List of Roles

 Directing- Tash

Camerawork & Editing- Jaimie

Camerawork- Tommy

Acting- Oli 

StoryBoard

 

Script

*Scene 1*

[HIGHT ANGLE SHOT of front door in silence for 10 seconds before a silhouette appears and sound track starts playing. The door opens frantically showing a young male with an unhealthy and unkempt appearance suggesting that his background is complicated. The character walks over the camera and then it switches to a wide shot of the kitchen, which is cluttered in appearance. Shot of them rummaging through the cupboards searching for something these are fast paced in order to convey the sense of urgency felt by the character. They pull out a shoe box with an envelope filled with ID's and passports. CLOSE UP and OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT of these before they run up the stairs and enters the bedroom, pulling out a suitcase from under the bed and throwing the fake ID's inside. Opening draws pulling out various items of clothes throwing them into the case. Taking a brown parcel tied with string from a hiding place and putting this into the case too. Phone Rings and character answers it. Although you are able to hear the caller talking, what is being said is inaudible. Character responds in short replies in order to leave the audience in further suspense about the nature of their troubles. Character hangs up phone and finishes packing suitcase before rushing out of the house slamming the door behind him.]

*Scene 2*

[WIDE SHOT looking down and sitting on a bench of a train station platform. Sound is uncomfortably silent to depict the eye of the storm again suggesting there is more to the story. Character is restless and there is a side view shot of him looking up before a train pulls into the platform and the screen goes black again.]​

Script Ideas

Final Idea

For our AS Thriller Opening Sequence we decided to do Idea 3 called 'On the Run'.
We decided to do this because we thought it would create a more suspenseful opening sequence having one character rushing around allowing the audience to follow the character's every move so that they themselves can foreshadow events and see the tension in the opening sequence.

Where did our idea come from?
We decided to take our idea from the AS Thriller Opening Sequence called 'Excemption'. We thought this because the opening sequence shows example of characters running away from something and how they feel and look as they are escaping. Although during this opening sequence we see the two main characters have escaped from something we are just involving our character in running away from something that has happened. Therefore we are creating a suspenseful thriller that allows the audience to think of a background story for the heroine of the thriller allowing the audience to see the tension in the storyline.

Lighting

Lighting throughout our AS Thriller Opening Sequence will be a mixture of dark and bright lighting. For example at the start of our thriller sequence we will have bright lighting as the heroine runs up to the door, however as the heroine steps into their house the lighting then gets darker suggesting the mood has changed and the audience are starting to get suspicious of he main character. The Lighting then will continue to be dark throughout the opening sequence until the heroine goes back outside where the lighting will go back to how it was at the beginning. This will suggest how the main character can no longer be himself and cannot look suspicious in case someone notices him outside. This allows the audience to see the suspense and tension of the character and the way he acts depending on the lighting of the thriller opening sequence.

Natasha Williams

Dark Inside

Bright Light Outside

Editing Ideas

For our opening sequence of a thriller film we decided to use different editing techniques to show the tension within the thriller and the suspense from the main character:

• Pace - throughout the thriller we decided to use a quick pace while the character was rushing around the house picking up things they would need to get away. We decided to use a quick pace for this to show the audience the chaotic nature of the thriller and how the heroine needs to get out of the house quickly to get away from what they are running from.
• Cross Cutting - we also decided to use cross cutting throughout our thriller. This was so the audience can follow every movement the heroine is making and to quickly show what the character is picking up and where is he rushing too around the house for example outside to the kitchen to the bedroom. This also shows the chaotic nature of the thriller.
• Match on action - for our thriller we also plan to use match on action also to allow the audience to follow the heroine through each room they go into. This allows the audience to follow every aspect of the story and see the tension through the fast pace of the match on action

The scene we are trying to film is of a character who enters his house in a panicked and urgent state, then collecting items from his house and packing them in a suitcase, including a mysterious package, before quickly leaving again, so we will try to resemble this in the way we edit the film. As the character is rummaging through cupboards looking for a passport, the shots will be fast paced to show the sense of urgency from the character. There will also be a use of cross cutting when the character is packing his suitcase, cutting to the passport, package and clothes, as well as the bag being taken off the top of a wardrobe. The whole scene will be fast paced as the character is looking to leave his house as quickly as possible. The whole scene will also try not to reveal anything about the character, leaving an air of mystery, as the audience is clueless as to who this person is or why they are in a rush to pack a bag and leave.

Camerawork Ideas

For our AS Thriller Opening Sequence we decided to use a range of camera work/movement:

• Close ups - throughout our thriller we decided to have close ups including close ups of the facial expression of the heroine and close ups of what the heroine is doing for example opening cupboards and opening draws. We decided to do this to show the audience how the character feels about what he is doing and also to show everything that the heroine is doing that is relevant to the storyline.
• Long Shot - during our thriller we also decided to use long shots for example at the start of the thriller we are going to use a long shot to show the heroine coming into the house and rushing towards the camera to suggest the heroine is in a hurry and the chaotic nature of the scene.
• Wide Shot - we also decided to use wide shots of the heroine as they pack stuff into a large bag. We thought to use this so that the audience can see everything the character is packing whilst switching to close ups during the shot. This will also show the chaotic nature of the storyline.
• Extreme Close up -  We will also be using extreme close ups of items the heroine is packing. For example the bag, passport, mysterious package and clothes. This will allow the audience to see everything that the heroine needs to then foreshadow oncoming events of the thriller. 
• Establishing Shot - we decided to use an establishing shot at the start of the thriller to set the scene. We decided to do this so that the audience can see that the setting is general and can relate to a lot of people however as the character runs into the establishing shot the audience can then change their opinion on the calm setting and see that the heroine is nervous and chaotic. 

Location

For our location we decided to keep the location simple but effective for our thriller film. We decided to use the location of a home including stairs, bedroom and kitchen in which our main character would chaotically search for what they need around their house. We thought this would be good for our target audience as they would be able to understand life in a homely setting and allow them to wonder what may have happened to the heroine in the thriller film considering where they live is so normal. This makes the thriller film more suspenseful and allows the audience to wonder what may happen to the main character.

Natasha Williams

Idea Three

Running Away One of your ideas for an opening sequence of a thriller film was someone running away from something. Through this idea we thought that we could have someone quickly getting into the place they live and rushing around gathering up things they would need for a few days away such as clothes and money. However also one of the items they are picking up is something that is seen as illegal and want to hide from the people they are running from such as the police, for example a bag of drugs. We then hear sirens in the background of as the person is nearly finished packing. We decided this would be a good idea for a thriller opening sequence as it allows the audience to think of their own storyline before they know what is going to happen. There is much use of mise-en-scene, camerawork/movement, editing and sound that can be used in this idea.

Idea Three - Props and Costume

For our film opening idea of someone being on the run, certain props and costumes are required to fit into the thriller genre. The opening will show a mysterious character quickly packing items in a bag, and gathering up things they would need to get away, but the props and costumes we would use would emphasize the mystery of the character. 
                                   For the props used, there would be a bag for the character to pack things they would need, such as a brown parcel with an unknown item inside, which reflects the mystery of the character. There could also be drugs packed, as this would show that the character is shifty, and dodgy, which is perhaps why they are trying to get away. As well as this, the character would be packing essentials, like a passport showing they want to get far away.
  

                                   As for the costume, they would be wearing all dark clothing, and a dark hoodie to disguise their face, making them look like a mysterious character, as dark colours for mise en scene are used more for dangerous or strange characters. There will also be the use of make-up on the face of the main character to make him look like someone on drugs, to make the audience believe the character trying to be created as a mysterious person.

-Tommy

Idea Two - Props and Costume

An idea we had for our thriller opening sequence would be someone stalking another person influenced by the film 'Staked at 17'. The props we would use for this idea would be bags and mobile phones to suggest the normality of the person being stalked and therefore a character that the audience could relate to. However we thought if we were to use this idea the stalker would not have any props to make his character more mysterious. For clothing we thought the victim of the stalker could be wearing casual clothing that would suggest they are on their way home from being out for the day, this again suggests the normality of their lives. However the stalker would we wearing dark clothing that slightly covers their face. This would differentiate the two characters and allow the audience to know which character is the victim and which character is the stalker. 

Idea Two

Another idea for an opening sequence of a thriller film was stalking. We though this would be a good idea thinking of a storyline such as a relationship between two people which has ended badly to the point where one person in the relationship starts stalking the other. The storyline goes on showing sneaky ideas from the characters and ways of seeing what the other is doing. This would be a good idea for the audience to follow as the audience would know what was happening to one character before they did. This idea can also have a significant amount of mise-en-scene, editing, sound and camerawork/movement.

Initial Ideas

From the research we have carried out we have came up with a number of vague ideas as to what path we may want out thriller film to follow.

One of our ideas for an opening sequence of a thriller film was murder. The storyline of a person who has just woken up from a drunken night out and feel something has happened but cannot remember what seemed like an interesting concept to us. It is then discovered that someone has been murdered and this person is a suspect. people on the floor. We decided this would be a good idea for a thriller film because it leaves the audience in suspense as to who committed the murder and whether it was this person or whether it was someone else trying to frame him. This idea can use different types of mise-en-scene, camerawork/movement, sound and editing to make the idea into an opening sequence of a thriller film.

Idea One - Props and Costume

For our idea of a thriller opening sequence about murder we planned to have a storyline including a drunken night out in which the main character wakes up to find people murdered in his room making the thriller chaotic. Therefore we would have props such as bottles of alcohol (empty and half full), weapons (knives) and general items you would have in a bedroom/living area. We thought these would be good props to use for this idea as it suggests the fact the main character has had a drunken night out and also props such as weapons can suggest to the audience how the people were murdered. The props of general house items can also give the audience a feel of the setting and therefore relate to the main character. Also for clothing the main character would be in 'going out' styled clothing therefore smart casual wear to suggest that they have been out the night before. The character could also have blood stains on their clothing suggesting they committed the murders but cannot remember it happening due to their drunken state the night before.

Idea One

Murder

One of our ideas for an opening sequence of a thriller film was murder. we thought of the storyline of a person who has just woken up from a drunken night out and feel something has happened but cannot remember what. The scene then changes to the person observing their room and find a corridor of dead people on the floor. We decided this would be a good idea for a thriller film because it leaves the audience in suspense as to who committed the murder and whether it was this person or whether I was someone else trying to frame him. This idea can use different types of mise-en-scene, camerawork/movement, sound and editing to make the idea into an opening sequence of a thriller film.

Conventions of a Psychological Thriller

Mirrors-Are used to portray the use of reflection of a characters inner self, as well as representing 'the dark side' of some characters.

Shadows and Low key lighting -Are used as a convention of a thriller film they are both used to add tension in a scene, and to represent the inner darkness within the characters

Quick cuts, obtrusive and montage editing-Are all frequently used i psychological thrillers to highlight the feelings of suspense and tension, mainly used during important scenes. e.g. the opening sequence of 'Se7en' (1995) 

Flashbacks-Is a typical convention of a thriller because it can show what has happened previously, to give the audience an insight into the characters past.

e.g. the film 'Memento' (2000)

Tension Music-Used to set the mood and create suspense or shock the audience.

For example the shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's film 'Psycho' (1960)

Colours- The colours used in psychological thrillers are predominantly red, black and white. They have connotations of danger, violence, blood, evil and mystery. Low key lighting is often used on the main subjects to create enigma and mystery. The background is often dark to emphasise this. It also helps to create an unsettling atmosphere and further build tension.

Themes of Psychological Thrillers

Psychological Thrillers frequently focus on characters minds by regularly having a first person narrative, allowing the audience further insight into the mind of their antagonist.

The idea of what is real and what is not is commonly used in psychological thrillers such as Shutter Island, Black Swan. This compels the audience to pay attention and interests them as it forces them into thinking so that when they decipher the story they feel a sense of achievement. However, in some films, many viewers are left confused rather than gratified such as Inception.

Mind - the mind is explored mainly via the first person narrative, revealing inner conflict and the characters emotional state.

Identity - characters often doubt who they are or what purpose they are serving so set out to discover themselves.

Perception - often a characters perception of the world is revealed to be different to that of other with a more sound state of mind.

Death - characters often have a fear and or fascination with death and the dead.

Institutional Analysis

Where our film might appear:
During film research, we also looked at where general films may be shown, mostly looking at amateur films as they would be likely shown in different ways to professional films. It is important to consider in what ways the audience can view the film, when it is being produced, in order to increase the interest in the film and the profit it would make. The most common way of a film being watched is through cinema chains, such as Odeon, which had global branches, allowing the film to be seen by various people over the world. However an amateur film would probably be seen online as the people/companies making the film would either not have the interest or not afford to have their film shown in the cinema. The film could be uploaded on a website such as YouTube or daily motion for other people to view and comment on allowing the interest of the film to grow. Low budget films can be also shown on paid film services such as Sky Box Office and Netflix, or downloaded onto a mobile phone through this. Films being viewed in this way can occasionally cause issues as they may be being viewed illegally.

The Sixth Sense

 In this opening sequence techniques are used to make the film appeal to its genre, which is thriller/horror. The use of black background with white writing creates a sinister effect and feeling about the film, as the black is the prominent colour. This can symbolize a thriller film. The wriitng is also begin split during the sequence, perhaps symbolizing a knife. Along with the writing, there is also non diagetic sound in the background at a low volume and slow pace, creating a haunted and uncomfortable feeling. Also as this title sequence appears it runs with the music which abruptly gains a fast pace, which is unnerving to the audience and gives them a chill, which can relate to features of thriller films, as they tend to have dramatic and changing soundtracks. There is also a light that runs over each of the words in the title sequence, which looks like someone's eyes watching you, creating fear and a thrilling effect. This is quite a short opening sequence, but is effective nonetheless.

Black Swan - Opening Sequence

The opening sequence for the thriller film 'Black Swan' does not give much away as to what the film is about. However through this opening sequence the film shows words throughout the sequence of people involved and the type of production it is. This can help us with our thriller opening sequence because usually at the start of an opening sequence the production company and people involved appear in a certain way. For example the opening sequence of 'Black Swan' shows the words come up in black and white font suiting the background of the sequence which also comes up in a very slow pace which also relates to the slow pace of the background film. Also within the opening sequence for 'Black Swan' the ambient sound suggests the theme of the film using a soundtrack that relates to dancing which is what the film is based around. This could help us with our thriller film as if we used a soundtrack that relates to our film then automatically the audience have an idea of what the film is going to be based on.

Stalked at 17 - Opening Sequence

This is an example of a thriller film.
In this film we see two main characters who are seen as typical teenagers at settings such as school and parties. However the change of events between their relationship ruins their happy mood and creates a drastic change of mood and atmosphere between characters and their storyline. Half way through the film we see that the boyfriend is turning into a stalker and becoming too much for the girlfriend to the point where she is scared of him. This film shows a psychological thriller.