Screenshot 2

For this shot, we lowered the tripod so it was about a foot from the floor so it was level with Sam and Jess's feet. The purpose of the shot was to show impatience of the students and the time ticking away. This was meant to add to the suspense and build up. The editing process for this shot was simple - we just had to cut it down and add a fade transition so it looked smooth. The initial idea was to have it in time with the soundtrack so the sound of the foot tapping could be heard but the soundtrack we chose didn't fit wth this idea but it fit with other shots so benefited our opening more than one that just fit with the foot tapping would have done.

Screenshot 1

This screenshot features at the beginning of our opening as one of the students is making his way to the revision classroom. We placed the tripod on a chair so the camera would be as high up as we could get it in the corner of the ceiling in the corridor. This hopefully made it look like footage from CCTV. We didn't need any props and the only actor needed was Sam. In the editing process, we made it black and white and also added the 'noise' effect to make sure it was obvious it was meant to be CCTV footage. Unfortunately we were unable to put four different shots in so we just replicated the same shot four times so it looked like the CCTV screens.

Locations
We will use the media room for the location of the revision session. We can also use it for the scenes with the killers preparing as none of the room will be shown as they are all close ups. We can use the field for the shots of the killers approaching the college to ensure continuity.

Mise en scene
Lighting: we will use lots of low-key lighting especially for the scenes involving the killers. Although we can't shoot it at night we plan to darken the scenes during the editing process to make it more sinister as though it were night.
Costumes: The victims will obviously just be wearing what they would on a normal day. We also decided the killers would wear normal clothes - jeans and hoodies with the hood up. We also had one of the killers in a 'Scream' mask to introduce the idea of their obsession with the movie though it won't be explained in the opening. Their normal clothes will also add to the enogma code as it suggests that they could be anybody and that seemingly normal people can have these dark secrets or mental problems that nobody knows about.
Props; Scream mask, Knife, Watch.

Soundtrack
We plan to use this as a non-diegetic sound throughout our opening:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-Ea7R5-81w

The song was composed specifically for a film so its unlikely that many people will have heard it before or recognise it if they have. This will hopefully make the audience feel less comfotable than if they knew the song well which is what a thriller should ideally do.

Treatment

Title: The Game
Genre: Thriller - elements of crime thriller and psychological thriller

Our film would have an ensemble cast so there is no one main character. The plot involves three killers (2 males and one female) and a classroom full of victims - some more focused on than others. In thrillers the killer(s) tend not to be the main character though their role is just as important in the plot but they are usually harder for the audience to relate to. We chose to challenge this convention as the killers in our film have just as big a part as the victims.
The killers in our film have formed an unhealthy obsession with typical teen-horror moies such as the 'Scream' series and 'The Strangers'. They idolise the killers in these types of films and plot to replicate the types of murders committed in them. We decided to name it 'The Game' because the idea of the killers playing a game with their victims as they have fun planning their crimes and later, committing them seemed very sinister. The plot will also focus on a few of the students as they try and survive the attack on their college during an after-school revision session.
The opening will not give much of this away but just show a series of cross-cutting shots between the killers preparing for their crimes and the students in their revision session.

Audience Feedback

We pitched our ideas to the group and the feedback we received showed that we needed to develop our characters. The killers needed a stronger, more definite motivation. We took this into account and adjusted our treatment.

Audience Profile
I think a thriller film needs to ideally be at least a 15 certificate to enable the filmmaker to use things like violence and references to things like drugs to make the film more exciting. For an 18 you can use more than just references like extreme drug use or swearing. The use of drugs, sex, language and violence need to be taken into account when deciding on an age certificate for our film.

We decided to place our film at a 15 age certificate. An 18 would be unnecessary and would limit our audience by an extra 3 years.

This will not prevent us from showing sufficient amounts of violence to make the film exciting and the violence is the only issue featured in our film regarding age certificates.
Our primary target audience is males aged between 15 and 24. The focus is mainly on males because they tend to enjoy this kind of violent film, however many girls enjoy this type of film too as well as the psychological elements so our secondary target audience is females of the same age range.

Screenshots - ideas

Narrative

The Strangers

The masks worn by the killers gave us the idea to also have the killers in
our film wear similar masks. It's effect in this film, 'The Strangers' was an added sense of fear and the enigma code as the masks prevent the audience from knowing anything about the killers as we can't see their facial expressions. We hope to achieve the same effect in our film opening. The masks will keep the audience from relating to the killers, at least throughout most of the film during which they will not have any depth to their characters revealed, maintaining the enigma code and suspense.


Camerawork

Open Water

The film is shot with a handheld camera so the shots are very simple from a technical point of view. The film's simple technological approach was successful because there were no special effects taking away from the realism which enabled audiences to relate to the film more than those with lots of CGI and effects. It was the emotions of the characters in this film and the projection of these emotions onto the audience that made it exciting and not the use of effects. Although we have a tripod to use, our opening shots will still look similar to this because the level of technology available to us is similar. Also, we plan to use just a handheld camera in some shots such as the point of view shot when one of the killers is approaching the college.


Editing

Se7en

The film opening for 'Se7en' is a montage of the killer doing various intricate jobs without showing more than his fingers. The fast-paced style of editing is successful as it contains the enigma code which immediately intrigues an audience. We chose to show lots of short shots of the killers in our film preparing for the job they are about to take on though we also plan to have it cross-cutting with shots of the students so it differs from se7en. We decided to not show their faces so the audience can't identify with them, at least not this early on in the film. This will hopefully heighten feelings of suspense and mystery within the audience. The opening of 'Se7en' hints at the role of the character shown without giving much away in terms of their motives and character which we also hope to achieve in our opening.


Sound
We plan to use a non-diegetic soundtrack throughout our opening. This worked in thrillers such as 'se7en' and Hitchcock's 'Vertigo' as neither contained any diegetic sound but they still intrigue and excite audiences. Obviously it will be difficult to find a track that fits our opening, even if the tone and mood are right it won't necessarily fit with the time as our opening will have some fast paced stop and start suspense so as we can't make our own track we will have to find one that fits the best.


Representation
The killers in our film will come across as very stereotypical in the opening sequence. They will wear masks such as they do in 'The Strangers' and 'Scream'. However, part of the enigma code we hope will be the reason and motivation for the crime which they will commit rather than the excitement and build up to the crime itself. The reason would possibly be that they have formed an obsession with films such as the ones previously mentioned and have a passionate desire to replicate these stereotypical teen-horror film type crimes.

Powerpoint - thriller screenshots and conventions

The Prestige

• Dark lighting adds to the enigma code.
• Sinister - woods are conventionally used as a scary location as they are deserted.
• Mysterious - don't know what the hats are there for or how they got there.

The Talented Mr Ripley

•Loss of identity suggested by the mirror.
•Suspense - expect something to come up from behind.
•Sense of threat - can't see whats behind him.

Psycho

•Vulnerability of the woman being naked.
•Female victim is conventional thrillers.
•Suspense as you can see the shadow approaching.

Shutter Island

• Death
• Innocent victims (colour of dress) is conventional for thrillers.
•Supernatural – the colour of the blood suggests its not real and the floating ash.

The Box

•Villain with physical deformity
•Rich villain makes him seem more of a threat, powerful, intimidating
•Ordinary, innocent victims suggested by the colour of kitchen - yellow.

The Disappearance of Alice Creed

•Female Victims are conventional
•Male Villains
•Crime

Black Swan

•Loss of identity suggested by the red eyes
•Fear - wide eyes
•Dark/sinister - red eyes, black, gothic clothing

When A Stranger Calls

•Sinister – victims probably innocent due to the normal setting, homes.
•Dark - enigma code, suspense
•Mysterious/enigma code – can't see whats happening clearly

Dirty Harry

• Urban setting
• Innocent victims -normal day in the city due to the cars and people walking around
• Hero accustomed to danger – the gun and suit


Conclusion:
This shows the conventions of a wide range of thriller film openings, the most common being that the victims tend to be females unaccustomed to crime and there tends to always be a sense of threat created by suspense and mystery or the enigma code. We will take these conventions into account in our treatment.