Evaluation

Final Class Feedback

Technology used

Film Title and Theatrical Poster

We chose this "Suicide on Southwark Street" as our film title because it is totally unique as no other existing film has the same title (we checked on the Internet Movie Database).We created the title using Photoshop which was great because Photoshop allowed us to center the text to make it look most like a street sign as possible, however we still could not get the sign to be the exact same for as used in real street signs because it simply was not available.

 The theatrical poster was also created entirely in Photoshop. We were very pushed for time as we decided quite late on that we wanted to include a poster to advertise the film and make our thriller look even more professional as it is a well know fact that marketing is extremely important in creating a successful film. We thought picturing an empty bench was very mysterious and added to the feeling of suspense that is crucial in the thriller genre. The LANDproduction was also created in Photoshop and the WorkingTitle films logo is featured at the top. We have included everything that a DVD cover or poster would need. We have not made this into a promotional poster that would be used in cinemas because we have decided to be realistically honest that our film would be lower budget and unlikely to be seen in cinemas.

Problems with our Final Task

We decided to shoot our final task in The Blue Fin Building in London. The location was first thought of because of the spacious roof terrace, which provided an eerie atmosphere as well as providing a setting that will allow the event of a suicide to occur. The problem however was that, because the balcony was outside and our filming was done in March, the sound of the wind was far louder than the dialogue. For fear of having poor audio, we filmed alternative indoor scenes of the exact same dialogue so we could use them. The wind problem, although bad, was easily quietened using iMovie during the editing process as it was background sound, we were able to quieten it without quieting the dialogue.

Making Fake Blood

Target Audience and Ratings

Our thriller will not be aimed at younger children as it includes unsuitable content such as suicide but also because the plot line is grim and chi8ldren would generally struggle to understand it, let alone enjoy it. We looked on the BBFC website and after reading through the classifications for all ratings, we decided a 15 would be the best for our thriller as, although it does not include strong language or scenes of a sexual nature, it does include violence and adult themes that would not be suitable for a 12 year old to view. This rating is appropriate to out target audience of older teens and adults so we feel it is suitable. Popular thrillers such as Taken (2008) have ratings of 15, this is useful information for us because movies like Taken have similar content to what we plan to include in our thriller

Final Task Costumes

  Ed's costume is dark to fit in with the genre of the film but his clothes are also stylish to show that the characters are young as we want our thriller to attract a teenage/ young adult audience. Katrina's costumes is also dark to fit in with the themes of suicide and stalking but her red scarf was included to show that she is the protagonist in the scenes we filmed. The clothes worn by both characters are also basic and ordinary to make the footage look more realistic.

Final Task Plot

When faced with deciding what theme we wanted to include in our thriller film, we created a mind map that included themes such as

• Suicide 
• Arguments with family
• Family loss
• Arguments with girlfriend/ boyfriend
• Violence/ abuse 
• Stalking 
• Bullying 
• Murder 

In the end, we decided to go for the theme of suicide as it is unique and although it may seem more unconventionally thriller due to its dark and grim meaning that would usually be featured in a horror film, it allowed us to represent both genders of character and  avoid the common stalker/ killer combination the audience would expect to see.

Screen play

Scene 1

A teenage girl is in the living room, watching television and she receives a text from an unknown number saying "You'd be better of dead". She grabs her work keys, runs out the house, slamming the front door on her way out.

Meanwhile, her boyfriend is making tea in the kitchen. He asks her if she wants any and hears no reply, he then hears the door shut and asks her who it was. He quickly leaves, now realizing she has gone. 

TRANSITION SCENE: Girl running down the road

Scene 2

The teenage girl walks into a large office building. She swipes her keys and continues walking until she enters the elevator. In the elevator, she sits in the corner covering her face, crying. She then continues walking towards the balcony when she has exited the elevator.

When she reaches the edge, she looks over and it is clear to the audience that she is considering jumping. Her boyfriend then enters the scene at the balcony and there is brief dialogue when her boyfriend attempts to talk her out of committing suicide but he is unsuccessful.

Scene 3

The screen goes dark. Voice over of the boyfriend ringing 999, where a brief conversation with the emergency services is included. Quick flashes of the dead body covered in blood are shown.  

Final Task Setting

The Blue Fin Building

The Blue Fin Building boasts a huge central atrium, very large 10th-floor roof garden, winter garden coffee bar and a restaurant with views over the Thames. The building houses the headquarters of IPC Media, a leading UK consumer magazine publisher. The open-plan office floors have floor-to-ceiling windows with impressive views over central London and the City; facilities include state-of-the-art board-rooms, meeting rooms, theatre, wine-tasting suite, photographic studios, and test kitchens.

We decided to use the Blue Fin Building because it is very spacious and provided the correct atmosphere for our plot line as in one of the scenes in our opening 10 minutes requires a balcony that our protagnist will jump off and as the scene is very modern, it provides the correct atmosphere. We chose the location to be in London because London is a very popular and well know location that a lot of audiences would know and recognize. Also, the fact that our film is a British film makes London a desirable location as it well known by the rest of the world and so could increase its popularity with other countries.

Method Statement

We decided to create this method statement to present to the Facilities Directer, Jenny so that she would know that we are planning to go ahead with the filming and how we are going to do it. 

Location Shots for our Preliminary Task

Here are some location shots that were taken during the filming of our preliminary task......

Preliminary Task

Preliminary Task Outtakes

Examples of Camera Shots and Angles

Long Shot:
The Long Shot shows the entire body or object and is usually meant to relate the person or object to their surrounding. Also referred to as a wide shot.

 

Extreme Long Shot:
The Extreme Long Shot is very similar to the Long Shot but is alot less focused on the person or object but is more focused on the surroundings.
In film, this shot is used in the Establishing Shots which show the location of the scene to the audience.




Medium Shot:
The Medium Shot is normally used in scenes to show the reaction of a person. There is contraversy as to what is the medium shot as in Europe a Medium Shot is from the waist of a person upwards but in other parts of the world, a medium shot shows the full person.



Close-up Shot:
The Close-up Shot frame the face of a person or zooms in on a object so the camera is entirely focused on that object rather than the background or location. In film, this shot provides the most detail for reaction shots and are used more commonly in soap operas rather than in movies. Lack of close-ups can leave the audience feeling distance from the character and the drama but too many close-ups leave the audience disorientated and unsure of the surroundings.

Extreme Close-Up Shot: 
The Extreme Close-Up Shot is not often used because it is zoomed in far to close to establish the emotions of the person.Usually focuses entirely on a specific part of the body or object and is used only for dramatic effect.

Low Angle Shot:
The Low Angle Shot is used during scenes when the audience is meant to feel powerless in the situation on screen. Characters filmed through a Low Angle Shot look more powerful and this specific shot also increases height. The background to a Low Angle Shot is normally sky or ceiling which can make the audience feel disorientated

High Angle Shot:
A High Angle Shot makes the character or object seem less significant and smaller.






Two Shot:
A Two Shot establishes the relationship between two characters and also allows the audience to follow the action without getting confused by constant cuts from face to face following the conversation. The Two Shot also allows the audience to be able to see the body language of the characters and the location that they are in  

Camera Movement

180 Degree Rule

The 180° rule is a basic guideline in film making that states that two characters (or other elements) in the same scene should always have the same left/right relationship to each other. If the camera passes over the imaginary axis connecting the two subjects, it is called crossing the line. The new shot, from the opposite side, is known as a reverse angle.  

Example:
If the man in orange is on the left and the man in blue is on the right, then the man in orange should be facing right at all times, even when the man in blue is off the edge of the frame, and the man in blue should always be facing left. Shifting to the other side of the characters on a cut, so that the man in blue is now on the left side and the man in orange is on the left. This would disorientate the viewer and confuse up the scene

Typical Thriller Conventions

Conventional Thriller Characters:

• Rapists
• Victims
• Murderers
• Psychotic individuals
• Serial Killers
• Loners
• Ghosts
• Vunrable Women

Conventional Thriller Settings:

• Isolated houses/ areas
• Woods
• Cities/ Towns
• Night
• Graveyards

 Conventional Thriller Themes:

• Murder
• Violence
• Romance
• Suspense
• Mystery
• Death

Thriller Genre Timeline

5 Thriller Films Researched

 1, Hide and Seek (2005) 

• Tense music is used  in order to establish atmosphere

•  hybrid thriller as it contains many stereotypical horror elements such as murder, darkness and fear but also contains mystery, tension and suspense which is very generic of the thriller genre

• Set in a large house in an isolated area 

• Murder is a constant theme throughout the story 

• Ends in suspense when the heroine (Emily) draws hersel in a picture with a double head, suggesting that she to sufffers with the same mental disease her father had 

2, Cape Fear (1991)

• Use of pathetic fallacy to create atmosphere during tense moments 

• Music emphasises the suspense that the audience is meant to feel

• Killer is a psychotic, rapist which is very stereotypical of the thriller genre 

•  Cape Fear is a hybrid thriller as it contains themes of crime such as criminal vs defense lawyer  

• Use of props such as fake blood and make-up wounds make violence and gore a recurring theme 

3,One Hour Photo (2002)

• A psychological thriller that focuses on a loner character 

•  Uses music to indicate when something is not quite right 

• Use of extrememly bright lighting to create the effect of being in a mental institution to emphasise characters state of mind 

•  soundtrack of a heart beat to emphasise tension- very typical of the thriller genre 

4, The Prestige (2006) 

•  Use of dark lighting creates dark and tense mood throughout the storyline 

• Themes of revenge, violence and madness 

• Hybrid thriller as the themes of magic make it a fantasy thriller 

• Dangerous magic tricks performed which create suspense in the audience 

• Use of lashbacks to reveal plot twist at the ending 

5, Taken (2008)

• Hybrid thriller as Taken contains themes of both action and crime 

• Use of split screen

• Sound effects used in the fight scenes - creates a fast paced rhythm that creates tension and fear 

• Reaction shot used on fathers face when he sees his daughter 

•  Setting changes from a clean and bright airport (equilibrium) to dark and grim (disequilibrium)