We've reviewed our initial idea, and after the screening of our rough cut we've had to make a lot of changes to our opening sequence. There was far too much plot, so it seemed more like a trailer than an opening sequence. Some of our shots worked well, especially the ones which played around with shadows and silhouettes, so we're going to focus on these. However some shots, especially the running didn't work at all as the camera couldn't take that much movement. These will have to be cut out completely which alters the entire pace of our opening sequence to something that is much slower. This has lead us to reconsider the name of our thriller, as the title "Rush" does not seem to fit with the slow pace. Our chosen font also seems out of place now as it looks quite distorted and violent, and the violence has been removed from our film so that will also need changing to something that maybe looks more calm or unassuming. Our remaining footage falls very short of two minutes, so we're going to need to do some more filming, and we're going to use the opening of Se7en as inspiration, creating a mystery and confusion with close ups of different objects and more work with shadows. Lastly, we've been looking at the colour of our shots and have been changing saturation to reduce the colour so overall  the shots are quite grey, with vignettes to make them darker.
After the filming and editing is finished, and we've got the titles and credits sorted, we'll need to make a start on the soundtrack, which will most likely have to also be changed from our initial ideas to fit with the new pace and look of our opening sequence.

Recce Report

Recce Report

Our filming is going to take place in a variety of locations in and around the college. Rooms that we have done a lot of filming in are P105 and P106. We chose to film here as they have little rooms built inside them, which are an ideal setting for the opening of our thriller as they give the impression of being in a house. However there are some risks involved with working in these rooms. There are a lot of sinks and metal bars etc which have been left lying around piled up in the corner, so we have to be careful not to knock anything over or break anything or injure ourselves. There are also steps and a hole in the floor that we would have to watch out for.

 

 

 

The only other places we are filming inside are the corridors and classrooms at college, which don’t pose any risk. The only things we would need to be careful of is the scene with the smashed photo frame, so we don’t cut ourselves on the glass, and the shot which is filmed from above the staircase as I would need to be careful that I don’t drop the camera.

Some of our filming is going to take place outside. When filming one scene (which was later cut from the film anyway) I have to run down the street, in the dark, holding the camera. For this scene we would have to be careful to film at a time when there are no cars around, and would have to make sure I had a tight grip on the camera so I didn’t drop it and break it.
Another place we film outside is on a very small hill near the college. There isn’t much danger of anything happening there; apart from the possibility of Jack (who has to walk down it) slipping if there’s been bad weather.

Rush Storyboard

We've changed our plot slightly and created a new storyboard. However since doing this, we've spotted some problems. It will be difficult to create a believable party scene for the beginning, so instead we have decided to show Becky leaving a party. This will be easier to record as we can just film her outside of a door, with lights and music coming from inside. This means we do not have to rely on extra actors, and we won't have to waste time setting up the party scene.

Our thriller is designed to be rated '15', as our target audience is 15 - 30 year olds. We think 15 is a good choice for a thriller, because it may contain themes unsuitable for anyone younger, but an 18 would alienate a large portion of the audience.

This is the criteria for '15' films from the British Board of Film Classification. 

Suitable only for 15 years and over

No one younger than 15 may see a ‘15’ film in a cinema. No one younger than 15 may rent or buy a ‘15’ rated video work.

Discrimination

The work as a whole must not endorse discriminatory language or behaviour.

Drugs

Drug taking may be shown but the film as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse. The misuse of easily accessible and highly dangerous substances (for example, aerosols or solvents) is unlikely to be acceptable.

Horror

Strong threat and menace are permitted unless sadistic or sexualised.

Imitable behaviour

Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on detail which could be copied. Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised.

Language

There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, ‘f**k’). The strongest  terms (for example, ‘c**t’) may be acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be acceptable.

Nudity

Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context.

Sex

Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour, but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.

Theme

No theme is prohibited, provided the treatment is appropriate for 15 year olds.

Violence

Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and have a strong contextual justification.

More about our audience:

• Our thriller is designed to appeal to both sexes, through having both male and female cast members.
• It should features nothing discriminatory towards any ethnicitites, however, seeing as everyone in the thriller is white, it is likely that the film will appeal to white british people over other ethnice minorities.
• It should appeal to Mainstreamers (who will follow the trend and watch the film with friends) and Explorers who may be looking for a thrill and something exciting. 

Possible Font Choices -

Pulse Sans Virgin







                                                                                

Decibel







                                                                               Staubiges Vergnügen






                                                                                    



 VTKS Contact

Thriller Opening Sequences

The Woman In Black

The opening sequence for this film is a little bit unconventional. The lighting is very bright, with everything in the room being overexposed because of the large windows in the scene. Thrillers conventionally use darkness and shadow to create their atmosphere, so this is something unexpected for the audience. Whilst what is happening in the beginning of the scene may seem quite innocent and harmless, the music hints that something bad is going to happen. The pace of the music begins to quicken and it gets louder, which builds the tension and leads up to the dramatic twist in the scene’s plot. The way that the children move all in unison, and seem so suddenly focused suggests that there may be an element of the supernatural in the film, as their movements do not seem to be natural for young girls. The sudden cut out of music and the piercing scream are conventional of thrillers as they add to the tension and excitement. The mystery of what has happened in this scene leaves the audience wanting to see more, particularly because we are not introduced to any of the main characters, with the exception of a small glimpse of the woman in black at the very end.

Se7en

Se7en’s opening sequence is made up entirely of close ups and extreme close ups. This means that the audience are kept in the dark; they have no idea who the characters could be. It also does not give away much about the plot, meaning that the audience are more likely to want to watch the rest of the film so they can understand what is going on. The use of black and red clearly connotes that this is a thriller film. The shadows and darkness give a sense of mystery, whereas red can suggest anger, or maybe danger and violence. This contrasts with the fact that the character is just putting together a scrapbook of sorts. The music that has been used is extremely effective in creating a tense atmosphere. It is eerie, and jumpy which fits in with the way the shots randomly jump and cut to black screens. The pace of the opening sequence is fairly slow, however at the end it does quicken slightly and the volume of the music also increases.

The Dark Knight Rises

The Dark Knight Rises’ opening sequence uses the convention of darkness to convey mystery to the audience. The use of water and smoke to distort images also creates a mysterious atmosphere. The music used builds up the tension so you know it is a thriller film, but it is the dramatic kind of music that would be expected for a super hero movie (as it is a hybrid of both genres). The main characters are shown to us through photographs, with some of them ripped and torn which could suggest conflict and violence or personal struggles for the characters. The hints of red which can be seen also connote violence. The use of extreme close ups and the idea of scrapbooking is similar to the opening sequence of Se7en, and makes the film more mysterious as it does not give the plot away. Because Batman is iconic and many people know the characters and the general ideas behind the films, it is important to not give away too much about the plot of the individual film.