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Script

This is the final script developed from three previous drafts, it also includes the final, agreed title, 'Vindictive', we chose this as our title as we believed this is an effective way of giving the viewers an insight on the complete film though also keeps the audience questioning how this theme is presented through the opening.

Storyboard

This is our completed storyboard.

Prop List

Here is a list of props that we plan to use in our opening:

• Flowers
• Guns (Authentic)
• Balaclava
• Binoculars
• Duffel Bag
• Phones
• Files

It is likely that we will add to this list when we shoot.

Antagonist Comparison

Our thriller opening consists of two antagonists who are out to kill the protagonist because of his desire to do the same to them. This can also be compared to the film Taken as the terrorist group who play the antagonists in that film are in an incredibly similar position. They have performed their act of terrorism and have made an enemy on the way. Upon the discovery of this enemy they direct their attention to attempting to kill him. Our opening consists of a similar story that involves them making an enemy who aims to get revenge and therefore they have to kill him, however similarly to Taken, which is no easy task.

A notable difference between the two is the fact that the antagonists in Taken have something belonging to the protagonist that they do not want to lose. In our thriller this is not the case. Therefore the antagonists in our film are in a more powerful position because they have nothing to lose unlike the antagonists in Taken.

By Ryan Dowley

Protagonist Comparison

Our thriller features a protagonist similar to many films but a very notable character that he can be compared to is 'Bryan Mills' who is played by Liam Neeson in the film 'Taken'. The reason he is very similar to our character is because he is pursuing a similar objective to the protagonist we have created ( His family are in jeopardy therefore he seeks to solve all issues and take revenge on the people responsible  However, he is not exactly the same as our protagonist due to the fact that he is mainly used as an action character yet the role we have created is not centred around action nearly as much as the role played by Liam Neeson in Taken. Furthermore in Taken, Mills solves all of his problems fully through his action, we have included many different ways in which our character aims to resolve his issues. For example, the sources he has that he can use to gather information which he manipulates greatly to aid him on his quest. Another difference between the two is the fact that in Taken Liam Neeson is chasing his enemies as they are in the position of power and have something that he needs however in our opening the antagonists are not in any position of power, the protagonist just wants to take revenge and is willing to do a lot to get it. Therefore throughout Taken he is trying to save his family whereas our protagonist is only out to kill.

By Ryan Dowley

Equipment

Sony HD Handycam - This camera is what we will use to film and it shoots at 25 frames per second therefore it creates a visible smoothness when we record which will benefit our opening. Also it has a 12x zoom which can be beneficial as there is potential for us to use these features throughout our shoot.

Tripod - We will be using a basic tripod throughout our shoot which will provide us with stable shots which we will need for any conversations or monologues and can also provide a very smooth pan effect which will be beneficial in various scenes throughout our opening.

Microphone - We will be using a microphone to record any speech or sound vital to the opening as it provides clear sound with no interventions from any other source of sound. This is beneficial especially because when filming with the camera it is likely that unwanted sounds will be present therefore we have our microphone to rely on.

By Ryan Dowley

Sound Research

Before shooting it is important to be aware of sound and how to go about adding it in to our opening correctly. For this reason it is key that we understand synchronous and asynchronous sound.

Synchronous sound is when the image on screen corresponds with the sound that the audience can hear. This can be anything from speech to an action that happens on screen.

Asynchronous sound is when the sound does not correspond with what we see on screen. This can have various effects but is particularly effective in thrillers as a director can create tension or mystery by using a sound and not showing its source.

We will include both of these types of sound in our own opening.

By Ryan Dowley

Title Sequence Research - Red Lights

The opening sequence of Red Lights consists of various stereotypical aspects that a thriller opening would have. The lack of lighting and mysterious titles along with the odd barely visible image which creates alot of mystery from the start is very common in various different types of thrillers. The inclusion of shots showing a variety of objects zoomed in has a great effect and is another thing we could take into account when producing our own opening. To add the text is a very subtle touch used in this opening however it is very effective tool as it compliments the background and is also a very subtle font following the theme of mystery and keeping the audience in the dark so they wonder what to expect from the film.

                 

Each shot in the storyboard above is very dark and the colour scheme sticks to shades of black,grey and white. Except for the red lights which appear behind the title. This demonstrates that there is some sort of importance associated with these Red Lights and is very effective. This is a feature that could be adapted in many ways and we can take it into account when producing our own opening.

The images of a pen writing and mysterious cards suggest a dark psychological twist in the film as these things are associated with the mind. Although we are not creating a psychological thriller it is an effective technique that can also be adapted to the different style of thrillers.

By Ryan Dowley

Title Sequence Research - Casino Royale

The title shots of Casino Royale demonstrate a unique style with the use of things such as the free flowing movement of the credits. Additionally the background which consists of fights and various other captivating shots including targets and guns etc. is very good at setting the tone for the rest of the film. There are many things used in the opening of Casino Royale that our group could use as an influence when making our very own opening. For me the most notable and effective feature of this particular opening is the style of title. Very clear and bold which gets the credits shown and noticed however when combined with the unorthodox background it remains captivating for the audience. Furthermore the use of blood and guns in the opening suggests what viewers can expect throughout the film and we can take this into account making a film of a similar type. 

The storyboard above shows the opening to Casino Royale. The re-appearance of guns throughout the opening suggest alot of violence and combat will be present in the film. This is only amplified by the ongoing fight scene that we are shown. Images such as the sight of a gun in front of bullet holes also have a clear connotation of violence.

There are more subtle factors that effect the opening such as the inclusion of blood and the colour red. Once again suggesting violent themes are to be expected. In addition we see the symbols of card suits throughout the whole opening sticking with the title 'Casino Royale'. This suggests the cunning and intelligent side to James Bond may be shown in the film.

By Ryan Dowley

Filming Schedule

Week 1	Week 2
Monday – Graveyard (Scene 1)	Monday – Office (Scene 4)
Tuesday – Graveyard (Scene 1)	Tuesday – Various locations (Scene 5)
Wednesday – Meeting (Scene 2)	Wednesday - Various locations (Scene 5)
Thursday – Voiceovers	Thursday – Editing (Sound)
Friday – School (Scene 2)	Friday - Editing
Saturday – Various locations (Scene 3)	Saturday - Editing
Sunday – Various locations (Scene 3)	Sunday - Editing

Saul Bass by Yasser Ibrahim

Film Production Companies by Yasser Ibrahim

Film logos research by Yasser Ibrahim

Film fonts research by Yasser Ibrahim

Questions on Final Idea

These are some questions we considered in class after deciding our final idea for the thriller(idea 1 from mind map).

 

1. Will it show off the skills you have learnt so far on the course?

 It will show off the skills we have learnt on the course as our opening will involve a variety of camera angles and movements along with the editing skills required to make it.

2. Is it something you can reasonably shoot and edit in the time available?

We will make a schedule and arrange all of the time that we will spend on shooting and editing. We aim to finish the shoot over a weekend and then spent a large amount of time on the editing as it will consume more of our time however we should be capable of finishing all tasks in the allocated time.

3. Can you get access/ permission to shoot in the chosen location at the chosen times?

All of the locations are public therefore they are all accessible.

4. Can you organise lighting to use in that location?

A lot of the locations are outside therefore we will have to work with the lighting however we are able to arrange lighting in the locations that are inside as we have the necessary equipment ready when we need it.

5. Have you included dialogue? If so, will it work to shoot conversation in that location?

                                                                                        

Our script so far (Not the final script) does not include dialogue that takes place outside in a location where noise could affect it as all of the dialogue takes place inside. Due to this, conversation will not be an issue.

Film Ideas

This is a brainstorm my group created and illustrates 3 proposed film ideas that could be the foundations of our film opening. Thus far we have established that we would like to create a crime/conspiracy thriller, but we are still considering other options such as mystery and psychological. We have also concluded that the film opening should not reveal as much as we primarily thought, as film openings paint a vague picture of the story's themes, along with the opening credits and the setting.

Production Company Logos

Dreamworks - The font is very clear and quite aesthetically pleasing and the symbol of the moon and clouds is very unique and memorable. Furthermore the colour scheme is quite relaxing and makes the whole logo even more aesthetically pleasing.

20th Century Fox - The logo used by 20th Century Fox has become an icon in the film industry and i believe that it has become so notorious due to the concise layout of the logo. The font is very clear and bold and stands out against the soothing looking back drop. Furthermore the sound that goes with it when it is introducing films is also very notorious as it is catchy. This could be something we take into account when making our own.

Universal - There is an ongoing theme between the different production company's logo's and that is that they seem to focus their logo on one main image that is almost like an icon (in this case it is the earth behind the title). Furthermore they often use aesthetically pleasing backgrounds which aid the title in catching the viewers eyes. Also, the fonts used often work well with the colour pallet on the logo's.

 

By Ryan Dowley

(Thriller) Production Companies

Touchstone pictures is a division of The Walt Disney Studios that is known for making films with a dark theme, often thrillers. It was founded in 1984 and is based in California, USA. It has produced many films including Armageddon, War Horse and Flight Plan. Touchstone uses Disney's resources for things such as distribution making it a  lot easier to access things needed to make the film a success.

Touchstone is a good example for us to follow with films such as Flight Plan as we are considering making a film that is based on terrorism and it also shows an example of a big company's take on a film based on terrorism. We have to consider whether we will produce our film as part of an independent company or as part of a conglomerate and we can use Touchstone as an example of a conglomerates version of a film based on terrorism and compare it to independent films such as Pulp Fiction (Miramax).

Miramax films is an independent film company known for distributing independent or foreign films. It is based in Santa Monica, California and was founded in 1979. It is useful as it provides us with an idea of an independent thriller so we can compare it to a conglomerate's version and see which we would like to be.

A reason that i decided to research Miramax Films is because it produced one of the most successful independent thriller films ever (Pulp Fiction). This is interesting as it shows that you do not have to be part of a conglomerate to produce a successful and presents a case for independent production companies when we are making our decision.

By Ryan Dowley

Title Fonts

King Kong - The font used in the title of a film can be quite important and reflects on the film itself. A great example of this is 'King Kong' which is about a giant gorilla who is released into modern society from his native home and he goes wild causing chaos in society. The title is very good as it is in big bold dominant letters which reflect the events of the film.

Blade Runner - The title of blade runner has various connotations most notably the slash that goes through the whole title clearly representing the 'blade' part of the title. Additionally the font is blood red which could be a symbol of the death that is shown throughout the film.


The Godfather - A connotation that may not be noticed so easily is the arrangement of the title. In this case, the title is very concise and organised which could relate to the nature of the film (Organised crime). This could be something to take into account when making our own title.


By Ryan Dowley

Titles Research

Titles by Ryan Dowley

Opening Sequence - Casino Royale

In the opening sequence of Casino Royale there are many features that we can take inspiration from when creating our own for example the use of props (guns etc.) go well with theme of the film. Furthermore the editing used is also very good using things such as the blood coming down and covering the screen. The cast and crew are introduced whilst keeping the introduction captivating and introducing the theme of the film vaguely.

Furthermore, the constant fight scene going on behind the opening credits is very captivating and keeps the audience focused whilst introducing everything. We will take into account the effect that this has and try to include this in our own introduction.

As the opening progresses the animations continue to show fight scenes that almost sum up what you can expect in the film. Additionally the fact that they are only showing animated figures helps to keep the mystery of the film intact. Therefore it is helping to build up the anticipation.

To add, the way in which the credits are presented is very unique as it is very spontaneous and therefore keeps the audience guessing. This could be effective as often the credits are not a noticeable feature of an opening sequence.

By Ryan Dowley

Audience Research - Focus Group

Prelim (Final video)

Prelim Storyboard

Film Opening Sequences

 This is a mind map we made to begin looking at Openings to a film, before more closely looking into thriller openings and our chosen sub-genres.
It gives an idea on what exactly the opening of a film should do and in what way etc. How does this introduce the genre, the cast and crew as well as entice the audience.

Opening Sequence - Scarface

This is a timeline activity of the famous crime thriller, 'Scarface' closely analysing the ways in which the opening credits are presented as well as how the opening sets the scene, the setting, the genre and introduces the film to the audience. Below is the video used for analysis.

Opening Sequence - The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

This is a timeline activity of the title sequence of 'The girl with the dragon tattoo' that we conducted together as a group in class. below is the video that we used for analysis.
The video was very fast paced and filled with violence (though animated/CGI) and instantly gave an impression of the film as well as what it would include - fast paced violent scenes filled with both tension and action.

Audience Research - Questionnaire

Here is a short questionnaire used as audience research for an insight into people's opinions on thrillers and their particular favourite films and preferred genres by Halim, below are some of the findings. 

Gender		Age		On Average how much TV do you watch per day?		What attracts you to a TV show?
male	7	16	1	0<2		Action	3
female	3	17	4	2<4	3	Comedy	4
		18	5	4<6	4	Famous Actors	2
		19		6<8	3	Reviews
				Other___		Director	1

What types of film do you usually watch in the cinema?		What type of thrillers do you enjoy most?		Do you prefer..?		What is your favourite thriller?
Comedy	2	Psychological thriller	3	Old classics	2	Inception	3
Action	4	Conspiracy thriller	1	New Films	8	Scarface	1
Romance	1	Action thriller	6			The God Father	2
Thriller	3	Crime thriller				Batman trilogy	3
Sci-fi		Romantic thriller				The Da Vinci code	1
Other________________

-   The majority of people asked look for action and comedy in a film when going to watch it in the cinema, therefore we will attempt to implement those desired qualities of films within our film opening

-   The majority of participants claimed to watch mostly action and thriller films; action now proving highly demanded by audience with the increasing use and development of special effects, CGI and camera quality. Therefore, well will try to use or hint that there will be some action in our film opening.

-   Based on current events and the increasing popularity of conspiracy based films and documentaries for examples ‘The Lion sleeps no more’, ‘Esoteric Agenda’ and films like ‘The Adjustment Bureau’ and ‘The Ghost’, as a group we decided to go for a conspiracy based film (opening), regardless of the lack of apparent interest in this specifically in comparison to other sub-genres of a thriller shown in the questionnaire. In addition, due to the high popularity of action thrillers and secondly psychological thrillers we will attempt to include certain aspects of these thriller sub-genres in our film opening

-   Predictably of teenagers the large majority stated they preferred new films to old classics so we will discuss elements of successful ‘new’ thrillers such as Inception in order to apply these elements to our thriller opening. However, two of the films mentioned as the participants’ favourite thrillers were in fact ‘classics’ (The Godfather and Scarface) despite the general preference of ‘new films’, this indicates that we must attempt to analyse sections of the films in order to somewhat determine what makes these thrillers so successful and hopefully be able to incorporate some of those elements into our own thriller opening.