Production Roles- Miss Miller

Particular roles are allocated when creating a film or sequence as they enable people to focus on specific areas of the production. Each role is significant as it contributes towards producing a sucessful production and the person filling each particular role has a very important job to ensure the production comes across as professional. The necessary roles needed to create a production include:

• Production company
• Producers
• Directors
• Actors
• Music producers
• Directors of photography
• Screenplay writers
• Editors

When allocating these roles to our group members, we discussed the qualities and skills that would need to be applied to ensure each role is completed well so it is sucessful. I was allocated the role as an actor; the main character (female victim) because I haven chosen to take A-level drama, as I sustained a grade B at GCSE. This gives me an advantage over the other members in my group as neither Mikaeel or Tyler were as interested in having a large or main role in the production as they do not study drama as a subject. I also contributed towards the role of music producers, along side Mikaeel as we both spent time in lessons reseaching potential sounds and music that fit in with our narrative and could be used within our production. Examples of SFX that we found are heavy breathing and a heartbeat as they are conventional to a thriller as they create suspense and surprise.

We allocated Tyler as the editor, as he had used the editing softwear before with our preliminary task and knew how to cut, import, and put filters on our sequence. We were confident that Tyler would be able to finalise our sequence and make it flow as is played so it looked professional.

We decided that the director of photography will be Mikaeel as he has the least amount of time on screen, allowing him to be free to film whilst Tyler and I are in role. Mikaeel had to tell us where we needed to stand within the frame and instructed us on what we were doing right and what else we needed to do, as he could see what was happening from the audience's perspective. This also meant that Mikaeel took on the role of director as he kept track of what had been filmed and what we needed to do to complete all of the shots for our opening sequence.  

Filming Schedule- Miss Georgiou

A filming schedule is used to describe the shots, angles and transitions that will be used for each scene. It states the location of each shot, so we know exactly where to go when filming. The schedule included the content of each scene so when we we're filming, we knew what had to be included in that particular shot. We listed a variety of shot types for each section to ensure that out sequence had different shots throughout so it wasn't boring to watch. Costume, hair and make-up was included on the schedule so we knew exactly what the actors needed to wear to make our sequence conventional to a thriller and so every shot matched up and didn't look odd. We wrote down the iconography that would be in the shot so we knew what props needed to be included in each frame. The schedule also states who each role will be played by and we listed all of the equipment we needed to film our sequence. This schedule kept us organised and ensured we knew exactly what we needed to have to make our thriller sequence work. 

Risk Assessment- Miss Georgiou

 

When filming our opening sequences, there will be a variety of risks that we need to take into consideration in order to stay safe ourselves and also to be aware of potential elements of danger for members of the public near where we are filming. These hazards need to be addressed so everyone stays safe so any injuries can be prevented. 

In the table above, we have outlined hazards that we can prevent to keep everyone safe. For example, as our sequence encourparates the antagonist running with a knife, we had to make sure that when the knife was not being used, it was covered up and safe to pick up so it did not cut anyone. Everyone had to be aware of where the knife was so no injuries occurred throughout the process of filming the whole sequence. This risk assesment table helped us with the dangers of each scene therefore made us think about the details of the scene before we filmed it so we can adjust parts of it to make it safe. 

Inspirations- Miss Georgiou

We need inspirations before we can create something because they give us ideas when planning and ensure we can create a successful product. I was inspired by the clip from Scream we watched in class: the female victim in a deserted car park with no exit to safety and no one around to help.

The low key lighting in this clip helps set an eerie atmosphere and creates suspense which is conventional to a thriller sequence. This will be good to include in my own thriller sequence because it will help contribute to making the audience feel anxious about what might happen. The eerie music and obsure silences are conventional to a thriller sequence as they cause the audience to feel suspense and shocked. If we used this in our opening sequence, it would make the audience interested in our film, making them want to carry on with watching the film. We can make these elements from this sequence our own by using them at points in our narrative that are intense, to ensure the audience are aware of the dangerous situations that will take place.


Watching a variety of thriller sequences/ film clips broadened my knowlegde and my research has inspired me to encourparate some ideas into my own narrative, to make my sequence better and extremely conventional to a thriller sequence.

Opening Scene Narration- Miss Miller

The opening sequence starts with a long shot, with low key lighting in an isolated car park, where a couple are arguing about problems in their relationship.  The camera zooms into a mid shot, allowing the audience to witness the dialogue, facial expressions and body language between the couple. The female character accuses the male character of cheating which leads to them breaking up. As the audience become aware of the break up, an over the shoulder shot, from behind the female character will be used to show the reaction on the boyfriend as he agrees with the break up and begins to walk away. As the male character goes to drive off from the female character, the camera zooms out into a long shot to demonstrate her being isolated and alone from everyone. The camera then zooms back in, to show a mid shot of the female character standing on her own in the car park. An over the shoulder shot is used again to show the female character noticing a dark figure standing in the distance. The camera remains over the female character's shoulder as she takes out her phone to try and reach someone to make them aware of a possibly dangerous situation she could be in. A close up is then used to show how her phone has no signal leaving her un-reachable and unable to contact anyone. The camera then zooms out, back to an over the shoulder shot and into a shot reverse shot to show the antagonist, then the victims reaction and then back to the dark figure of the antagonist in the distance. A long shot is then used as the victim runs up a dark alley to try and escape the stalker. The camera then changes to a POV/ handheld of the antagonists perspective as he chases the victim up the alleyway. A close up is used again to show the scared and worried facial expressions of the victim. Panning will then be used to show the chase in the alley and then the camera will change to a two shot  to show the stalker catching up with the victim. The camera will return to a long shot as the victim runs through a forest pathway to attempt to hide or get to safety. A mid shot will be used as the victim hides in an area in the forest. The camera will remain in a mid shot as the antagonist discovers the victim, and then finally a high angle will be used as the atagonist stands over the victim, who remains on the floor scared. 

Group Planning- Miss Georgiou

My group members are Mikaeel Khaliq and Tyler Osman. Group meetings are essential to have as we can all contribute our ideas towards our narrative of our thriller sequence. Ensuring our planning stages are thorough is essential because without planning, our sequence will not work and will not include everything a thriller sequence needs to.  The meetings allow every member of the group to confirm all of the final decisions made.

In our first group meeting, on the 13.10.14, we discussed our individual narrative ideas and created a a group narative between all three of us. We all contributed suggestions for the final narrative to ensure it made sense, and included a variety of conventions to fit with the thriller genre. We decided to use the general idea of my idividual narrative, with aspects of Mikaeel's and Tyler's, because we thought my idea would be the clearest portrayal of the conventions we needed to include in our sequence.

On the 4.11.14, we planned all the elements of mise-en-scene; settings & iconography, costume, hair & make-up, facial expressions & body language, lighting & colour and positioning of characters/ objects within the frame.

On the 5.11.14, we planned what cinematography we would include in our sequence, for example, POV, close ups, high angle shots, low angle shots, panning, canted, handheld, eye-level and extreme long shot.



 







On the 13.11.14 we planned the sound that we intended to include in the opening sequence.











On the 18.11.14 we planned each character that will be in our opening sequence.

Group Planning Meetings:

Having group meetings and discussions were important when planning our thriller production, because they ensured that the decisions made were finalised and agreed on so that there would be no difficulties or arguments when creating our sequence. The meetings we had consisted of writing down all our ideas and discussing why we would use them to make the events in our sequence conventional to a thriller. These discussions also allowed each individual group member to have their say and to put forward ideas that they think could make the sequence better. The group meetings were useful as they contributed to the planning of the sequence; ensuring that all of the micro-elements were included. Tyler, Mikaeel and I worked well together when planning our opening sequence as we all contributed various ideas and we were quick with deciding what we wanted to involve within the sequence.

Individual storyboard- Miss Georgiou

The purpose of story boards are to help plan and structure a sequence before filming it. The storyboard helps organise the production of the sequence and allows the angles, movements and positions of the camera to be sorted out and given reason behind the choice of each one. We have created inidvidual storyboards before creating a group one so we have a variety of ideas and choices for each single frame. This will ensure that everything we want to include in our sequence is encourparated and reasons for angles, movements and positions can be discussed within the group to ensure we have planned the best possible sequence. I hope my individual post will help when planning our group storyboard as it includes a variety of shots and angles which have reasons for them being used I'm each frame.

In my story board, I started off by using a long shot in the car park, as the couple start their argument  to show that they are the only people around, which emphesises the isolation of the characters. I have said there will be low key lighting and eerie music to make it conventional to a thriller; it creates suspense. I then used the idea of shot reverse shot as the couple's argument starts to comes to an end and they agree to go their separate ways. As the boyfriend drives away, the camera will zoom out to emphasise her standing on her own in a deserted car park. This makes the audience have sympathy for the victims character, creating a relationship between them. The isolation of the victim creates suspense making it conventional to a thriller sequence. I said silence will also be used in this frame as it will create tension and an eerie atmosphere for the audience. Over the shoulder shots will be used in several frames where the antagonist and victim are both in the frame. This demonstrates the distance between the characters; physically and mentally. Non diegetic sound will be included in the sequence, such as a heartbeat, and emphesised footsteps. The heartbeat will be used in the most dramatic parts of the sequence to emphesise the danger the victim faces. For example when the victim tries to contact someone on her phone for help but has no signal, the heartbeat will suggest the panic the victim is experiencing. A POV shot and diegetic sound of heavy breathing, will be used by the antagonist as he is following, and eventually running after the victim as she attempts to get away through the alleyways and the forest. This will build up tension and create surprise and suspense as the sequence plays, making it conventional to a thriller. A low angle shot will be encourporated at the end of the sequence as the victim has fallen over in the forest and the antagonist stands over her, emphasising the power and strength the antagonist has in contrast to the weak victim. This will create sympathy from the audience towards the victim as they anticipate what is going to happen to her I'm the dangerous situation.