EVALUATION

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Credits

• I researched into a number of similar existing products to see what credits are typical to a thriller film and how they have been integrated into the opening sequence of films.
• Generally, the credits appear over the action, often using the transitions fade in and out. Therefore, we edited our credits over suitable parts of shots. We also decided to use the transitions fade in and out, which gives a smooth effect.
• Font also had to be carefully considered, and we looked at a number of other real products such as "Flightplan", "When A Stranger Calls", "Vertigo" and "Se7en" for inspiration. We decided on something which looks professional which we used throughout, to ensure continuity.
• We were unsure as to how to integrate the title of our film into the action, therefore found looking at other similar films very useful.

Eventually we decided to integrate our film title "Untraceable" into
the final shot during the zoom into the darkness outside. It appears
like a ghost in the darkness outside of the door and slowly fades away as the camera zooms in before eventually fading to black.

Shot list

We developed a shot list prior to shooting our opening sequence, which helped when we came to filming shots as we knew exactly what to do. We did however find the storyboard more usual, as it gives a more visual representation, which helped when it came to staging the shots.

Target Audience

We have rated our film a 15 due to the bad language, violence and psychological turmoil involved. The storyline could also be distressing for younger viewers.

• The target audience for our film is young adults, probably between the ages of about 15 and 25.
• Typically, it is males who enjoy thriller films the most, with "men's film" tending to focus more on action, sex (rather than romance) and competition. Whereas, "women's films"often tell a story form the woman’s point of view or are centered around women and women’s issues, often involving romance.
• Our film is a combination between these two conventions, making it appeal to both genders. There is action throughout, particularly in the kidnap scene near the beginning and the hunt for the gang towards then end. There is also a sense of competition between Mark and the ex-business partner, with his life being made hell due to his bad financial situation. Things have been bitter between the two since their shared failed business venture, however this rivalry reaches new heights when it is his wife's life on the line.
• The film does however have an underlying romance, with Mark being prepared to do everything possible to get his wife back and protect their family, proving the strength of the love between them. At the end, the family is re-united and everyone likes a happy ending.
• In our opening scene, the majority of teenagers will be able to relate to the situation of being home alone at night, knowing how it can be quite scary at times, hearing strange noises with your mind playing tricks on you. The prospect of receiving a strange phone call in this situation would be quite unnerving for most people, therefore the audience will be apprehensive of the events to follow.
• The thought of a loved one being taken and being convinced you're going crazy would be a distressing one for anyone, therefore they can relate to how helpless and worried the husband is feeling at the disappearance of his wife in the film.
  

Commentary On Planning/Filming Process

• During the planning process, we adapted and completely changed our ideas numerous times. Even on the day of filming, we had to adapt certain parts of our final storyboard, due to them not working when actually put into practice.
• We ended up having to re-film all of our footage, as our first attempt of filming the original story board gave bad quality results, which we were not satisfied with. This was down to our original instincts being we needed to make it dark to create tension. However, this is not in fact true, as the majority of films I later analysed were not dark and instead attempted to demonstrate a relatable real life situation, with the tension instead being created by the soundtrack and some kind of enigma. Making the inside of the house dark, with little lighting, resulted in grainy footage with the action barely visible.
• Originally, our opening involved an MSN conversation on the computer, which we experienced complications with during filming, encountering a number of technical difficulties. In order to execute the MSN conversation, 2 computers were required. However, on the laptop we were using as 1 of these, the Internet connection was not working properly therefore we could not sign into MSN. To overcome this problem, we had to use one of our groups blackberry, which could access MSN, but this meant the responses were less rapid. Filming this conversation proved very difficult and although we manged to do it in the end, it did not have the effect we first hoped once uploaded and edited on the Mac, with it looking amateur and unnecessary, so we decided to scrap the idea.
• During filming, we blocked out all outside light and used little lighting, as we thought this was the best way to create a sinister atmosphere typical for that of a thriller. However, we now realise that this was not in fact the best approach. Not only did it lead to almost not visible footage, it was very grainy too. We also realised when watching it back it did not seem like a realistic situation at all, as it is very unlikely a babysitter would be sitting in pitch black. We therefore agreed that in our next attempt of filming we would make much more use of lighting to ensure clearer and more realistic results.
• After our first attempt at filming, we were more familiar with the equipment and realised what worked and what did not. We then generated a whole new storyboard which I believe to be much more effective.
• Our second attempt of filming with our new and improved storyboard went much more smoothly and ensured much more effective and quality results. We did encounter a few issues on the day of filming, however nothing we could not overcome.
• At the time of filming our actress was running late and due to already being behind schedule, as well as working to a limited time frame, we decided to use another member of the group to star in the film instead, which worked just as well.
• We experienced problems due to a faulty camera, which was not able to hold its charge, meaning it had to be constantly plugged in. This was fine for the majority of the filming, due to their always being a power source close by, however proved more difficult when filming the establishing shot of the house outside. To solve this problem we had to plug the camera into a long extension lead from the garage. Due to us not being on a Hollywood film set, we had the expected interruptions such as cars driving past, car alarms going off and doors slamming. We were able to eliminate the background sound using IMovie, however had to do more takes of the shots interrupted by events such as passing cars.
• The remainder of the filming went pretty smoothly, with only the expected situations of the camera being knocked or the actress laughing, however occurrences like this even happen to the best of actresses and could quite easily be eliminated during the editing process.
• Overall, I am very happy at how our final footage turned out and believe we have some good quality shots, which if edited together effectively could create a very successful result.

Planning of Soundtrack/Sound

• We have decided to use a soundtrack throughout our opening scene to emphasise the moments of suspense and to create a sinister atmosphere. This soundtrack must be copyright free, otherwise we could be accused of copyright and must also be appropriate for a thriller film.
• We found it quite difficult to find downloadable music online which was copyright free, however eventually we discovered a site with a number of possible soundtracks. We narrowed these down to 3, which we downloaded and transferred onto the Mac. We then tested these behind our film on IMovie to see which would be most effective.
• We agreed on a piece of music named Spider Eyes by Kevin Macleod. We selected it because it set the eerie atmosphere we were aiming for and the moments of tension in the track fitted almost perfectly to that of our filming.

Planning of Location

• The location of a film plays a crucial role in setting a tense atmosphere and establishing the situation. Due to our opening sequence being of a babysitting scenario, we needed to film it in a house. This needs to be both suitable for our shots and preferably local, to enable easy access to all group members. We decided on using my house for our film location, due to its layout complementing our storyboard and being fairly central between us.
• We have decided to film in the evening when it would be dark outside, to create a more sinister atmosphere in our establishing shot. The spacious area outside of the house means we will be able to get an effective shot with a long zoom into the house. The darkness outside will also make the light in the downstairs window look more harsh. This lighting in the window represents someone is home and the zoom into it suggests they are being watched.
• The quiet location with a lack of noise and people will create tension, due to when the inevitable happens and something goes wrong there is noone about to help.
• The open plan layout of the downstairs should allow sufficient space for the set up of our tripod and the short distance between the living room and kitchen will allow us to get a smooth pan shot from one to the other.

Planning of Characters/Actors

• Mark Anderson is a family man in his 40s and the loving husband of Kate, although his life is not as perfect as it seems. Following failed business ventures, he got himself into a lot of debt with a previous business partner, who he has been unable to pay back. This has subjected him to a life a hassle and excuses in order to protect his family from the reality of how serious his situation has actually become. However, he can no longer avoid the matter when his wife becomes caught up in the gang's schemes and her life hangs in the balance. Mark is a courageous, decisive and skillful man, following his past as a Corporal in the army, until he was forced into retirement through injury. Therefore he will stop at nothing to protect others, especially those closest to him. Despite his difficult upbringing and tough life in the army, Mark is now a loving husband and doting Father, who has simply been unlucky in life.
• Kate Anderson is an innocent victim, who is landed in a potentially life threatening situation after becoming the target of a gang. This is due to her husband's dark past and the mess he is in because of it, despite her being completely oblivious to his circumstances. Kate is quite a sensitive and naive character, who has always relied on her husband for support. Therefore, her vulnerability is exposed when it comes to protecting herself. She works a few days a week in a local shop, however generally plays the role of housewife in the home, tending to her husband's every need and caring for their child. Kate is always dreaming of the lavish life she will never have and it is her fantasist attitude which leads to her being so oblivious to the truth.
• David Jones is an ex-business partner of Mark and the ruthless owner of a debt collection company. He gets pleasure from making others lives a misery, especially Mark's, after he bailed on him during a joint business venture many years ago. He is not one to forgive and forget and will hold a grudge forever. David is known and feared for his brutal nature, having acquired many powerful contacts over time has become one of the most influential gang leaders. Certainly not someone you'd want to cross paths with.

Storyboard

We storyboarded the opening sequence to our thriller film, as all film directors do, so we knew exactly what shots to film and from which angles, as well as the lighting and dialogue required when it came to filming. This was very useful and ensured the filming process ran as smoothly as possible. Here is the final storyboard for our opening sequence:

However, prior to producing our final storyboard, we produced a number of others in which we generated and developed different ideas. Our final storyboard shows aspects of these original storyboards and has also been developed further to create the best possible outcome. We found storyboarding a very useful method of planning, as it allowed us to see what shots may look like when put into practice and helped us to consider mise-en-scene. We learnt that the planning process does not simply involve one idea which is then used, but is a process in which ideas are constantly developed and changed to produce the best possible final concept.

Below is our first ever storyboard, which did not even reach the filming process. Following analysis of other real media products, we recognised that they do not often involve much action in the first few minutes. Therefore, we decided there was too much going on in this sequence, making it more like a short story, which is likely to confuse the viewers.

After deciding our original idea would not work very effectively, we began to generate a new storyboard. We incorporated aspects of the original, such as the phone call, however simplified the story, in order to not confuse the audience. This storyboard reached the shooting stage, however on beginning to edit the footage we discovered it was very grainy, with the actress and action barely visible. This was due to us making the mistake of blocking out natural light, to create darkness in the room. We did attempting to create the sinister atmosphere typical to that of a thriller, but soon realised there are in fact much more effective ways in creating such an atmosphere than darkness such as mise-en-scene, camera shots and music. As we were left with low quality footage and also had reservations regarding the storyline, we decided to develop yet another storyboard. The development of our storyboards enabled us to generate and develop our ideas, leading to the creation of our final storyboard, which incorporates aspects of them all. We learnt that ideas do not always work when put into practice and planning involves much more than producing an original storyboard identical to that of the finished product.

Significant Developments Within The Thriller Genre

• The film industry has progressed greatly over time, with Hitchcock helping to shape the modern-day thriller genre. From silent films, to sound, to colour and beyond, there is little which is impossible in today's film industry. Special effects and editing technology has progressed massively over the years, especially following the introduction of CGI.
• CGI, also known as computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics to special effects. It is used for visual effects, because of the high quality it produces and the effects are more controllable than other more physically based processes. It allows the creation of images and effects which would not be possible using another other technology. This helps directors or thriller films to make other worldly characters and extraordinary conditions. CGI was used to create the extreme weather conditions in the 2004 thriller film "A Day After Tomorrow" and Harry Dent's burnt face in "The Dark Knight" which is a look that could not be achieved by make-up. A recent film which leads to way for future CGI films is the award winning sensation "Avatar", which took years of production to create the fantasy characters called Navis.
• Costume, a carefully considered aspect of all thriller films has also improved greatly over time. Make-up artists are now able to re-create very realistic and gruesome injuries such as burns and bullet wounds, making situations seem more dramatic and real. Costume is a great way to establish characters, especially in thriller films, as creating a mysterious looking individual builds tension and instigates fear in itself. A good example of use of costume is the Joker in "The Dark Knight". The harsh make-up and bedraggled hair, contrasting with the purple suit, enhances his evil, deranged and psychotic nature.
• Explosives are becoming increasingly common in thriller films, particularly action thrillers, as our capabilities increase. Tension usually arises in thrillers when the main character is placed in a dangerous situation, escape or a mission which seems impossible. The use of explosions makes this situation more dramatic and provides thrills to the audience, adding excitement. Thrillers such as the "Bourne" films make use of a number of explosives throughout, contributing effectively to the action and wow factor of the films. Specialised teams will be employed by film producers to deal with these techniques as they are highly dangerous and require a lot of skill and perfect execution.
• Due to the expensive and skilled requirements of these techniques we will not be incorporating them into our film, however it is important to be aware of these developments and possibilities when planning our production.

Thriller Sub-genres

The thriller genre is very broad, therefore it is often divided into a number of sub-genres.

• Action thrillers often feature a race against the clock involving lots of violence, guns and explosions such eg. the James Bond films.
• Crime thrillers are usually an account of a crime/crimes which follow the criminal and their actions. They often involve murders, shootouts, burglaries and chases eg. Se7en.
• Conspiracy thrillers are where a hero/heroine is left to confront a large and powerful group of enemies alone, due to only them recognising their true extent eg. Wag The Dog.
• Disaster thrillers often involve natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods and earthquakes or artificial disasters such as a nuclear explosion eg. 2012.
• Horror thrillers are about a character being put in danger by unrealistic creatures, who they have to destroy to survive/succeed eg. War of The Worlds.
• Legal thrillers are where a lawyer is involved in a case in which he receives confrontation both inside and outside of the courtroom. As well as fighting the case they must also fight to save their lives eg. The Innocent Man.
• Medical thrillers are where a hero/heroine in the medical profession is working to solve an expanding medical problem eg. I Am Legend.
• Political thrillers are where a hero/heroine must work to ensure the stability of the government they work for eg. Agency.
• Psychological thrillers involve conflict between characters, however in a more emotional and mental form, rather than physical violence eg. Suspicion.
• Spy thrillers often involve a hero working as an agent for the government, who must uncover the plans of rival agents and governments and take violent action against them eg. The Bourne Ultimatum.
• Religious thrillers are where the plot is closely linked to religious objects, questions or institutions eg. The Da Vinci Code.

20th Century Fox Research

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation is one of the six major American film studios. The company was founded on February 22, 1935, as the result of a merger of two entities, Fox Film Corporation and Twentieth Century Picture. This merging of a distribution company and a production company was an early example of vertical integration.

• The merger made Mr. Schenck Chairman of the Board and brought Darryl F. Zanuck into the company as Vice President in charge of production of the company. Mr. Zanuck, as head of production for Twentieth Century Fox, was responsible for creating the type of high-quality films which won over 150 Oscars for the studio. Much friction existed between the two which led to Zanuck deciding to leave in 1956, after which Fox went into decline until his reinstatement. He transformed the company's image to one of leadership and prestige in the entertainment field, with his influence on Fox still remaining today.
• Twentieth Century Fox are currently one of the largest and most recognised distribution companies in the world and have distributed many hugely successful films both past and present. The company is the distributor of current hit film Avatar, which has broke several box office records during its release and become the highest grossing film of all time worldwide, surpassing Titanic.
• Over the years, they have represented a number of successful thriller films such as Taken, What Lies Beneath and Fight Club.

The Fog Opening Analysis

• The first shot is dark with a the effect of fog, which becomes denser and denser. The titles fade in and out surrounded by fog and with eerie music in the background to create a sinister tone/atmosphere.
• A shot of a boat is then used with only black silhouettes of the people visible, so we do not actually see their faces and it is all very quiet, with only the sound of splashing water created by the movement of the oars, until a scream is heard in the background. The fact we cannot see their faces creates a sense of mystery.
• There is then a cut to an establishing shot of fire, demonstrating a situation of panic and chaos, with ships and people ablaze. This sense of chaos is strengthened by the contrast between this shot and the previous one of calmness and water.
• It then cuts back to the water and the boats, where reflections on the water can be seen and it is all quite calm. This use of reflections adds to the realims and effect of the shot.
• One of the crew on the rowing boat then falls into the water and close ups of the faces are used. Close ups are used to show the panicked expressions of the people on board, so we can see the fear in their eyes.
• The volume and speed of the music then increases to build the tension and possibly foreshadow that danger lies ahead.
• An underwater shot is then used, suggesting danger in the water. This increases the fear of the audience, as they are left wondering what might be under the water and also creates tension, with them being concerned for the mens safety in the events to follow.
• A loud sound is then used simultaneously to something jumping out of the water, adding to the drama and impact of the moment. It also adds to the "audience jumping out of their seats" effect which thrillers are known for.
• The shot then fades to black.

Voiceover Script

We decided to use a recording of a phone conversation over the top of an establishing shot of the house at the start of the scene. This creates mystery, as the audience are wondering who has made the phone call and the importance it has to the story. The line suddenly going dead/caller hanging up adds to the tension of the situation. Throughout the remainder of the scene, no other dialogue is used, instead leaving it to the filming and music to set the uneasy tone and create suspense. The music is played right through, emphasising moments of suspense, however the sound matching the action can also be heard eg. opening of the fridge to ensure the situation seems as real as possible, allowing the viewers to relate to it.

Phone call script:
“Hello”
“Hello, is Mrs Anderson there?”
“No sorry she’s out at the moment I’m just the babysitter”
Line goes dead.
“Hello? Hello?”

We decided to create the phone conversation using the sound effects on the Mac for the phone ringing and hanging up sounds and recorded the dialogue using a microphone connected to the Mac. We did it this way as it ensured a much better quality result than if we tried to create the phone call in the background of our shot, recording it on the camera.

When A Stranger Calls Opening Analysis

• The scene begins with a black screen and the titles dissolving in and out with an almost ghostly effect. The whole time, the sound of a strange phone call can be heard, despite not being shown. It begins with a long, slow ring which builds tension.
• The black screen then dissolves into an establishing shot of a house, focusing on an upstairs window with a light on, suggesting the person inside is being watched. The phone call is still being played, giving the impression whoever is inside the house is the one being called.
• This seemingly normal establishing shot of a house then pans to the right to reveal a large and lively fairground. The scene is filmed at night to allow the powerful effect the many different lights coming from the fairground and to create a situation with more likeliness of dangerous events occurring.
• The same sinister music is played throughout the scene, with other sounds over the top such as children screaming, rides going round, the sound of people talking and a dog barking. Parts of the phone conversation are also repeated.
• The same house is repeatedly focused on, foreshadowing the events to follow here.
• An aerial shot of a mother calling her children home from her doorstep is used to show the normal street of houses and the contrasting lively atmosphere of the fairground behind.
• This then switches to an establishing shot of her house and her in front of it, using wobbly camera work, which gives the effect someone is watching her. This tension is added to by the fact you can hear an unexplained sound of heavy breathing.
• The peaceful shot of a wind chime blowing in the wind and chiming is interrupted by the abrupt passing of a dark figure, suggesting a danger situation is about to occur.
• The titles dissolve in on a shot of a carousel rotating.
• The scene then cuts back to the original house and the upstairs window, where a black silhouette is seen and a piercing scream is heard. The rides then begin to crash and balloons pop, adding to the tension.
• A red balloon is released into the sky which symbolises death.