Planning - Initial Ideas

Planning - Concept Art

This is the concept art of for the film. It shows the name of our group and images relating to our film. It also shows the age rating for the film as well. 

Planning- Draft Work

The plot of our film starts in a school. Donald begins to argue with Sandra as she wants to get some revision done on the night but Donald ops to go out clubbing.

Sandra storms off as she is very annoyed that Donald has let her down once again. As Donald stands by the lockers Shelly and her older sister Margaret walk over to Donald to see what had just happened with him and Sandra. Whilst talking to the girls Donald decides to go to Shelly's house that night to do some revision with her instead of Sandra.

Whilst Donald is on his way to Shelly's house he is being stalked by his girlfriend Sandra who wants to find out where her beloved boyfriend is off too.

When Donald arrives at Shelly's house he is happy to hear that Shelly's older sister Margaret is off out for the night with her boyfriend leaving the two of them alone in the house.

When they are alone Donald tries to get it on with Shelly but he makes her feel uncomfortable so she decides to go to the toilet.

As Shelly goes to the toilet she notices the front door is open and shuts it and then she is grabbed by Sandra and tied up.

Donald then starts to wonder where Shelly has go to and goes looking for her, he then notices Sandra standing there and then she charges at him and strangles him too death.

Shelly's phone then begins to ring and it is her older sister Margaret.  

Planning - Target Audience Research



This statistics shows what ages watch horror movies and the percentage of the general population.
18-24 watch more horror movies, therfore our movie will be targeted to this age. We we do this by making our movie suitiable- young actors, slang, technology(mobiles) and also use sterotypes of teenagers to adults( seen as lower class citizens)

This statistics diagram shows how more women watch horror movies than men, this could be beacuse women like to be taken to the cinema with their partners, or friends. This means for our movie that aspects of our movie will be targeted to women, e,g fashion, characters will be wearing fashionable clothes to draw women to watch the movie. However the other 42% of the public are men that watch horrors therefore we will also make it targeted at men. for example characters will be slightly sexually objectified.

Add caption

This statistics diagram shows what percentage of the population watches action movies, like horror movies 18-24 are more likely to be watching these types of movies, this could be beacuse they like the thrill and tension of the movie as they are young and live there life of the edge just like actions movies.



The diagram shows that more men watch action movies than women, this is beacuse action movies are target at men, the film is made in a more masciln way e.g fast cars, guns which most women do not find that intresting. This means for our movie that we will include action so that men will watch our movie, we will do this my adding tension to our movie or a fight scene.

Planning - Research into types of thriller

Horror Thriller

Horror thrillers are very common and there are many similarities which will always occur in horror film for example: the idea of good against evil, blood and dead people. Most horror movies are set in a place where people are going to be vulnerable such as a dark place at night time. For example a haunted house at night time. Horror genre usually always will have the good against evil situation which will cause conflict between the main characters for example a mass murderer goes around killing people in a community. Also, in horror film they use a variety of different sounds to create a suspense atmosphere. The shots that is most commonly used in a horror film is the point of view (POV) shot so that it gives the illusion they we as the audience are looking through the killers eyes to create a mystery and terror for the audiences feelings. The antagonist is usually a very supernatural person for example ghosts, demons and vampires, the antagonists victims are usually women or people in a very vulnerable mind set. The theme of the whole film is the good against evil or the idea of loyalty versus deceit.

Psychological Thriller

Psychological thrillers are where the film focuses heavily on the emotional state of the characters mind sets. In these movies the characters do not rely on physical strength anymore to take on their enemies but they rely purely on their mental resources. In psychological thrillers there is always the element of suspense created and it comes from two or more characters playing with one another’s minds. It is common for them to play deceptive games with the other so that they demolish the others mental state. The very good psychological thriller movies are Taxi Driver and Se7en.

Action Thriller

An action thriller movie is usually very lively as it always has the idea that there is a race against time, it uses this physical action to create a suspense feeling in the film. In the film, it will often have continuous motion and action including physical stunts, chases, fights, battles, and races. Those scenes will often contribute to the overall sense of danger that the protagonist is facing. Famous action films are Die Hard, Kill Bill, James Bond and The Bourne Identity.

Crime Thriller

Crime Thriller films are where the film incorporates the suspenseful aspects of a thriller with a crime film plot. This crime films plot usually centers on a serial killer, murderer, robbery, or manhunt. Unlike traditional crime films, the storyline focuses both around the criminal and the protagonist. Crime Thrillers use both action and psychological aspects to build tension and suspense. Famous examples are The Usual Suspects, The Fugitive and Jagged Edge.

Space/Techno Thriller

Techno thrillers are suspense films in which the manipulation of sophisticated technology plays a prominent part. There is a bit of action and is very science fictions based. It usually has things like aliens, robots and advanced technology which are all things which are not in today’s world. It also has the illusion that technology is trying to fight back. Famous examples are Alien, Terminator and Blade Runner.

Erotic Thriller

Erotic Thriller is a type of thriller that has an emphasis on eroticism and where a sexual relationship plays an important role in the plot. It has become very popular since the 1980s. In the films the female will always play the antagonist, by the female being the antagonist they will use sex to exert her power. In some cases it can get very violent and sexually objectified.  Famous erotic thriller films are Dressed To Kill, Wild Things and Crimes Of Passion.

Torture Porn

Torture porn is a type of thriller where the film has no real point, there is just long drawn out torture. During the film the antagonist gets aroused by the torture. The character is usually tied up and slowly killed, during a gory, bloody prolonged death.

 

 

Planning - White Chicks Opening Scene Analysis

White Chicks is a comedy where two black FBI Agents have gone undercover to arrest a criminal in order to gain an appraisal from the Chief FBI agent in America. However, they fail to do so which leads them into being on their final warning and escorting the two ‘Hampton Twins’ to a weekend… they soon end up crashing the car and the sisters refuse to go to the weekend away. The FBI agents know they are at a high risk of being fired so they go under cover and pretend to be the sisters and dress up as ‘White Chicks’! This soon back fires as their true identity is soon revealed. However, they do manage to ‘get the right guy’ at the end of the film which leads them to the promotion they had been aiming for.

In the first stages of the opening scene, there is an extreme long shot of a city in America which helps set the scene. The music in the background being played is non-diegetic – this means the characters within the scene cannot hear the music that is being played.

Then, within the next shot, it moves inner the city until we finally reach where the characters are situated.  Then, we hear diegetic sound – actual sound that the characters hear. The diagetic sound consists of cars driving along the road, people talking aloud as they are walking along the strip of shops and the ice cream van pulling up outside the store.

The scene then moves into the store and focuses on the main characters. The main characters are FBI Agents in disguise whom are going undercover and dressed up as the shop keeper and are looking to catch criminals dealing drugs. The Mise En Scene within this scene focuses mainly on the disguise of the two FBI Agents. This consists of the costumes they are wearing, the facial disguise such as their moustaches, and props such as maracas, their dialect and accent they use and speak with. Which seems it is Mexican like.  This also helps set the scene.

There is a clear stereotype where the character that has been ‘mistaken’ for a ‘drug dealing criminal’ whom sounds, is dressed and shows emotion in a way which most films present a criminal. There is a medium shot which emphasise the emotion on the criminal like characters face.  Due to this mistaken stereotype and mistaken identity, this leads him to not being the man who the FBI agents are looking to arrest.

The lighting featured within this film is mostly high key because the genre is comedy and if there was low key lighting featured, this would enforce suspense which would add mystery to the film. However, high key lighting would make the film seem more enjoyable to watch.   

Planning - Sinister: Suspenseful Elements

Planning - Lighting

High Key Lighting

High key lighting is where the subject is fully lit they do this as they want the specific subject to stand out above over things. In the image there will be no shadows and is quite homogenous. You will often see high key lighting used in comedies, happy places and where dialogue is used. The advantage to high-key lighting is that it doesn't require adjustment for each scene which allows the production to complete the shooting in hours instead of days. The primary drawback is that high-key lighting fails to add meaning or drama by lighting certain parts more prominently than others. The term "high-key" has found its way from cinema into more widespread usage, for example referring to an event that requires much organization or is subject to a great deal of publicity.

 Low Key Lighting

Low key lighting is where the subject is not well let so it gives off a spooky impression. The contrast is that it goes form dark to light therefore there is no shadows in the image. You usually find low key lighting in horror films and places where there is mystery and suspense so it gives off different illusions because the audience wont no what to think.The term "low key" is used in cinematography to refer to any scene with a high lighting ratio, especially if there is a predominance of shadowy areas. It tends to heighten the sense of alienation felt by the viewer, hence is commonly used in film noir and horror genres.

Planning - Binary Structuralism

<!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->This is where a representation is shown, where there are two parts one being ideal and the other being incorrect. It is often used to compliment the audiences self image. Such as 90% of television viewers are White British, therefore White British ideals are passed through media regardless of the Ethnic Minority groups.

Age:

Youths are portrayed as being trouble makers, violent and inexperienced.

<!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--> <!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->Professionals are shown to have the most power. The age group 25-40 is considered the ideal age.

Old age are seen as ultra conservative, old fashioned, dislike youths.

Race:

Ethnic minority groups are portrayed as subservient in working roles that are self aware of the inability to climb the social ladder. They are also shown to be involved in drugs, violence and anti social behaviour.

<!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->Class:

Upper class are usually only associate with themselves and any interactions with lower classes are involved in employment.

<!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->Middle class are shown in the best light. This is because the majority of television viewers fall into this category.

Lower class are shown to be highly uneducated.

<!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->Gender:

Women are objectified to be sexual objects for men; they usually portray women to be subservient to men in either relationships or their jobs. Men are seen as the greater sex. This photo shows Angelina Jolie in the film tomb raider although she may be powerful she is still shown to be sexually objectified by her costume.

Sexuality:

<!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->Homosexuals are often portrayed as ultra feminine or ultra masculine depending on gender. There work roles are usually hospitalised or industry based.

Region:

 Regional representations are often ignorant to the ideals of mainstream culture. Regional representation often very heavily stereotyped. London is seen as the best place to be situated.

Planning - Camera Shots and Angles

Extreme long shot

Here we have taken a shot called ‘extreme long shot’, this type of shot is used to help set the scene for the audience . if there are no humans within the shot, they are overwhelmed by the setting created. This helps too show the outside of the buildings and their landscapes. However, if action is involved, it will be thrilling to the human eye.

In our film we will be using this shot to set the scene and to give the viewer an idea of where the film is taking place.

Our example :

Medium shot/Hollywood shot

Here, we have taken a shot called ‘medium shot’ or also known as the Hollywood shot. The scene is shot from the knees or waist up and is one of the most used camera shots which features within films today.

In our film we will be using this shot when they are opening the door to greet one another, it will be the best shot as you just want to see there top half of their body.

Our example

Extreme close up shot

Here we have taken a shot called ‘extreme close up’. This type of shot shows, in great depth, detail which the human eye can’t see on its own in one frame.

In our film we will use this shot to have an extreme close up of the drinks that Donald is forcing Shelly to drink to make her drunk.

Our example:

Long shot

Here we have taken a shot called the ‘long shot’. Here, images are seen as life sized, for example, people in a movie scene would be seen as 6 foot tall. The people featured within the movie scene would fill ¾ of the entire screen and the references surrounding them help aid their sizing.

In the film we will use this shot to show Donald's reaction after he sees the killer and then after show how much of a dominant figure the killer is.
Our example: 

Planning - Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene

Mise en scene is a French term that means ‘placing on scene’. Decor, costume and space all add to the arrangement on screen, therefore all contributing to the mise en scene.

Decor refers to the decoration and scenery of a stage. It includes objects, sets and props, fundamentally any object used within a film. The director’s job is to choose objects that are symbolic to the character and the film; this will furthermore influence the significance to the scene and provoke the audiences’ thoughts.This decor shows an office, from first look it gives the impression that the office could be owned by a powerful person who is high up in the business. Items such as the wooden desk and black leather chair give this idea.

Costume may be one of the easiest ways to detect a actors role within a movie without the character speaking, the costume an actor is wearing will allow the audience to create an assumption of the actors behaviour, profession and status. The actors are always dressed accordingly to their character. Itprovides lots of information about the character. Such as a man wearing worn out shoes, ragged t-shirt and old trousers would automatically be seen as a person low in the hierarchy, maybe a tramp. However, if a character walked in wearing a suit and tie the accidence would automatically associate him with power. Sexual objectification can also be shown through costume.

Automatically looking at this woman in scrubs the audience will come to the assumption that she works in the medical profession. Costume is there to dress the actors accordingly to their characters part in the film.

Space can create mise en scene due to the way in which a character is positioned from the camera and the distance from the camera. This portrays the characters status. If the actor is shot through a lowcamera angle this signifies their power. Such as in this photo the two characters standing up have more p ems to be more dominant than the character in the back ground or the one kissing his hand. ower over the character on the floor. However if the actors were positioned so that one actor was closer to the camera it would portray the illusion that the character closer to the camera has more authority or significance in the scene. Shown in The Godfather, the character with the red rose seems to be more dominant than the other characters.

Props are items or objects that are used in addition or in combination with a character’s (or subject)costume to contribute to their representation.They could also be other objects or items in the  scene in connection with the setting. Example: baseball bat, cigarette, gun, chair, pen, wine glass, clipboard etc.

Sets are a crucial part pf the mise-en-scene. It gives the viewer an idea of the time, location and where the story is going to take place. It ultimately sets the mood for the rest of the film. It basically is where a scene is set or located in a film.

Planning - Media Psychology

Media Psychology

Freud has the idea of the good and evil sides of the brain.

Lacon- association,  disassociation.
Palrachy- the idea men are more powerful than women.
Voyerism- sexual pleasure in watching people when they are unaware of it.







Voyerism
The ideal I means we are not capable of thinking negatively about ourselves, meaning that our way of thinking is correct because we have nothing to compare it to. We have always thought of our thoughts as being perfect. This is known as the Ideal I.

The idea of spying has become a staple film. This can be seen in a variety of ways both literally and metaphorically.  Voyerism on shot- Actors and actresses take part in voyeurism as they are meant to pretend that they are not being watched by film crews. Cameras take part in voyeurism. Cameras and voyeurism- The cameras act like eyes which capture images.

POV shot- we are able to take on the role  the person in the film. This works particularly well in thriller films and was also famous by Alfred Hitchcock.

The Id

The id is concerned only with pleasure it cares nothing of consequence and operates only on instinct and impulsive. The Mirror stage and the ideal I this theory was madefamous by Jacques Lacon he stated that infants do not recognize themselves as being an individual. At about 18 months a child will realise that they are human, thus being an individual and establish their interpretation of themselves. This is known as the mirrors stage

The ego

The ego is our concerned with the reality of consequences. It is highly aware of how others perceive it and is constantly demanding that we act in a way which others find approving.

The superego

The super ego negotiates between the two parts of the brain, making decisions on whether or not to follow instinctual impulsive (pleasure) or to act accordingly to expectations to other conscientious.

The superego

The super ego negotiates between the two parts of the brain, making decisions on whether or not to follow instinctual impulsive (pleasure) or to act accordingly to expectations to other conscientious.

 Freud?

Known as the farther of psychology, his theory said that the human brain can be broken into three main parts which govern our behaviour, these being: Ideal I, EGO and superego.

 The protagonist (hero) and antagonist (villain) are usually hyper- exaggerated examples of either good or evil. Watching these character is a ways of appeasing those factors of our behaviour.