Research - Inspirations Miss Georgiou

Inspiration



We need inspiration to create something because we can get a understanding of what has worked or not worked. Also the inspiration can lead me to combined aspects used in other thriller films and combined them to create my own thriller film. This will be taking inspiration from other successful films that have original feature, which i might want to include in my film. Overall i think to be inspired by a range of films will help me, when i make my own thriller film.


Previously i have looked at the film scream, this was for how sound is used in thriller films. The film scream was inspiring to make a film that has a unidentified killer right up until the murder. The way scream used sound pitch was very successful; being loud and high pitch when the tension is building, the sound gave the film the fear factor. If you watch the film without sound it is boring and dull, when you watch it with sound it makes the film a thriller. This has inspired me to make sure that the sound in my open sequences, has simmilar characteristics of the sound in film.

I also looked at the film Mama, i was focusing on the mis en scene. So seeing the location being set in an abandoned cabin in the forest inspired me to use a isolated location, as it highlights the vulnerability of the characters. The use of the little girls was inspiring as when i come to make my thriller sequences, i think something other than a masked killer will be more scary and a shock to the target audience. To use these idea i might have a cannibal killer, which means when a human eats another human. I got this idea from the little girls in Mama, i believe it could be an unexpected shock to the audience and not very typical, which will make my thriller film unique and successful.

I researched into editing styles looking at the film halloween. I found that editing styles are key to set the pace of a thriller film, also to create tension shock surprise and suspense. as slow edited scenes gradually build up a suspense. Also a fast edited scene may be a chase scene which creates tension both these techniques have inspired me to use them when i come to creating my own thriller production. Also the screenshot during the scene of halloween when the antagonist cant quite reach the victims, the use of the long shot and low key lighting was very effective to ensure the audience can see there is no one else around, therefor shows that if the antagonist does get past the gates he will kill them. This inspired me to keep showing the surroundings when i film my film.

Another inspiring film i looked into was The Shining. I done a research post on the conventions of the shining and found that, the off screen sounds are important to create suspense. During the scene when Johnny is walking to toilet, there is high pitch sound used to let the audience know the victim is becoming more and more in danger. I thought that i could try and incorporate this when i try and produce my own thriller film. I think it would be very difficult to get the correct footage and sound linked together when editing but if i could do it it would be very good.

Finally i looked at cinematography within insidious; i noticed the different camera angle and movements used within the film to ensure the audience were kept on the edge of their seats. I was inspired by the range of different camera angles and movements used in such a short space of time. I never realised be for how many different shots are used to create an atmosphere within the film. Especially when the camera zooms from the boys point of view closer and closer to the man talking to himself, this camera movements puts a weird and eery ghosty feeling on the atmosphere which is vital for insidious, as their film is based around the super natural.

In conclusion looking at different films and there techniques i have been inspired to combined what these films have done, to create a thriller film that has suspense, shock, surprise and tension. My inspiration have lead to have many ideas of what to include and not include in my thriller in order for it to be successfully produced. overall this post has helped to highlight the effort and time that has to go into making a film and how it can effect the audience. Therefor my film is going to take a lot of editing but i think it will pay off with the final result.

 

Individual storyboards - miss miller

Individual Storyboards

The purpose for individual storyboards was to be able to portray how i think our thriller film should be made by the storyboards, therefor Bettie and Malu can see what my ideas are, and we can exchange story boards in order to come up with a group storyboard. Also each story board has a duration section to show how long each part last. Overall the individual storyboards help plan each part that needs to be considered in order to make our film successful. 

Frames 1-4

My first four frames is the opening to my thriller film. This mainly covers introducing the characters to the audience so that relationships can be built. For the very first frame there is no actors involved, just a long shot panning the setting to show that it is set in a forest. We choose to film in the forest as it is a typical thriller location, so the audience can identify from the beginning that this will be a thriller film.  I plan this shot to be done at around 4:30, hopefully it will be starting to get dark which will add to the eery effect of our film. The frames 2, 3 and 4 are to show the friendship between the characters, this is so the audience will not be able to suspect that they antagonist is part of the friends.

Frames 5-8

Frame five begins with a high angle shot of the group this is to show the venerability of the group, we will have low key lighting from the time of day (around 4 ish) this shot is to show the character walking the dog, we don't want the audience to suspect anything suspicious as yet. Frame 6 and 7 is myself throwing the stick for the dog, this is when the dog goes missing so the audience think the dog could be the victim. Frame 8 is myself panicking and shouting for the dog, this is so that audience can believe how devastated i am that i have lost my dog, making the narrative more believable. 

Frame 9-12

Frame 9 carries on from 8, me panicking and running after where i had threw the stick for the dog. The camera being used here is going to be tracking me to show me searching for the dog, and will be a medium shot. By frame 10 is when I ask for my friends help in order to find the dog, i ask everyone to split up into twos to search, during frames 11 and 12 the camera type used is going to be; shot reverse shot, this will help the audience follow conversation and build up the panic in the characters.

Frames 13-16

These frames are when the shock part of our film is revealed. Frame 13 is when Bettie is revealed to the audience but not to me, this puts the audience on the edge of their seats as they don't know when i am going relies, therefor this adds suspense and tension because the audience know more than the characters. Frame 14 is me screaming when i notice Betties eyes are all white, this is unconventional to a thriller film as it is usually a male antagonist, but i choose Bettie to be, in order to add more shock. Frame 15 is Maisy point of view sneaking up behind Bettie because she can not believe what she is seeing and is scared. Therefor this makes the audience nervous for Maisy and builds tension as the audience don't know if Bettie is going to get Maisy. Frame 16 is Bettie turning round to notice Maisy standing there, this is to create shock as Maisy has been spotted and is now in danger.

Frame 17-20

Frame 17 is a shot reverse shot from Bettie to Maisy showing the fear on Maisy's face, this is to highlight that Bettie is clearly they antagonist. Frame 18 is Maisy running from Bettie, but because we can see Bettie walking in the same frame as Maisy running, it gives an effect that there is no escape for Maisy. Frame 19 and 20 is the group trying to escape the forest i have planned to use high angle and point of view shots to highlight the feat of Bettie, and the speed the characters are running at.

Overall individual storyboard is a good practise for when we come to make a group storyboard. Also having three different storyboards, as a group we will be able to pull the best bits of each others to make one good storyboard. The planning has made me considered the time i need to film, how and the different type of camera angles i need to use in order to express panic, fear, tension, suspense, shock and surprise.

Planning credit - Miss Georgiou

Planning Credits

 I analysed the opening to se7en looking for the conventions used during the credits, and how and who was revealed first. To do this i watched the opening a few times and took notes of what stood out to me as a thriller influenced credit. The opening credits used in the thriller film se7en made in 1995 directed by David Fincher. During class we analysed the opening credits which included: the colours used, the style of credits, the use of thriller conventions and the order of appearance.

Colours used

The colours used during the opening credits of seven were white text and the background was low key light, dark and gloomy, which are done on purpose to create a sense of bad and good. The white suggest they may be someone innocent involved and black insinuates the unknown and death. So the colour scheme relates to the thriller genre, and outlines that there is going to be some sort of mysterious narrative to the film, therefor is conventional to a thriller film.

The style of credits

 The way the credits appeared during the opening of se7en were shaky and child like written. The child like handwriting is used for the credits which comes in from different parts of the screen. This gives the audience an understanding as to the mental state of the antagonist. Due the the handwriting we gathered that this antagonist could abnormal. The credits bounce across the screen nervously which puts the audience on edge as it weird creates a psychopathic atmosphere. This can relate to the antagonist as most antagonists have something abnormal about them that makes them kill, but this makes the audience believe that this antagonist is going to be an absolute psychopath.

The use of thriller conventions

The first use of a thriller convention i noticed in the opening credits of se7en was the iconography. The iconography included photographs of possible victims, sharp blade and someone drawing in a book, The use of the photographs adds to the mental side of the antagonist, and obviously a sharp blade the audience recognise as a weapon that the antagonist is likely to use. Drawing in a book highlights that the credits child like handwriting was the antagonist. The fact that the handwriting is childish suggest that this person has never been educated, therefor isolates the antagonist making he's mental state worse.

The order of appearance

The order of appearance is in the form of most recognised names first as if it is someone who is very popular and known to be a good producer or actor, the audience are more likely to watch the film. During the opening credits of se7en the order they used was: the production company, director, actors (only the a list ones) title of film, other actors, casting, music, costumes, editors, production, and ends again with the director to leave the last name David Fincher in the mind of the audience, as he was a popular director at the time of this film being made. The order has an impact on weather on not the audience are going to carry on watching the film or not.






The purpose of having credits is to introduce the style  in this case a thriller genre, also to introduce the film title. The colours can be an insight to what the audience might see in the film. My credit has white text which connotes innocence and because it is surrounded in red means that; the innocent may be surrounded by danger.

My Credit is the top screenshot and the problem with my one is that we cant keep having the animation on every name that comes up, therefor my one will probably not be used, or if it is used it  could maybe be used at the end of the credits when we reveal the film name.

 The credit that will probably end up using will be the middle screenshot, which Bettie designed. Her credits come in from different directions which links to our film, as the group split off into different directions when the dog goes missing. Therefor is conventional to our thriller film.

Finally the bottom screenshot is Malus one. The advantages of Malus was the font as it looked blurry, this leaves an effect on the audience of suggesting that there may be some unexpected scenes. But the drawback is that it is plain and boring so i think as a group we will go for Betties design.

In conclusion the purpose of open credits is so that the audience have a introduction to the actors, actresses, director extra. It is also so the audience can  get a feel of the genre and style of the film by the way the names are produced. The colours give the audience clues as to what is likely to be included in film. Finally the most important part of the credits is to reveal the film name, it is important that we choose a credit style that is conventional to our thriller film, in order for the audience to be able to relate the credits to our film.

Planning Characters - Miss Miller

Planning Characters


Characters  are important in any film to carry out the narrative and give the audience a clearer understanding of the scenario. The planning of characters is to ensure that the people we use to act, will fit the roll of our characters, so the audience will be able to build a relationship with each and every character. Our target audience is target at our own age group (15-25) therefor it should be easy for the audience to relate to a group of 16,17 year olds. Malu is going to be filming to thriller sequences; there are six characters: Me, Bettie, Beck, Maisie, Stacey and Billy. Me and Bettie are the two main characters because Bettie is the antagonist, and I'm the victim.




Kane (Victim)




My role in the thriller sequences is to be the victim and be unaware that Bettie is the antagonist, this is unconventional to a thriller film as usually the male is the antagonist and the female is a victim, but we thought this would be better to increase the shock and surprise effect of our film. We targeted our film at our own age group 15-25 this is because I'm 16 myself so the target audience will be of similar age, which will make it easier for them to build a relationship with me. The beginning of the thriller film is going to consist of normal everyday things such as walking the dog and being with a group of friends. Therefor the audience can engage with the narrative as it is a everyday normal thing to do this is important as we want the audience to believe that this could be them, which will lead to a more on edge and tense audience. I am going to be acting as a normal sixteen year old boy with he's friends so that it will come more as a shock, when it is revealed that my own friend eats me.



Bettie (Antagonist)



Bettie's role in the thriller film is to be the antagonist, we choose Bettie to be the antagonist because it is unexpected for a female to be the killer, so when it is revealed to the audience that she has eaten Kane it will be a huge shock. Bettie is acting as herself; a sixteen year old student. The audience is targeted at the same sort of age as us, so Bettie being herself we make it easy for the audience to relate to her. The costume being used is going to be casual clothing, this is due to the fact that we are walking to dog, and the antagonist is unknown to the audience. Once the dog has gone missing and the group of friends split into pairs to find the dog, Bettie and Kane go together, this is when Bettie is going to put white contacts in her eyes to make it clear to the audience that she is the antagonist. We are going to ensure that the audience can see that I haven't noticed that she is an antagonist so that i look vulnerable and a possible victim.



The rest of the characters are four friends of mine, Malus and Betties to build the numbers up of the group of friends. As we need them for the scene when the everyone is looking for the missing dog. The reason we are including the extra four characters is to make them look like possible victims for Bettie. In conclusion the planning of characters is to ensure that they are conventional to the thriller genre, and obviously to keep the people in character. We have chosen our friends which we think will be good at acting as a normal teenagers to set the scene as a group of friends walking the dog.

Sound planning

Sound planning

As a group we came up with a plan for four different sounds we will use in our thriller film: Non-diegetic, Parallel, Off screen sound, Diegetic/on screen. Sounds are important to create shock, surprise, suspence and tension. sound will represent the genre of a film, it is vital to use the correct types of sound during our film to put the audience on edge. For example during the chase scene we may use high pitch upbeat sound to create suspence.


The first sound my group planned was non diegetic sound. Non diegetic sound is sound which is a sound that is invisible on the screen, this can be narrators commentary, sound effects and mood music. In relation to our film we are going ot include non diegetic sound when Bettie turns around after killing Kane. At this point a high screctching sound effect will be inputted to display that Bettie is the anatagonist and is looking for another victim. We choose this part of the film to use a non diegetic sound in order to show that Bettie is the killer and to highlight that she is a cannibal killer, which the audience should recognise as there will be a close up of Betties mouth covered in blood.

The second sound my group planed was off screen sound. This is a sound that is part of a scene but orginating from a source outside of the visible frame. This is going too be used when a Maisy walks up behind Bettie, you will hear the a tense music, the crunching of leaves on each footstep Maisy takes. This is going to be used to build tension as every footstep will become louder for bettie untill she relieses that someone is behind her. Off screen can be what is behind the camera so when it is a point of view shot, the off screen sound can be the noises behind a character. We have planned for Kane to scream when he Bettie kills me, so when the camera is with one of the groups walking around the forest, and the echo of the scream is heard, this will be off screen which will lead to the characters and audience questionning what has happened.

Thirdly the sound we planned to use is parallel sound. Parallel sound is the sound we hear usually goes hand in hand with the image on screen. Therefor an example of parallel sound that will be involved in our film is casual conversation throught out the film. This is parallel because it is what the audience expect, a young group of teenagers walking the dog are obvousily going to be talking amoungst themselves. Another example of parallel sound in our film will be the screaming of fear from the group of friends when they are trying to escape the forest. Parallel sound is esential to keep the film as realistic as possible, as if there was no parallel sounds the audience would find it extremely difficult to follow the narrative of the film.

Finally we planned to usen diegetic/ on scren sound. Diegetic sound is which is vissible on screen for example voices of charactersm, sounds made by objects which would be the sound of a stick crashing into the pond when i throw one for the dog. On screen sound is very similar it is sound that the audience can see is happening from the images. The diegetic/ on screen sound we expect to use are normal conversation, the sound of footsteps, and the dog barking. The dog barking will be a key on screen sound so the audience recongnise that the dog is alive and well befor it goes missing, so the audience can see the dog (Bella) is full of energy and excited. This will make the dissapperance of the dog more effective to the audience as they would have built up a relationship with the dog.

In conclusion the different sound techniques will impact the audience in different ways, covering suspence, shock, surprised and tension. I think the audience will become more involved and intrested in the film if there are a range of different sound techniques. Therefor me, Bettie and Malu planning our techniques will give us more chance of createing a succesfull and intresting film.

Mis en scene - planning

Mis en scene

The mis en scene is important in any thriller film to ensure that everything in the film is meant to be there. Planning the location, iconography, costumes and more are essential to produce a successful thriller film. If we did not plan the mis en scene the film would got completely wrong, it would be unprofessinal and boring. Our thriller sequences is has been planned throughly to ensure that our genre is easily identified. In this post i am going to show how my group has planned to use: Character representation, setting and iconography, costume and make up.

Lighting and colour

Me, bettie and Malu decided to do the lighting low key and use dark colours, we choose to do this in order to give a dark and gloomy effect. As it is winter and it gets dark around 4 0 clock we have decided to film around this time in order to make it realistic to the thriller genre. Keeping the light and colur dark, lets the audience clearly recongnise that the film is going be full of suspence and keep them on the edge of there seats.

Setting and iconography

Our location is set in the forest. A forest is expected as a convention of a thriller film, therefor making our film based in the forest will satisfy the target audience. We thought the forest would be the perfect location because it is a huge open space making the characters look an easy target for an antagonist, overall making them very vulnerable. Also when we film this it is going to be quite dark (early evening) which give the dark and gloomy effect, this will put the audience on the edge of there seats as they are guessing what might be in the shadows. As the killing is a cannibal attack there was not much iconography to be used for the characters. A prop of ours will be the stick we throw for the dog. This is a traditional thing to do with a pet so the audience will be able to relate to the actions taking place.

Costume and Make up

As a group we planned for the characters to stay as casual as we could so the costume and make up is going to be minimal, just really for what u might expect teenagers to wear on a daily basis. The only make up that will be used is the pretend blood on Bettie and Kane to make the killing looks realistic and professional. The reason we kept the costumes to casual to add to ensure the antagonist is unknown, this will help emphasis the shock factor when it is revealed that it is Bettie.  Overall the only part of costume that is going to be used will be Betties contact lenses to make her eyes look all white, as she has to conduct an antagonist look after the audience know she has killed Kane.  

positioning of characters

The position of characters is vital to make the thriller film beliveable. If the characters jump to a different postion during a clip this could make the audience dis-engange with the film, and lose intrest which could result in a unprofessinal thriller film. Also the during our film the group of characters are going to split into three groups of two; therefor it is crucial that the three groups are shown cleary going different dirrections from each other. This has to be done to show to the audience that when Bettie kills Kane, the others are still out there and not every knows she is a cannibal. Overal the poistioning of characters helps the audience understand the narrative of the film.

facial expression body language

Having to much talking in a film can make it hard to follow for the audience, therefor making the characters emphasis there facial expression when they are shocked, scared, angry and showing there body language clearly will increase the audience intrest in the film. Also I have to show i am scared when i relise Bettie is about to kill me, to show to the audience Betties power as an atagonist. Having a female antagonist is unconventinal to a thriller film but at the same time is a good idea as it is unexpected and will lead to a bigger shock when the audience find out. Overall expressing the body language and facial expressions are key to show how the characters are feeling, especially if they are frightened, which will reflect on the audience being scared for them.

In conclusion the mis en scene is everything that needs to be planned and thought about befor create a thriller film. The facial expression and body language, the positioning of characters, the costume and make up, the lighting and colour and setting and iconography are all so important in constructing a succesful film. If i did not plan just one of these the film could go terribley wrong. Therefor the mis en scene in a film is the grounding and bench mark of making a succesful thriller film.

Cinematography planning

Cinematography Planning

Cinematography is vital within any film as the cinematography effectively keep the audience interested. If the film was filmed just from one camera angle, and used one type of movement the film would be boring and unsuccessful.  Cinematography is defined as the art of photography and camerawork in film-making. Therefor the to use most of the different techniques within cinematography is important to make a successful film.


Our film will consist of a low angle shot, this will be used when Bettie has finished killing Kane, and when she is walking away we will film it as a low angle to make Bettie look intimidating and create the antagonist effect. Also during the low angle we will ensure you can hear the crunching of the leaves, to emphasis the power bettie has.

Also there will be a high angle. A high angle is when the camera is above head height usually to make a character look small or weak. We will use high angle when the group are walking into the forest to show the size of the forest compared to the characters, me, Malu and Bettie thought this would highlight the vulnerabilty of the group of friends, and make the audience question if there is something or someone in the forest who might be the antagonist. Showing the setting (forest) is important to show to audience that it is a thriller film.

Eye levle camera angle is similar to point of view. the camera is at the height of eye levle mostly used during converstation. In our thriller film we will plan to use this camrea shot when the group are just have normal conversation and walking the dog. This used to help the audience build a realationship with the characters, so that when the the group are trying to escape the forest, the audience feel for the characters. Having the audience build a relationship makes it easier for us to build tension, shock, suprise and suspence which is key to make our thriller film succesful.

Zooming in is when the camera zooms in to highlight or draw attention to something important during the film. We are going to include zooming when Bettie she turns round after killing Kane, to show to blood around her mouth. The reason we done this is because we obviously cant film Bettie eating Kane so the blood around the mouth shows that she must of eaten me. The zooming in on the mouth also indicates that she might be after more people, which puts the audience in suspense and questioning who might be next.

Close up is when the camera is zoomed in on and a specific thing. In our thriller film close ups are going to be used to show the characters faces when trying to escape the forest. This is conventional of a thriller film to represent the panic and fear of the antagonist. This ensures the audience are put on edge and worried for the characters. Also we may use close up on Kane's face to show the reaction after seeing the Bettie is an antagonist, this is going to be done to shock the audience.

Panning is when the camera stays in one place and can rotate horizontaly. We plan to use panning when we are throwing a stick for the dog to chase. The camera will only pan so much so the dog runs out of sight, this is so it is clear to the audience that the dog has gone missing. Also panning shows the surrondings which will be a dark forest, this is important to show the that the scenry is eery and scary.

In conclusion the art of photography and camerawork in film is cinematography. Bettie, Male and Myself have made a plan to ensure that we use atleast six different types of cinematography. I think cinematography is vital to conduct as professinal film. I think this plan will remind us when we are making the film where we need to change the camera angle or movement, so we dont just film it all from one point of view, as that would make the film boring and succesful. Overall the cinematography most important part i think is the change in camera angles, to ensure that they audience engange with the charcters and build a realtionship. So that when it comes to the scene where they are trying to escape the forest, the audience will feel tense and scared for each character.

Planning editing styles - miss georgiou

Planning editing styles

The editing styles we have planned to use are: slow editing. shot reverse shot, fade and montage editing. We thought these editing styles are going to be very useful to create shock, surprise, suspense and tension which will be key to making our film a thriller. Editing takes place after having the sequence filmed therefor when filming our thriller, we are going to work out at what stages we are going to fade or slow edit in order to get the right amount of footage for the editing to work.


Slow editing is going to be used during the scene that Maisy walks up behind Bettie after Bettie has just killed me. The reason we thought slow editing would benefit our film here; is to show maisy fear of bettie which will make the audience worried that maisy might get hurt if bettie turns round. Therefor the use of slow editing will build up the tension as the audience are unaware of what is about to happen and leaves the audience on the edge of there seats. Also because the slow editing is taking place when Maisy is walking, it helps the audience to create a relationship with Maisy because they understand that she is scared, which relates to the audience as they are scared for her.

Shot reverse shot is going to be used during our thriller film to help the audience relate to the characters.  During normal conversation, shot reverse shot will help the audience to follow what is going on. Also it can help build the audience build a relationship with each character. The camera keep switching will outline the scenery this will lead to an eery and dark feeling to the film, as the scenery will consist of a forest in the late evening. Finally shot reverse shot can speed up a conversation, which will be used when it is found out that Bettie is a killer. I think the editing will keep the film realistic and professional.

Another technique that will be key for the scene that the characters are running away from Bettie is montage editing. Montage editing will show panic and fear of Bettie which will outline her role as they antagonist. Another reason why we are going to include montage editing is to increase the tenseness of the film so it builds up a bigger shock when it comes. To include montage editing we are going to need to spend a lot of time changing the cameras position and angle, which could take a lot of time but will be effective when it all comes together, in keep the audience entertained and on the edge of their seats.

In conclusion the all of these techniques will be very useful in create the four main features of a thriller: shock, surprise, suspense and tension. Also to ensure that our production is realistic and look like other thriller films that have previously been made. The fade technique is going to be used at the end of the film to leave a cliff hanger. Editing is a major factor of making our production a normal film, to a outstanding film. Therefor editing is going to be a task we ensure we take enough time on to get it correct.