Planning - Sound

As a group we discussed what music/sound should be used in our opening sequence, we finally decided on a child singing the song 'Ring a Ring a Roses' we sang the song at different tempos and decided that when the song was sang slowly it sounded very unnatural and intimidating. The song also has connotations of innocence of children as it was originally a nursery rhymes sang by children, this will help to add narrative enigma to our opening sequence as once the nursery rhyme is placed next to the video sequence the audience will also understand that something isn't right with the young girl. Our final reason behind choosing this certain nursery rhyme as the lyrics have connotations linking to the Black Death, this will also help to create tension for the audience as the young girl is depicted to be dead, this will also help to create tension.

Ring a ring o'roses, a pocketful of posies, atishoo, atishoo, all fall down

(Lyrics found on http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/ring-a-ring-of-roses.html)

Throughout the Opening Sequence there will be ambient sound of the location we are shooting in (A woodland area) for example this would be: wind, tree's rustling etc. This will help to make the Opening Sequence look and feel professional. We would also like to have the non-diegetic sound of the young girl character laughing this will juxtapose the clip of the girl on screen and help to create tension and an haunted feel towards the Opening Sequence. 

We are going to add in the diegetic sound of a twig snapping, this will happen when the camera has tilted up the character's body and is about to reach the head. When the sound happens the camera will do a fast pan away from the body into the woods. By doing this it helps to add tension towards the audience they will also be asking a lot of questions about what is happening (narrative enigma).

Planning - Storyboard

This is the Storyboard that we produced between the group, while we did this we planned the different shot types and narrative structure which we would be able to use in order to create the correct amount of tension that is needed for the Opening Sequence. Because of our discussions about this we decided to use a variety of techniques these were:

• Slow moving shots
• Close up (Helping to create a variety of narrative enigma)
• Shots used to give a sense of the unknown
• Facial Expressions (Through the use of make-up)
• Different and creepy music

Once these ideas were discussed between the group I began to draw our main storyboard (See Up) while Chris and Ebony helped to contribute ideas. We then made a short video explaining why we chose certain shots and put all of the images together so that the Storyboard flowed together into one.

Planning - Location

We chose the location of a woodland area as we felt that it will be great to build tension for the audience as it will create narrative enigma, but also the woods create a state of isolation and are intimidating. 


The first location I visited was a woodland area near my house, after walking round and taking images of the location. After showing them to the group we came to the agreement that the trees in that area were too spaced apart in order to create a feeling a seclusion from normal life. Also from some angles within the woods there were houses visible in the background and also a large field. Again this wasn't appropriate in order for us to create tension as the character was isolated. In addition as the woods were located between an industrial site and a recreational ground, it was deemed in appropriate as when filming we needed silence but in this particular location there would have been ambient sound from both of the surroundings.

The second location I went round and and photographed was Bramcote Woods, this location was chosen as it has a thick woodland area given the sense of isolation and also when the we have a high angle shot of our character the woods would be intimidating for her, putting emphasis and her innocence. Furthermore, as the trees within the specific area of Bramcote woods are thin it makes them look haunted and creepy, but in addition to this it enables our character to skip about without too much obstruction.

When I presented the images of the second location to the group they agreed that it was the best location for us to film in as it fit our criteria. As the lighting wasn't the same as it would be at the time of day we plan to film, I returned to our chosen location the next day to see if it would still create the same ambiance. Having doing this it was the right setting for our thriller also, due to the time of day there weren't many members of the public around this is good as it means there shouldn't be too many disruptions when we film our thriller.

Written by Ebony Anderson

Planning - Risk Assessment

Nearest Emergency Phone- Mobile on all 3 of the group

Risks:

• As we are filming in wooded area there is a hazard of tripping on sticks or things left on the floor.

To overcome this we will ensure that the area is clear of twigs and anything hazardous before we start filming the different shots of the scene.

• We are filming in a public area this may mean that strangers may become interested in the filming and try to disrupt us from our work.

To overcome this we will keep a watchful eye on what is happening while we are filming, as there are 3 of us in the group we will always have somebody stood in a close distance to our Actress just in case something happens.

• As we are filming outside there is a risk of bad weather condition.

To overcome this issue we will make sure that we take appropriate clothing in order to keep our actress warm if she gets cold, we will also take the appropriate types of umbrellas and coats in order to keep the camera equipment dry and safe.

Planning - Group Meeting

In todays lessons (20/02/2011)  we finalised plans for our opening sequence and decided on the final shots needed in the story board. We found that we had to discuss and plan throwing around a lot of ideas in order to make sure we use the best shots we can. We decided to use a variety of shots, this is because in the opening thrillers that we have researched a variety of shots have been used in order to create tension. This will be reflected in our opening sequence as we want the work to be as professinal as possible. Overall we found that planning the shots could be slightly tricky at times as the shots had to be thought about clearly and we knew that we needed a specific reason to use each shot.

Planning - Filming Schedule

Filming Schedule

Saturday 25th February:

• Film all of the needed shots exculding the final shot (zoom close up to the face of the character)

All of these shots can be filmed together as there is no need for the actor's face to contain the make-up as it is planned that none of these shots will contain her face. The reasoning behind this is that we are unable to apply the make-up to the actor on this date as the make-up artist we are using is unavaialable.

What will be needed:

• Erin Vaites (Actress)
• The costume for Erin (School Uniform with red jacket)
• Camera Equipment and Tripod

Sunday 26th February:

• Film the final shot (zoom close up to the face of the character)

We have chosen to film this shot the next day as the make-up artist is available to correctly apply the make-up to our actor's face in order to get the best ending we can. We will have to make sure that we film at roughly the same time in order to get the best quality and make all of the opening sequence flow and look professinal.

What will be needed:

• Erin Vaites (Actress)
• The costume for Erin (School Uniform with red jacket)
• Make-Up for Erin's face
• Camera Equipment and Tripod

Planning - Costume/Actors

• Actor: Erin Vaites
• Character: Erin will play the role of a young mysterious child who is skipping through the woods, she will not have any dialogue, and no facial expressions will be needed except for a gloomy, creepy look at the end of the clip
• Make-up and Costume - The young girl will not show her face up until the final shot of the scene were she will have make-up on that makes her look lifeless (e.g. very pale/purple face, possible cuts and she will also have mud on her face). The characters costume choice is shown below.

Box on the left -

• In the box on the left, the actor is shown wearing a red coat with a red hooded top underneath, this is because we could not find a suitable hooded coat which fitted all of our other criteria. we chose to have the character hooded so that it conceals the identity of the character, creating a feeling of the unknown
• Also a hooded character will project the idea that the film is set in the winter, when it is cold, and cold is synonymous with a strange creepy atmosphere.
• We chose the colour red as a focal point in terms of colours partially because red is most commonly associated with danger (This was confirmed by the majority of people in our questionnaire), but also because it contrasts against a woodland background, so the character is distinguishable during the opening scenes
• The general idea is that the girl is in a school uniform, which is why she will be wearing black tights and shoes, as well as a grey or black skirt, this will create a sense of innocence for the audience, which builds up tension

Middle box

• In this box the character is shown again from many different angles with only a red coat on so that we could decide which outfit would be most appropriate
• In this instance, it would be harder to conceal the identity of the character with the different types of camera angles up until the end on the scene when the girls face is finally revealed, but this type of outfit does provide the ability to show the girls hair more, as it moves around whilst she is skipping, really giving a sense of vulnerability and naivety
• We chose the colour red as a focal point in terms of colours partially because red is most commonly associated with danger (This was confirmed by the majority of people in our questionnaire), but also because it contrasts against a woodland background, so the character is distinguishable during the opening scenes
• The general idea is that the girl is in a school uniform, which is why she will be wearing black tights and shoes, as well as a grey or black skirt, this will create a sense of innocence for the audience, which builds up tension

Box in the right

• The final box simply shows the character in a normal school uniform, this is simply for planning, so we get to know what the character looks like in normal clothing

 Costume written by Chris Vaites


As a group we decided against props, this was because we decided that they were irrelevant to help create tension as the costume, location and make-up design would ensure that the tension is adding to the Opening Sequence.

Planning- Titles

Once we had all finally decided on a name for our production company, RedTurtle, I then experimented with different style fonts and colours that complimented one another but where also in keeping and relevant to our theme. I presented a few variations to the group some of which are shown below, we voted on which style we preferred.

We decided on the below title for our production company, which was originally green and red but Christian raised the point that colour blind people wouldn't be able to distinguish the difference, so I then played with the colours and we all decided that we preferred the colours red and black.

                                    

After we made these choices, we then went on to discuss possible names for our thriller, I suggested the name of 'Sacrament' which the others liked so we have chosen this for the name of our thriller.

Written by Ebony Anderson

Planning - Mind Map

Both of these mind maps were made so that we could have a good understanding of the ideas and thoughts about the opening sequence that we are going to make. The first mind map is a basic plan of some locations, characters, shots and some thought about the title sequence. After writing the first mind map and having discussions between the group we made the second mind map this is used so that we have a mind map that contains a lot more detail about the different sections and shots that are going to be used in our opening sequence.

Overall using the mind maps has helped the group to finalise ideas about the narrative of the opening sequence and has helped to give us a bigger insight into planning and ideas about characters, location, costume and the need of props. 

Research- The Industry

Top 20 Rated Thrillers by the IMDB

According to IMDB (Internet Movie DataBase) the Thriller film at the top of the charts is Pulp Fiction (Tarantino, 1994)

This film was directed by Quentin Tarantino, it had a estimated budget of  $8,000,000 and made a worldwide gross of $213,982,762.

Although Pulp Fiction has been voted as the best Thriller title by the IMDB the Thriller which made the highest US gross is the number 2 title The Dark Knight. As well as being the highest gross' film for a Thriller it is also in the top 10 of the highest gross films of all time.


The Dark Knight (Nolan, 2008) had an estimated budget of $185,000,000 the worldwide gross (1st December 2010) was stated to be $1,001.921,825, this turned out to be a huge profit for the film.

The Dark Knight was a blanket release, it was released on 4.366 Screens (US) and 502 Screens (UK) the overall opening weekend gross' was $158,411,483 (US) and £11,191,824 (UK)

The companies that helped to create The Dark Knight were:

Production

• Warner Bros. Pictures
• Legendary Pictures
• Syncopy 
• Dc Comics 

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (USA, Chile, Hong Kong, Thailand and Taiwan)
• 20th Century Fox (Malaysia)
• Warner Bros. (Argentina, Australia, Germany, UK, Japan, Netherlands and Singapore( 

Research- Audience

In order to understand our audience, (to create the best opening sequence we can), we have created a questionnaire. This will help us when planning to make sure that the opening sequence appeals to our target audience as much as possible. We have published our questionnaire on a social networking site (Facebook) in order to get a wide range of audience ages and gender.

Questionnaire

Are you Male or Female?

Male: 16

Female: 14

How old are you?

12-16: 11

17-25: 12

26-30: 5

31+: 2

Do you like Thrillers?

Yes: 29

No: 1

When did you last watch a Thriller film?

Within the last 7 days: 11


Within the last 2 weeks: 9

Within the last month: 10


Within the 6 months: 0


Within the last year: 0

Which location would you associate with a Thriller film?

A wood/woodland area: 22

A Shop: 0

A House: 8

Other (Please Specify): 0

What colour would you most associate with danger?

Red: 27

Blue: 0

Black: 3

Green: 0

Other (Please Specify): 0

What character would you find creepier?

A middle-aged man: 8

A middle-aged woman: 1

A young school girl: 19

A young school boy: 2




To connect with our questionnaire we were going to do a focus group but we decided not to do a focus group as the available audience we had did not give a clear understanding of the target audience as the age group was between 16-18 and didn't focus on the higher ages in our target audience. This would mean that the information that we would gain would be useless as it would make the opening sequence bias to what people would want to see.

Other (Please Specify):