Props

Sounds effects

Similarities between our actors and actors in other films

Victim (played by Emily Lipman)

My group and I decided to cast myself to play the role of the victim as I have blonde hair and can be considered as attractive which we found from our survey interviews regarding the target audience to be very effective. In addition to this, people with blonde hair are known as being 'dumb' and 'stupid', which therefore fits the stereotype for a victim. This demonstrates why my group had chosen myself to play the role of the victim due to the fact that I very much fit this stereotype. My group and I believe that I can be compared to Drew Barrymore, who plays the role of  the victim Casey Becker in the film 'Scream.' This is due to the fact that we are both young and innocent girls who also happen to have blonde hair, therefore portraying a believable and realistic character for the victim. 

Common stereotypes of female actors:

• lack of independence (always need a man)
• always need to be saved (incapable)
• objectified by men
• innocent (never does nothing wrong)
• beautiful
• young and vulnerable

What both actors have in common:

• young
• vulnerable
• innocent
• blonde 'dumb' thriller target
• protagonists

Kidnapper (played by Jonathan Rosenfeld)

We decided to cast Jonathan (who is one of our groups members father) to play the role of the kidnapper in our opening sequence. Jonathan is an ordinary man who we believe can be easily manipulated to look more mysterious and suspicious. To play the role of the kidnapper effectively, Jonathan will be dressed in all black with a large coat and a hood to add to the suspiciousness that his role partakes. Jonathan can be compared to the actor Justin Theroux, who plays the role of Tom Watson, who is the kidnapper from the Thriller film 'The Girl On The Train'. 

Common stereotypes of the role of a kidnapper:

• dark clothing
• mysterious
• secretive
• creepy

What both actors have in common:

• dark clothing
• mysterious
• suspicious
• determined

Victim's Father (played by Warren Black)

Warren Black is also one of our other groups member's fathers, and he will be playing the role of the victim's father. Warren is a stereotypical father, who is protective over his daughter and is extremely worried about her whereabouts. These traits are similar to those of Liam Neeson, who plays the role of Bryan Mills in the film trilogy 'Taken'. In Taken, Bryan's daughter is kidnapped and he is forced to take immediate action. Similar to Bryan, Warren will play the concerned father who is willing to do whatever he can to get his daughter back. Bryan wears casual clothing throughout the film, illustrating how due to the disappearance of his daughter he has more important things to worry about than his appearance. Likewise, Warren will be wearing extremely casual clothing as realistically he wouldn't be concerned about how he looks whilst he is worrying about his daughter. 

Common stereotypes of fathers:

• worried
• hard working 
• caring
• over protective

What both actors have in common:

• determination
• work ethic
• over protective 

Moodboard

In order to create this mood board, my group and I added a selection of different pictures that are representational to our opening sequence and are very relatable. We have used images from 'Scream' as we based similar features of our opening sequence on this film. Furthermore, we have a picture of a girl tied up in the boot of a car with rope, as well as a news reporter in a news report studio. The image of the man (kidnapper) in the right hand corner pointing up at pictures of the wall is vital. This is because this gives away what the main plot of our opening sequence is all about; thus foreshadowing later events that may occur.  We have numerous images of girls tied up, which highlights the danger and pain that our main victim will be going through at certain key moments. In addition to this, the trees depict where the kidnapper takes the girl (an isolated area), giving off some sort of suspicion and a mysterious feeling. The image of the blood brings the audience in as it is symbolising endangerment and vulnerability.

Films with similar lighting to ours

One example of a film that has similar lighting to ours is Scream. This is because it has scenes that are filmed in an isolated area that has outdoor dark lighting. This compares to the lighting that we will be using in our opening sequence as we will be filming outside in natural dark lighting. Scream also includes scenes that are filmed inside a house with the lights on. This is similar to how we will be lighting our opening sequence as we will also be filming inside a house with the lights on. 

Another movie that has similar lighting to ours is Cabin in the Woods as there is dark lighting used inside the cabin to create a suspenseful atmosphere. This is similar to the lighting we will be using in our opening sequence as the room in the kidnapper's house where he has the wall of his victims will have darkly lit lighting to add to the mystery of the film. 

Exploring fonts

EXPLORING FONTS by talia black

How to light our film

As we will be filming the first scene of our opening sequence outside, we will only be using natural daylight as a light source in this scene. The amount of brightness in this scene will depend on what the weather is like on the day of filming, as wet and rainy weather would make the brightness dimmer and more dull. 

In scenes that will be filmed in the kidnapper's car, we will be using the interior lights from inside the car to add brightness to the scene. Furthermore, when we film the news report we will use bright lighting from inside one of our houses to add brightness to create the affect that we are in a news room. However, in the scene where the news report is shown on the TV, we will turn all the lights in the room off so that the brightness coming from the TV is the only source of light in the room, which is the focus of this scene. 

As we will be starting our next section of outdoor filming at 4:15pm, the natural daylight outside will be darker than in the first scene. This will create the affect of time moving quickly and that something bad is about to happen, as the brightness changes from light to dark as the mood of the scene changes.

The last scene of our opening sequence will be filmed in one of our houses where the lights in the room will be off. We will then have a single spotlight shining on the kidnapper's wall of victims. This use of spotlight signifies the importance of the wall in this scene and how it is the focus of the rest of the film.

Survey about Thriller films

My group and I decided to create a survey specific to the genre of Thriller films. In order to do this we asked 20 people which allowed us to come up with an idea for our opening sequence, so we could get a genuine feel of what our target audience would like best. This appeared to be a film based on kidnapping as it builds suspense and contains drama, so therefore this is what we will focus on in our opening sequence. 

Results from our survey:
How old are you?

What is it about Thriller films that makes you want to watch them?

Out of the following options, what is your favourite genre?

What about Thriller's appeals to you the most?

Out of these options, what is your favourite Thriller film?

From the following options, what do you think causes suspense in a film?

The Location

As a group, we have decided to film in a suburban area for our opening sequence. We feel that this is the best choice of area as it isn't that busy which means that there won't be too many cars driving past while we are filming so there will be less background noise. The road is also perfect for our opening sequence as it is very realistic and pragmatic. It also suits our opening sequence as when it is dark it can look very perplexing and blood curling. Furthermore, this creepy environment will add to the dark atmosphere, making it correspond to the thriller genre of our sequence. 

We are also going to use a modern up to date car. This is appropriate for our opening sequence as it is quite plain, which illustrates the unusual and strange impression of the kidnappers car. The customary look and feel of the car distinctly match our genre as it doesn't give too much away about the kidnapper's personality and backstory. We also feel that the car will draw the audience into the story, thus engaging them into the plot of our thriller.
Additionally, we will be filming parts of our opening sequence in a modern yet standard looking lounge, which we are hoping our audience will be able to relate to and engage with. 

An example of a film that has a similar location to ours is Scream, which is located in an isolated location which doesn't have many people around, which is similar to ours. It also consists of a teenager being alone in this location which is also another similarity that we have in our sequence. In Scream the killer also stalks the victim in this isolated location, which is similar to our opening sequence as the victim in our sequence is also stalked by her abductor. 

Things to consider when planning our location

- Is it legal to film where we have planned?

Yes as we have planned to film on a public road. The car also belongs to my group member's father, so it won't be illegal as no one under age will be driving the car.

- Are there any access restrictions? (dates, times, permission, etc)
No, we can film wherever we wish as it is a public road. However, we may find it difficult to ensure that our group members parents are available with the car on that day so we should let them know in advance.

- Is it safe to film at this location?
It is safe if done in an adult manner, as we are filming on a road where there will be cars passing which can be dangerous. It is also safe to film inside the car as we will be supervised by a responsible adult who will be driving the car. 

- Is it physically possible to achieve what we want to achieve at this location?
It is possible to achieve what we want here as the road is the perfect layout as it can be used to create some amazing shots and scenes. The car is also perfect for our opening sequence as it is similar to what you would expect to see in a real thriller film. 

- Does the location suit the genre of the film?
Yes as our thriller is about a kidnapping, which consists of lots of action and running, as well as danger. 

- Is it interesting enough?
Yes, the kidnapping scene in particular is very thrilling and suspenseful. The actress who is playing the victim is also very experienced as she took Drama GCSE and obtained a good grade as well as having previous acting experience, therefore she isn't boring to watch and knows what she's doing.

- Will lighting be an issue?
No as we will be using natural lighting when we are outside, although we will make sure that we are filming at dusk as we want it to be a bit darker outside for our kidnapping scene to add to the suspense.

- Will the weather make a dramatic difference to the sequence?
No although if it has rained or snowed the day before it could be dangerous for the actors as they may slip and injure themselves. Additionally, it could ruin the quality of our shots as it could distract the actors - especially the person who is driving the car. 

- Is there a lot of road traffic nearby?
As we are filming from around 4pm-7pm there may be rush hour traffic as parents are picking their children up from school and people are making their way home from work. However as there are no schools nearby we may not encounter this issue. 

- Will noise be an issue?
Noise won't be an issue as the synchronous diegetic sound of the cars driving past will create a more realistic atmosphere and add to the suspense. When editing. my group and I will decide whether to add sound effects or mute the sound. 

Prezi of our new idea

Analysis of the opening sequence of 'The Night Manager'

The opening sequence to The Night Manager can be seen as a discrete title sequence. It sets the mood of the programme through pictures and sound yet it doesn't give away anything within the programme. We are also not introduced to any of the characters in the opening sequence and therefore it is not considered to be a traditional opening sequence. This type of opening sequence allows us to piece together the genre of the programme as being a drama. 

Shot by shot list

         Shot Number                  Shot Type                    Shot Starting Time

Shot 1	Wide shot of victim in the street	0 mins
Shot 2	Cross cut to a mid shot of the kidnapper in his car	0 mins 10 secs
Shot 3	Wide shot of the kidnapper getting out of his car	0 mins 15 secs
Shot 4	Over the shoulder shot of the kidnapper watching his victim	0 mins 21 secs
Shot 5	Wide shot of the kidnapper getting back into his car	0 mins  28 secs
Shot 6	Tracking shot of the kidnappers car driving down the road	0 mins 33 secs
Shot 7	Wide shot of the girl walking home	0 mins 45 secs
Shot 8	Panning shot showing the surroundings of the street where the kidnapper is waiting by his car	1 min 0 secs
Shot 9	Wide shot of kidnapper approaching the girl	1 min 8 secs
Shot 10	Wide shot of victim being put in to the boot of the kidnappers car	1 min 16 secs
Shot 11	Close up shot of the victims hands as she is tied up with rope	1 min 30 secs
Shot 12	Close up shot of the girl in the boot, kicking and screaming	1 min 38 secs
Shot 13	Point of view shot of an eye line match of the kidnapper looking in his wing mirror as he is driving the car	1 min  52 secs
Shot 14	Wide shot showing the victim tied up in the kidnappers lair, struggling to escape	2 mins 0 secs
Shot 15	Point of view shot of the dad picking up the phone	2 mins 20 secs
Shot 16	Close up of the dad on the phone	2 mins 25 secs
Shot 17	Wide shot of the kidnapper in a dark room	2 mins 35 secs
Shot 18	Mid shot showing the kidnappers wall of victims	2 mins 40 secs
Shot 19	Close up shot of the kidnapper pinning his most recent victims picture on the wall	2 mins 47 secs
Shot 20	Close up shot zooming in on the picture of the missing girl	2 mins 57 secs

Shooting Schedule

Plan for the day:
1:30pm - Meet with the rest of the group at the first location with props and costumes ready for filming.

1:45pm - Set up equipment and make sure that the camera is in the correct position to start filming the first scene.

2:00pm - Filming begins, starting with filming the victim getting on with her daily life while the kidnapper watches from his car.

2:30pm - Kidnapper gets out of his car for a clearer view of his target.

2:40pm - Kidnapper gets back into his car.

2:50pm - Kidnapper follows the victim down the road in his car.

3:10pm - Kidnapper ties up victim and puts her in the boot of his car.

3:20pm - Filming paused for a short break.

3:40pm - Filming resumes with the victim struggling to escape from the kidnapper's lair.

3:55pm - The dad is on the phone to the police concerning the disappearance of his daughter.

4:10pm - Kidnapper pins photo of the victim on his wall of victims.

4:30pm - Equipment is packed away and filming is over.

My Prelim

Filming Our Prelim
As a group, we set up the equipment needed for filming which included a dolly, a tripod and a camera. Once we had successfully set up the camera, we asked 2 of our classmates to act in our prelim by following a script. Within our group, we took it in turns to film different shots of the prelim so that we each had the opportunity to use the equipment. We followed the instructions on the script so that we knew which angles to film at and what shots to take. We tried to replicate what was written on our script as best as we could so that we wouldn't encounter any major difficulties when it came to editing our prelim.

The Script









Editing Our Prelim
We used the Premier Pro editing programme to edit our prelim. We started by importing all the shots that we had filmed onto the system and then picking the best ones to go in our prelim and deleting the shots that we didn't need. Once we had decided on which shots to include, we edited them by cropping the videos and creating transitions. We then put all the clips together to create one video that followed the order of the script.

Our Prelim

Analysis Of Our Prelim
Overall I believe that my group had successfully carried out the task and created a prelim that followed the instructions that were given in the original script. However, we could have improved our use of the 180 degree rule and edited our prelim slightly better so that the transitions between the shots were smoother. I believe that with a better understanding of how to use the camera and the Premier Pro editing programme, my group and I would of been able to create a prelim with smoother transitions and better shots.