To gather opinion and feedback on our finished film, I posted it as a link on 'facebook', and asked for feedback, including any criticisms or suggestions. We received a large amount of praise, especially where the actual filming was concerned.
"Really good use of different shots/camera angles. Creates a good effect." - Matt Marlow
"The music in your piece is brilliant, and i think you've done a good job of creating a continuous feeling of suspense." - Hannah Fyfe
"I really enjoyed your film. I thought your title sequence (splitting up the action) is very effective and makes it look professional." - Ruby Scott
"Really well done! I think you've edited it very well, especially the murder. I would actually buy this film!" - Harry Buckley
The feedback we have received has been very complimentary and has only added to my enjoyment of the experience as a whole.
[music: Everything is Broken - Bob Dylan, Cthlu Thlu - Caravan, Secret - Maroon 5]
This is our finished media product. Our piece, set in a rural area, provides a earthy feel to the 'thriller genre'. We wanted to create a piece reminiscent of the rustic aesthetic present throughout 'No Country for Old Men'. To do so, we filmed at Cannock Chase, an area of woodland as we wanted our backdrop to be as neutral as possible. Our attempt to create a piece, difficult to place in any one era, translated also to the costume and the overall mis - en - scene. For example our victim is wearing jeans, converse and a black jacket, any one of which could be placed in a number of different times in modern history.
I feel our film challenges a number of conventions within the Thriller genre. We conformed to concealing the killer's identity through use of camera angles which only exposed the hands of the attacker. This technique is commonplace in most thrillers as it adds to the tension and allows the film to build in suspense, whereas there are very few where the audience is made aware of the killer at the very beginning. However where our film differs is through our contrast of the initial slow voiceover and a change to a significant action sequence. We used this to ease the audience in to a false sense of security as, despite a casual hint towards a notable amount of disappearances, the bright music coupled with the shots of scenery provide a visually relaxed opening. We then used our action sequence to further establish an identity for the town mentioned. For example the voice over suggests that 'beyond the town is Morse Woods, i figure if you were going to be found, you'd be found in there.' Hence the action sequence showing a teenage girl being murdered in an area of woodland, supposedly 'Morse Woods'.
One of our prominent aims in creating our thriller was to be able to respond to and manipulate the audience. for example our piece starts slowly, and is quickly contrasted with a murder sequence to build tension, then similarly we aimed to settle the audience back in to a false sense of security with the discovery of the body. In theory we would then shock the audience back into recognition to maintain an underlying level of suspense that is native to that of the Thriller genre.
I feel our piece works well in representing various social groups that our audience would respond to. For example the initial voiceover talks from the perspective of a young woman, however the words spoken suggest that of someone, perhaps old before their time, or weathered by the level of disappearances in her town. Similarly she talks of a population of 'hardworking, honest and religious' folk, which ultimately carries with it a lot of irony. We liked, however, the idea that our piece could be set in a slow moving town, with an ageing population and the disappearances of young people being the only thing suggest any different. In theory, the murders could be the ultimate thing to breath life in to the town considered 'dead'. Thus our thriller covers many aspects of society, for example a younger generation who feel stuck in a dead end town, and the consequences of such disappearances.
I think our piece would most likely be distributed by a media institution that is responsive to the psyche of a younger audience. For example Film4, as I feel it is a large distributor of media product and its accessibility attracts a younger audience. Also it is a British company, and has, in the past, been responsible for the distribution of such gritty dramas as 'This is England'. Therefore I think it would be a good distributor for a film such as ours which aims to provide a suspenseful look into the mysterious disappearances whilst also, to an extent, satirising small town life. As the younger generation become one of the largest consumers of media I think our film would be aimed at an audience of late teens. We approach a mature enough topic to justify aiming it an audience where any patronising approach is not greatly appreciated whilst providing enough action and grit to assure an interested audience. Also if our film was moderated by the BBFC, i feel it would most likely be classified a '15' which, although decreases the potential volume of the audience, would also increase its enjoyment factor as it would reach our target audience.
Through constructing our thriller I have learnt a great deal about the technology behind producing a film. Although I was aware that a lot of editing went in to the process, I thought that the main body of the film relied more on camera work to create tension. However through producing this piece, I am very aware of how much work goes into editing a piece to bring the suspense to a peak, and that without such technique the effects would not be so shocking. Also through research conducted I have increased my level of knowledge on how films respond to the internet and technological advances. I have developed this knowledge via burning our thriller to disc and uploading it to Youtube, both of which were done momentarily, which really gave me an idea of how much pirated films must impact on production.
Finally, I feel my personal skills have developed immensely between producing our preliminary task and 'The Forgotten'. Not only have my editing skills improved, I also feel I have a greater sense of how to capture the attention of the audience and how to manipulate the camera to emphasise and detract. My initial basic knowledge of the production process has improved greatly, even just through expanding my understanding of technology, such as how to extract files and convert music files to mp3 to apply to our piece.
The British Board of Film Classification is responsible for classifying all films available through British cinemas and British networks.
There are seven categories for classification: U, PG, 12A, 12, 15, 18, R18
U
'Should be suitable for audiences four years and over. 'U' films should be set within a positive moral framework and should offer reassuring counterbalances to any violence, threat or horror.' A 'U' must also not exploit any unsuitable language or imitable behaviour. All drug use should be at a minimum unless there is a strong 'anti drug message' and sexual content should not go beyond that of kissing.
PG
'Should not disturb a child aged around eight or older. However parents are advised to consider whether the content may upset younger of more sensitive children.' Discriminatory language should be actively disapproved of, as should any prolonged violence or innocuous drug use. Sexual content should be kept to that of innuendo and reference only.
12A + 12
'Material is suitable, in general, only for those aged 12 and over. Works classified at these categories may upset children under 12 or contain material which many parents will find unsuitable for them.' Clear condemnation of discriminatory language must be encouraged, moderate language is suitable as is brief sexual portrayal. Moderate drugs use and violence should be infrequent and in no way glamourised.
15
'No-one younger than 15 may see a '15' in the cinema. No-one younger than 15 may rent or buy a '15' rated video work.' Drug taking is permitted but must not be endorsed by the work as a whole, the same applies for discriminatory behaviour. Nudity and sexual activity are permitted so long as they are not prolonged or too heavily endorsed. The frequent use of strong language is allowed so long as justified by the content.
18
'No-one younger than 18 may see an '18' in the cinema. No-one younger than 18 may rent or buy a '18' rated video work.' Given that any medium classified 18 is only suitable for adults there are few constraints. However any discriminatory behaviour or sexual content must not encourage any such criminal activity and must be justified by the context of the plot.
R18
'Primarily for explicit works of consenting sex or strong fetish material involving adults. Films may be shown only to adults in specially licensed cinemas, and video works may be supplied to adults only in licensed sex shops.' No content must be in breach of criminal law or endorse any criminal activity such as abuse, paedophilia or rape.
All information courtesy of http://www.bbfc.co.uk/
Funny Games, [Michael Haneke] initially starts as that of a typical home invasion. Two 'charming' boys visit the home of the Farber Family and insist on playing a series of psychological games, allowing the family to make a bet: whether they will be alive in the morning or dead. The first thing that jumps out as an individualistic approach to the typical 'thriller' genre is that of how the killers are portrayed. Gone are the days when killers skulk around dark alleys wearing the cliched balaclava, Funny Games appears to redefine the typical portrayal of a psychopath. The two killers are dressed in spotless white gear reminiscent of that of golf gear; everything to symbolise clean living and a privileged life. On top of the pristine costume the two wear white gloves, which act as a way of neutralising any identity that they have, in fact the film ends with the audience remaining unsure of any details on the pair's life including why they came or any motive. Haneke creates a completely new perspective as to how a killer should be defined. It is through such a portrayal that the pair appear more sinister, because they could be two boys any time, any where. In a way Funny Games redefines all social stigma associated with the profile of a psychopath and expresses the sheer normality to the facade of a potential killer.
In a number of ways ‘Taking Lives’ fulfils expectations of a typical thriller. For example a typical thriller centres on an ‘ordinary’ protagonist who at some point in the film becomes extraordinary either through a journey or crime. However thrillers tend to end with the protagonist returning to normality. Taking Lives is a journey for Illeana [Angelina Jolie] as she tries to catch the serial killer and return to day to day life.In that way Taking Lives follows a typical pattern of a thriller. However the use of a strong female lead is not seen as regularly in the thriller genre. For example Fight Club, which centres around two lead male characters [Edward Norton, Brad Pitt] and an almost entirely male cast. In a way the thriller genre tends to be considered a more masculine genre with most thrillers being led by a typically masculine male. For this reason Taking Lives does not fully conform to everything an audience expects from a thriller.
Thriller’s often play on human nature, not only that of the characters but also of the audience watching the film. In watching Taking Lives the audience gets more and more accepting of Costa, [Ethan Hawke] so when he is revealed as the killer the audience feels cheated similarly to Illeana. The writer and director of thrillers tend to play on human emotion and how the audience responds to certain characters and with Costa until the final penultimate few minutes, the viewer wouldn’t be able to believe that the timid art dealer was capable of such things.For this reason Taking Lives does conform to a thriller genre, as throughout the film the audience is led down blind alleys relying only on the emotion and feelings they have developed for each character.
Another contributing feature in a thriller is the graphic images of violence. A lot of thrillers operate mainly through sound and suggestion, for example at the beginning of Taking Lives when the boy is first pushed in front of the van. The audience never actually sees the stone smash his face instead it is done through sound and a fade to black.However towards the end of the film Illeana finds Costa in the lift after having killed his mother. At that point the audience bears witness to a hugely graphic moment of violence.The violence at this part of the film is so much more visual than anything shown previously however it seems necessary in explaining the capabilities of Costa, who until that moment had seemed virtually harmless. Once again the film plays on human psychology and it is arguable that without it the audience would not truly detach themselves from the romantic image of Costa at the start of the film.Similarly to Taking Lives another thriller that plays on the suggestion of violence throughout is Disturbia; it’s only in the final moments that the audience can be sure that Mr Turner is a killer based on the blatant images of bodies in his house. Taking Lives in this way does subvert to the Thriller genre, instead of gore and violence throughout it is much more psychologically complex and potentially more frightening for the audience to imagine what may have just happened in response to the build up and sounds effects.
To produce a good, attention grabbing thriller there needs to be an element of suspense throughout the film. Due to the plot of Taking Lives, for example the mystery surrounding the killer’s identity, there is always a suspenseful feeling. This builds in certain places in the film for example when Illeana first investigates Martin’s old bedroom. Taking Lives subverts to the thriller genre with the heightened tension brought about through the dark setting and the non-digetic music in the background. This scene in Taking Lives conforms to a typical crime thriller, however instead of the tension building to a point when someone/something jumps out Illeana lies down on the bed, breaking the suspense and relaxing the audience only to add to the shock when Martin’s arms come out from underneath the bed. Taking Lives is very good at following typical almost clichéd features in Thriller films and altering them to mess with the audience even more.
Another way in which Taking Lives conforms to the Thriller genre is through a few strong action sequences. Differentiating itself from an action adventure, thrillers tend to only use action sequences when they are driven by the characters rather than the plot. For example the car chase is vital as it helps develop the character of Costa and build him up an alibi. The car chase was much more specific to the situation rather than to the progression of the plot. This is a trend that is seen most commonly in thrillers. Action sequences are quite difficult for a viewer to follow therefore they only occupy a small section of a typical thriller so as to maintain the pace of the film.
Taking Lives strongly conforms to what an audience would expect of a film in the thriller genre. It is very character driven, and plays on human emotions and psychology rather than showing an audience visual images. There is a continuous element of suspense throughout this film as is with most thrillers for example ‘The Usual Suspects’ which builds until the very last moment when the true identity of ‘Kaiser Sosay’ or in this case Martin is revealed. Thrillers tend not to be dominated by action sequences, only incorporating a few in vital moments of the film to quicken the pace; similarly Taking Lives follows this pattern. Taking Lives is a very strong thriller, confusing and enthralling the audience, it subverts to what would be expected of a typical thriller and adds twists to play more on the audience’s emotions and human nature.
Originally we planned to have our piece filmed in a cornfield, with the pretence of being able to use the corn to restrict the killer's identity. However these are images of our new location, following our changed storyboard.
Due to a change in location we drew up revised storyboards. We kept the basic idea the same, our piece would centre around a chase sequence. However where these new boards differ:
The body will now be found by two hikers, as we had to respond to the change in location to an area of harsh woodland.
Our victim will fall over allowing the pursuer a chance to catch up and attack the girl.
We have also drawn up a sketch of what the two hikers will wear when finding the body, as it is very important that we keep the identity of the town as neutral as possible and do not try and place our piece in any one era directly.
With the pretence of finding a place to film our thriller opening, we headed to a cornfield, because something about corn just spells murder to me. Anyway we went, and our location scouting turned into more of an informal run through. So here is a 'mini series' of pictures which demonstrate our initial ideas. Really we did this to work out the correct camera angles to hide the new housing estate in an attempt to keep our piece looking as much western USA as Staffordshire farmland...
This is the alley that leads onto the cornfield, we thought we could have our victim walk straight down the alley towards the camera and then when they swerve off, we could see the silhouette of our attacker at the other end of the alley.
Obviously our victim would be walking with more purpose and urgency, but ultimately we would track their walk across the field.
The logistics of this here shot have yet to be worked out, but basically our victim stops and the camera turns 180 following her face as she looks over her shoulder. Her attacker is visible standing underneath the tree (silhouetted?) Cue dramatic instrumental here...
We would then fast cut between shots of our victim approaching the tree...
And the attacker preparing some weapon of some kind. (here, invisible rope)
As our victim nears the tree, the cuts were going to get faster...
In theory the attacker's identity would be hidden, but it was unusually bright that day...
Once the murder has been committed (we didn't act that bit out), we would go to a long shot of the field, and we were then going to start our next scene, when the body is found, on a shot from the same distance/angle, just at a different time of day, so that the audience can differentiate between the two scenes.
NOTE: Since taking these pictures, the field has been reduced to mud, due to mid season ploughing, therefore we shall be uprooting our scene and reworking it on Cannock Chase. Also we have decided it is probably best if we have some dialogue to open with, either a voice over or character narrative reminiscent of that of 'No Country for Old Men'.
The opening voice over to 'No Country' provided a strong point of inspiration when we were recording and editing our voice over. The series of stills which show shot after shot of barren wasteland combined with the southern twang of the narrator's voice provide no excitement but rather a sombre tone that continues throughout. This tone may be down to the lack of music at any point in the film, but regardless the opening, just through the words and delivery provide one of the most powerful film openings I have seen. This voice over is what, to an extent, we want to emulate. We want to attempt to capture the same attention through the words of our narrator. Where ours will differ is through our use of music in the background. The scenic shots, we feel, are unlikely to have enough visual substance to capture the same attention as those in 'No Country' and therefore our piece may benefit from an audio aid to pick up the pace of our initial shots. However where I feel we will achieve drawing these comparisons, is through the opening dialogue itself and combined with the music I think we will provide our own individual take on an opening voice over from our omniscient narrator.
This was the storyboard we drew up initially for out thriller. It had to be adapted due to a change in location, however we followed roughly the same path as we originally set out to. Where our filming differs from this board is through the lack of any sighting of the killer until the murder is carried out. It is here where only the hands are visible much as we had initially decided, however we altered it slightly due to working on difficult terrain.
Two themes featured prominently in our planning process. First we looked at two thrillers, Fight Club and Se7en which are both set for the most part in urban areas.
There is a certain bleakness associated with that of industrial areas which translates well to the thriller genre, as it provides a feeling of stark eeriness regardless of plot. In particular Se7en plays on the bleak backdrop to provide a more monochromatic environment which at parts almost appears to be shot in black and white.
'The urban streets filled with crowded, noisy denizens and an oppressive rain that always seems to fall without respite was an integral part of the film' translate into a film which explores a city, corrupt, dirty, ruthless and depressing.
We initially thought that our thriller could be shot in an industrial environment, as we thought initially of approaching our piece from the perspective of the killer.
However another point of interest was how well the thriller genre translates to rural, countryside areas. Most of the thrillers set out 'in the middle of nowhere' follow the path of a killer from the perspective of a police officer or official.
'No Country for Old Men' achieves this very effectively, and the shots of endless landscape provide a completely neutral background but also helps to emphasise the desperation of the sheriff trying to catch the killer across vast open wasteland.
This 'genre' of thriller was very influential in the planning of our piece. The opening voice over being a point of interest. However what I find really attractive about the wild west - cum - thriller is the completely implacable costume. A film set in the early 60s could carry the same connotations as one set today where costume is concerned.
The officers are kitted out in a dusty beige with signature spurs and hats, which allows the audience to be pulled into what could, in effect, be an unknown time.
We used 'No Country' as a strong point of reference in planning our thriller, and in the end decided on filming on a cornfield which acted as a completely neutral backdrop for our murder to be committed. However due to problems with this location we moved our piece to an area of woodland close by, which would make our piece appear more English, but would also be very practical as our plot suggests the body is not found straight away.
Generally the formula for thrillers favours plot over character development, and tend to 'emphasize intense, physical action over the character's psyche'. However the typical conventions of a psychological thriller reverse this formula, 'emphasizing the characters just as much if not more so than the plot'. A typical example of a psychological thriller include:
Taxi Driver, 1976
Through the eyes of the central protagonist, Travis Bickle (Robert Di Nero) the audience is able to witness the self destruction and mental deterioration as the film progresses. Bickle becomes more and more disgusted with the feats he witnesses as a taxi driver, and the audience is let into his thoughts through careful narrative where Travis Bickle declares that 'someday a real rain will come and wash all the scum of the streets.' Scorsese excercises a continuous build up of tension, where the audience is aware that Bickle is to commit some pinicle act, yet the only glimpse into such act is through Bickle's diary entries which are read allowed via voiceover. Taxi Driver stands unique as a film, as the audience bears witness to the world only through the eyes of one character. It is through this singular window into Travis Bickle's psyche that suspense is built up. It is even arguable that due to this technique the audience falls in tune with Bickle's outlook and thus is aware of some formidable event to come.
The question at the end of the film that remains is, is Travis a hero? Taxi Driver isn't a film which romanticises violence or even promotes it, therefore, unlike most psychological thrillers Bickle does not emerge a hero. The feat of hideous violence that occurs, although graphic, is not suprising given the build up of suspense within Bickle's inner thoughts. There is a theory to suggest that Travis Bickle died the day he first went into the Brothel, and the events from then on were that of a man, who has lost all sense of normality and being, and the self destruction causes him to do something 'heroic', that leaves him a subsequent 'hero' where Iris' (Jodie Foster) parents and Betsey (Cybill Shepherd) are concerned.
Given that our coursework piece will provide the opening sequence, and presumably the opening credits of a film, we will need to find a piece of music to accompany it and provide the atmosphere we are hoping to create.
I began researching various leitmotifs famous to films within the thriller genre. A few obvious ones, catalysed my research, for example Jaws [John Williams] which provided the ominous approach of the shark, repeatedly throughout the film.
Another famous recurring theme, is 'The Imperial March' [Star Wars], which can now only be associated with Darth Vader due to its usage at systematic points throughout the film.
I did a lot of internet research, and found that leitmotif's were used to create a more intense and potentially character personal atmosphere at points in a film. M [Fritz Lang] implores a vastly well know score as a central leitmotif, where the serial killer, Hans Beckert [Peter Lorre] whistles 'In the Hall of the Mountain King' [Edvard Grieg] before he murders.
The potentially bright music, when coupled with the oxymoronic implied pedophile, sets a contradictory tone, most often used in psychological thrillers.
Music plays a huge role in transforming the visual aspects of a film into a whole experience and for this reason I think it will be very important to the overall feel of our piece to find a musical score that works with the shots to provide the atmosphere we hope to create. It is unlikely that we will be able to incorporate our own leitmotif, however with the opening few minutes, we could theoretically set the groundwork for a recurrence later on in the film.
As initial preparation for our soon to be filmed film opening, I researched typical themes associated with the Thriller genre, and the various sub categories within that genre.
For example I initially searched ideologies typical to a psychological thriller, where crime is not always portrayed as 'black and white, good vs. evil', there tends to be a more blurred line between the two than that of a horror, for example. This ideology is true with both modern thrillers and in older pieces, for example Psycho where the audience is led down blind alleys and the end provides more of a shock, as Norman Bates, the initial timid hotel owner, is revealed as criminally insane.
Anthony Perkins as the Criminally Insane Norman Bates [Psycho]
I also looked into typical motifs within Crime thrillers, and found that most focus on the story from the perspective of the criminal, rather than the investigator. For example Reservoir Dogs where the story unfolds through the recounts of various criminals, Mr Blonde, Mr Pink etc. Crime thrillers 'usually emphasise action over psychological aspects'.
Michael Madsen as the sadistic criminal, Mr Blonde [Reservoir Dogs]
In contrast, a Political Thriller tends to focus on a government agent, working towards neutralising a certain threat to national security.
Other sub categories include, techno thrillers, spy thrillers, medical thrillers, legal thrillers and religious thrillers, such as the Da Vinci Code.
Given our piece will be around the two minute mark I think it is important that we choose a sub categories that will enable us to incorporate as many ideologies as possible, given the amateur style in which it will be produced. Therefore in planning our thriller it may be best to focus on either a crime thriller, where the opening is aimed from the perspective of a criminal, or a psychological thriller where camera angles and editing can be used to achieve some of the techniques used in existing psychological thrillers.
Hitchcock, throughout ‘Psycho’ continuously refines the feeling of tension and suspense. There are few mundane moments in ‘Psycho’ however these odd scenes are used by Hitchcock to lure the audience into a false sense of security, or perhaps, to lead them down blind alleys. A large chunk of the plot, the stolen money and a flee from the law turns out to be irrelevant in the end. It is through the technique of keeping the audience guessing and challenging all perception that Hitchcock creates a film so rife with tension.
Though the initial suspense that comes with Marion’s flee from her employer with the $40,000 creates an underlying tense tone, where Hitchcock first builds up the suspense to a climax is when Marion is attempting to trade her car in for a new one. The audience is aware of the crime that she has committed, and through Marion’s build up of anticipation to make a hasty escape contrasted with the cool suspicions of the police officer following her, Hitchcock builds the tension as the audience begins to suspect that Marion will be found out. The pace of the scene remains slow but it is through Hitchcock’s use of cuts between Marion and the salesman whose bewilderment and growing suspicions contrasted with Marion’s guilt and anticipation acts as a catalyst for tension. Hitchcock builds the suspense by keeping the police officer stationery across the road, symbolizing a potential roadblock in Marion’s escape. The police officer is also wearing mirrored glasses which prevent the audience and Marion to see where he is looking, keeping the tension rife by preventing any prediction into later actions of the officer.
Hitchcock’s undeniable ability to tap into his audience’s psyche is of great importance to his works. In Psycho he plays on the vulnerability of the lead to provide a sense of realism to the events that occur, thus building on the already tense atmosphere. The shower scene is the pinnacle moment in Psycho that defines this film as one of the most suspenseful and unique. As Marion is seen in the shower the tension builds to a peak, as the audience is aware of some formidable event to come. The lack of music at this point lures the audience into a false sense of security; it is not until the silhouette of Norman/Mrs. Bates behind that shower curtain that the suspense builds to a climax. The audience is then witness to what appears to be a hideous feat of violence. This huge break in tension is replaced by that of sheer horror, and accompanied by the stark music adds to the ‘graphic’ feat of violence. Hitchcock plays on the break in tension, keeping the killers identity secret to anticipate a continuous underlying suspense as the film becomes more of a ‘whodunit?’ than that of the initial questioning as to whether Marion would escape with the money.
Hitchcock instates an underlying tone of suspense by playing on the audience’s fears, leading them down blind alleys and instating a constant stream of unforeseen events, for example the murder of the central protagonist so early on foreshadows the tension to come. But where Hitchcock really excels is through his ability to make a series of innocent shots appear as graphic as the murders in today’s films. It is through highly skilled camerawork and careful accompanying music that Psycho remains rife with tension and suspense the whole way through.
