Section 1 : Thriller Genre

Many misunderstand the term Thriller and accosiated it to closey with Horror films. When infact a Thriller is a totally different genre in it's own right. In my view a Thriller is one of the most complex genre's in Film, Television and Literature incorporating suspense, tension, psychological factors, excitement that is intented to keep the audience guessing and on the edge of their seats. They usually bring out the highest form of human emotion in anxiety, anticipation, fear and asousal and revolve around sub thriller catergories such as
Crime
Murder
Violence
Disaster
Medical
Legal
Pyschological
Conspiracy
Historical
and many more
Thrillers can range from crime based with scenes of a gorey nature to intense pyschological ones in which the audiences logic is put to the test. The intentions of a Thriller are to captavate the audience in realistic ways through suspense, red herrings, twists and turns, unpredictablility and gripping terror that challenges and interests the mind.

Section 2 : Jaws Analysis Notes

Movement/Expression

The group of friends seem passionate, and are enjoying themselves and having fun in the small community. The factor of drugs and drink are helping with this point, as they are all relaxed and laid back. When the two characters are running, it shows the guy has desperation to catch the girl and make these two characters stand out as the two main characters. They all have scraggy, messed up hair .. symbolising that they dont really care about their looks and dont seem to care what they are doing, shown by the girl going swimming without a care in the world for what may be out there. Also, when they are running, the breathing and panting is over-emphasised to symbolise the boundary between life and death.


Settings/Props
The setting seems to be at dusk or sunset, or possibly early morning as though they have been out all night. This could show they could be tired as weak and not able to make rational and logical decisions, such as the girl going to swim in the sea. Also the setting is a small community around a campfire, which could show that the campfire is the safety zone, and if you explore and go further out, there is danger. Also a sunset is shown, which could be the sun setting in the evening - showing the end of something, possibly the life of the girl. There could of been a beach party there, that is what it looks like - there is a central fire creating lots of smoke, suggesting the future or events that are about to take place are mysterious or shrouded. There is also some people playing guitar and a harmonica, giving a peaceful and relaxed, warm and homely ambience to the setting/ group of friends. When she gets attacked, she grabs the buoy, as though it acts as a false sense of security, or a false hope, to comfort her, but she knows it will not save her. There is massive contrast from this to the next shot, where he is lying on the beach, singing, and it is very calm.

Character/Function
The group of friends are in safety in numbers and act as the safety zone. They are smoking, drinking, taking advantage of free love, and socialising, showing they are comfortable and dont need to venture out of the safety boundary. However the girl seems to be rejected from the group from the start so maybe she is adventurous to begin with, to want to venture out. She also acts as the bait for the shark, innocent and childish as she flails drunken towards the beach. She also comes across as the purity symbol, very innocent and you dont expect anything to happen to someone like her. The guy is forcing her to run and chasing her, as though he is chasing her out of the group, however he just wants to catch her, as we know by him shouting "Whats your name?!" as he has just met her for the first time. The eye contact between these two characters, across the camp , before they meet shows the passion between them, or what there could be between them. She also has a very childish voice shouting "Im not drunk!", when she clearly is. She is very intoxicated and her time to make rational decisions and her reaction times would go down. She is running but falling to, as does the guy who falls down the hill, again emphasising how intoxicated they are. When she is grabbed by Jaws, she flails in desperation, trying to get attention, but doesnt succeed, again she is the bait. Before she is attacked, she swims graciously, with acrobatic style - we see her leg sinking slowly, suggesting dissapearance, or the end to something.. possibly her life.


Cinematography 
The camera angle where they are running, is with the camera running along side, showing the viewer they are able to keep up with whats going on, and possibly have the interlectual upper hand on what they are actually doing, because the characters obviously dont.
The below water shot of her legs could show that the girl has authority for the moment, as she is still alive.. but suggests that you are looking through Jaws' eyes, and seeing what he is seeing.
When she is swimming there is an extreme long shot, showing she is isolated with water all around her, showing there is not really any hope if she is to get attacked. This also shows she is even further away from the social group, and further away from any help. This also shows the empty canvas that is the sea, very vast and unknown of what could be out there.


Sound
The opening Jaws march music holds a large amount of suspense, it is very dramatic and tensionous, with an eery ambience. There is also some crescendos in the music where the pace of the song speeds up and slows down - linking to the pace of the opening sequence, the slow paced relaxation of the camp, then fast paced running and flailing when she gets attacked. However in contrast to this, the campfire music that is guitars and harmonicas is very thearuputic, jolly and happy - suggesting the mood of the camp. Also, when the camera angle is in the water, the music is very different, low and eery. However when the camera is out of the water you can just hear the campfire music ringing in the background. Also when the characters start running, the weather changes and becomes much more windy - a change in weather could show the change in events that is about to happen. The screams we hear from the girl and very cutting and violent, showing the true severity of the event. They also suggest the amount of drugs the rest of the friends have taken to not be able to hear the crys for help.
Also at the end, a radio is heard, maybe suggesting that she has been reported missing, however we do not hear this. Also if it is not mentioned on the radio, that could  link to the fact that maybe they all forgot about her, because they were so under the influence of drugs, if there was no mention of her on the radio.

Section 2 : American Psycho Notes

Character

The main character seems to be upper class, doesnt really care, no respect, control freak, demanding (giving orders to woman), gives orders and comes across to the audience as having authority within the group of workers or friends.

He likes to flash his money and credit cards, maybe being arrogant.

Goes clubbing, not really interested however, just there because he can be. He likes smoking and socialising, maybe trying to fit in and blend himself in, as he is the killer. Also this could be just proving he has money.

He has a good lifestyle and nuetral facial expressions and tone of voice, emphasising the fact he is a normal person.

He is intelligent, knowledgable in his field, and knows his values - for example he values the business card very highly and gets jealous over the other peoples cards.

He has a mental commentary - shows he's hiding inside himself or hiding a much bigger factor in his life.

He uses gruesome termanology such as stab, blood, flesh .. to relate to the killings he makes, maybe just a clue or foreshadowing what he is going to do.
Also he takes off a face mask, which could be hiding his true identity, again he is hiding something


Sound 
There is an atmospheric drone accompanied by oriental/asian sounding instruments - this links to the conversation the characters have about sri lanka. It is also an orchestral sounding piece with a slow rhythm.
However this is contrasted by the upbeat music in the dinner/restaraunt scene - this could suggest that the psycho could think of himself as acceptable, and link to a high paced life of fine dining, money, suits etc..
His own commentary suggests he actually cares about life - shows he is passionate, and just because he can, because of his wealth


Cinematography
A high camera angle, looking down onto the location or characters suggests the audience have the authority or upper hand, or the knowledge to know what is coming next, as the characters may not.
The camera then changes to eye level, almost a close up, which could suggest you may be on level terms with the psycho.
Also the white room in his house could suggest his is a neutral, naturalistic type of person who wants to be normal, or maybe just to cover up his real life.
The mirror he looks in and which the camera focuses on could show he has two sides to himself, or two sides to himself  psychologically, the normal him, and the killer him.

Section 2 : Silence Of The Lambs Notes

General Notes

The woods shown at the beginning suggest a mysterious and unknown landscape, while the women climbing symbolises progress of some sort, maybe progressing through the ranks of her job, as she has anm FBI jersey on.

She seems like she is running away from someone/something and she is out of breath, as though she cant give anymore. Or as though she is traning for the army or FBI. As the scene opens the black trees give a good contrast against the white background/sky, also the trees on the leaves have all died, suggesting life/death and the forest surrounding suggests uncertainty. The mist in the scene shows the place to be mysterious or foreshadow the events to come. The text used for the titles is in block capitals, it is embossed and very simple showing this is it, and there is much more to hide.

As she runs past the sign it says "hurt, agony, pain, love it" - this shows or could foreshadow what the women is expieriencing or what she is about to expierience. Also when she enters the lift, she is the only woman there, the rest are men - plus they all have different clothes on to her, she stands out with the grey jumper on, they all have red ones.

Cinematography

The camera pans down to show the women climbing, this gives the effect that she is being chased or followed. The complex location of the forest and buildings and how the camera follows her through this journey prolongs this journey. Also the lift symbolises moving through the higher ranks. At the bottom are all the females in work wear, as the camera follows the lift above to the top, we see more men in suits, as though they are living in a male orientated world.
Also as she runs through the forest, the camera follows her, as though you are looking through the persons eyes who may be following her. The camera tracks in towards her head when she is in the office, changing the focus towards a man in the background, showing the audience that the most important person in the scene/shot changes. Close ups show the passion of the women to do well, and of Crawford show his face to look interlectual. The camera zooms in on disturbing images and pictures on his wall, showing this is his everyday life.

Music

The soundtrack used is a dramatic orchestral build up (cresendo and diminuendo) as she keeps running, as though there is a build up to an event at the end. The footsteps on the leaves are emphasised to show maybe the audience how fast she is running in relation to whether she is being chased. Also you hear an eagles call, which could show natural desperation - maybe to get away from who may be chasing her. Also this naturalistic look show she may be a natural person - running through woodland, and not through an urban environment. You also hear gunshots as she runs towards the facility - showing that the place she is at, has power and authority.

Character

The women we see is in grey joggers, which matches the grey lake behind her, as though she belongs in nature. Also it looks like formal training eqiupment and we can figure this out when we see the FBI badge. We cannot justify if she is male or female at some points because of her clothing, however she seems desperate to do well, committed, objectified, passionate and dedicated. We then see her go into the facicilty and we see she has a different outfit to everyone else, showing she could either be a rookie, or have a lot of authority. However Crawford shows his history by hanging all his badges on the wall, which symbolise his career serving the FBI, also this is his evidence of success throughout his career - he takes pride in it, as he has hung them on his wall. He has upper class clothing (suit) and looks very formal, this supports he is at the top of authority - and at the top of the building. He looks very interlectual with his glasses and his body movements show lots of confidence, he is very relaxed in contrast to the disturbing images on the wall behind him that would shock most people. However you can tell he is aging and maybe coming to the end of his career by the sign that he has greys.

The women takes orders from him, and accepts them as she must know this guy is very important, also you see plasters on her fingers, showing she could be quite frail. As he has just assigned her to a new job. This could suggest only the men do the proper work in the association and that women could be too frail and not up for the job.

Section 2 : Seven Notes

Character
The close couple shown, Mills and his partner, are shown lay together, as if they are meant to be, or have been together for a long time. You can tell this is a passionate relationship.
Mills seems like a modern look on the classic detective look, with the long coat showing he is trying to be like Somerset, the older detective. Mills also however seems a bit insecure, due to the fact he is trying to comfort himself and his partner in the new and busy city they have moved to, but dont like at all. He is also a kean character and always seems to want to do something, as when they are studying the case, he always wants to move forward and get one with things.
Somerset comes across to us as a wise, very scheduled detective. This is due to his morning routine and daily routines such as getting up and eating being repeated throughout the film. He is a very neat man and likes everything to be in its place at the right time. However due to his house/flat being shown he seems quite poor, this is due to the fact there is always traffic noise outside and the decor inside is quite wore down. He also seems quite lonely and lost in a way due to the fact he lives alone, this could also show he is too passionate about his job and other things in life to have had a partner.

Sound
The general sound you hear at the beginning is of sirens and general busy fast paced city noises. This shows the urban environment is much more on the go and busy than say in the countryside. The music used is dramatic, dark and eery to unease the audience, as if they dont know what to expect. The eery music along with abstract eery close ups would possibly disturb the audience, and make them think. This interlectual engagement keeps them interested in the film. This also foreshadows events that happen later in the film, this makes the audience think of these things and what they could be.

Costume/Hair
Both Mills and Somerset have standard middle class outfits, Mills, the rookie of the two, is the character that tries to be fashionable, however he has just moved in to this flat in the new city, so he just grabs a shirt from the table, unironed. This could show he is uneasy and insecure, as the normal things such as his clothes being ironed, havent been done. However Somerset has a hat, suggesting he keeps a lid on his feelings and emotions, linking to him being a lonely and secluded person. He also has an old school look with the long coat and simple look, which seems like it is very rehearsed, as though this is all he has done throughout his life. These points suggest a hierarchy between the characters as though Somerset is at the top and is teaching Mills how to become someone like himself.
Mills always has a bedhead, messy hair, not organised - linking to his life at the point when he had just moved in. On the other hand, Somerset's hair is fully regimented and set out perfectly. This also seems a point where it is rehearsed, as though his hair has been like this all the time.

Location
The location is mostly in the inner city, lower class part of town with delapadated buildings and urban decay everywhere. It is also always raining on set, setting the mood of the film or one of the certain characters.. this could be the villian/murderer in the film. The housing is all very small and cramped, again showing the location to be a lower class part of town. This is what we see in Mills' bedroom when he is with his partner, lots of things crammed into one small room. However when we see Somerset's room, he has upper class bedding, which seems to be quite a luxury compared to the decaying and stained walls. He seems to have to necesitys in his room, but only upgrades the things he really needs - such as his bed and bedding, to try and keep him as secure as possible, as he always seems quite lonely and lost in himself.
Locations used such as the houses show props such as coffee, always being drunk, this could show both the characters are always on the go, and need something more to help them keep going, or a bit of a boost to investigate the case a little more.

Section 2 : Own Analysis 2 : Casino Royale , Including Del. Scenes

Character/Function
The figure emerges from the car, he has a hat on, possibly to conceal part of his identity, he is very patient and calm as the lift takes him up, as though he has done it before. When he draws the gun from the draw, you can tell he has power and authority, also when he slowly takes his gloves off, he is revealing himself to show bond who he is. He is then very surprised and acts as the one being left behind when he goes to shoot bond and there is no magazine in the gun, bond has it, he is very surprised at this moment. Bond however has a very low, manly voice, showing his strength to this figure. Also when he is fighting in the toilets later on, he throws a man through the cubicle walls, emphasising his power, and maybe that he has done it before. In the cricket match, there are smiles all around when the spectator catches the ball, this sort of sets the mood as a happy one for the film, however when they go into the bathroom and the fight begins, the mood is lowered when he drowns the unknown figure/man. At this point you can only gather that Bond is a ruthless, careless killer, as the audience doesnt know what the other man has done to deserve this, we only know he is scared of Bond as he runs away from him before they enter the toilets. The eye contact between bond and the figure shows they both have passion for what they do and could suggest they are trying to beat one another psychologically. When the man is running away from Bond, he pulls his jacket across himself, in a last ditch attempt to conceal his identity, however while he is panicking, Bond is very relaxed and keeps the chase on in a calm fashion. Also at the beginning, the two characters are sat one either side fo the room, away from each other, highlighting how many differences they have.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNvzNWuzI9Y

Camera
As the figure steps out of the car, there is a low shot from the floor, looking up at him, showing he has the authority in the scene. However when he meets bond, the camera is at eye level, showing the tables have turned and Bond is on level terms with him. Also in the chase scene down to the toilets, the camera keeps up with the chase as though you (the audience) are in the chase themselves, this keeps the audience very interested - as they can put there selves in position, because the camera are acting as the eyes of the chaser or chasee.


Location
The location is instantly set with the text, it is a serif font with shows sophistication, foreshadowing maybe the complicated events that might unfold. The location, Prague, could suggest that the characters are out of their comfort zone, out of a comfortable country maybe. Only black, grey and dark colours are used to set the scene, night time, dark and grim. The building is also quite modern showing sophistication and attention to detail. In the room with Bond, there are many shadows in corners etc.. showing lots of things are being hidden from one another. In contrast to this, the storyline then switches over to a vibrant day at the cricket ground, in a far east country, Pakistan, which is where you would find cricket, but not such a vibrant atmosphere, as it seems like an unstable country. There is a social and happy vibe to this part of the scene as it cuts to a section showing cricket play. Then when the fight begins - they are in a public toilet where the figure being chased shoo's an old man out, however it being in the toilet, it is a normal, everyday place and you can put yourself into the characters position, fighting in a toilet, for example, you cant imagine fighting on the moon, as very little people have done that.


Music/Sound
There is a tensionous drone as he exits the car and approaches the building, and sharp loud, emphasised footsteps as he walks across the marble or metal floor. This shows he is not afraid to show himself. As he sits down and talks to Bond, he uses a witty and sarcastic voice to show he thinks he has the upper hand, however Bond is very calm and relaxed and is one step ahead of his enemy. There is an orchestral crescendo when he finds and arms the gun towards Bond, there is also dramatic, orchestral music in the fight scene, the audio enhances the video.
When they are chasing through the cricket ground the the toilets, there is a fast paced beat which is slightly orchestral to suit the fast paced chase, and the level of panic from the figure being chased. However I think they kept an orchestral touch to the beat to show Bonds level of class and interlect as he keeps up with the figure, but very calmly and relaxed.

Section 2 : Own Analysis 1 : The Dark Knight

Character/Function

The clowns we see at the beginning are all masked, showing they want to hide something, aswell as there identity, as though they are not proud of what they are doing. They have red eyes, suggesting they are dangerous people, however it could symbolise they are passionate for what they do. The clowns outfits are all black, which give a good contrast against the white sky when they are in the tall building. They aim there weapons at anyone they see, showing they are brave, have authority and have power to make them get on the floor, and to prove this they give the hostages grenades to show they are deadly serious. You hear them talking about the joker, one of the main characters, as if he is not too important, however at the end he comes in with the bus and takes out the last of the clowns. Also them being clowns, shows they are stupid and silly. They are all also men, showing they are all fighting to be the dominating male, or that females arent up to the job. The bank worker comes up from behind them and shoots one of the clowns, this is very unexpected and turns the story around, because the bank worker is fighting back. They all seem like they have a conspiracy to kill one another maybe because they are all too greedy and want the money. This also supports the point that there are cracks in their teamwork and breaks in the team.


Camera
The first shot from height, looks like it to be a helicopter and zooms into one particular window and it is smashed, this shows by zooming into one small thing, the clowns only want one thing, and that is money. Also when they go down the zipline and cross the buildings, the camera follows them out and turns down to emphasise the fact of how high they are above the street. This gives a good effect also as it is like you are going with them down the zipline and makes the audience feel included.


Location
The location seems to be a typical American city as symbolised by all the yellow taxis, possibly new york, and the bank has lots of old pillars showing it could be quite a prestigious place. The clowns also move across the rooftops as they dont want to be seen, they access the wiring and shut down the power, or security, so they are able to get to the vault. This is an interesting location as many things are going on. Once they get to the vault the room is very dark and dingy showing it wants to be hidden from people like the clowns. The vault itself looks very professional, showing the bank is wealthy and again could be a very prestigious place.


Music/Sound
As soon as the picture comes in, there is a loud and prelonged boom, suggesting you are straight into the action, a ticking beat then is added which sounds like a bomb ticking or a safe ticking, this foreshadows the events to come. This is also like a build up, building up to an event such as a bomb exploding or a safe being cracked, which does happen when they get through the vault, and the ticking stops. This beat runs all the way through the opening scene, except when the bank employee and the clown have a shootout, tension is created just by hearing the loud gunshots, so the music is not needed. The music stops again at the end when the final sarcastic lines are said and the bus smashes into the last clown, killing him.The end of the ticking could suggest the end of the clowns life or that the time for this heist has run out.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OYBEquZ_j0

Section 3: Brainstorm of Content & Classification of Film

15 Certificate content
 The following is a list of the content that can be shown in a 15 certificate film which i took from the BFI website:
Theme: No theme is prohibited, provided the treatment is appropriate to 15 year olds.

Language: There may be frequent use of strong language; the strongest terms are only rarely acceptable. Continued aggressive use of strong language and sexual abuse is unacceptable.

Nudity: There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context.

Sex: Sexual activity and nudity may be portrayed but without strong detail. The depiction of casual sex should be handled responsibly. There may be occasional strong verbal references to sexual behaviour.

Violence: Violence may be strong but may not dwell on the infliction of pain, and of injuries. Scenes of sexual violence must be discreet and brief.

Imitable techniques: Dangerous combat techniques such as ear claps, head-butts and blows to the neck are unlikely to be acceptable. There may be no emphasis on the use of easily accessible lethal weapons (in particular, knives).

Horror: Sustained or detailed infliction of pain or injury is unacceptable.

Drugs: Drug taking may be shown but clear instructive detail is unacceptable. The film as a whole must not promote or encourage drug use.



We have decided to classify our film as a 15. Being under the aged of 18 we could not a film a 18 certificate and also want to reach out to a wider audeience range and feel when sutible a film shouldnt miss the key age bracket of 15-18. We feel a 12 would be too young and would restrict our film, we want to develop and present ideas that would not to be right to be shown to someone under the age of 15.

Section 4 : Audience Research - Thriller Questionnaire

Thriller Questionnaire

How old are you ?

15-20          20-25          25+

Are you Male or Female?

What is your favourite characteristic of the thriller genre?

Crime - Murder – Violence – Disaster – Legal – Psychological – Historical – Medical – Conspiracy

Why?

What are your favourite thriller films ?

Which is the best location to film a thriller?

Dark woods, caves, natural..  – Urban environments – In the home – Abandoned environments

Lighting ?

Dark, dim, dull   -   Bright, revealing and clear

Weather?

Rainy and dull  -  Misty and foggy – Sunny and Bright

Victim?

Male  -  Female

Victim Age?

15-20          20-25          25+

Villain?

Male  -  Female

Villain Age?

15-20          20-25          25+

How much would you pay to see a thriller?

Up to £5  -  Up to £10  -  Up to £15

What appeals more?

Fast paced, action  -  Slow paced psychological disturbance

What do you think is missing from the thriller genre/ or like to see more of?

 Thank you for your time

Section 4 : Audience Research - Thriller Questionnaire Statistics

Section 5 : Film - Treatment

The scene begins with a distant shot of a ere winter time forest, two young males can just about be seen below. Initially it is thought the focus will be on impending circumstances between these boys. The shot changes to behind the boy (Sean)  as he turns on the spot and fires toy gun in the direction of his friend (Joshua) opposite. The two boys revelling in there game get the giggles after one keels over as a joke. Sean’s friend then suggest a game of seek and hide and Sean obliges by heading off out of shot. The next shot is a XL close up of Joshua’s hands over his face as he counts, the camera zooms out until loud voices can be heard in the distance and Joshua’s facial expression turn to shock and he acclaim’s “Sean lets get out of here” before hurriedly running off, which is captured by a shot from behind him until he departs through the trees. We then cut to Sean and see a close up of his excited face as he runs looking for somewhere to hide. Then a distance shot of the forest landscape as Sean continues to jog along a path. The next shot is a close up low angle of a small stream, Sean’s foot plunders past as he continues to run, acceleration faster and faster and breath getting husky and heavy to show his fright at the apparent loss of his friend. Tension is building as the boy reaches what is small bridge with two embankments on either side. Suddenly the screeching of a car and distant voices growing louder Sean into panic and this is noted by his change in facial expressions and sense of physical awareness. Feeling uneasy and anxious he seeks cover and scours around heading towards the embankment. At this moment Sean is trying to remain as quite as possible and shot is medium close up showing Sean’s whole body and setting around tracking his movement until the shot becomes distant and a whole view of the bridge and stream/Sean/embankment below can be seen. The car comes into view and the camera once again switches to a close up of the car bumper and licence plate. After a few seconds of uneasy tension the car door opens and an ominous foot steps onto the gravel, before more can develop the camera cuts back to a landscape distance shot. Sean is aware of human presence above and voices can still be heard, a close up of his face expresses the concern and fear he is experiencing, shaking wildly and biting his top lip in an attempt to stay quite. The figures above are carrying a large load in a bin linear, they are about to dispose of young and successful district attorney Anthony Thatcher, who until recently was taking down the criminal hierarchy. The distance shot of the whole scene is repeated as the body is tossed over the side of the bridge and the camera pans down accordingly. Another close up of Sean’s face reveals his shock at witnessing this and is alert to what has happened as the assassins exclaim the job is done and a shot of the rear window is shown as they re-enter the car, giving a mysterious element to their character. The car shoots off in the distance and the camera switches to Sean who is frozen and clinging to the embankment. Another shot of the forest landscape is shown to give the impression of Isolation for Sean. Who now slowly makes his way toward the limp body in the stream below. The camera zooms out as Sean edges closer to show both figures followed by a shot from the opposite bank reflecting on the Sean. The next shot is a intense close up from behind the body bag at ground level, looking up to Sean as he arrives. A trembling hand stretches out from a curious and fearful Sean. Then the climax of all the tension as Thatcher’s arm thrusts out the bag and a terrified Sean slips backward (close up of legs and ground) before we see him running under the bridge away from the scene, the next shot shows him sprinting all out along the stream displaying his desperation to get away and this is finally achieved as the camera tracks Sean as he escapes into the distance and safety of the outside world. With suspicion over this incident rising we cut back to Thatcher plundering out the bag, stretching upwards and beginning a slow and weary walk, limping up the stream, this is captured by 3 similar length shots but from different angles.

Section 5 - Film Synopsis

Anthony Thatcher is a successful district attorney who has recently caused quite a stir by locking up a number of high profile criminals, however he soon becomes a target of their attention and is taken from his home with the plan of execution in a nearby forest. However Thatcher manages to survive and sets about to bring down those who conspired his death. Yet the scars of his experiences run deep and his revenge becomes a personal bloodlust against those in legal power causing his mind to become unstable and fragile , making him one of the most dangerous men in New York. It’s the job of experienced Detective Roach to hunt down and capture him yet the detective is the final piece of Thatcher’s puzzle thus making a captivating and twisted game of cat and mouse.

Section 6 : Character Profile

Anthony Thatcher- Thatcher is a hard working, loyal and fair District Attorney who is committed to aiding justice and seeing those who partake in tyranny behind bars. Although modest about his abilities, Thatcher receives praise and recognition throughout the state and in the Media. He is charming, selfless, professional and determined. However following the events of his assignation Thatcher becomes paranoid and corrupted within his mind. He no longer has any trust in the justice system and turns his back on the hope he once preached. He is now inflicted with depression which in turn presents anger and ultimately breeds a disregard for any values resulting in his mission of hunting down and murdering the justice Hierarchy for their deceit. He is 24 when the incident takes place and has clean cut dark hair with stubble and a strapping physique. With age Thatcher’s hair becomes thin and wire like, his face is waxy and thin (showing the signs of his torment).

Detective Roach/Young Child/Sean- In youth, Roach is scrawny and slight. He has glasses and a flop of brown hair with bandy legs. When we next see him in his post as detective he has grown considerable, appearing lanky. He sports a large brown overcoat over a suit and has maintained the use of glasses. Following his experience with Thatcher’s body in the stream Roach’s mentally completely changed (he was a care-free child) and he discarded his youth to pursue a career in law having never truly got over the event he witnessed. Much like Thatcher he rapidly propels up the justice ladder. His qualities are his cunning, keen eye and ability to never leave a loose end. This leaves many to believe he takes his job to seriously as he has no real social life or close family, leaving his intelligent mind constantly on the job.

Roach as a child (LEFT) and Anthony Thatcher after his attempted murder (RIGHT)
 

Section 6 : Film - Script

Script

EXT-FOREST-MIDDAY-WINTER

Forest is shown, location is revealed. Two children run out from behind bush and through forest. Laughing and giggling – one chasing another in play.

Young boy (Simon) In dark clothing hands behind tree in a winter time forest, his hands are positioned to imitate a gun. He turns 180 degrees on the spot and pretends to fire into the distance

Simon: Bang Bang

His friend (Sean) keels over pretending to have been struck, move down slowly and laughing that rises in intensity.
Simon: hahaha, you count and ill hideSimon darts of in a hurry, excited and buzzing with anticipation. Occasionally looking back. Sean’s hands are over his face and then loud noises can be heard in the distance, his hands separate to reveal shocked face. Begin to tremble and look around nervously

Sean: Simon, I think we should go! (Shouting)

Sprints away looking anxious and looking for any route out of forest. Simon still happily running, emphasis and his excitement until it slowly changes to anxious looks.

Sean keeps running through forest paths, looking back occasionally.

Seans facial expression turns to worry and despair as he checks the other paths to see which way he can go.

He eventually comes to a stream, with a road over a bridge and seeks safety.

Seans foot splashes through the stream as he quickly crosses.

He clambers wearily up the bank. Revs of an engine are heard and Sean becomes scared and hides against the wall.

Car comes round the far distant corner of road at high speed, travels directly onto bridge, where skids/screeches to a halt.

Figures foot is shown coming out of the vehicle when the door opens.

 

Figure, disguised with black hat, gets out of car and walks hurrily towards the boot. He opens it and retrieves a large black bag, he then walks towards the edge of the bridge and slyly throws the bag off, in which it lands in the stream and causes a large splash

Figure urgently shuts boot and returns to car.

He enters the car and screeches away in a hurry.

[UNDER BRIDGE – BELOW]

Sean, with the black bag right in front of him, is intrigued and cautiously moves down the bank towards it.

He hops down the bank, crouches and kneels forward to within touching distance.

He slowly feels around the bag, with a confused, yet slightly scared facial expression.

Suddenly, a dirty, brown and scruffy hand rips a whole in the top of the bag and extends upwards scaring Sean.

Sean falls back into the bank in horror, his facial expression scared and his mouth wide open.

Sean tries to clamber the bank, but the mud prevents this and his feet continuously slip.

He decides to run the other way through the stream, and under bridge.

(In the mean time the figure is slowly rising, however out of shot)

Sean is continuously looking back to check out the situation.

The figure from the bag slowly rising, crooked and jolty. He then wanders slowly the opposite way to the boy down the stream.

Sean keeps running until he feels he is safe and far enough away from the events that have just unfolded. [FURTHER INTO FOREST]

[END OF OPENING]

Section 7: Location Sheet

Section 7: Recce

Shown here is the location for our thriller, just off Dingle Lane, Appleton, Warrington. This is a suitable location for our film as it is hidden away, it is included in a forest, it is quite and eery and mysterious place with landmarks such as an old stone bridge, sandstone cliffs, old rickety trees, streams and valleys. This would suit the format of our piece as we aim for the feel of the production to be mysterious and shrouded, which will be suggested by the location. The vast change in ground level suggests characters may be looking down on other characters, foreshadowing events to come later in the film.

Section 8 : Production Material - Thriller Storyboard

Section 9: Production Schedule

Section 10 - Edit Decision List

We first captured all the recorded clips we wanted in our film from the tape to the PC, then using the recorded clips we put them into chronological order and played it through to see how it went, once we decided the order in was in was ok, we started editng in the order start to end, we added just a few transistions but our main editing purposes were to change and tweek the audio but also add our own music as well as keeping the natural sounds, we also had to crop a few shots and shorten them also.

Our main concern was in our original first finsihed film the actual body bag being dropped over the bridge didnt look like it was human size, so we cut the whole dropping section, then instead have a close up reaction shot of the boy on the embankment then quickly changed shot to just see the bag creating the splash into the stream, the outcome was much better.

Section 10: Filming/Editing Decision List/Diary

Saturday 11th December 2010 - Filming commences on location at The Dingle, Appleton, Warrington. Approximately 3 hours filming in fine weather with no major problems.

Thursday 19th December 2010 - Capturing begins in edit suite. However all is not captured and is put forward to the new year.

Tuesday 4th January 2011 - Capturing re-starts and all footage is captured onto the computer and imported into edit suite. Also the editing and putting together of the footage begins. Here is the full of our induvidual clips.

Wednesday 5th January 2011 - Before editing takes hold, we made and produced some logos and titles for our film. Such as browsing fonts for E Block Productions, and a suitable font for the title of our production, Perception. The font we chose looked quite sinister and slashed, foreshadowing the events to come later in the production.

 Friday 7th January - Wednesday 12th January 2011 - Editing process, and the production is put together. Transitions are used, such as a white flash, symbolising a flashback of sort, possibly foreshadowing something to come.

Monday 10th January - Wednesday 12th January 2011 - Also the typography choices for general type, such as the credits, we used a simple, professional sans serif typeface, with a slight mysterious/western looking feel to it. This added to the feel of the production. Here is us searching for the right one:

Wednesday 12th January 2011 - Editing process is finish and production is ready to be rendered out as a different file format. Here is it playing.

Section 10 : Film/Tape Logging Sheet

Section 11 - Audience Feedback Questionaire

Answer the following by either circling a number (1 lowert, 5 highest) or answering the appropriate question.

How entertaining was the film?
1  2  3  4  5

How realistic was the film?
1  2  3  4  5

How exciting was the film?
1  2 3  4  5 

Did it fit in with your view of a typical Thriller?


Did it leave you wanting to see more?
How would you rate the editing?1  2 3  4  5

How would you rate the graphics?
1  2  3  4  5

How effective was the build up of suspense
1  2  3  4  5

How would you rate the shot variety?
1  2  3  4  5

How would you rate the lighting used?
1  2  3  4  5

Do you feel any shots were unneeded?


Would you say the idea was original and unique?


Was it fully understood? If not why?


Was continuity kept throughout?


If you were to approach us at the start of filming having seen the finished product, what areas would you advise us to change?