Duality Final

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Il3GjnurCU4

NOTE - Apologies but the video file would not upload

Colour Enhancements and Superimposition

Colour Enhancements and Superimposition

Colour Enhancements

Now that the sound has been laid onto the opening and is in time, we could begin altering the colour on the opening for each different scene. In order to do this, I have used Final Cut Pro X, altering the tint, saturation and exposure on each individual scene. I feel that the colour tones support the mood of the scene and give the audience an indication of what may follow. For the opening scene, I have crushed the blacks on the exposure levels of the scene in order to make the rooms and the characters appear darker as well adding a slightly blue tone to the scene. I have done this to emphasise the cold, bitterness of the scene and give the audience an insight into the killer's personality. This is similar to Black Swan, which I analysed for my research and found that using low levels of light can give the audience an idea of a certain character's personality therefore I have decided to use a slight blue tone to make not only the scene look cold and dark, but the killer too. For the second scene however, I wanted the crime scene to appear warmer than the previous scene to let the audience know that the danger from the previous scene has passed even though it begins with a close up on the dead body. I have done this by not crushing the exposure of the scene too much and giving the scene a touch of red which carries connotations of heat and is therefore a sign of safety to the audience. However I have not just put a red tone above the scene as all the colours within the scene would have been too bright therefore I lowered the saturation levels on the scene to ensure that the audience understand that, even though this scene is safer, they are still based in a very dangerous location where this could change at any second. This is supported by my colour alterations the alleyway scene which are very similar to those in the opening scene. This has been used to suggest to the audience that the killer is going to strike again as soon as the parallel editing begins. The audience see a clear contrast between the safe and dangerous scenes in a movie, possibly into the minds of the killer and Hudson and how they see the world. This is an idea that could be used throughout the film to show a clear divide in the two characters.

Superimposition

For the opening credits of the thriller, I have used a similar to technique to Quentin Tarantino. I have noticed through watching a number of Tarantino's movies that he often includes many of the people who worked on the film at the very beginning, this may be due to ensuring that those who played a big role in creating the film get the recognition they deserve from those who enjoy the film. I plan to emulate his technique by having my opening credits after the title DUALITY is shown - at the end of my opening - through having a list of names of those who featured and worked on the opening scrolling up at they very end. The thriller will of course start with the name of my production company, Evil Twin Productions, and be followed by the names of those who wrote and directed the thriller opening including myself. The rest of the credits will feature after the end of the second with Tame being reintroduced for the title of the film, this then runs for around twenty seconds with the names of others featured in the production of the film as the song draws to a close. I have also arranged the superimpositions to fade out, similar to the killer's actions in both his scenes as he seems to just appear and slip away again without anyone else noticing that he was ever there. I have also used the “Oh No” font that I mentioned in a previous post.

Dubbing Sound

Dubbing Sound

Seeing as the overall sound quality of the footage I have is poor, I have decided to overdub all the sound including sounds such as footsteps meaning I will have to create my own Foleys. I decided that it would be best to not record all of the Foleys first and then the dialogue, I felt it would be more effective to record in the order of the length each sound would last in the opening.

Location: Recording Studio

Order of Foleys:

1. Foley - Footsteps
2. Dialogue
3. Foley - Stabbing
4. Ambiance 
5. Pixies - Tame 
6. Foleys - Wallet drop, clothes rustling and stroking the knife

Equipment Used

1. Behringer B1
2. Shure SM57
3. Firefly 808
4. Logic Pro 9
5. Wooden board
6. Wallet
7. Watermelons 
8. Cabbage
9. Knives
10. Chairs
11. Coats
12. Chopping board
13. Wet cloth
14. Soundproofing boards 

Foleys

The job of a Foley artist is to enhance the sound of a scene and make the audience believe that everything in a scene, such as a floor made of plywood painted to resemble marble, is real. Foleys are very important to my thriller opening and I will be required to create Foley effects for all the footsteps of the scene, stabbing sounds, the wallet falling, stroking the knife and the sound of clothes rustling. The day started with my group and I experimenting between three different sounds for the footsteps, the options included just the floor in the recording room, a thin wooden board and a much thicker wooden board that I fortunately found on the way to school that very morning.

For the footsteps for the shots inside the hotel, I decided to use the thick wooden board which made the sound most similar to that of the real footsteps in the rough edit. This proved to be a very long task as it required perfect timing between the sound and the feet on screen hitting the floor. However when it came to the alleyway footsteps, I decided to use a chair to for the walk as it resembled the sound of walking on concrete and by this time, recording Foleys was becoming increasingly straightforward. Other Foley sound effects such as the stabbing sound required the stabbing of both watermelons and cabbages, these fruits and vegetables resembled the sounds of a knife entering a body as well as the knife being pulled back out of the victim. Acquiring the right sound for this was crucial as in the extreme close up of the blonde woman on the floor, she is stabbed again however I plan to only show this through her facial expressions and the sound of a knife stabbing a watermelon, a technique famously used by Alfred Hitchcock. Other techniques I used included wiping a knife in a wet cloth to get the sound of the killer wiping the knife clean, as well as rustling a coat for the the sound of the tramp getting to his feet in the second scene right before he is stabbed.

Dialogue

At an early stage, dialogue posed a problem as Adam Canning was not available to join us for his lines, therefore Joe took over and portrayed his character's voice. Because of the recent changes to scene two, the scene now only shows Hudson saying the end of his final line 'it's my goddamn job to know' meaning that only that line had to be in sync with what is being said by Hudson on screen. However, because the parallel editing now makes scene two longer, whilst editing the overall soundtrack, I had to try and draw out the length of the lines for as long as possible so as to ensure there would not be long pauses throughouy.

Pixies - Tame

As a result of my musical background, I am familiar with Logic and therefore the majority of the sound recording, processing and editing process was left to myself, Tame being one of the more challenging tasks. Due to the sophisticated nature of music in general, in order to cut a section, you must split it at the end of beginning of a bar in order for it to line up with the next segment. This has to be precise and requires a lot of careful listening and minute trimming of the audio track. The edited edition of the song had to last the length of scene one and also be perfectly timed to the door being kicked as this is where it needed to crescendo. After the first stab, the panting of both of the singers in the band begin and are accompanied by the sound of Joe’s breathing, which I cut and layered over the top, to resemble the killer. This breathing will continue as the music fades out and into the fade to black transition at the end of the scene to ensure that the audience are not let off the hook as soon as the scene ends.

Editing...Continued & Combining Scene's Two and Three

Editing...Continued & Combining Scene's Two and Three

After conversing with various media experts within the media and music department at my school, I have decided to make some changes that I believe improve my thriller opening. After watching my rough draft a number of times, I feel there is too much in the way of dialogue throughout which slows down the pace. I understand that thrillers need to have calmer moments to emphasise the thrilling parts of the film to make the audience feel even more anxious as they anticipate the end of a calmer segment of a film, and know that something big is imminent. However I feel that the second scene slows down the pace too much as it is only two minutes long. I believe I would be better off epitomizing as many of the codes and conventions of the thriller genre into the time allowed, such as quick cuts and extreme close ups. I have decided that an effective way to tackle this problem is to combine both scene's two and three, through a form of parallel editing. Before I had access to Final Cut Pro X to make these alterations to the opening, I created storyboards detailing what I expect the combined scene to look like. This made the editing process faster when combining the scenes as I already had a brief idea of how the scene would appear once complete.

I have edited my opening so scene two still starts with close up tracking shot of the corpse, however I have used parallel editing by cutting in the killer's walk in scene three after this shot which will give the audience a hint that the detective is also the killer, but may also make them feel uneasy and unsure on what is about to happen. This shot is now followed by the over shoulder from scene 2 rough edit in my previous two posts, leading into the dialogue two shot which cuts to the rest of scene three whilst the two detectives are talking about the murder from scene one. Luckily, the dialogue from scene two also applies to scene three as the killer stabs the tramp twice and steals nothing from him. This will make the audience feel increasingly uncomfortable and highlight how far behind the killer they are, setting up for the rest of the film which would revolve around Hudson trying to find this man.

There is also the small matter of superimpositions to consider. When using Final Cut Pro X, superimpositions are the last feature which can be added to a piece of film therefore this will be completed after sound and colour enhancements; however I feel that I have already found the perfect font for all of the credits. The font I have chosen is called 'Oh No' and strongly resembles the typographical choices made for the opening credits of Se7en as it mimics shaky handwriting, possibly that of the serial killer presented in both scene's one and two. The letters are also surrounded by drips, which could be seen as blood splattering around the opening credits, making the audience feel anxious before the opening has even started. I plan to have these fonts fading in and out of the screen, as if they are creeping up on the audience one by and one then disappearing again making the audience question what is around them.

The Editing Stage

The Editing Stage

Final Cut Pro X

Although I have started creating rough edits of each scene - as posted previously - as well as a final copy of scene three, I have today started work on the final edits of scenes one and two which I have recently finished filming. As I have done with scene three, I have decided to use Final Cut Pro X to edit, due to the fact that it is an industry recognised professional product. This was an easy decision after working with iMovie on both the enigma and 180 degree rule videos during the planning stage of creating my thriller opening. I feel that Final Cut Pro X gives me more of an opportunity to explore various things I can do with my footage whereas through working with iMovie I have found that the software has many limitations and the end product can often look unprofessional and somewhat lazy. Final Cut Pro X also allows me to explore different transitions between the scenes and will offer various ways to include superimpositions compared to the very limited number of options provided on iMovie. Seeing as I have to overdub all the sound myself, Final Cut Pro X is the desired software out of the two as it allows me to go beyond basically laying on all the sound and opens up a new world of ways to mix the audio as well as improving the colour of my opening to make it resemble an actually thriller opening.

Starting to Edit

As I entered the editing stage, I decided to keep to the format of my final shot list and compile the best shots I have and start to work from there. I found that I had collected several good takes for each shot which was a huge benefit to me in case anything was at fault with one of the shots. This meant I had a back up take I could use if any worst case scenarios arose. Unfortunately I am currently not aware of how to compile a split screen shot, however I plan to find out during the first week back to school when I show three media experts what I have created so far in order to gain constructive criticism regarding where I can make necessary improvements. There are a number of shots I had to trim such as the door kick in scene one which now does not show the door swing open, the shot shows the kick and quickly cuts to the blonde woman's shocked face to ensure that none of the other side of the room was included in the shot as that is where I stored the classroom's furniture during filming. There are a number of shots I plan to trim even further such as the extreme close up of the woman screaming which at the moment I feel maybe a fraction too long, detracting from the fast pace of the scene whereas I wish to keep the audience on edge, feeling a level of discomfort at the rapid speed at which the events before their eyes are transpiring.

Even though I have been told that the shot of the final stab in the opening scene is too shaky, I feel that this represents how unstable the killer is as the shot appears to be from his eyes as he stabs her one final time. Even though the opening so far is very different to what I had initially planned, I feel that through quicker and fewer cuts, I am able to present the same murder with a higher level of tension - a code and convention of the thriller genre - as the audience will constantly feel uneasy. I have also included fade outs on the end of both scene one and scene two as well as maintaining the flash at the very beginning of scene two. The opening shot for the second scene follows closely up the corpse's body whereas before merely presented the body in a wide shot, the audience will now feel uneasy with how close they are to the corpse and how they are being forced to follow the camera up her body. I am also pleased with the low angle two shot I have of Hudson and Detective 1, this shot will make the audience feel they are witnessing the conversation from the perspective of the corpse and will indicate that both detectives have a high status before they even start talking. I feel that I may need  to cut the tracking shot of the body across the coffee table slightly as it lasts a very long time however the shot will give the audience an obscured view of what is going on therefore making them feel anxious. This obscurity also works as a throw back to the obscured nature of the killer’s identity. Scene three has had very few alterations, only minor changes in regards to the size of some cuts and is near enough ready to be overdubbed with sound and have colour enhancements added to it.

Here is a very rough version of the thriller opening so far, I recognise that it still contains all the original sound which will be overdubbed towards the end of the editing process, around the same time the opening will also have colouring enhancements.

Shooting Scene One and Two

Shooting Scene One and Two

Instead of re-scripting for the new shot list I have compiled I thought it would be more effective to create a storyboard for the opening scene to ensure that I we collect all of the required shots so that we can quickly enter the final editing stage of the project. However, because everyone now involved with scene two is familiar with the plot and there is no alterations in the dialogue, I saw no need to create a storyboard for this as I strongly believe the script will be enough to ensure I get the shots I desire.

Casting Changes:

Detective 1 - Jake Kardasz

Detective 1 is now portrayed by Jake Kardasz. As Jake is a member of my group, I strongly believe he successfully represented the frustration of the police around Hudson through Detective 1 and even improvised on the script, allowing Hudson to push past him on his way out to show the aggressive side of the protagonist. The only difference in costume is Detective 1 will now be wearing a white shirt featuring blue stripes whereas before he was portrayed by Jack Stiff in a white shirt. Jake also already knew all of Detective 1's lines therefore I did not have to waste time allowing next actors to learn their lines and get into character.

Press - Joseph Radnedge and Myself

The press are now portrayed by Joseph Radnedge and myself. I myself have experience in acting and having performed in many theatrical productions such as “Cats” and “Oliver”. As a result of my experienceI feel comfortable being promoted from a role as an extra to a member of the press having to react, using facial expressions in close up shots, to show both frustration and intimidation with and by Hudson as scene two draws to a close. I have also decided to cast Joe as the other member of the press who asks the first question. I have done this as he was the brainchild of the script and I therefore believe that he will successfully deliver the press member's one line to Hudson to intensify his already hostile mood. After watching Joe Donadel and Ellen Titchmarsh's performances as the press members in scene two, I feel that they did not express their frustration with the detective, not to mention in the over shoulder shot from Ellen she kept moving back and forward making the shot uncomfortable and look somewhat unprofessional.

Seeing as the learning support room was much smaller than my previous PE room, I have decided to cut the two detective extras sitting at the back of the scene as I am only going to be using half of the small room to make the audience feel like they cannot escape the crime scene and a sense of claustrophobia. However I plan to keep the flash from the start of the original scene two which may suggest to the audience that there is another detective in the room as it will be used to mimic a camera flash.

Mise en Scene and Propositions

The mise en scene and propositions that I have used in the re-shoot of scene two and the shooting of scene one are mostly the same as they were in the original scene two. However there are a few minor changes. One change that I have been forced to make was the fact that there is no longer a television in the room as I was unable to retrieve the one I had used from the science block of the school I had used previously. The television has been replaced with a radio which now sits upon the table where the television sat in the original scene two. This is not a huge change as it is only a small part of the room and will make the hotel seem even grottier and cheap as it cannot even afford to place televisions in their rooms. I have also included a red rug on the floor of the room which will carry connotations of danger as well as sexuality and lust, due to the colour red. This rug will also mask the fact that no theatrical blood was used today as even if I did use some, it would match the colour of the rugs.

A number of items from the original scene two are still being used such as the sofa, table, kettle and the clock. Unfortunately, I was unable to use both the typewriter and lava lamp which is disappointing as we no longer have the clear postmodernist references to thriller classics such as The Shining as I stated in my postmodernism post. However because I am no longer using any police extras there seemed no need for it anymore even if there was somewhere to place the proposition. I also had to find a way of masking the room's posters to make the room strike one as a hotel room, luckily the majority of this room's posters were not stapled on therefore they were simply taken down and those which did require disguising, I covered with a black cloth to resemble a dark wall. The room also featured two extra chairs, one of which held a red jacket which closely resembles Michael Jackson's jacket in the Thriller video, referencing more iconic 1980's popular culture, as well as the other chair utilising leopard print cloth, further resemblant of 1980's fashion.

Shot List for Scene One

1. Two split shot: mid shot from behind the killer following him through the two corridors and a close up of the killer's feet to the first door.
2. Close up of the woman looking frightened.
3. Mid shot of the killer reaching for the knife.
4. Close up of the killer stroking the knife.
5. Over shoulder shot from the killer of the woman getting up.
6. Mid shot of the killer pulling back the knife, camera panning into killer's back during throw, panning back to show woman stabbed, falling.
7. Extreme close up of the woman screaming.
8. High angle close up of the woman falling.
9. Close up of the killer's feet by body, then wipes the knife clean with red rug.
10. Extreme close up of the woman's last breath as she is stabbed again.

Shot List for Scene Two

1. Close up of the woman, tracking up her body as Hudson leans down, tracks up to Hudson's face looking at the corpse.
2. Over shoulder of Detective 1 walking into the scene as Hudson rises from the body.
3. Low angle, from the body, of the two detectives dialogue, dialogue ends with Hudson pushing past the other detective.
4. Tracking shot across the coffee table showing dead body with mugs and pots obscuring the audience's vision - to create ellipses.
5. Mid - close up shot of Hudson leaving the crime scene until doorway where he meets members of the press.
6. Over shoulder shot from Hudson of the dialogue between him and the press.
7. Close up shot of Hudson of the dialogue between him and the press.
8. Close up shot of Press Member 1 of the dialogue between him and Hudson.
9. Close up shot of Press Member 2 of the dialogue between him and Hudson as well as Hudson's attack of Press Member 2.

Overall I am very pleased with shots I have gathered from today's filming which will be the last day in the production stage as I feel I am now ready to focus all of my attention on the editing stage of the process which will be continued from what I already have of scene three in the next few days.

Issues With Filming

Issues With Filming

Scene Three Re-shoot

Scene Three Re-shoot

Today I completed all of the final shooting for the third and final scene of my opening in the original location, Leonard Lane, Bristol. Similar to the last time I filmed in the city centre, I ensured that my actors arrived on time as I travelled with them and made sure they had brought the identical costumes to those previously used. This would allow us to use shots from both shoots at the location. However, today was a dry day wether-wise, completely different to the last day of shooting at Leonard Lane. This should not be too noticeable as the majority of shots taken today were close ups of the characters, the floor was not often in shot often. Again if necessary, through colour enhancement any imperfections can be smothered.

Today's shots included:

1. A shot similar to the original wide shot but further up the lane.
2. A close up of the killer's feet walking past the tramp as he asks for change.
3. A close up of the tramp's face asking for change.
4. A close up of the killer opening his jacket to pull out a knife.
5. An extreme close up of the wallet dropping onto the floor.
6. Extreme close up of the tramp looking directly at the killer in fear.
7. Over shoulder shot of the killer stabbing the tramp.
8. A close up of the tramp's face whilst being stabbed.
9. A close up of the killer stabbing the tramp, focusing on the retractable knife.
10. Close up of the killer shaking the wallet to get rid of any dirt.
11. Mid shot to wide shot of the killer walking off.

Although this is a very extensive list of what I previously stated was a very small amount of shots, I feel it would be better to include as many close up shots as I can to cut into the third scene to maintain a fast pace in order to make the audience feel uncomfortably close to the murder - this is similar to the first scene and works as an anaphoric reference. I feel that I have learnt a lot from my previous two days of shooting as the filming today was completed much quicker and to a much higher standard. An influencing factor upon this is that I feel all of us within the group are now much more comfortable with our various roles. 

I have also decided to include some establishing shots at the beginning of the scene, panning down from the buildings to the ground in the alleyway. This shows the audience  they have been placed in a dangerous location, possibly with the killer from the opening scene before he is on screen. I also found a dead bird in the alleyway which has been struck down, similar to the blonde female after she is killed within the first scene, therefore acting as another anaphoric reference, this time regarding his victim. This suggests to the audience they may be about to witness yet another murder.

Below is a rough edit of the scene which still contains the sound from every individual shot. Once again I plan to take out all the sound and dub the whole scene myself including the ambiance. As stated above, I also plan to alter the colour levels on the scene to make it appear darker and the alleyway dingier and more dangerous.

Planning for the Re-Shoot of All Three Scenes

Planning for the Re-Shoot of All Three Scenes

Shooting Scenes One and Two

Shooting Scenes One and Two

Sadly I did not manage to complete all of the filming I would have liked. We ran out of time for a number of reasons. One of these reasons were some of the people on set. Certain actors decided that they wanted to stay despite the fact their shots had been filmed and they were no longer needed, this caused an obstruction - they distracted the actors and members of the production group and also were in shot at some points henceforth rendering some takes useless. The office next door to the classroom had a teacher in it, who at times would look out of his office to see what we were doing, and thus be in shot, directly breaking the fourth wall, and ruining the take. Also, the floor of the class room was left in a disarray, meaning that my group and I had to take valuable time to find a vacuum cleaner and clean the floor, as it posed a health and safety risk. These problems could have been avoided had I been more stern with the people on set and demanded that they leave when they were done filming. The problem with the teacher was eventually solved as we told him to close his door and he complied. Setting the scene also took longer than I anticipated (as I had previously voiced my concerns), and when working with such tight time restraints, this meant that we no longer had the time we wished to film all of the shots. Minor problems also caused fault, such as posters falling down and the blinds being difficult to close. These problems were solved quickly, but also took up valuable filming time.

These problems have taught me certain things about the filming process, things I can take with me into the re-shooting of scenes 1 and 2. The shots we could not take were all of the shots from scene 1 that transpired inside the hotel room - we only managed to acquire the outside hotel walk, and the kicking down of the door. However we did shoot all of scene 2, which can now be worked into a rough edit. I am happy with most of the shots from scene 2, however I would perhaps like to re-shoot some of the close-ups of the detectives talking, as the lighting was off, casting a shadow over detective Hudson's face. Also, the shots with the press perhaps could be re-done, as I do not feel that the acting was sufficient, being rather wooden so to speak. These problems could be resolved - as the shot are all close-ups, and would not require a full location set up, merely to have the actors present.

One of the things I have decided after the shooting of all of the scenes of my thriller opening is that I will overdub the sound for my piece. In scene 3 the sound was drowned out by the windy conditions of the alleyway whilst in scene 2 the room offered poor acoustics, leaving the dialogue hanging in the air and undefinable. This in turn detracted from it’s impact. I would also like to over-dub the ambiance to create a believable atmosphere and use folies in order to create non-diegetic and non-synchronus sounds. This will make the overall sound sharper, and allow us to bring out the more important sounds within specific scenes and shots - i.e the door slamming. Aside from the two members of the press, I felt the acting from all my actors was good and suited their roles perfectly. Adam suitably connoted his characters tired and frustrated attitudes to the killings, ignoring what Detective One had to say, and striding from the scene with his own air of disgruntlement. He also grew aggressive with the reporters believably in a manner that connoted he had darker moods, alluding to the plot-twist that he is/was in fact the killer. Jack also acted well, showing his frustration with Hudson and how composed he was with the killings. I feel that I only need to re-shoot a small number of shots, including:

- The close-ups of Hudson, with correct lighting

- The press shots, with different actors

- The wide shot in which Hudson enters and leaves the room - the school projector can be seen.

I feel these re-shoots could be done relatively quickly, as all are close-ups (I plan to change to wide shot of Hudson entering and leaving the room into a close-up.) and I have planned so that my filming was done early - with adequate time to re-shoot. The only other shot I wish to take is a close-up of Hudson to begin the scene, to establish that he is the protagonist.

I will need to re-shoot all of scene 1, as the corridor scenes I captured I do not believe are adequate. Although I managed to shoot the first two takes, I need to have the killer's walk last at least twenty-one seconds, so that the door kick will be in time with the diegetic music as Tame begins. Accuracy of this shot is vitally important when it comes to the process of over-dubbing the sound. The initial thought behind the antagonist having headphones on was to enhance his ignorance to the world and set him up to be a victim. In filming the beginning of scene one, I found he looked very much the killer, despite the codes and conventions I used, due to his dress and the confidence in his stride. Henceforth I am thinking of having the song in scene 1 playing on a radio in the hotel room. The song will still go from diegetic to non-diegetic, as it is muffled by the sound of the door.

Below is the first edit of scene 2. It includes some of the shots above which I plan to re-shoot, and is a very rough edit - much will be changed. The sound has been deleted, as it will be overdubbed, and this way I could focus more on the editing. I feel the acting, costume and props all work well, and I also feel the room has been adequately disguised to be presented as a hotel room. However I feel that the things I outlined above still need to be changed. The shot of Hudson talking to the press also need to be re-done, as a London 2012 poster is clearly visible in the background - as my piece is set in the 1980's, this take could not be used.

This is a very rough edit, and is a screen capture of the movie in Final Cut Pro X, as the original file was too large to be sent in an e-mail to my media teacher.

I plan to complete filming scenes one and two on the last Wednesday of term, a fortnight away, as this is when all of the actors required are next available.

So as the gather thoughts and opinions on what could be changed in the re-shooting and editing stage of my thriller opening, I asked a number of students from my class if they could tell me what I should improve on in my thriller opening. They all had a good understanding of the thriller genre, and media as a whole, as they were in the same class, and completing the same project as me.

Due to technical issues the video files will not upload however below is a list of quotations gained:

“The varying shot types set up the story-line well...maybe make further use of extreme close ups to show emotion”

“The dead body in the background creates an enigma”

“The costumes don’t quite fit the roles”

“Some speech is wooden however with a reshoot this could be easily fixed”

Scenes One and Two - Final Planning

Scenes One and Two - Final Planning

As I have previously stated in my planning for locations, I will be filming scenes one and two in a classroom within the PE block for a number of different reasons. I will have to clear the room and re-establish it as a hotel room, but I have planned so that the actors will arrive an hour later than myself and the production team, meaning there will be adequate time to prepare for the afternoon shoot and create the location with the use of propositions and scenery. I will need a number of props to set the create a realistic location for both scenes one and two. Below is a props list for these items to ensure they are all present and correct when filming.

Scene 1 and 2 - Props for setting the scene

Lamp - Myself

Pillows - Jake

Blankets - Jake

Radio - Jake

Hotel art - Jake

Lamp - Joe

Television - Joe

Settee - Drama

Table - Common room

Ornaments - Drama

Small cupboard - Drama

Clock - Drama

Rug - Drama

Picture frame - Drama

Mug - Common room kitchen

Lava lamp - Drama

Kettle - Drama

Toaster - Learning Resources

Wall hangings - Drama

Lights - Media

My time slot for the for the room is very tight, starting at 1:00 and ending at 4:00. As I plan to have the actors arrive at around 1:40, I will be able to set up the room for forty minutes. I believe this may be cutting it fine, however it is a fixed deadline due to the time restraints regarding when we can access the room. A number of factors mean I will not be able to shoot from my shot list chronologically. Jack Stiff, who plays Detective 1, and Ellen Titchmarsh, who plays Press 2, both have to leave at 3:00 as a result of work commitments. This means that their scenes will be filmed first, as they are only available for a limited amount of time. Also, after 2:40, the school will clear, meaning the hotel corridor scene can be filmed afterwards, as otherwise the noise, and passers-by of the surrounding school would interrupt and mar the filming. Here is a copy of the updated shot list.

Scene 2

Shot 2, over the shoulder, tracking. Detective walks into the scene. 4 seconds.

Shot 3, two-shot, mid, canted low. Dialogue between two detectives. 21 seconds.

Shot 4, wide shot, obscured. Shot of room. 4 seconds.

Shot 5, mid shot. Detective walking from the room, hailed by press. 5 seconds.

Shot 6, over the shoulder, mid, two-shot. Press 1 talking. 5 seconds.

Shot 7, close up. Detective talking. 5 seconds.

Shot 8, close-up. Press 2 talking. 4 seconds.

Shot 9, extreme close-up. Detective talking, knocking notepad out of press' hand.

Shot 1 close-up, moving. Camera runs over female's body to reveal detective. 8 seconds.

Scene 1 

Shot 3, close-up, handheld. Female looks shocked, sits up in her seat. 3 seconds.

Shot 4, mid-shot, side of killer. Killer draws knife from jacket. 4 seconds.

Shot 5, close up, handheld. Killer draws knife and strokes sensually. 5 seconds.

Shot 6, over the shoulder, close-up. Killer pulls back knife. 2 seconds.

Shot 7, extreme close-up. Female screams. 0.5 seconds

Shot 8, over the shoulder, wide shot of room. Killer hurls knife.

Shot 9, obscured shot. obscured. 2 seconds.

Shot 10, camera rises from obscured shot to over the shoulder shot. Female clutching torso.

Shot 11, mid-shot, handheld. Female falls to floor, dying. 5 seconds.

Shot 12, close-up. Killer walks towards female and kneels.

Shot 13, extreme close-up, handheld. Girl is stabbed, close-up of her face dying. 4 seconds.

Shot 14, close up. Killer wipes blade on rug.

Shot 1, Still mid-shot. Titles show on screen. 10 seconds

Shot 2, mid-shot - tracking shot. Killer walks along corridor to door. Pauses. Kicks down door. 6 seconds

Actors needed - Scene 1

Adam Canning

Costume: black suit, blue ties, formal shoes, hair slicked back, sunglasses.

Props: knife.

Shornie Britton

Costume: polo shirt, jeans, baseball shoes, leg warmers.

Props: none

Actors needed - Scene 2

Adam Canning

Costume: white shirt, suit trousers, formal shoes

Props: fake cigarette.

Jack Stiff

Costume: white shirt, suit trousers, formal shoes.

Props: none.

Joe Donadel and Ellen Titchmarsh

Costume: shirt, suit trousers, formal shoes.

Props: notepads, pens.

Props needed 

Scene 1 - Propositions and Technical Equipment

Fake knife - Myself

Still camera - Myself

Duct tape - Myself

Filming camera - Zoran

Tripod - Zoran

Spare batteries - Zoran, Myself

Storyboard - Jake

Blue-tack - Jake

Sunglasses - Jake

Fake blood - Joe

Script - Joe

Docking station - Joe

Scene 2 - Propositions and Technical Equipment

Still camera - Myself

Filming camera - Zoran

Spare batteries - Zoran, Myself

Tripod - Zoran

Notepads, Pens - Jake

Fake cigarette - Joe

Fake blood - Joe

Music in Film

Music in Film

Music has been a crucial element of film since its birth. In the days of silent film, music played an integral part in representing the mood and themes of a scene, as well as conveying the emotions of a character. Many of the thriller openings I have analysed, when researching the codes and conventions of the thriller genre, make use of tense orchestral scores such as Se7en and Black Swan. Music, within film, acts as an emotional shorthand and is often used in thrillers to indicate to the audience that something terrible is about to happen to the protagonist. It can also represent the end of a tense moment, showing the start to a lighter part of a film. As interested in creating an original score as I was, due to my musical background, as a result of limited time I have to complete the project, I feel I would be better using an existing song. Through using an existing song I can still add to the tense atmosphere of my thriller opening, however I also have the opportunity to show the audience that the film is set in the 1980's. At first I thought it might be a good idea to use an iconic song from the eighties by artists such as Michael Jackson or Prince. The Beegees song “Stayin’ Alive” was also mentioned as a result of the irony it would create. It became apparent that this was also an opportunity to create the dark personality of the antagonist and further make the audience feel uncomfortable without using orchestral music. This lead to me finally choosing Tame by Pixies, which was released towards the end of the 1980's in 1989.

I plan for the audience to initially hear the intro of the song through the headphones of the killer as he walks through the corridor. As he reaches the door and kicks it down, the music would then intensify, becoming diegetic as the song progresses into the a crescendo through the heavy chorus. The fierce, almost psychedelic, styling of the chorus will highlight the brutality of the whole scene and make the audience feel like they are in the killer's position as it will be supported by a shot from the killer's eyes. Using a rock song carries many sinister connotations and makes the audience see the killer as an evil person who thinks he is a rock star. Within the group we did some research into serial killers, in order to produce some background notes for our actors, and thought of this after reading about the 1980's serial killer Richard Ramirez who used to listen to ACDC's 'Highway to Hell' in his car before taking another victim. Here it showed that Ramirez thought what he was doing made him a rock star, as if he were unbeatable, as we will similarly try to recreate within our opening.

The quiet opening of the song will create a level of suspense as the audience wonder where the killer is going and why the music is so quiet. Tame includes elements of aggression which will support the brutality of the murder of this innocent blonde woman who appears to have done nothing wrong. Even lyrics within the song such as 'hips like Cinderella' and 'talkin' sweet about nothing' may be seen as a link to the appearance of the blonde victim as she will be presented to be a stereotypical ditzy blonde, as she fails to deal with the dangerous situation. As the song draws to a close, there is the sound of the singer panting, this may be seen as a break for the audience after the distressing murder they have just witnessed; it may also be seen as the killer's heavy breathing as sign of his sexual desires being fulfilled, supported by the stroking of the knife in a previous shot.

Scenes One and Two Extensive Planning

Scenes One and Two Extensive Planning

I have decided to film the first two scenes of my thriller opening in a classroom in the PE area of my school. This area is often unused, due to the fact that PE is often more of a practical subject, therefore we will be undisturbed during shooting, I have also decided to use it on a Wednesday in the afternoon, when sixth form have PE therefore the room will be completely free. However there are drawbacks to using a classroom as I will have to remove all of the tables and also cover up posters, which adorn the walls of the room, so as to disguise the fact that it is a classroom.

The classroom itself was chosen after recceying the whole school. It is essential for the classroom to have a corridor outside which has predominantly bare walls to make the corridor appear to belong to a dull, dingy hotel. It was also necessary to have the ability to control the lighting in the room, this made the PE class a perfect choice as the blinds drowned out all of the room's natural light allowing for the use of film lights instead which will enable me to produce the desired lighting for the scene and set the thriller opening in the dead of night. The classroom I have chosen also has plenty of room outside to store the equipment which belongs in the room such as tables and chairs. The only drawback of the PE class is the size of the room which is quite large, however I believe that through closely following both the protagonist and antagonist whilst avoiding the use of wide shots, I can make the room appear smaller to the audience than it actually is.

There is another room in the school which meets the same requirements as the PE room however has two corridors which would be needed for the length of the walk at the very beginning of the opening. This classroom is based in learning resources on the other side of the school and may act as a backup location just in case anything unexpected occurs and I am no longer able to use the room in PE.

An issue with using the PE classroom is unmovable objects such as projectors and whiteboards which would clearly indicate to the audience that this is in fact a classroom and look very unprofessional. This would also contradict the fact that my thriller opening is set in the 80s due to the fact that the technology would appear to be too advanced. Again, similar to the issue with the size of the room, I will have to use tight, close shots of characters to ensure that I mask the fact that it is a classroom and make it appear to be a hotel room. It would be easier to film in an actual hotel room however this would include transport difficulties for both actors and props as I would still have to dress the room with typical 1980's props.

Dressing the Set

Before shooting even begins I will have to completely transform the room. Transforming it from a PE classroom, covered in sport posters - into this dark, dingy hotel room which looks perfect for a murder scene. The first thing I will have to do is clear all of the school equipment into a rarely used classroom opposite. The posters on the other hand cannot come down as they are stapled into the wall therefore I plan to cover these with pieces of art which I feel resemble typical cheap motel art, which I will collect from the art department.

List of items needed to disguise the room as a hotel and where I will acquire them:

• Television - School - Science block
• Fake cigarettes - Myself
• Mugs - School - Sixth form
• Pillows and blankets - Daniel Comley
• Coffee table - School - Sixth form
• Artwork - School - Art block
• Sofa - School - Drama hall
• Lava lamp - School - Drama hall
• Typewriter - School - Drama hall
• Cabinet - School - Drama hall
• Pot - School - Drama hall
• Radio - School - Drama hall
• Clock - School - Drama hall
• Rug - School - Drama hall
• Kettle - School - Drama hall
• Chair - School - PE classroom

The classroom is free from 1:40 until 4:00 therefore I do not wish to spend any more than twenty minutes clearing and decorating the room to ensure that I can film both scenes one and two within the two hours I have available. After 2:40 the school will be considerably quieter as many of the students will have left meaning there will be very little in the way of disturbances.

Actors required for scene one (final):

Adam Canning - Serial Killer

Costume: The same killer outfit from the filming of scene three only this time with big, typical 1980's headphones.

Props: Fake knife

Shornie Britton - Blonde Woman

Costume: Blue top, skinny jeans, leg warmers, converse

Actors required for scene two (final):

Adam Canning - Hudson

Costume: Open white shirt, trench coat, smart trousers and black shoes

Props - Fake cigarette

Jack Stiff - Detective 1

Costume: Open white shirt, braces, smart trousers and black shoes

Props: Fake cigarette, lighter

Shornie Britton - Blonde Girl

Costume: Same as in previous scene

Zoran Micic and Myself - Detective Extras

Costume: White shirts, black trousers and smart shoes

Harry Denley, Samuel Godwin and Aaron Gough - Press Reporters

Costume: White shirts, black trousers

Props: Notepads and pens