Mood Board

We decided not to have any sound as it might be distracting and take away the focus of the film. If we were to have sound it would be suspenseful to build up a tense atmosphere. We used a gun sound to resemble the death scene. It was also crucial to have a realistic location so we are going to use my house for the film and my friends house down the road for their roof terrace which has access to the street for the death scene.

 

Font Ideas

The font needs to be bold and powerful to capture the attention of viewers.

Opening Sequence

Linear Narrative: Have the start of the film show a series of messages go to the hitman number showing details of the new target. It then shows her current location where the camera then cuts to that place. I can then be seen walking down the road with the hitman following behind. They are the both in the house, as well as the death scene when the character is pushed off the roof by the hitman.

Pro's: 

- Not many locations, just my house and the house at the end of the road for the roof terrace so minimal travelling

- Only need a phone prop and a fake gun which we have 

- Max number of actors is 3 and minimal actors are 2 which can be provided

Con's: 

- May seem a bit gender bias that the hitman is a man and the target is a women

- Actors may look too young to be living on their own or being a hitman 

- Potentially extend the 2 minute mark 

This opening sequence does have many suspenseful moments, filled with wrong targets and dramatic scenes that can really capture the audiences attention and that is why we have chosen this to be our opening sequence. 

Thriller Poster Analysis Black Swan

Preliminary Thriller Conventions Applied to a Trailer

The Babadook

At the beginning eerie music is played that provides a suspenseful atmosphere. The mother says to her child that "nothing bad will happen", which is quite misleading as later in the trailer we clearly see that the protagonist is in a great deal of danger. The boy mentions that three knocks symbolises that the Babadook is near, which then can be heard later in the trailer, creating a sense of mystery whether he is real or not. "Don't let him in" is repeated by the boy in a very distressed manor, which really builds up the tension of the trailer.

Preliminary Thriller Conventions

The conventions of a good thriller genre include:

- The narrative is revolved around suspense and action such as a crime taking place.
- False paths that mislead the audience to provide a more unexpected shock twist at the end.
- Multiple puzzles and mysteries that are either left unsolved for added interest (to potentially lead onto a sequel).
- Having the wrong person or dopplegangers.
- Manipulation of perspectives such as using optical illusions.
- The protagonist is in some form of danger.
- The right music and lighting to provide suspense and mystery

Camera Elements

Camera elements to consider are:

- Shot size/distance
- Camera angle
- Focus
- Camera movement

Shot size/Distance:

This shows the camera position related to the subject.

Long Shot: This shows the entire object, along with the entire setting around it. Although this gives us a huge amount of detail, given the length of the shot, the characters facial expressions are usually too hard to see. When there is an extreme long shot of the start of a scene it is called the Establishing Shot.

Medium Shot: This shows the characters emotion and surroundings, which gives us a huge amount of information in one frame. This is the most common type of shot used.

Close Up Shot: A close up conforms the viewer into focusing onto something that takes up the entire screen. This enables an emotional emphasis as their facial expressions can be seen much clearer and can add emphasis towards an important object. 

Extreme Close Up Shot: This is when the camera goes incredibly close to an object or person, which is often used in horror films. This creates an dramatic effect. 

Camera Angle:

This is similar to shot size/distance. Angles to consider are High angle, Low angle and Canted angle. 

High Angle: This is when the camera is held above the person or object, usually making them seem a lot smaller than they actually are. Making a character look smaller symbolises weakness and vulnerability. 

Low Angle: The camera is positioned below the subject, often providing a sense of power and dominance in a character with this angle. 

Canted Angle: A horizontal line runs diagonally across the frame as if the camera has been tilted. This gives the impression that the character is unstable or disorientated and is usually shot to dedicate intoxication. 

Focus:

Deep focus and Shallow focus is when an image is sharp and in focus or is shallow which is blurry.

Deep Focus: This is when the foreground and the background are both in focus and are clear.

Shallow Focus: Either the foreground or background is sharp and the other is soft, usually to draw attention to a certain aspect of the frame.

Camera Movements: 

These movements of the camera usually adds a sense of energy.

Dolly Based Movement: This is when a camera is on an object that can often resemble a train like figure and will be pushed or pulled around on tracks to make a movement smooth and controlled. This could be whilst someone is running the dolly will be pushed to keep up with the movement of the character.

Movement around a fixed point: This can be done either handheld or with a tripod, either including a pan or a tilt.

Steadicam: Gives the sense of a floating camera as there is no tripod and minimal hand shaking. As seen in the opening of Boogie Nights.

Handheld: The camera is usually on someones shoulders, but can be proven quite difficult as this is a heavy piece of equipment being held as still as possible, which will often lead to quite an unsteady shot of film. This does give a sense of realism which is why it is often used in filming documentaries. 

Crane: A small crane is placed on set and this gives quite effective shots of the scene as it is able to zoom in from quite a height, as well as move around with little effort. 

Helicopter/Aeriel: This adds emphasis on the narrative environment usually using a helicopter to get a view of the entire setting around the character.