Planning: Opening Scene Narration - Miss Begum

Opening Scene Narration

Introduction:

My opening scene narration is written to solidify our final idea and to make the structure of the narrative clear, this would also be useful during the making of the opening as it provides narrative for the director to imagine the story and put their own view on it. As it is just an opening, the audience did not need to necessarily understand the narrative as a lot of films are effective this way, but it is important for the director to understand the narrative of the opening to get the general tone of the film.

Opening scene narration:

The scene begins with an establishing shot of a man slowly walking through a graveyard.he is wearing a black suit with a white shirt and a black tie, indicating that he has been at a funeral. The weather is gloomy and therefore there will be low key lighting, reflecting the man's mood.

As the man is walking away a panning shot is following him, once it stops, he continues walking and there is a straight cut to the inside of a home. The door is the focal point with a medium shot. The door opens and the man from earlier, still wearing the suit enters this home and as he closes the door behind him, a girl is visible behind him who is bruised and extremely pale, staring at him as he closes the door. The man does not notice the girl. The house is very well lit, to show that there are no abnormalities, until the man picks up a chair that was out of frame in this medium shot and the chair has blood on it. The man casually begins to walk towards the staircase and we start to see many dead bodies scattered around the house, both male and female. As the man walks up the stairs which is shown in an extreme close up shot of his shoes, another body is visible on the stairs. The audience would be very confused at this point as this man shows no interest to the dead bodies in the house, although they will wonder who's house it is and why the man is there.

As the scene develops, there is a medium shot when the man enters a bedroom, he appears to walk over to his already open wardrobe and goes to get his jacket, as the man closes the door to his wardrobe, we see a victim who is tied up and barely conscious, wounded and hidden in the corner of the room, this man is only visible when the wardrobe door is shut. However when it is open the male victim is clearly visible and it is clearly more evident the suited man has descended into madness.  As the man walks out into the corridor he turns off the light in the bedroom and a figure of someone is visible in the darkness, however the man does not notice this and turns back around to turn on the light, walks into the room and reaches for a phone that has been left on the bed. Yet again he leaves the room and turns off the light, the figure is visible again behind him, he is still unaware that someone is clearly after him. As the man continues to walk around his house there are still more bodies visible, as well as photo frames on window sills which contain pictures of random people, other possible victims, all the photos contain people who look nothing like the suited man.

Towards the end of the opening we see the man walking down the stairs from a high angle medium shot, and then a straight cut to a long shot outside of the house. The man is seen walking away from the house but the camera does not follow him, after the man is out of frame the camera tilts up to see the girl that has been supposedly following him place one hand on the window she is standing at, looking in his direction. The camera then pans and we see the man walking off into the public in a very casual manner, as he has been throughout the scene. The scene then fades to black. At this point in the opening, the audience are intrigued as well as extremely frightened and many questions can be asked. The audience do not know who the man is exactly, why he has presumably done these things, they also do not know why the girl is following him, her movement is not shown which instils a great amount of fear into the audience.

Audience response:

Throughout the opening the audience would feel suspense and confusion. I aim for the opening to be very tense as there is no clear narrative as to why there are dead bodies in the house this man is in, also the fact there is a very pale, wounded girl who is following him. The start of the opening should confuse the audience, the middle would frighten them due to the amount of dead bodies in the house, as well as the man's casual attitude to this. The end of the opening should leave the audience in disgust as well as frightened, they should be asking themselves questions and be eager to see more. 

Planning: Developing ideas in groups - Miss Begum

Initial Planning

Introduction:

Idea 1: Dillan

Narrative:

A news report about a serial killer on the loose is playing, warning people in the local area to stay indoors and not be alone if they have to go outside until the police catch the killer.
There is then a cut to the killer who has gagged a young woman and as she is struggling, he violently murders her with a sledgehammer. The murder is not shown but the blood is to suggest that she is being brutally murdered.
There is another cut to a victim in their house, about to go upstairs and sleep, they turn off the light and there is a figure visible in the dark, when they turn on the light there is nothing there, they turn off the light again and the figure is there yet again. One last time they turn on the light but this time the same killer is up close to them, before he or she can scream, they are grabbed by the throat, slammed against the wall and strangled to death. The then either takes the victim's clothes, or removes their own clothing and changes their hairstyle, then walks down a road into the public just like a normal person from society.

Title:

One Of Us - Based on the idea that the killer could be anyone, not every killer is mentally unstable as far as we can see. They could be your friend, a family member or a girlfriend/boyfriend.

Sub-genres:

Horror thriller - I will include jump scares to suddenly shock the audience and to feel suspense.
Psychological thriller - The twist at the end of the opening as the killer is seemingly a normal person.
Crime thriller - The idea of a serial killer and the public are aware that there is one out there.
Mystery thriller - The fact no one knows who the serial killer is, my opening may set up a detective or someone from law enforcement looking for the antagonist.

Characters:

Killer(s) - Who is or are the antagonists, as my narrative will revolve around them due to the results from my primary research.

Victims - The woman who is getting murdered and the second victim in the house which can be either a male or female.


Theory Application:

The narrative will follow either Barthes or Aristotle's narrative theory as Aristotle uses tragedy (the killings) to arouse emotion from the audience as well as through themes. Barthes theory may also be used as the denotation of a sledgehammer to murder a woman can connote violence, as well as anger or revenge depending on how the killing is presented.

Film Influences:

For my initial idea I was inspired by The Stepfather (1987) due to how chilling the opening scene was. I especially liked the ending of the opening which I am planning to shoot in my own way but to give the same effect.

I was also inspired by Halloween (1978) as this opening also had a twist or something the audience did not expect at the end of the opening. That is the main thing I am going for, to make the audience feel uncomfortable as the killer could be anyone.

Mise En Scene:

Lighting: Low lighting will be used throughout, this is to represent the killer's unfavourable intentions as well as the overall dark tone of the film and opening.

Setting: The first murder will take place in either a graveyard or a forest. The second will then take place inside a home, to further petrify the audience as a home is meant to be a safe place.

Iconography: The murder weapon, a sledgehammer, as well as blood to show the murders happening.

Costume and makeup: The killer will be wearing a dark coloured jacket and trousers, to not draw attention to themselves. The victims will wear light coloured clothing to show the innocence.

Advantages:

The advantages of my thriller opening are that they are influenced from different films, with my own narrative to it and therefore will be quite different to other thrillers. The opening will also scare the audience and leave them in suspense, wanting to watch the rest of the film as they have chosen to watch a thriller opening. Therefore it will use jumpscares and the appropriate music to show that.

Disadvantages:

The disadvantages of my opening will be that I may not be able to shoot in some settings such as the graveyard or the forest, due to not being able to access them. Also it may be difficult to shoot all of these scenes into a two minute opening, therefore I may have to cut out some scenes. The acting may not be to a good enough standard and the audience may not understand what the character is doing in an ineffective way.

Conclusion

My initial planning has allowed me to work in a team and brainstorm many ideas. By doing this I can find many flaws and places to improve in my idea through constructive criticism from my group. Also I can combine my ideas appropriately with my group to make a strong final idea.

Idea 2: Trang

Narrative:

My initial and final idea for my thriller opening will begin with a man who seems to be at a funeral, he looks clearly upset with the lost of his close one. This will be one of the main characters introduced to the audience. There will be a abrupt transition to the next scene where we see him and another character that appears to be his girlfriend, lover etc having a serious conversation. A caption will appear below the screen reading '32 hours ago' to inform the audience that this has happened already. The couple are in a warm and cosy conventional family home that connotes safety and security, in addition, I want the audience to feel confused because this is not your typical thriller opening however it certainly begins with mysteriously as a soundtrack will start to play as its off-screen sound. I want this off-screen sound to build tension for the audience as I am determined to generate mix emotions of uneasiness and discomfort. Then a flash of montages as well as jump cuts will take place implying that murder has been taken place.

The next scene will be the female character alone checking her phone if her boyfriend has called her back. She's getting ready for bed, when she walks down a long and dark corridor to her bedroom, the audience will witness an unidentified figure lurking in the shadows behind her. A close-up of her phone will read the date and time so the audience are aware of this as this will be relevant later on as the opening progresses. Another close-up, this time of a different phone will be the male protagonists phone reading 9 unread messages. A reaction of the girl will initially be a jump scare for the audience but we are not able to see the antagonist.

The last scene will be the protagonist leaving the funeral as he looks up, we get a reaction shot of him but we are not able to see what he's reacting to.

Title:

I decided to call my thriller 'P.S. Your Stalker'. This title is based on a supernatural theme in which the protagonist is being followed by a mysterious and unidentified antagonist. In the opening of 'P.S. Your Stalker', we are able to infer that this stalker is a psychopath as he/ she evidently murders his girlfriend. The audience will definitely question why the particular event has occurred and who is this mysterious person.

Sub-genres:

• Supernatural - I've included the supernatural theme as it consists of supernatural and questionable elements to the opening such as the unidentified, mysterious and spooky figure that I intend to portray in the first couple of seconds of the opening.
• Horror - I've included at least one jump scare that will definitely shake the hearts of the audience, in addition, also including a murder scene that will only last about 5 seconds to not give too much away.
• Mystery - I thought the sub-genre of mystery is appropriate for this type of narrative as the whole opening consistently asks the audience who the antagonist might be.

Characters:

• Protagonist - The male protagonist will be introduced first as he is the main character of the whole opening as the situation is revolved around him.
• Antagonist - The antagonist is still an unidentified character but we will be able to have a glimpse of the characters silhouette in the opening.
• Victim - The victim will be the protagonists girlfriend who will be killed.

Theory Application:

My thriller opening follows the theory Aristotle and Barthes. Aristotle's theory applies to my thriller opening because it consists of a beginning, middle and end with and clear and understandable narrative. Moreover, the problem always sets off aroused emotions and the audiences mentality by having the key action point start in the middle. Although I have a clear narrative of beginning, middle and end, my narrative seems to be mixed up which will confuse the audience however they will understand after it progresses. My thriller opening also follows Barthes theory as it highlights explored and diverse ranges of developed cultural understand, connotation and denotation.

Film Influences:

Film influences such as 'The Grudge' has helped me develop this idea. Themes such as jealousy, obsession and murder all consist in my opening furthermore using the key character as a mysterious and supernatural antagonist similarly to 'The Grudge'. In my opinion, I believe that 'The Grudge' is a fantastic supernatural and psychological thriller as it has not failed in making me constantly think about it. It sends cold shivers down the audiences spine which is what I want to achieve for the audiences response as well.

Mise' en Scene

• Lighting
• Setting
• Iconography
• Costume, hair and make-up
• Cinematography

Advantages:

I've created my own narrative using other successful film influences that will indeed create an exciting and thrilling opening. I believe that my thriller will create a particular audience response such as fear and discomfort, according to my data I've collected from my primary research, a psychological and supernatural thriller are most popular amongst thriller watchers.

Disadvantages:

The disadvantages of my thriller opening might be that challenging camera shots I need to take when creating this thriller opening. If I want to create the mysterious figure in the background, I must educate myself working the camera correctly to receive successful and spooky shots which might be difficult to achieve.

Research: Questionnaire Results - Miss Begum

Results from Questionnaire

Why is it important to receive and analyse feedback?

It is important to receive and analyse the feedback I got from my primary research because I need to understand what my audience want when making my thriller opening. My primary research has allowed me to engage with my audience and make key decisions on what I should do when making my thriller in terms of characters, iconography, theme and genre.

Examples of graphs and analysis

Conclusion

My research has helped me make key decisions when making my thriller opening, for example what iconography to use or theme to follow. My questionnaire is the only piece of primary research that I have and therefore it is vital for me when getting an appropriate audience response as long as I follow the results from my questionnaire.

Research: Questionnaire - Miss Begum

Questionnaire

What is the importance of primary research?

Primary research is a collection of primary data that is collected by the researcher to answer specific issues or questions. It can involve a questionnaire which is what I have gone with. The purpose of it is to get direct feedback from the audiences to gather data quickly and efficiently. It also helps make decisions of conventions and characters that I will use in my thriller opening, different age groups and genders will have different results but after analysing the data I will be able to find similarities and find something common amongst the audience.

Advantages and disadvantages of questionnaires

Advantages

• The data is quick and easy to collect
• Data is easy to analyse
• Researcher can focus on both qualitative and quantitative issues
• Addresses specific research issues as the researcher controls the search design to fit their needs
• Information can be collected from a specific target audience

Disadvantages

• It will take longer conduct primary research rather than secondary research
• There is usually a low response rate
• Some people may not fit the target audience due to age, or they may not watch thriller films
• Respondents may ignore questions
• Questions could have mistakes in them
• If a mistake is made in a question, it is hard to go back to respondents
• Respondent may not understand a question due to vocabulary used such as 'protagonist' or 'iconography'

Who did you ask and why?

I gave my questionnaire to ten males and ten females in my school, their ages ranged from twelve years old to over twenty-four. They were generally all students except some teachers and members of staff. I felt as if it would not be appropriate to ask children under the age of 12 as most thriller films were rated 12 and above. I asked people of different ages and gender to understand my audience and understand what my audience would enjoy about thriller films, as long as they watched them.

My questionnaire

Conclusion

In conclusion, my research has helped me understand what my audience's expectations are for thriller films, this will greatly help me for when I have to plan and film my thriller opening. I asked questions such as "What technique do you think is most effective in thrillers?" to get a sense of what the audience do expect in a thriller film, also what would give them a reaction from a thriller opening. Also my question "Which of these typography do you prefer?", the results from this question can help me in choosing the typography for my opening credits, this is very important to getting a reaction from my audience and the questionnaire has greatly helped me decide what to use. The questionnaire overall will help me make key decisions for when I make my thriller opening.

Research: Censorship - Miss Begum

Censorship

Who are the BBFC and what is their role?

The BBFC are the British Board of Film Classification, their role is to give studios, parents, and directors guidelines through regulating and film classification. The BBFC ensure that children and all filmgoers are protected from harm and illegal material, so they can make informed decisions about their viewing choices. They are also a designated body and therefore have legal powers to rate and sometimes cut, or reject works.

Why is the role of the BBFC important to the film industry?

The role of the BBFC is important to the film industry as they protect younger audiences and assist parents to make informed decisions as to what to let their children watch. If the BBFC didn't exist there would be no regulation in films and younger audiences would be exposed to illegal or harmful things. This could affect them mentally or emotionally. The ratings that the BBFC give out are well worked out according to the content in the film, a PG rated film will not have any drug use in it, it would have to be rated minimum of 15. This shows that children under age of 15 should not be exposed to drug use and those that are 15 and over are old and mature enough to handle viewing it, and not mimic it. Therefore, ratings can also help an audience predict what they should expect from a film, an 18 rated film will most likely have strong violence, sex or drugs in the film and people 18 or over can make informed decisions as to whether they would like to watch an 18 rated film or not.

What things get censored and why?

There are many themes and references that get censored to not expose the wrong things to audiences so they are not affected in any way. Examples are:

• Extreme violence
• Sexual violence
• Gore
• Sex and nudity
• Religion
• Controversy and the press
• Graphic representation
• Race
• Culture
• True events
• Drug abuse or glorification
• Language

What is the difference between films being cut and banned?

Cut

If a film is cut it is being edited to make it appropriate for viewing, this is after it has gone through screening with the BBFC. If a film is to be rated 12, it cannot show a scene with nudity, therefore it has to be cut so it can be given the rating of 12, if not it will have to be rated a 15 or 18.

The Human Centipede 2 is an example of a film that was cut. It was given the age certificate of 18 after the distributors agreed to make 32 cuts lasting two minutes and thirty-seven seconds.

Banned

If a film is banned, it is taken away from cinema viewing entirely due to indecent, harmful or offensive material. If the BBFC decide the content is inappropriate for all viewers and it could have a negative impact, they may ban the film from even entering cinema screens. Usually it is due to excessive amounts of extreme violence, nudity and sexual violence.

Grotesque is an example of a film that was banned, it was banned due to a high level of sexual torture, it also lacked context or purpose behind the content.

Discuss the Forna (for) and Kermode (against) debate, and then discuss where your own opinions lie on this matter.

Aminatta Forna and Mark Kermode have different views on film censorship. Forna argues for film censorship and Kermode argues against her views.

Forna argues that film censorship is used to prevent younger audiences to follow or be influenced negative actions shown in films. Examples of these are drug use, criminal behaviour or violence. This can also be linked to some films showing racism and racial violence, Forna argues that these films could influence younger audiences as the images on shown in film are powerful enough to do so. Her argument supports the BBFC and what they do to protect viewers, especially younger viewers.

On the other hand, Kermode argues that the use of censorship in film and age certificates should not be allowed due to freedom of speech, directors and producers should be allowed to express whatever they want through film and should not be limited due to censorship. As well as this, he argues that cutting parts of film can ruin a film or make it 'dull'. Also, even though some scenes are cut from a film, it can still affect younger audiences as there are still suggestions such as blood or the reactions to certain violent events.

In my opinion, younger children are very vulnerable and are easily influenced, therefore age certificates and censorship is vital to the film industry. Although it can be argued that it is up to the parents to decide what children should watch, the BBFC is still needed to act as a guideline for parents. Also, older people can also be affected by disturbing scenes in films, therefore censorship is needed for people to make informed decisions on what they want to watch.

Conclusion

My research has helped me conclude that my thriller opening will contain appropriate themes for my audience. It will not contain extreme violence or drug use, as these have all previously caused problems in the film industry. I have also learned that the BBFC are very important to act as guidelines for film viewers and I should use these guidelines when making my film as I will need to tackle themes appropriately. For example showing scary scenes with the lighting and soundtrack rather than displaying a lot of blood and violence. Furthermore, I now understand that to use certain themes such as extreme violence and gore has to be justified within the film rather than just there to please an audience, as it is more likely to psychologically effect the audience if there is no motive to violence and gore. 

Research: Typography - Mrs. Quinlan

Typography

What is typography?

Typography is the art and technique of arranging type. Typography differs according to the genre and general tone of the film. The typography in a thriller film would have an discomforting effect on the audience, this is due to the size, colour, font of the text. The typography is extremely vital to the film opening as it gives the audience a chilling response and to build suspense.

Typography and connotations

Thriller:

In Prisoners (2013), the typography in the title of the film is simple and is in a white colour, this connotes innocence. The font is in all caps to grab the attention of the audience and inside the letter 'O' there is the design of a maze, this connotes mystery and not being able to find a way out. This is related to the name of the film. The maze is also a clue for the audience to try and found out what film is about.

Action:

In contrast to Prisoners, Kingsman (2014) the action film has a very professional looking title. It uses two colours, gold and white, with a black background. The gold in the word "Kingsman" connotes that this word has a lot of value and is the main title of the film, it could also be a possible name of a franchise. The letters are quite spaced out to make it clear to the audience that the film will have a professional setting. The sizing of the typography is also different as the main title of the film 'Kingsman' is what the film should be remembered for as created by the production company. The letters are very easy to read and the title therefore looks as if it is referring to a company of some sort.

Adventure:

In this logo for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011), there is use of many different images and font sizes for effect as it is an adventure film. A lot is going on in the title which also shows a lot going on in the film. There is an image of a scroll behind the text and an image of a skull with swords through it in the middle. The skull could connote death, as well as the two words connoting violence, this shows that the film will have violence and death in it, and therefore will attract the appropriate audiences who are interested in these themes. This gives the audience clues to what the film is going to be about and the production company have used iconography in their title for effect. The colour of the text is a brown colour, possibly symbolising earth or dirt, as in adventure films there is a lot of travelling involved. As the bigger text is more visible, it is evident that it is the name of a franchise, meaning there are other films with the same name, possibly sequels or prequels.

Typography and thrillers

The typography in the film The Blair Witch Project (1999) is very simple yet the way it is presented is to give the audience a frightened reaction. The font is white on a black background which is used to create fear amongst the audience as well as the title being on two different lines for emphasis on 'THE BLAIR WITCH'. This is to inform the audience as to what they will be looking for in the film.

The typography from the film Sinister (2012) makes it clear that it is a thriller film. The font is in the colour black on a white background to suggest that it is interrupting the purity of the white background. This would give the audience a horrific reaction and make them feel uneasy, the word 'Sinister' is also in capital letters and it slightly blurred, depicting that it is spreading or it is not stable.

Analysis

These critically acclaimed thriller films both use different types of typography to connote danger, excitement and mystery with their logos. The typography used for Shutter Island is in capital letters and in red. The red can connote danger or violence, causing distress amongst the audience. It is also on a black background which promotes darkness and this keeps the audience frightened. The typography from Lucky Number Slevin also connotes danger and suspense. This is due to the large white font on the black background. Also the letter "L" has been turned upside down to possible connote a gun or the number 7 upside down. This suggests instability and mystery.

Conclusion

I have come to the conclusion that I use most likely will be using large white font on a black background, also in large size. This is because this is the most common in thrillers and it brings out the most effective reaction from the audience, I would want them to feel scared and intrigued for my thriller opening. The colours I use will connote danger, death and violence which will be the themes that will be incorporated into my opening.

Research: Opening Credits - Mrs. Quinlan

Opening Credits

What are opening credits?

Opening credits are written information presented to the audience at the start of a film, the information is on who produced the film, who is starring and production details. The design of them depends on the genre and overall tone of the film. For example an action thriller would have faster moving text or simple block colours and an easily legible font.

What is the purpose of opening credits?

The purpose of opening credits is to inform the audience of who was involved in the production of the film, Therefore it includes the most significant people such as the producers, directors and writers, as well as the main cast involved in the film. The rest of the production cast and minor cast will be in the ending credits.

What information do opening credits provide?

Opening credits provide information to the audience about the production in different ways. One way is through the name of the studio first such as Universal, followed by the production company such as Spyglass Entertainment. After this there is the producer, director, main cast, editor and story boarder. Another presentation of opening credits begins with the production company, then the title, main cast, music composer, editor, producer, writer and finally the director. The opening credits help the audience identify who is responsible for what role in the production of a film. Some fans may follow directors and watch films simply because they are made by them, directors such as Christopher Nolan and Martin Scorsese have followings like this.

How do opening credits make the audience feel?

The way opening credits make the audience feel varies between genre. An opening scene for a horror thriller for example, would be accompanied by a gloomy, slow, soundtrack. As well as font that would make the audience feel uneasy overall. In contrast to this, an animated film would be much more colourful and clearly show names and have an upbeat soundtrack with it. Thriller films generally have distorted font and sometimes have pictures or a video on during the opening credits for the audience to feel frightened, as well as get a feel of the film. This is to make the audience feel fearful and prepare them for the suspense and discomfort during the film.

Scene analysis

In the opening scene for Se7en (1995), it is extremely eerie throughout. The opening is accompanied by a slow, melancholy soundtrack. This is to make the audience feel extreme discomfort and nervous. As well as this there are flashes to the cast names in a gruesome font, making the audience feel uneasy as they are presented on their on in white, on a black screen. In between the presentation of the cast names, there are extreme close ups to a character's fingers, removing their fingerprints with a razor blade. This can suggest that the character is an antagonist and is intending to do wrong. This would scare the audience as this person is unseen but their intentions are clear from early on. The opening credits are therefore extremely effective in generating a reaction from the audience.

Conclusion

From my research I have concluded that I will present my production company first, followed by the director, producer and writer. After this will be the main cast and finally the title. I have chosen this order as I believe this will be the most effective and look the most professional. I also have concluded that my opening credits will be accompanied by an eerie soundtrack which I will create and it will be used effectively it will make the audience frightened while giving them a sense of what the film will be like. The opening credits will mostly be on a black screen written with a white font, taking inspiration from Se7en as it has very effective opening sequence, this will create suspense and confuse the audience as they will not know what to expect from the film, although it will create excitement as to what will come next.