is the most conventional. We thought as a group that Luca would be good as the director because he knows how he wants everything to be done and he tells everyone where to be at the exact time. We also thought as a group that I should also be director as this is because the base of the narrative was my idea and so therefore the group thought that I would know how I want the shots to look like. We didn't think that john and Ciara should be directors because Ciara is the director of photography and MES co-ordinator. This means that she is already doing a lot of jobs and she has a lot of main roles already within creating the thriller sequence. We also didn't think John should be the director because he is an actor in the sequence and so it would be hard for him to do two things at once and he is also editing and so some days when we are filming, he is editing which means he doesn't have time to direct. Me and Luca during filming have directed each frame and told everyone how we want each frame to look like. Luca has been telling the actors where to stand or how to move in order to get the perfect frame and to make it seem the most conventional. Luca has also co-ordinated where the iconography should be in each scene and to position the actors correctly in order to not get things in the background and to make the place look like its actually set in a isolated area. I also think that me and Luca were good at directing as we told everyone what they had to do when filming. This also made it easier for us to create our thriller production as our group knew exactly what to do when filming.

Me and john are the actors in the thriller sequence and this is because I got chosen to be the victim because in a thriller film the victims are always female and typically have blonde hair to make them seem more vulnerable and weak. John is also an actor because he has the typical stereotypes of an antagonist and he also isn't doing any editing or directing. During filming me and John have to act out the shots that have been used in our storyboard. In each frame Luca tells us where we need to be and how we should move. Me and john act out the frames that Luca has told us to do and he directs us to make sure that when me and John create a conventional thriller sequence. This makes editing easier because if me and John do everything that Luca tells us to do then less editing will have to take place. I think me and John could of done our job better by making sure we listened to the director when Luca was telling us where to stand and what to do. This would of made it easier for our group to finalise the production as it would of wasted less time and it would make editing a lot easier as we wouldn't have to cut so many clips.

The directors of photography are Luca and Ciara. This is because Luca is very good with the camera work and he knows what he is doing with the camera. He also isn't one of the actors and so it is easy for him to film because he isn't doing two jobs at once. Luca is also the director and this makes it easier for Luca to also be the camera person because he knows exactly what he is doing and he is able to understand what is happening in each shot. By making Luca the director and the camera person it means that he knows everything that is going on in each shot and this prevents us from wasting time. We also think that Ciara should be the camera person as well as she isn't one of the actors and so it makes it easier for her to film. She is also the screenplay writer and so she understands what is happening in each frame and can help direct the actors to show them where they need to be. As a group we decided not to make me or John the director of photography and this is because me and John are both actors and so we wouldn't be able to film and act at the same time. Director of photography helps with editing as it means that when we edit we know exactly how we want it and what bits we want to cut. During filming it means that we can film several shots of the same thing and then when we edit we can choose which shot is the most conventional and suits our thriller sequence. Directing of photography consists of making sure that all the actors are doing the correct thing and make sure that they are in the correct position. During filming, Luca and Ciara have put all the actors in their correct places and have made sure that the shots that have been filmed are the ones that are in our storyboard. They have also made sure that the shots are conventional to what is being filmed and that the camera has been set up properly so that the images don't look unprofessional. I think that the job could of been done better by making sure that the camera was in focus before filming as this would result in less time being wasted and not having to delete so many clips because the clips were blurry. This would of made it easier for when we were editing as we wouldn't have to keep cutting clips and we wouldn't have to keep deleting them and refilling them because they didn't look professional.

The music producer is John and this is because John is also the editor and he knows what kind of music should be played over the images. John is also the music producer because he knows what kind of music is used for each image and he knows what music is conventional to the thriller genre and what music should be played to create a suspenseful opening sequence. As a group we decided that me, Luca and Ciara shouldn't be the music producer and this is because we are all doing quite a lot and so we won't have time to produce the music and decide what music we want for each shot. I think that John did well in producing the music because the music fit well within our sequence and created suspense for the audience and this makes finalising our piece easier because it means that we can just edit around the music.

Screen play writer is Ciara and we chose Ciara because she knows the narrative and so when her and Luca are filming she will know straight away what shot to film and how she would want the shot to look. Ciara is also the screenplay writer because she thought of the narrative and she also has a really good idea on how she wants our opening sequence to look. We decided to make me, Luca or John the screenplay writer because me and John are the actors and so it would be hard for me and John to tell Luca what shot to film next because we don't know the narrative as well. Luca is one of the directors of photography and so he needs to focus on filming. While Luca is filming, Ciara can tell Luca what shot to film next. I think that Ciara did well with her job as she produced a good screen play which was conventional to the thriller genre. This made it a lot easier to produce the thriller sequence because we knew what to put into the thriller sequence and what we need to film.

Ciara is the MES co-ordinator and this means that she has to sort out the costume, hair and makeup. We decided to make Ciara the MES co-ordinater as she is not one of the actors and so she can see everything she is doing. She also has experience with putting on makeup and so she can make the actors look both scary and vulnerable. She can also help to put on the fake blood and put on the cuts and bruises on the victim. We decided not to make me, John or Luca the MES co-ordinators because me and John are both actors and so we wouldn't be able to see what we were doing with the makeup and we wouldn't be able to decide what would look good or not. We also didn't really know what costume to wear or how our hair should be and so we decided as a group that Ciara would be the best because she knows how she wants everything to be as she is also screen play writer. We also decided that Luca shouldn't be the MES co-ordinator because she has a lot to do already and he doesn't have a great understanding on how each person in the scene should look like. I think Ciara also did a good job with the make up and costume however she could of improved a bit when the victim got stabbed as to make the thriller sequence more realistic blood could of been on the shirt instead of just the hands and face. This would of made our thriller more conventional and realistic.

Finally the main editors are Luca and me and this is because Luca is the director of photography and so he knows where he wants frames cut or where he wants to add music or a transition. Luca also knows how to edit really well and so this will help our group to waste less time and just get on with it. We also made me editor because I'm also the director and so I know how I want each frame to look like and what they should consist of. Ciara and John are also editors and they decide what transitions should be added in after each frame and how long each frame should be or whether we should cut it. They also decide where we might need music and what music we might have to add in certain frames to make it the most conventional. Me and Luca make the final touches and make sure that our thriller sequence is enjoyable and thrilling. I think that me and Luca did well with editing because our final piece does look really good however we could of added more effects and transitions in to make it more conventional and more thrilling for the audience.

To conclude, during filming I think that everyone fulfilled their job well as they each did what they were supposed to do. By doing their jobs properly, it meant that when it came to editing it was a lot easier because we each new how we wanted each frame to look and we had a rough idea of what music to use or what transitions could be played over each frame. This has  wasted less time and has meant that we can edit straight away and get it done. During filming everyone did their job well which has meant that as a group we have filmed a good thriller sequence and have been able to edit it in a way that makes it thrilling and enjoyable for the audience. I think that some jobs could of been done a bit better such as directing as when editing we realised that we had to re-film some stuff and this is because of the different angles that are shown when we play back the footage. Therefore the directing job and the camera man  could of maybe be done better by making sure that the camera and the actors are at the same angle from the previous shot because otherwise the frames look out of place and this causes the thriller sequence to look less professional. However all the other jobs were fulfilled properly and this has meant that as a group we can produce a thrilling opening sequence. 

Filming Schedule - Miss Georgiou

A filming schedule is important because it tells the crew members what needs to be done in each frame and gives them an idea about who need to be on set at the time and what equipment is needed. It also helps to tell people the time and date of when they are going to be filming so they are prepared for what they need to do for that day. It also tells the crew members what actors are going to be filmed in that frame and how the actor is going to look like. It creates organisation and makes sure that everyone knows what they are doing. A filming schedule also means that each of the crew members know where they need to be in each frame and creates a realistic view on the location. It prepares the crew members when they are going to be needing to film and where about's. This helps to waste less time and also means that filming can get done straight away.

While filming we did change a couple of things such as the times that we were filming the shots. For instance, as a group we were going to film all the shots in the dark so that it looked more conventional however we decided to add a bit of lighting in it so that it makes the shots look more realistic and so you can see the characters. We tried filming in complete darkness but this made it very hard to see all the characters and to see iconography that was included in our sequence. We then decided to change the timings for when we were going to film as we needed some scenes in the natural light and so we had to change the times to earlier. We changed the times of the outdoor shots of filming the location and this was so it made the sequence look more realistic and so that the audience can actually see what is going on in the clip. We decided to add a filter when editing to make the scene look a little bit darker. We also had to make changes to the timing as we decided that it wasn't actually possible to film in the dark as this would mean filming at 6 o clock in the evening and we would have to stay in school because we were filming near the school and in the drama studio. This wasn't possible to do so we had to changed the times. It could also be seen as a hazard if we film in the dark and we had to consider safety of ourselves. We also decided to change a couple of the shots that we were going to use. For instance when we were filming the scene where the victim looks at her phone, we decided to add another shot in it so that it would look better when editing. We also had to change the shot when filming the knife as we didn't want to zoom in on it because the angles didn't match up and so when editing, it wouldn't look right and it wouldn't flow properly.We had to change this as when we looked backed on it the shots quickly jumped to one another which made the sequence look very unprofessional as it didn't flow. We also had to add spotlights within some of the shots for instance reaction shots and the shot looking at the knife. This is because due to the location of the drama studio, it means that it is very dark and this caused a problem when filming because it meant that we couldn't actually see the objects that were being filmed. So we had to add some spotlights into our shots so that the audience could actually see what is happening. We also didn't follow the filming schedule with the dim lighting as in the drama studio we didn't use any lighting apart from some spotlights and so we didn't have any dim lighting.This was also because the drama studio had very bright lights and so we wouldn't be able to use them because the sequence would look unconventional to a thriller film and it would make the sequence seem happy instead of sinister. We filmed in the dark but only added some spotlights so only the audience were focused on what was in the spotlight. It also made the sequence look more conventional and fitted more into the thriller genre. Instead of also having natural makeup for most of the shots, I used make up to make it look like I had been injured. For example I had fake blood on my lip and on my eye brow and this made it seem like I had already been hurt by the killer. I also had a bruise on my eye so that it created an effect. We decided to go against the filming schedule as we thought that natural make up wouldn't be conventional enough for a thriller film. By using fake blood and bruising it meant that it created more of a sinister effect and helped the audience to build a relationship with the victim more.We decided to go against the film schedule and change the plans because we felt like this would work better with our narrative and it would leave the audience in suspense. It would also make the victim look more vulnerable and weak and show the audience what the killer is capable which already makes the audience think that the victim is going to die.  We also had to re-film one of the shots where I looked at the knife and this is because the angles where I looked at the knife are different and when we edit the clips it doesn't flow properly because the head angles are sudden and so it looks odd. So we have had to re film that scene and we also had to re film a scene on the phone because it was too long and we couldn't edit the middle bit out as the angles moved. It also looked unprofessional and so it didn't make sense.

Filming schedules are important because it tells the crew members when they are going to film. They have a basic outline on what days they are going to be filming and about what time, this helps to give a rough idea when we need to be filming. It also helps the crew members make any adjustments on the time of day it frame should be filmed or whether the location changes. Filming schedules mean that everything becomes organised and it helps prevent wasting time as each of the crew members know exactly what is going on in each frame in terms of where the location is, the camera shots used, any lighting that needs to be adjusted and what crew members need to be on set at that time.

Opening scene narration - Miss Miller

For our final narrative, we each used our individual storyboards and created one big storyboard that we were all happy with. We took ideas from each individual storyboard that we thought were the most conventional to the thriller genre and would thrill the audience the most and we added it to our group storyboard. We made sure that everyone had put some of their ideas in and we changed some stuff around to make sure that our thriller sequence was sinister and engaged the audience straight away.

In our narrative, the scene starts off with with a long shot of the abandoned house. There is no iconography in the scene however low key lighting will be used to set a dark atmosphere. Low rumbling noises will be played over the image and linking of section is used to link both shots of the isolated area together. The next frame uses extreme long shot to show the road leading towards the house. No iconography will be shown here as well but the same non diegetic sound will be used. Linking of section will also be used to link the frame before and this one together. The third shot will be point of view and this is when the girl is looking down at her tied up. The location is in a basement and the iconography is the rope. Low key lighting will also be used in this shot and the actor in the scene is the victim. A high pitch noise will be played over the image to portray the victim. Jump cut will also be used in the shot to focus on the rope that is used to tie up the girl. The fourth shot used is a close up of the girls face to show her confusion and to show that she is scared. The location is still in the basement and the actor shown in the shot is the victim. The sound used is going to be non diegetic and it is going to be a high pitch sound growing louder. Continuity editing is going to be used in this shot. The next shot is going to be a close up of the knife. The location is still the basement and the iconography is the knife. The lighting is low key and there are no actors shown in the shot. Non diegetic sound is going to be used as a low beat sound and the kuleshov effect editing technique will be used to link two shots together. The next frame uses a mid shot and this shows the dead male victim on the floor. There is no iconography in the scene and low key lighting is still used to create a dark effect. The actor shown in the scene is going to be a male victim and non diegetic sound is going to continue from the other shot. The kuleshov effect is also going to be used to link the previous shot together with this shot. Long shot is then going to be used when the camera shows the girl alone in the room and the knife and the dead victim. The victim is still located in the basement and the iconography in the shot is the knife. Low key lighting is used throughout this sequence to still create a sinister atmosphere. The actors shown in this shot is the female and the male victim. Non diegetic sound is still going to carry on from the previous scenes. The next shot uses point of view and this is going to show the girl breaking free from the ropes. The iconography is the rope and the victim is going to be shown in this shot. The sound is going to be a low rumbling sound going into a silence and the editing technique used is going to be a jump cut so that it focuses on the rope.

The next shot uses a long shot while zooming in and this is going to be when the girl see's a black figure in the mirror. The location is still the basement and the lighting is still low however there is going to be a little bit of light shining by the mirror. The actor used in this shot will be the antagonist and he sound is going to be parallel as the camera zooms in on the dark figure. Zooming in will then be the next shot and this will be when the girl starts walking towards the mirror. Both the victim and the antagonist are going to be shown in this shot and the sound will still be parallel as the camera zooms in. Slow pace editing will take place during this shot to show the victim getting closer to the killer. Point of view will then be the next shot when the victim see's a broken picture frame on the floor. The iconography will be the picture frame and the lighting will be low key. The actors shown in the shot is just the victim and diegetic sound of the glass being stepped on will be heard. The editing technique in this shot is going to be linking of shots. Point of view will also take place in the next shot when the victim is on her laptop in a flashback. The location will be in her bedroom and the lighting will be more natural but still low key. The victim is going to be shown in the shot and the sound is going to be dietetic of her typing on the keyboard. However there will be a low beat noise in the background as well. Linking of shots will be used to link the previous shot with this one. The next shot will be extreme close up of the video of the girl. The location will still be in her bedroom as it is a flashback. The iconography will be of her laptop and the lighting will be natural but still low key to keep the audience in suspense. There will be a mixture of high and low beat music played over the images and diegetic sound of the keyboard will also be used. Jump cut is going to be used to focus on the laptop. Point of view will then be used to see the broken phone on the floor. The location will be in the basement because it is not a flashback. The iconography is the smashed phone and the lighting is low key but also have some lighting from the phone. The victims feet is shown in this shot but no one else. There is diegetic sound of stepping on glass and linking of shots is used.  The next shot uses Extreme close up. This is of the phone and shows the threatening messages coming through. The location is the bedroom as it is a flashback and the iconography is the phone. The lighting is more natural but still low key and there are no actors in this shot. There is going to be diegetic sound of the messages coming through but also a low beat sound is going to be played over the top. The editing used is going to be linking of shots which links the previous shot to this one. The next shot uses zooming in to shallow focus and this is when the victim see's a targeted photo of herself. The location is the basement and the iconography used is the picture of the girl. The lighting is low key and there are no actors in this shot. The sound is going to be non diegetic. It is going to be a mixture of high and low beats played over the images. The editing used is jump cut which focuses on the picture. The next frame is also shallow focus and this is of the targeted photo of the dead man. The location is t nhe basement and the iconography is the picture. The lighting used is going to be low key and there are also no actors in this shot either. The sound is still the same with the low and high beat music and the editing is still jump cut so that is focuses on the picture. The next shot is mid shot and the location is still the basement. There is no iconography in this seen. The shot is of the girls facial expression looking scared and worried. The lighting is still low key and the actor shown is the victim. The sound used is going to be high pitch suspenseful music and the editing is going to be reaction shot to show the victims face. Long shot then is used when the victim is getting closer to the mirror. The location is the basement and the lighting  is still low key. The iconography used is the mirror and the victim is going to be shown in this shot. The music will still be high pitch and the editing is slow editing to build up tension. The next frame is mid shot and this is when the victim see's the knife in the mirror. The location is the basement and the iconography is the knife and the mirror. The lighting used is low key and only the victim is shown in the shot. The sound used is silence and there is no editing technique used. The next frame is also a mid shot and this is when the victim turns around and the killer isn't there. There is no iconography used and the lighting is still low key. Only the victim is shown in this shot and the sound used is going to be non diegetic of low beat music. The editing technique used is jump cut. Extreme close up is then used to show the victims facial expression and there is no iconography used. The victim is going to be shown and the sound used is low rumbling noise into silence. The editing technique used is reaction shot. The next shot is a high angle of the victim running away. The location is the basement and there is no iconography shown in this scene. The lighting is low key and the only actors shown is the victim. Suspenseful low beat and high beat music is going to be played and fast pace editing is going to be used. The last frame is a long shot of the victim opening the door and getting stabbed by the killer. The location is the basement and the iconography used is the knife. Low key lighting is also going to be used and the actors shown are the victim and the killer. There is going to be non diegetic sound played over the images leading into a silence and jump cut is going to be used to focus on the knife.

This has helped finalise our group ideas because it means that all the ideas have come together to create a thrilling sequence. It has also helped to understand what we need to do for preparation as we know how we want each frame to look like and we know what shots or editing techniques to use. We also know as a group how we want out location to look and what actors are shown in each shot and this creates a general idea on what our opening sequence may look like.