AS Course work Overtaken

Overtaken Final Draft

Overtaken Thriller Opening

In what way does my media product use, develop and challenge conventions?

My thriller opening challenges conventions as well as use conventions. An example of my opening using conventions is the fact that the victim is female, which is very common in thrillers, for example, the film "Night and Day" consists of a female victim and male hero.

However I did go against conventions in some ways, as my film did not feature any hero at all. this is unusual as there is usually a battle between a protagonist and antagonist when there is disruption of the equilibrium, but in my thriller, the main character is battling herself as this is a psychological thriller.


I also challenged conventions by including a female lead which is uncommon in thrillers.

The shots/ camera angles I chose in my thriller piece use some conventions of thrillers, for example the last shot of my thriller (the low camera angle shot) was inspired by a scene from the film "What Lies Beneath." Although this shot is a low angle shot which usually implies that a character is in charge, it has the opposite effect in both my thriller and "What Lies Beneath" and shows that the character feels uncomfortable and scared.

The music I used in my thriller uses conventions of thrillers as it creates tension because of its slow- slightly off key tune. The strings at the end of the opening also emphasizes the anxiety that the character is feeling. similar music is used in other psychological thrillers such as shutter island.

This character and the character from my thriller are similar in many ways, for example they both lack confidence in themselves and are introverts, these characters are also both psychologically disturbed hence being the main characters in psychological thrillers. Both Nina Sayers and the main character from my thriller are very paranoid for no apparent reason.

I chose this shot to highlight to the audience the importance of the phone. I also thought this shot looked interesting as and conveyed the characters feeling (unsettled) by the awkwardness of the shot and the fact that the characters head isn't in the shot. This shot also creates tension by hiding the characters expression.




I chose this shot to convey how my character is feeling (disorientated) it also creates tension and mystery as the shot is not steady.
An example of a similar shot to this is in the "Bourn" films, where it was used to exaggerate the hectic situation.

How does my thriller represent certain social groups?

The only Character in my thriller opening is a female character who is between the ages of 26 and 34 and is also from a middle class background. This is a typical character choice seeing as she is nothing out of the ordinary apart from her mental health issues. My character is also represented as a victim which is again typical for a female character and does not challenge any conventions, furthermore the audience is led to believe that they already know everything about her because of her social status. My character is also represented as mentally ill which may be seen as atypical however, it is thought that females are more likely to suffer from mental illnesses.

What film company might distribute your film?

The production company that I believe will be best to produce my film is DNA films as it is a British film company that have produced films such as;

• Far From the Madding Crowd (2014)
• Ex Machina (2014)
• Sunshine on Leith (2013)
• Dredd (2012) (co-production with IM Global, Lionsgate, Reliance BIG Pictures, IMAX and Entertainment Film Distributors)
• Never Let Me Go (2010)
• Shooting Someone (2009)
• Amelia (2009) (co-production with Fox Searchlight Pictures, BBC Films, and UK Film Council)
• 28 Weeks Later (2007)
• Sunshine (2007)
• The Last King of Scotland (2006)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     These films are also all an independent, low budget films and most are for example"28weeks later"                                                                                                                                     DNA Films was founded by Duncan Kenworthy and Andrew Macdonald and its headquarters are in London.  I feel the this production company will be suitable for my thriller. Also the actors used in the films produced by this film company do not tend to be well known which would make this company even more suitable for my film.                                                                                                                                                                                                 The distribution company I would use for my film would be "Paramount Pictures UK" due to the fact that they have distributed a range of different genres of films including thrillers such as; "Raider of The Lost Ark", "Transformers" movies and "Mission Impossible." Paramount pictures is the fifth oldest film company in the world and was founded in 1912  by Hungarian born Adolf Zukor.  This company would be a good company to produce my film as it is very large and my film can therefore be viewed on a large scale (worldwide) it is also well known and can therefore gain my film more publicity. This film company will also allow me distribute it on several different platforms e.g. Blu ray, cinema, DVD etc.
• 

Target Audience Member

Favorite TV programmes;
-Heroes (because it features people that are different to normal people which is similar to my thriller as my main character has characteristic that are outside the norm.)
-The Following (because there is constant tension and there is always mystery and a sense of there being something unknown which is similar to my thriller as there is a lot of mystery)

Music (and music artists);
-Lana Del Rey (because music is slow and mysterious which creates anxiety)

My target audience member will probably be about 20 years old and could either be male or female and will enjoy mystery.

How did you attract your target audience member?

A way in which I could advertise this movie is through social media, as people the age of my target audience tend to use social networking sites more then other age groups.

My thriller will also be attractive to my target audience because of the fact that it is full of tension and keeps the audience at the edge of their seat. This is done through features such as the music, the story-line etc. As my main character is an ordinary women, a lot of my viewers will be able to empathize with her, even males as they will be able to recognize the character from people they see in everyday life. the age of my character is between the ages of 26 and 34, which is not the age of my target audience however, I believe my audience can relate to my characters personality along with her daily routine. My character is also living in modern times which my viewers will also relate to, the is shown form the modern day technology such as the phone.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

From doing this project I have learnt many different skills such as how to use the equipment for filming, e.g. reflectors (to fill in shadows and cast light where needed), lights (to remove shadows or create silhouettes), cameras, dolly's (to create smooth tracking shots), and tripods (to keep the camera steady).
 I have also learnt about different types of shots that could possibly be used e.g. tracking, panning, extreme close ups, mid shots, low angle shots, high angle shots etc. I have used many of these shots in my final project or in planning, I have also used a lot of the equipment mentioned as well. Some of the skills I have developed whilst filming and others I developed previously from my preliminary task and camera practice.
There are also many technologies that I have used whilst editing my footage in final cut such as colour corrector which was used to ensure that all of my shot matched each other (lighting-wise). I have also used after effects to embed my opening credits within my footage.

To create my backing track I used garage band which enabled me to select music loops and incorporate loops on top of one another. I was also able to add effects to my loops which I could fade in and out.

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

Since my preliminary task I have developed a lot more skills and have learnt more about the film industry that has enabled me to create my thriller opening. for example I learnt that it is hard to record good quality sound from the form the camera especially dialogue, therefore I did not record any of my sound whilst filming and did not include any dialogue in the film, instead, I included Foley sound from garage band which sounded very realistic and was also very good quality.
From my preliminary task I also learnt about lighting as I made many mistake with lighting which recording my preliminary task, for example, I filmed a character whilst there was a bright light behind but no light in front of him, this made it very hard to see the character. From this mistake I learnt that the lighting needs to be balanced.
I have also used some of the techniques that I used in my preliminary task for example, in the first shot of my preliminary task, the camera tracks a characters feet which I felt created anticipation as well as tension because of the fact that the audience cant see the characters face and wants to know who the character is and what hes doing. Because I liked this shot, the first shot of my thriller opening also doesn't show my characters face to create further mystery. However I did this in a different way as instead of a tracking shot where only the characters feet were showing, I used a high angle shot where only the characters hand were showing.

Shot choice

I chose this shot to highlight to the audience the importance of the phone. I also thought this shot looked interesting as and conveyed the characters feeling (unsettled) by the awkwardness of the shot and the fact that the characters head isn't in the shot. This shot also creates tension by hiding the characters expression.




I chose this shot to convey how my character is feeling (disorientated) it also creates tension and mystery as the shot is not steady.
An example of a similar shot to this is in the "Bourn" films, where it was used to exaggerate the hectic situation.

Script

Scene 1 (At C1s home)

Character 1- Walks towards the front door and unlocks it, and then enters into the house.

                  - After entering the house, closes the door and takes coat off, then walks towards the                                kitchen door.

Scene 2 (In the kitchen)

Character 1- Walks toward the kettle and makes herself tea. 

                  - Holds the teabag up and blows on it before leaving the kitchen.

Scene 3 (In the living room)

Character 1- Walks into the living room with her tea and puts it down on the table. Sits down on the sofa and sighs with stress.

                  -Feels her phone vibrate which causes her to sit up and look at phone.

                  -Stands up and exits the room leaving her phone on the chair (face up)

Scene 4 (In the kitchen)
Character 1- Walks into the kitchen and towards the cupboard
                   - Opens cupboard and takes out some pill until she suddenly turns around (because she has hear a noise) then leaves the kitchen

Scene 5 (In the living room)
Character 1- Walks slowly into the living room cautious and afraid. Looks around as if trying to find something, Then suddenly looks towards the chair and gasps, then walks over to what she is looking at (the phone) with a puzzled and scared look on her face.

Editing process

First Draft

From the footage that I have obtained from filming, I found that the continuity isn't completely accurate and the transitions from some shots do not match due to lighting problems (between 29 seconds and 31 seconds). I also haven't completed the sound and backing track for my film but I will be working on the music and foley sound, and I will also get rid of the current sound.
I am going to film 2 more scenes for the opening. The first will be of the character walking towards her house from out side. The other scene will be of the character hearing a noise from upstairs and walking towards it into darkness.

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Music

I want the sound track for my thriller opening to be a solo piano to create a sense of being abandoned and also a sense of loneliness which convey my characters feelings.
I want the to piano solo to be slow and haunting, I will create this effect by using notes that are off key and having high and sharp notes at tense moments, for example, when my character heres a noise coming from the living room and when my character sees the phone on the chair upside down. I hope this will increase the tension of the audience as well as their fear.

Credit Ideas

I want my opening credits to be overlaid in the shot so that it flows and I don't want my thriller to be broken up by black screens with credits. I have also seen examples of thriller where the credit become part of the shot.
Here are a few example;

Order Of My Title Sequence
-Production company.....
-Produced by.....
-(Film name)
-Actors name
-Actors name
-Actors name
-Music by.....
-Sound by.....
-Costume designer.....
-Edited by.....
-Written by.....
-Directed by.....

The order of my title sequence comes from the general conventions of film openings, which I found from my research of films such as;
Aagey Se Right,
The Kingdom,
Catch Me If You Can,
The Naked Gun.
All these films also share the same genre as my opening (thriller) which reassures me that my sequence will accurately follows conventions.

Sound in film

Sound in film
Human voice- This can include accents which may create connotations of a character.
Sound effects- This may include foley sounds and it put designed to enhance the narrative.
Music- To enhance what is happening in a scene.


Diegetic- Sounds that come from the scene and action.
Non Diegetic- Sound that have been added to the scene to enhance the action.

Synchronous sound effects- Sound we hear with a clip matches realistically what is happening on screen.
Asynchronous sound effects- May not see the source of the sound and doesn't match what is going on in the scene, this can create narrative expectations.

Narrative expectations can be created through;
-Setting.
-Characters.
-Editing.
-Sound.

Leitmotif- a recurring piece of music or sound associated with a particular person or idea. an example of this is in "Jaws" which plays a specific piece of music when a character is about to enter a room/scene.

Sound bridge-adding continuity to dialogue by cutting to another persons face whilst somebody is talking.

Contrapuntal sound- music that goes against what is happening in  a scene (e.g. happy music being played whilst somebody is dying) this can sometimes heightens horror or even comedy.

Hyperbolic sound- when music sound effects are exaggerated to make the scene seem more dramatic. often used in action scenes.

Conventions Of Thrillers

Thrillers

Character types
-Hero (usually male)
-Victim (usually female)


Tension - emotional engagement, feeling empathy for the victim or protagonist and antipathy for the antagonist.

Specific sub genres- crime at the centre of the narrative  audience develop narrative. genres include:
-The thriller of murderous passions
-The political thriller
-The thriller of acquired identity
-The Psychosomatic thriller
-The thriller of confrontation
-The innocent on-the-run thriller

Themes- good vs evil- conflict derives from binary opposites. Protagonist faces obstacles increases tension and empathy. Narrative development--ensnared by the antagonist.
The protagonist is usually put in ordinary situations in which extraordinary things happen.
Identity e.g.; amnesia, wrong identity, not whom they thought they were, feeling unease about there life.
Surveillance using symbolic props e.g.; windows, screens, mirrors, cameras.
Objectification of female characters OR Femme fatale.
Usually an enigma

My Thriller Opening

My opening will start with a woman returning home from work. When she enters her house, she will go about her normal routine e.g  turning on the lights and making her self a tea. She will then sit down in another room and receive a text message which will result in her looking at her phone she will then place it on the sofa "screen up" and go into the kitchen When she goes into the kitchen, she will take some pills from the cupboard but before she takes them she will hear a noise coming from the room that she was previously in therefore she will go to the other room to see her phone "screen down". This will lead our character to believe that somebody is in her house, which we will see by her facial expression. The character will then hear a noise coming from upstairs and will slowly make her way up the stairs. The upstairs part of the will be very dark


Character: Women in her mid twenties, works in an office and lives with her friend who will be out for the night.

Costume

Costume

The main character in this thriller opening will be coming back from work, (as an assistant to an editor of a magazine) therefore, the cloths that she will be wearing are going to be smart however, not glamours as she is not a confident character.

these are a few examples of how I want this character to look;

Props

The props I will need is;
A kettle
A mug
Tea bag
A phone
Keys

Film Theories

Burton- States that narrative refers to story-making, however the narrative is not just the story line but it is also how it is organised.

Rowe- States that the primary function of a film is to tell a story.

Todorov- States that all stories have 5 stages 1) equilibrium, 2) disruption, 3) recognition (of disruption), 4) attempt to repair 5) the new equilibrium. 

Certificate

The certificate that I have chosen for my thriller is a 15, this is because it is a psychological thriller that may be disturbing for younger viewers, from my research of the BBFC I have also found out that all the aspects of my thriller are suitable for a certificate 15 movie. there are also many other psychological thrillers that have been given this certificate e.g.;

BBFC Certificates

Certificate PG

A PG film will not contain any theme which is inappropriate for a child. PG works can explore challenging issues such as bullying, bereavement or racism.

Language in a PG film?

There may be mild bad language (such as ‘shit’ or ‘son of a bitch’) in a PG film, but the context and delivery are always important. For example, if the language is used aggressively or if there is a great deal of bad language, a work may be passed at a higher category.

What about sex?

Sex references are unlikely unless they are undetailed and infrequent. In addition, if a child is unlikely to understand a reference, we may allow it at PG. Comedy can also often lessen the impact of sex references and innuendo.

Sex and sex references are treated the same irrespective of sexuality so there could be mild or undetailed references at PG.

What about violence or threat at PG?

Violence will usually be mild. There should be no detail of violence in a PG work, so while there might be some blood, we would not see how the injury was inflicted in strong detail. Violence is generally more acceptable in a historical, comedic or fantasy setting, because of the distancing that this provides. It isn’t uncommon for PG films to feature ‘roller-coaster’ action or set pieces, where the emphasis is clearly on the adventure or journey of the main characters rather than the detail of violence or fighting.

As far as threat and horror goes, we allow some 'jump' moments and frightening sequences as long as they are not prolonged or intense.. Fantasy settings may again be a factor in the treatment of such content.

What about behaviour children might copy?

In a PG work, potentially dangerous or antisocial behaviour which young children are likely to copy, such as bullying, or playing with electricity, will not be condoned or seen to go unchallenged, especially if it comes across as safe or fun. Realistic or easily accessible weapons, such as knives, will not be glamorised or focused upon in a PG work. Smoking and drinking will not be promoted or glamorised and if child characters are seen smoking or drinking, there should be a clear message that this is bad. If drugs are mentioned or seen, a PG work should either represent them in an innocuous manner or emphasise that they are harmful.

Will there be any drugs in a PG?

There might be innocuous or passing references to illegal drugs or drugs misuse in a PG work, although there should be no strong focus on this. In addition drug references may be permissible if there is a clear anti-drugs or educational message likely to be understood by children eight or over.

Certificate 12 and 12A

Can there be uses of strong language in a 12A or 12 work?

The BBFC's Guidelines state that strong language (e.g. 'f***') may be passed at 12 or 12A, depending on the manner in which it is used, who is using the language, its frequency and any special contextual justification. Aggressive uses of strong language may result in a film or DVD being placed at the 15 category. There is some allowance for puns on strong language at this category.
There may be moderate language (e.g. uses of terms such as ‘bitch’ and ‘twat’ at 12 or 12A).

Discrimination?

Any discriminatory language or behaviour will not be endorsed by the work as a whole. Aggressive discriminatory language (for example homophobic or racist terms) is unlikely to be passed at 12A or 12 unless it is clearly condemned.

Do 12A films contain sexual behaviour?

Sex may be briefly and discreetly portrayed at 12A or 12. Verbal sex references should not go beyond what is suitable for young teenagers. Comedy may lessen the impact of some moderate sex references or innuendo but frequent crude sex references are unlikely to be accepted at this category. There may be nudity in 12A films but nudity in a sexual context should only be brief and discreet.

Sex and sex references are treated the same irrespective of sexuality

Violence?

At 12A, moderate violence is allowed but it should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if they can be justified by their context (for example brief sight of bloody injury in a medical drama).

Action sequences and weapons may be present at 12A or 12, and there may be long fight scenes or similar. Weapons which might be easily accessible to 12 year olds (such as knives) should not be glamorised in 12A and 12 works.

Sexual violence, such as scenes of rape or assault, may only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated at 12A and 12. Such scenes must also have a strong contextual justification.

Can horror films be passed 12 or 12A?

Some horror films are passed at this category. Moderate physical and psychological threat is permitted at 12A or 12A as long as horror sequences are not too frequent or sustained and the overall tone is not disturbing.

Imitable behaviour or drugs at 12A or 12?

Dangerous behaviour (for example hanging and suicide) may be present in 12A or 12 works but will not dwell on detail which could be copied or present those activities in a manner that children are likely to copy.

Anti-social behaviour should not be endorsed.

There may be infrequent sight of drugs misuse in a 12A or a 12 but the portrayal should not be glamorised or provide instructional detail.

Certificate 15

What might I see in a 15 rated film or video?

Any of the following:

•   strong violence
•  frequent strong language (e.g. 'f***').
•   portrayals of sexual activity
•   strong verbal references to sex
•   sexual nudity
•   brief scenes of sexual violence or verbal references to sexual violence
•   discriminatory language or behaviour
•   drug taking

How much strong language is allowed in a 15?

There could potentially be a great deal. At 15 there is no upper limit on the number of uses of strong language (e.g. ‘f***’).
Occasionally there may be uses of the strongest terms (e.g. 'c***'), depending on the manner in which they are used, who is using the language, its frequency and any special contextual justification. However, continued or aggressive use will not normally be passed 15.

What about discriminatory or offensive terms?

There may be racist, homophobic or other discriminatory language, and the work could explore themes relating to this.
However, at 15 the work as a whole must not endorse discriminatory language or behaviour.

How much sex and nudity is allowed at 15?

At 15 sexual activity can be portrayed, but usually without strong detail. Some sex scenes can be quite long at this category.

Though nudity may be allowed in a sexual context there will usually be no strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context.

There can be strong references to sex and sexual behaviour, but especially strong or crude references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context.

Sex and sex references are treated the same irrespective of sexuality

Can there be strong violence?

Yes, at 15 violence may be strong. It should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury, however, and the strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable.
Strong sadistic violence is also unlikely to be acceptable.

What about sexual violence?

There may be detailed verbal references to sexual violence (for example descriptions of rape or sexual assault in a courtroom scene or in victim testimony) but any portrayal depiction of sexual violence must be discreet and justified by context.

What about horror works?

At 15 there can be strong threat and horror as long as there is no sustained focus on sadistic or sexualised threat.

Can you see drugs in a 15 rated film or video?

At 15 drug taking may be shown but the work as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse (for example, through instructional detail).
The misuse of easily accessible and highly dangerous substances like aerosols or solvents is unlikely to be acceptable at 15.

What about dangerous behaviour or things teens might copy?

We consider the risk of potential harm to impressionable teenagers. For example, dangerous behaviour such as hanging, suicide and self-harming should not dwell on detail which could be copied.
Whether the depiction of easily accessible weapons is acceptable will depend on factors such as realism, context and setting.

(Information from BBFC)

Alfred Hitchcock

Alfred Hitchcock was an English film director and producer and was nicknamed nicknamed "The Master of Suspense" because of his work in in the thriller genre. Hitchcock used many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. He first had a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies (sound films). In 1939 Hitchcock move to Hollywood to continue his career.

Hitchcock started his career because he was intrigued by photography and he therefore started working for a film production company in London as a title card designer. In 1920 he had a full time position at Isslington studios designing titles for silent movies. After a period of time he became a combination of screenwriter, art director and assistant director on a series of five films.
The first film Hitchcock directed independently was "The Pleasure Garden". Next, Hitchcock directed a drama called "The Mountain Eagle." Hitchcock's first thriller was "The Longer" which was about "Jack The Ripper" and was released in 1927, it was a major success. I 1929 he began working on his tenth film "Blackmail" which became Britain's first talkie (sound film).

When Hitchcock made career in Hollywood, he was Known for his suspense in films. His last ever movie was a spy thriller called "The Short Night" and was made in 1979.

Alfred Hitchcock Films.

Number 13 (1922) (unfinished) Always Tell Your Wife (1923) The Pleasure Garden (1925) The Mountain Eagle (1926) (lost) The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927) The Ring (1927) Downhill (1927) The Farmer's Wife (1928) Easy Virtue (1928) Champagne (1928) The Manxman (1929) Blackmail (1929) Juno and the Paycock (1930) Murder! (1930) Elstree Calling (1930) The Skin Game (1931) Mary (1931) Rich and Strange (1931) Number Seventeen (1932) Waltzes from Vienna (1934)

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) The 39 Steps (1935) Secret Agent (1936) Sabotage (1936) Young and Innocent (1937) The Lady Vanishes (1938) Jamaica Inn (1939) Rebecca (1940) Foreign Correspondent (1940) Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941) Suspicion (1941) Saboteur (1942) Shadow of a Doubt (1943) Lifeboat (1944) Aventure Malgache (1944) Bon Voyage (1944) Spellbound (1945) Notorious (1946) The Paradine Case (1947) Rope (1948)

Under Capricorn (1949) Stage Fright (1950) Strangers on a Train (1951) I Confess (1953) Dial M for Murder (1954) Rear Window (1954) To Catch a Thief (1955) The Trouble with Harry (1955) The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) The Wrong Man (1956) Vertigo (1958) North by Northwest (1959) Psycho (1960) The Birds (1963) Marnie (1964) Torn Curtain (1966) Topaz (1969) Frenzy (1972) Family Plot (1976) The Short Night (1979) (canceled)