R+P Post 10: Reflections so far/looking ahead

Here is a Prezi presentation that I have made about my reflections so far and our plans for the next stage. 

R+P Post 9: Our opening sequence's soundtrack

The soundtrack we have chosen to use is called "Codename" from the website freeplaymusic.com.

Freeplay Music Website

We spent a lot of time trying to choose a soundtrack as it is a big part of conveying genre and creating the desired atmosphere. It also needs to work well with what is happening on screen. We looked at many different websites, including Audio Network, Soundcloud and Freeplay Music. These websites all source copyright-free music which enables us to use it in our opening sequence.

As the genre of our opening is a crime/thriller we needed a soundtrack that was suspenseful and tense. The use of strings and drums in the music helps to create the tension we wanted. Additionally, there is a build to a climax which we can use during the red herring scene to create suspense. The climax would play alongside the reveal of the runner. We don't want the
soundtrack to be too overpowering so the volume levels for the different sections will need to be changed carefully. The volume will match with the level of tension in the sequence. 

For our sound effects we used a website called freesound.org. Sound effects are important as they will make the sequence more realistic. The heavy breathing sound effect is vital as it is one of two things (the other being a shaky camera shot) which identifies the stalker character. Many of our sounds will be recorded live so that they are in sync with the footage. 

The main sound effects we plan to include are as follows:

• A clock ticking
• An alarm 
• Perfume spray (most likely to be recorded live)
• Heavy breathing (recorded live)
• High heels (recorded live)
• Running through the forest/twigs snapping (recorded live)

Freesound website

R+P Post 8: The credits in our opening sequence

The credits in our opening sequence will be placed in either the bottom left or bottom right corners. We would like to use a simple font and the text will be white in colour. This is similar to the opening credits from "Gone Girl".

Examples of credits from "Gone Girl"

The effect that we would like to have on the credits is a slight flicker to create a shaky look. We took inspiration from the credits in "Shutter Island". We hope that this adds to the unsettling atmosphere in our sequence. 

The order of our credits was based on the order of the opening credits from "Se7en". The credits we have chosen to include (in chronological order) are as follows:

• Summit Entertainment Presents
• A BBC Films Production
• Film Title
• Main Actress 
• Main Actor
• 4x Group Cast
• Casting by...
• Music by...
• Costume Designer...
• Make Up by...
• Director of Photography...
• Written by...
• Edited by...
• Produced by...
• Executive Producer
• Directed by...

R+P Post 7: Our opening sequence's planned mis-en-scene

The overall look that we hope to achieve in our opening sequence is something slightly bleak and desaturated to make it appear more naturalistic. It would also match the unsettling, creepy atmosphere we hope to create as well. 

The mirror shot in "Se7en"

Camera: We hope to have a variety of shots types in our opening sequence as well as shot lengths to create fast and slow pace moments which will help to build suspense and tension. We would also like to include a mirror shot. This would act as the introduction to our main character as it is the first time the audience will see her face properly. This is similar to what happens in "Se7en" (a crime thriller film). We are also planning have hand-held camera shots to create a shaky and unsettling feeling when filming from the stalker's point of view to reflect his character and make the audience both uncomfortable and engaged. 

Lighting: We plan to have bright lighting when shooting inside the house so that everything can be seen clearly. When shooting outside, we will use the natural light. Ideally, I would like it to be cloudy outside so that the colours are dull and made up of mainly greys. This is similar to the lighting in the opening of "Gone Girl", a psychological thriller film. 

"Gone Girl" screenshots to show lighting ideas

Settings: The settings inside the house we plan to shoot in are the bedroom, kitchen, dining area and hallway. Outside of the house we are going to shoot in the garden and driveway. Other locations include the street by the house and the forest. Hopefully the street will be quiet on the day, so that the main character can appear to be completely alone (apart from the runner) and therefore quite vulnerable as well. 

Examples of the settings we plan to shoot in

Props: There will be many props in our film opening including a mirror, kitchenware, stationary, files and official documents, a radio, a briefcase and an old-fashioned alarm clock. These props will be important as they help the storyline to flow as well as a method of representing and introducing the characters. The majority of the props will be quite understated and plain with the exception of the radio. We may have a brightly coloured radio to emphasise the significance of what is being announced. We also plan to have the Crown Court logo on the documents as well to highlight our main character's job.

Costume ideas

Costume: Our main character will be wearing sophisticated, formal business attire such as tights, a pencil skirt, a blouse, high heels and perhaps a blazer. The runner will be wearing trainers, running shorts and a t-shirt. Preferably the clothing will be dark in colour to match the bleak, desaturated colour scheme. The costumes should help to add to the realism of our opening sequence. 

R+P Post 6: Our opening sequence's characters and how we plan to represent social groups

In our film opening there are three characters but only two of them appear on screen. 

The main character in our film is Shania Morcott, a successful lawyer. She is the central focus of our opening sequence. She is the protagonist of the film which is unusual as traditionally the main character in thriller films are men. However she fits the archetype of a thriller victim (particularly those in the stalker sub-genre) as she is a young, middle-class woman, just like Angela Bridges in "P2". 

Angela Bridges and antagonist Thomas from "P2"

The other character who appears in the opening is the runner. The runner is a white male in his twenties. He is a very minor character and his only role is to act as a red herring. By making the character male we are conforming the stereotype that men are physically fit and athletic. 

The third character is the stalker Jeff Richardson who was a previously convicted rapist. He doesn't appear on screen but heavy breathing can be heard each time his perspective is shown. He is unstable, aggressive and also obsessive. As he is male, his character does conform to the archetype of a thriller/stalker film's antagonist just like Thomas from "P2". 

The two main social groups that we are representing are women and ethnic minorities. By having a female lead who is strong, hard-working, organised, confident and independent we hope to challenge some of the social stereotypes that women are weak and dependent. Additionally she is a professional and successful lawyer which gives her a sense of empowerment. By having the house empty and her living alone, we highlight her independence and capability. We may also use a few low angle shots to portray her authority and power. She will conform to a few social stereotypes as her costume will consist of the typical skirt, high heels, blouse and make up. However through her costume we hope to portray her professionalism. In addition to this, having a lead character who is black represents the ethnic minorities. Her high-profile job and inspiring personality help to show a positive representation of ethnic minorities. The personality we have given to our main character is similar to that of Annalise Keating from the legal drama thriller "How To Get Away With Murder". Annalise's character is a high-profile defence attorney and is described as being self-reliant, powerful and confident. 

Annalise Keating from "How To Get Away With Murder"

R+P Post 5: Our opening sequence idea

Our opening sequence begins with an alarm clock going off and the main character waking up. Next we have a montage of her morning routine, including shots of her getting ready and doing her make-up. This is similar to Detective Somerset's morning routine in "Se7en". 

The middle of the sequence starts with a shot of a kitchen radio, where an announcement can be heard about the release of a convicted rapist. During this there are cross-cuts to another person's point of view, and this person is watching Shania (the lead character) in the kitchen.

The end section of the opening sequence shows Shania leaving her house and beginning her walk to work.  As she walks there are cross cuts to someone else's footsteps, running in a forest near by. She hears twigs snapping and begins to walk faster. It is then revealed that the footsteps belong to a runner, who then continues to run down the road and past Shania. She then carries on walking to work. The sequence's final shot is from the stalker's point of view again, watching Shania from the distance.

There is no dialogue in our film opening. The only speech that can be heard is the morning radio announcement. It is split into two sections as the radio announcement carries over two shots, with a cross cut to the stalker's point of view in between.

There are many narrative conventions within our opening, including enigma codes, action codes and binary opposites. 

R+P Post 4: Our film's genre, title and plot outline

"P2" film poster

The genre of our film is crime/thriller. It's title is "Shadow of Your Past".  Our film contains common themes that are seen in thriller films such as revenge and kidnapping. Stalkers are also common characters in thriller films. A film that we looked at for research is called "P2" which is a thriller film in the stalker sub-genre. 

The plot of our film follows Todorov's narrative theory. Below is a table showing our film's storyline alongside Todorov's theory, showing each stage of our film.

Our film's basic plot

R+P Post 3: Our production and distribution institutions

BBC Films Ident

The production institution we have chosen for our film is BBC Films. BBC Films is known for making British productions and our film has a strong British film as it's main location is London and British cast. BBC Films produced thriller film 'Blood' (2012) and the BBC is also responsible for the distribution of the TV thriller-drama 'The Escape Artist' as well as the co-production and distribution of popular crime drama 'Sherlock'. The above film/TV dramas are within the same genres of our film, meaning that the BBC can reach our target audience and attract a wider audience due to its reputation.

Summit Entertainment Ident

The distribution company we have chosen is Summit Entertainment, an American production and distribution company. We chose this institution because we found that they distributed the film "P2" (a thriller film about a stalker) which is similar to our own film. This shows that this company distributes films of our chosen genre. Other films include "Now You See Me" and its sequel, both are heist/thriller films which target a similar audience of teenagers and young adults, showing that our film will reach its target audience. The company also distributes internationally, giving our film a global reach. 

R+P Post 2: Our target audience and how we plan to attract/address them

Primary Audience

Our primary audience would consist of fans of the genre. We hope to attract crime/thriller fans as the characters and themes in the film would be appealing to them. Other crime/thriller films that would attract a similar audience would be "Se7en" or "Taken". 

Secondary Audience

The secondary audience for our film are young adults/adults over the age of 15 but it is skewed towards those aged 15-24 years old. Our film would be rated 15, similar to other films/TV programs of the same genre such as Shutter Island (a thriller film) or The Escape Artist (a legal thriller TV series). It would probably contain strong language, violence, threat and intense scenes and therefore would not be suitable for those under the age of 15. 

We spoke to family and friends (ages ranging between 16-32 years old) within the target audience, to find out how to make our film opening appealing. They were asked whether they watched crime/thriller films and what about them they liked/disliked. Screenshots of some of the answers can be seen below. From the feedback we know to try and make our opening sequence as engaging as possible. We aim to do this by creating suspense and tension through the use of red herrings and cliff hangers. We hope that this will help to make our film less predictable as that was the main issue according to the people asked. Those who were more interested in seeing our film/a film of this genre were aged 16/17 years old.  

Screenshots of the feedback 

 Additionally, we plan to use characterisation as another method of addressing the audience. Our main character is a strong, successful independent woman who is in her mid-to-late 20s, which makes her relatable to members of the audience. Also, her personality could attract the 15-24 year olds as they may wish to be similar to her when they are older. 

A representation of our target audience

R+P Post 1: How we intend to work as a group

The three of us during a group meeting 

My group consists of myself, Sian and Ray. We work well together and share the work out equally. We have weekly meetings that last an hour and are usually during our lunch break. The meeting days are decided at the start of the week and are written into our planner so that we don't forget. The three of us aim to be as punctual as possible and to work efficiently to ensure that we meet the deadlines set and stay on top of the work load. In addition to this, we have a Whatsapp group chat so that we can communicate easily and share ideas/research.