Research and Planning Our Thriller.

Once we had decided to produce the opening of a thriller, we looked at previous openings to get inspiration. Then we brainstormed all our ideas along with the typical conventions of a thriller. Here is one of the brainstorms we created. It includes themes and ideas for characters, locations, music and other typical thriller conventions.

Here the opening of the thriller se7en, which we analysed for our initial research project.

 

From watching the opening of this thriller, our group noticed that there was no dialogue, just non diegetic music, which we felt was good because if dialogue had of been included it would have seemed too much in the clip. Also the opening was made up of fast close ups of hands; there was no faces, so the identity of the main protagonists was hidden. 

The opening of this thriller displayed many conventions from the genre. The prestige comes under the sub genre "drama thriller".  The film opens with a voice over from who is percieved to be the main protagonist. This re enforces the no dialogue theme that our group has noticed in many thriller films. 

'Pearl and Dean'

For our opening of this thriller we knew it was important to find out which different target audiences would come and view are film. Therefore we studied the 'Pearl and Dean' website and found out some useful information. We viewed three different thrillers in which we felt matched our opening of our thriller and then looked at what figures were set for each of these films. These figures are important to our thriller opening because we would then know what gender, age and class would be interested in our thriller 'Deception'.

For every film, these figures are important to their advertising and the ways in which they promote their film. This is because you would not place a film trailer which the target age is set at 35+ and then put the trailer on the television at a time in which children would be viewing the television. The films in which we had viewed on the 'Pearl and Dean' website were; 'Man on Fire', 'The Departed', 'Hide and Seek' and 'Eagle Eye'. All of these films are very up to date with modern thriller films, so therefore they match our sort of criteria with our opening thriller trailer.

'Eagle Eye'

age			gender
4-6	0%		male	54%
7-11	0%		female	46%
12-14	5%		class
15-24	24%		AB	37%
25-34	25%		C1	34%
35-44	19%		C2	15%
45+	27%		DE	14%

'Man on fire'

age			gender
4-6	0%		male	50%
7-11	0%		female	50%
12-14	0%		class
15-24	70%		AB	42%
25-34	16%		C1	33%
35-44	8%		C2	7%
45+	0%		DE	17%

'The Departed'

age			gender
4-6	0%		male	64%
7-11	0%		female	36%
12-14	0%		class
15-24	28%		AB	28%
25-34	38%		C1	33%
35-44	11%		C2	20%
45+	23%		DE	19%

'Hide and Seek'

age			gender
4-6	0%		male	73%
7-11	0%		female	27%
12-14	0%		class
15-24	54%		AB	0%
25-34	25%		C1	0%
35-44	14%		C2	0%
45+	7%		DE	0%

Working Thriller: 

We decided to adapt our initial idea of a female assasin. We decided there will only be two characters in the opening to keep it simple. They is the female protagonist and the male victim. We will use a corridor and a hotel room or something similar. It was only till we went to hotels and Bed and Breakfasts, that we realised how challenging it would be to find the location we had in mind. So we came to a group decision, to change the main location of our opening to a the female assasins bedroom and the street where the house is located. We kept our initial idea of the male protagonist carrying a briefcase to meet the female and that when he had been assasinated the female would exit the scene with the briefcase in her hand. We hoped that this could open many doors for "the rest of the film" as it leaves many questions with the audience. 

Here is our two characters for our opening thriller:

Female Protagonist:

Played by Amy Dyas

Costume: black dress, hair straight, 

Props: applying make up in bedroom

Male Victim:

Played by Jack Lee

Costume: jeans, shoes, shirt, 

Props: black briefcase, black sunglasses

Once we had our location, props an costumes decided, we had to complete a storyboard and working script before filming. 

We completed the storyboard and working script in a double lesson at college. 

While constructing these we decided on the name Deception for our thriller.

Here is our storyboard for our thriller Deception:

Here is our working script for our thriller Deception:

‘Deception.’

Shot 1: Begins with a black screen and white writing “Festival Films Presents A Group Production” with a typewriter sound over the writing.

Shot 2: This is a close up, while the female protagonist applies blusher, Romantic music begins to play. A credit begins to say "A Hayley Barry Film" at the end of this shot.

Shot 3: This is a mid shot of the mystery man walking towards the camera holding a briefcase. (non diegetic music continues)

In the shot first credit continues “A Hayley Barry Film”

Shot 4: Extreme close up while the camera is acting as the mirror, of female protagonist applying mascara to her left eye. Romantic music plays through. (non diegetic) The credit finishes in this shot "A Hayley Barry Film"

Shot 5: This is a long shot of the mystery mans feet as he walks from the left to the right holding the briefcase in his right hand. Romantic music continues to play through. (non diegetic) 

Shot 6: This shot is a close up of the female protagonist looking into the mirror (camera) applying lip-gloss. Romantic music continues to play through. (non diegetic)

Shot 7: This is a mid shot of the mystery man walking from left to right holding the briefcase. Romantic music continues to play through. (non diegetic) 

Shot 8: This is an over the shoulder shot of the female protagonist. The camera follows her movement as she looks into her mirror and begins to brush her hair. Romantic music continues to play through. (non diegetic)

Shot 9: This is a tracking shot in front of the mystery mans feet as he continues to walk towards the camera with the briefcase. Romantic music continues to play through. (non diegetic) A credit appears "Starring Jack Lee and Amy Dyas"

Shot 10: This is a mid shot of the female protagonist looking into the mirror (camera). She has applied all of her make up and finished her hair and is now putting on a pair of studded earrings. Romantic music continues to play through. (non diegetic) Credit continues "Starring Jack Lee and Amy Dyas"

Shot 11: This is a mid shot of the mystery man walking from left to right of the screen. Romantic music continues to play through. (non diegetic)  Credit continues "Starring Jack Lee and Amy Dyas"

Shot 12: This is a mid shot of the female protagonist looking into the mirror (camera). She is now putting on her other studded earring. Romantic music continues to play through. (non diegetic) 

Shot 13: This is a mid shot of the mystery man walking towards the door holding the briefcase. Romantic music continues to play through. (non diegetic)

Shot 14: This is a mid shot of female protagonist opening window, looking out then closing it again. Romantic music continues to play through. (non diegetic)

Shot 15: This is a mid shot of the mystery man entering the house, before he enters he stops and looks up at the window then he puts a pair of sunglasses on and enters the house without a key, the door has been left unlocked, and mystery man is holding the briefcase. Romantic music continues to play through. (non diegetic)

Shot 16: This is a high angle into mid shot of the mystery man walking up the stairs once he is in the house. Romantic music continues to play through. (non diegetic)

Shot 17: This is a mid shot of the female protagonist looking to the side of her and opening the drawer with her left hand. She appears to reach for something but then closes it. Romantic music continues to play through (non diegetic).

Shot 18: This is a point of view shot of the mystery mans hand on the door handle opening the door slightly. Romantic music continues to play through. (non diegetic) – to be filmed.

Shot 19: This shot is a match on action mid shot. The female protagonist is in the left foreground of the shot, the mystery enters the right background of the shot. Romantic music continues to play through (non diegetic). 

Shot 20: This is a mid shot of the mystery man walking over and sitting on the bed, he places the briefcase to the right of him on the bed and then looks in the direction of the females direction. Romantic music gradually stops in non diegetic form.

Shot 21: This is a mid shot of the closed door followed by two diegetic gun shots.

Shot 22: Black background with the title "Decpetion" appearing in white writing with a non-diegetic typewriting sound over the top.

Shot 23: Thriller music begins to play (non diegetic) as the female protagonist opens the door and leaves the room with the briefcase in her right hand.

Shot 24: This is a jump cut the female leaves the house with the briefcase in her right hand, walks a bit puts the briefcase down and puts the glasses on. She picks up the briefcase again and walks away with a smug look on her face. The thriller music gradually fades.