Art of title sequences
‘Dirty Harry’
http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/dirty-harry/
– The very first opening credit appears at 01:50 minutes into the film and reads: “Clint Eastwood”, therefore because his name appears first in capitals, a big and bold font, centre screen and does distract us from the picture- which is of him walking up some steps- we believe him to be the main character.
– At 02:04 minutes, the name of the production company fades in slower than the first credit. It is in a smaller font, however the “Malposa Company” which shows they are not playing on the ability of the actors but more so of the reputation and the genre of the company.
– After that, at 02:12 minutes the title of the film fades in, however the two words: “Dirty Harry” fade in a split second after each other with “Harry” being the first one to appear, in a big, bold yellow font. “Dirty” then fades in above it, just slightly smaller- showing us that the film is more about him as a character and not the labels attached to him- it is also in the same font but in red and not outlined in black, which could link with the genre of action and thriller as red connotes the idea of danger or a threat. It could also symbolize the blood of the innocent people he is going to kill.
– At 02:22 minutes the co-stars begin to fade in on the left of the screen, with the names of the actors being a bigger font than the word: “co-starring”, which again highlights how the characters are very significant in the plot.
– 02:34 minutes the next set of co-stars fades in on the opposite side of the screen, possibly portraying that the characters are against each other on two opposing teams.
– 02:46 minutes shows who the film features, in a much smaller font size and scattered around the screen, in no particular order. It also shows lots more people at once, which perhaps means they are not as important in the plot.
– 03:17 minutes the final cast member fades onto the screen, with “John Vernon” in a much bigger font, and centre screen, which shows that the company is relying on star appeal rather than the interest in the actual storyline characters.
– 03:30 minutes shows the ‘Director of photography’ who is “Bruce Surtees”, with the name being in a larger font which again proves how they are focusing on star appeal.
– After that at 03:42 minutes the names of the ‘art director’, ‘film editor’, ‘sound by’ and ‘set decorator’ fade in and spread equally on the screen in the centre.
– At 03:54, more behind the scenes people are listed and fade in, due to lots being shown on the screen at a time could maybe present how they are not as significant as other cast members.
– The final opening titles to fade in is the ‘assistant director’ and the ‘wardrobe’ but also the fictional events disclaimer screen. This covers up the whole screen, indicating that it is an important credit, and the company want to ensure they have covered all the aspects about their film being fictitious.
– 04:26 minutes has how it is filmed: “Panavision” “Technicolour”, centre screen but in a smaller font, which shows that at the time it was filmed they were using advanced technology, showing that they are an innovative and superior company.
– At 04:41 minutes the “Lalo Schifrin” is displayed as who produced the music. The fact that the name is bigger than their job, again portrays how they are using star appeal to influence the audience.
– This is the same for the associate producer’s name and the executive producer which is also bigger and bolder to influence the audience even more, as they recognise the stars and that’s what makes them want to watch the film.
– The screenplay and story fade in at 05:23 minutes hoping to have the same impact on the viewers.
– Finally the producer and director: “Don Siegel” is in a very big font to the top left of the screen, in order to not disrupt the picture.
In my opening sequence, I am going to use the idea of font size and placing of the titles on the screen to portray the importance of each character. I will also use a different colour for my title, possibly red, in order to symbolize the jeopardy he has created on himself from taking the drugs.
‘Forrest Gump’
http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/forrest-gump/
– Five seconds into the opening sequence the very first opening titles fade in saying: “Paramount Pictures presents”. The company name is a bigger font than “presents” and is white with a black outline, in order for it to stand out. Due to it being in the centre screen it catches our attention and highlights the company’s name.
– At 00:10 seconds, “Steve Tisch/Wendy Finerman” fades in, in a big font which again shows how they are using the production company names to grab attention.
– The use of a bold and big sized font for the names continues into 00:16 seconds which displays: “Robert Zemeckis” in the centre screen, which again makes his name stand out and nothing else.
– At 00:22 seconds “Tom Hanks” fades into centre screen with a much larger font that could symbolize he is a significant character, but alternatively the company are using star appeal.
– After that the title of the film fades in slowly: “Forrest Gump” in a smaller font, possibly indicating how they are not focused or proud on what the film is called or the plotline of it, but more about the top actors they have featuring in it. However, alternatively they could want us to concentrate on the picture behind, which is a high angle shot of the location. It includes a church, which could reflect a religious theme in the film. It also helps to set the scene.
– Between 00:30 and 00:53 seconds, four other names of actors involved fade in and out centre screen, in a big font. They all distract the audience from the relaxing tracking of the feather floating in the wind, which influences them, as we tend to watch films for the stars who appear in it.
– Casting, co-producer, executive music producer, visual effects supervisor, costumes, music, editor, production designer and director of photography, all fade in, centre screen, one after the other. This makes us focus on the names yet again and not the actual picture behind them.
– At 01:40 it tells us the film is based on the novel by Winston Groom, which is just extra information they are giving us in order to gives us the best impression of their film, before it starts.
– At 01:44, the “screenplay” fades in, again centre screen, making us concentrate on it and read the names they are giving us.
– Then at 01:48 seconds, the penultimate titles fade in, in a much bigger font, as it is a more significant role: “producers”.
– The final title to fade in is the director’s name: “Robert Zemeckis”, so that the audience remember his name throughout it and he becomes recognized for directing the film.
I’m not planning on using any aspects of the ‘Forrest Gump’ opening titles because I personally found it very repetitive and tedious to watch.
‘Signs’
http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/signs/
– In a big, bold capital font: “Touchstone pictures presents” is the first title to appear only 3 seconds into the opening. It fades from a black screen and appears in the middle of the blue background, which is surrounded by a black vignette. Furthermore, the music (low-pitched, long notes of violins) also fades in with it, getting louder as the text becomes more visible centre screen and then fades to complete silence again, when the text also fades away, leaving an almost black screen with just a hint of blue in the centre.
– 5 seconds later the production company fades in, increasing in size as more blue engulfs the background, resulting, again, in a slight black vignette. However, this time, the music is more deafening and uncomfortable to listen too, with different pitches of string sounds which do not complement each other. The text stays readable for approximately three seconds, before fading slowly out again along with the volume of the music.
– ‘Mel Gibson’ and ‘Joaquin Phoenix’ then fade in, centre screen, one after the other. In a slightly larger font, which makes it clear that the company are using star names to influence their audience.
– A split second after the black screen emerges again, the whole screen suddenly turns completely blue, and then slowly creates a black vignette. The black then moves closer and closer into the centre of the screen, causing the blue background to take the form of a shrinking circle, until the whole screen is black again. The title of the film: “Signs” fades on very quickly compared to the other opening credits. It’s a larger font and is much bolder and more prominent on the screen, making it the audience’s main focus. As all of this occurs the music suddenly climaxes into an array of different string sounds, with short note lengths, giving it a sense of urgency or alternatively it could represent the plot of the film where something very significant happens causing normality to never return.
– After the sudden change of the music pace, the fades of the titles in and out are a lot more abrupt. After 30 seconds in, four names of actors/ actresses who feature in the film are displayed. They all fade in and out of the centre screen, in a very uniformed way, being all the same size and type of font. This gives us the impression that possibly no character is more important; they all have equal impact on the plot.
– At 44 seconds, the ‘casting’ is shown to be by ‘Douglas Aibel’, whose name is a bigger size than the job title, therefore we assume they are focusing more on the status of the names involved in the production and not the film as a whole. As his name appears the music increases in volume, pitch and pace and then suddenly fades out, as his name also disappears from the screen.
– The music and the pace of how quickly the titles appear then return to a slow rhythm, indicating an ambiance of calamity or perhaps the idea that whatever caused the dramatic peak in the film has been dealt with and controlled. However this doesn’t last for more than 6 seconds, during only the ‘music by’ opening credits. As after that there is a sudden explosion of noise.
– 1 minute in and the visual effects supervisors fade in, again focusing on star appeal, as the names of the people are bigger and more obvious to the audience, which means that the audience are more likely to watch it if they recognise names of people who were involved. The theme of the circle-shaped blue background and black vignette is still notably used. During the next few titles more musical instruments are incorporated into the soundscape, such as trumpets and pianos.
– The final title to fade in slowly is the ‘costume designer’: “Ann Roth”.
– After that, each title fades in brusquely, along with a sudden harsh intensity of the music, which climaxes as the name appears and then suddenly fades out along with the text.
– Four titles appear one after the other: “edited by”, “production designer”, “director of photography” and “executive producer” using the same theme as before with the blue background and black screen outline.
– The size of the font increases massively with the final two opening titles, as they are the most important. The names of who produced it fades in first: “Frank Marshall” and “Sam Mercer” and then finally the overall producer, director and writer: “M. Night Shyamalan”. This concluding opening credit, stays on the screen for a longer amount of time and then coincides with the music’s sudden stop and doesn’t fade back out again, like the other titles, but cuts to a black screen, closing the opening titles on a sense of anticipation and apprehension. This completely precipitous stop in the titles, picture and music could perhaps mirror the histrionic ending to the film.
The only aspect of ‘Signs’ opening credits I will use, is the consistency and continual use of the same font, however I will use a different one for the title in order to show how deciding to take drugs can lead you to an abnormal life.
Overall, my storyboarding, scripting, planning and shooting went as I had hoped. The storyboarding was difficult to begin with as coming up with an innovative, unique idea was very hard and due to my initial idea being hard to film, because it did not looking realistic enough, I then had to redo my ending and re-stroyboard it. This took up a lot of my time when I perhaps should have been filming, so I had to be very organised and keep my actors up-to-date with days I needed them- luckily I did not miss a deadline! To begin with I decided on not using any dialogue as from my primary questionnaire and my own thoughts, dialogue can sometimes take away from the buildup of tension, but after the 3rd edit, my audience commented on how Eddies character was not clear- therefore dialogue was necessary. So I added in dialogue for Eddie which was: “You were right. He couldn’t handle it!” and then a close up of the evils guys mouth saying: “let the plan commence” in order to make the storyline clearer. I was very prepared in terms of planning my thriller sequence, as you can see further up in my blog I made sure I contacted all the actors and asked them about dates way before the day to ensure they were free. Moreover I told them which costumes they needed and luckily they had the perfect clothes for each of their characters. The filming was the most tricky to organise, due to my setting being outside therefore I had to move my filming dates a numerous of times because of rain and even snow, to keep it continual throughout. There is a change in weather slightly as Harry runs through the gate and comes out the other side, which I had wanted to change but would of had to miss a deadline to re-film it. However, other than that, I ensured to use lots of interesting shots and good framing throughout.
Revised Storyboards
I chose to add in an establishing shot following a comment from one of my peers. A slow pan with no music adds to the eeriness of the scene and also symbolises the isolation of Kieran. Furthermore, it fits in with the conventions of the thriller genre.
I added in some more close-ups of Kieran to allow the audience to relate to him more and care about him. Also I feel as though adding in more close-ups of the spy, keeps his identity to a minimum and makes us more suspicious about his persona and his motives.
At the moment I have a front angle, handheld camera shot of Kieran running, which succeeds in portraying his fear and instability because his facial expressions are exaggerated. However, I have added a medium long shot from behind him – handheld- to symbolise his hallucinations that are following him. I know this may make it unclear for the audience as to who they are supposed to represent, but I feel this confusion adds to the psychological feel of the opening sequence, as nothing should be simple to work out.
Change of plan:
After my first edit, I came to realise- after lots of watching and some peer feedback, that my original ending just didn’t look quite right. This is because I couldn’t find a way to effectively film Kieran slipping around the corner and therefore my viewers were confused as to why he was suddenly unconscious on the floor. There are too many storylines in my opening, making it very hard to follow. So I have adapted my ending, in order to film and produce a higher quality thriller, which will also give me the opportunity to use a wider variety of interesting shots.
Revised ending:
Instead of Kieran running and slipping around the corner and the spy coming and giving him a letter to help him succeed in creating a new identity, Kieran commits suicide by stepping into a lake. The spy’s persona has also changed, as rather than him helping Kieran he’s glad that he’s dead. This is because the spy is working with the drug dealer, who wanted Kieran dead for not succeeding in giving off a signal for one of the crimes, due to his hallucinations being too distracting. The main focus is not on Kieran’s instable and mad mind but more on how the spy is watching and stalking him.
Map of location and camera positions:
Above is a drawing of my location for film. I have plotted different colour circles to show where I will place my camera for certain shots. Moreover, it shows where my actors will start, where they will move and the crosses indicate where they end up at the end of my opening scene. It really helped me to visualize my setting and helped me to set up and position my camera and tripod at a faster rate, enabling my filming to be finished on each day before it got too dark. Additionally, it assisted me, as I knew exactly where to place my actors around the set, helping both me and them to organise themselves ready for each shot. I also used an additional hand held camera to film the same shots as the main camera however at a different angle, because I thought it could add a different perspective and make my opening more interesting to watch. The smaller brown circle indicates the position of this extra camera.
Risk Assessment for the ‘Wild Gardens’:
During the filming of my thriller opening scene there are many aspects which must be considered, in order to ensure the health and safety of my actors is maintained and also to make sure the filming equipment isn’t damaged or broken.
Firstly, when using the tripod outside on a windy day, or on unstable ground, it could easily be blown over, as it is very light. However a solution to this hazard is having someone at hand to hold it steady, therefore preventing it from falling over and preventing damage to both the camera and tripod. Furthermore, in my setting there are many big trees and therefore, regarding wind, branches may fall off and end up hitting my actors or breaking the equipment. To stop this from occurring I will check the setting over and move any lose sticks from the filming area, but also make a decision as to whether it is safe enough to film and call it off if the wind is too strong. A second hazard could be if I were to carry the tripod underneath the camera, as it could easily become loose and come apart, which again will end up damaging it. Consequently, to stop this I will ensure I carry the tripod correctly, using both hands, with a firm grip.
Leads are a big factor that need to be considered. There will be leads coming off of the equipment, which is a possible trip hazard for my actors, especially in the woods, as the leads will be camouflaged into the ground and possibly be covered by sticks or leaves making it hard to spot them. Therefore to prevent any accidents, once I am set up I will inform them where the leads are, so that I know I’m covered if they do trip. It’s also important to tell them because the equipment could be damaged too.
Moreover, at the bottom of the avenue is a big lake, which could be a huge threat. My actors could fall in, resulting in their costumes being soaked and they would become very cold, this means that I would have to call off the filming. Or with my equipment, if it were to fall in, it could be severely damaged or more likely broken, which means that I would have to pay for it to be replaced at school. To stop any of these happening, I will make sure everyone and everything stays a big distance away from the lake and ensure all my actors can swim in case an accident occurs.
As the setting is a forest, this means that there are potential ditches and marshland, which could clearly be a hazard to my actors and equipment, especially when the lighting becomes dimmer as we move into dusk. Before filming I will check over the ground and let them know areas to avoid.
I will put a note on the gate of ‘The Wild Gardens’ saying: “filming in progress”, to warn the public. It means that if anyone walks up the avenue they won’t panic when they see my actors dressed up as ghosts and it also means that they will not get in the way of my shots, eliminating the chance of me having to film again.
We are all arriving to the set by ourselves, therefore this isn’t an area of concern, however if I was driving my actors to it, I would have needed to make sure I drove carefully, ensured seatbelts were worn and made sure I didn’t get distracted from the road. As this would have kept everyone in the vehicle safe. There is a road directly outside of the woods, which has the potential to create an accident, however when crossing over to get to the Wild Gardens I will check both ways and lead my actors across safely. I will also hold my equipment tightly, to prevent myself from dropping them onto the road and creating a scene. If I can’t hold it all myself, I will ask my actors politely to help me, resulting in a quicker and easier cross.
Also before filming, I will inform my actors about the filming space and any hazards I have had to deal with, or possibly cannot remove. Therefore, I know they are aware of the situation and what’s around them, leading to a safer environment to film in.
Location photos:
(above)
Why I chose to film my opening thriller sequence in the ‘Wild Gardens’:
The tall trees tower over Kieran, almost as if they are trapping him in with his mad hallucinations, generating tension as he is unable to get escape.
Creates a sense of entrapment for the audience, making them feel more involved in the action and more on-edge.
Makes the audience feel claustrophobic, which again follows the thriller conventions of making the audience feel uncomfortable.
Its one of the most typical settings of the thriller genre.
Woods bring about the feelings of lost, fear and loneliness, which all assist in creating suspense.
Once the sunlight is gone the woods become a very dark place in which we associate with murders, death and kidnapping, all themes which are linked to the thriller genre.
I thought the long avenue of trees which Kieran runs up, could also represent the final stretch leading up to his death.
1.) INSANITY REPRISE- https://burfordmedia.files.wordpress.com/2016/09/3-insanity-reprise.mp3
2.) CHASE- https://burfordmedia.files.wordpress.com/2016/09/2-the-chase.mp3
3.) INSANITY- https://burfordmedia.files.wordpress.com/2016/09/1-insanity.mp3
4.) ATMOSPHERIC SOUND- https://burfordmedia.files.wordpress.com/2016/09/0-random-atmospheric-cue.mp3
Initial Music
In order to keep my music choices copyright free, one of my friends offered to make the soundtracks for me. We discussed certain factors that I wanted to include in it in order for it to fit with my shots and editing pace, for example which musical instruments I wanted to be prominent or the volume and speed of it. He then used a program called ‘Mix-Craft 7’, in which he imported multiple sounds that we had decided on together to create the best soundscape, such as strings, bass, woodwind or special effects. After that he used a midi keyboard to record in multiple parts and once he was happy with that he mixed the pieces together and exported it into MP3. Then he sent it to me as a draft and I checked them all over, commenting on certain aspects I really liked or parts I didn’t think fitted with my vision. I then used MP3 Toolbox.net to convert them from MP3 into MP4 so they could be uploaded onto YouTube and put onto the blog. The four final pieces of music we came up with are:
Organising my Actors:
Above are screenshots of my group chat, where I told my actors all the information about my thriller.
I used social media in order to contact all of my actors and ask about them taking part in my thriller. It’s effective to use as it means I can continuously send and receive messages to and from the whole group, therefore I can check that everyone has got the messages and that everyone understands what my visions for my thriller are. It enables everyone in the group to see whats going on and when, in a really simple way. Everyone replied with great enthusiasm stating they would love to be part of it. The only initial problem I had was finding dates to film, as its hard to work around everyone’s calendars, especially when it’s a big group. Moreover, the only solution I had for this was to split up the shots into sections where certain actors were used, for example, on Sunday 8th January my actors, Harry and Eddie were the only ones who were free, so I decided to use that time effectively and get the ending filmed which only features their two characters. The only problem with not filming from the beginning, is firstly I must ensure I film at the same time of day in order to keep the lighting continual and secondly when I come to the editing of my film, I must work extra hard as the clips won’t be organised into the order I need them in.
Scripts:
Following the feedback from the primary questionnaire, I realised that the use of too much dialogue can hinder the build up of suspense, as the audience stop focusing on the picture and the increase in music intensity, and concentrate on what the actors are saying. However, I feel as though the use of slight dialogue whilst Kieran is running away from his hallucinations, could help to show his frenetic persona. Therefore I have created a script for shots 25, 26 and 27:
Shot 25:
Kieran: No, No, No, leave me alone! (heavy breathing) F**k…..F**k (tripping on branches but not falling completely).
Shot 26:
Kieran: (grunting) help me…somebody, anybody…Help! HELP!
Shot 27:
Kieran: (shouting) Lord save me, save me, please save me…
I think only having dialogue for Kieran creates a sense of isolation as he has nobody to turn to. Furthermore, by using repetition of phrases, it can help portray his utterly traumatic state as his thoughts are fragmented.
Below shows my shooting scripts, both original (landscape) and revised ones (rotated):
Above shows my costume designs for each character;
Choose a working title and justify it:
I have decided to call my thriller film: “Toxic Choices”. I feel as though it is an appealing title which represents the storyline in an effective way. The word “Toxic” helps to portray the deadly, lethal drugs he is taking and how they are contaminating his life and transforming his identity. But combined with the word “Choices” it shows how the decisions he continuously makes during the film are all immoral and will eventually corrupt his life.
In your opening how will establish narrative, ideologies, tone and mise-en-scene?
Through my opening I will establish tone by using a dimly lit effect on my shots, to portray how the drugs are sucking out all life in his character. I will establish ideologies through following the development of his character taking drugs and how it’s taking control of his life. The ideas of society I would like to portray is how people are becoming more and more addicted to drugs, and nowadays its seen as a cool thing to do or something fun to experiment with, however I am trying to show the very worst effects of it. The costume of my main male character, Kieran, originally included light brown trousers and a shirt, with a light brown jacket, in order to portray his protagonist persona. Furthermore he will be wearing a red scarf to symbolize danger and death, and black gloves to portray how he eventually loses power of his actions and can’t stop taking them. However, after a discussion with my actors I came to realise that tracksuits and a hoodie would be a better option in representing his shambolic life. My spy will be wearing beige trousers, black coat, black scarf and black gloves- to emphasise his mysterious, ambiguous persona, but also to make the audience question his identity as they are not told a lot about his character and his motives until the very end. The colour black, however, clearly shows his antagonist role. The visions will be very pale/ white in the face with over exaggerated black eyes and will be wearing black leggings with a long black top, as black and white are both prominent ghostly colours. They will also have they hair back-combed to create a very evil and sinister look.
How will your opening fit your genre?
My opening scene fits to the thriller genre through many aspects. Firstly, I am using a flashbacks which are a common feature in thrillers. They help to create a feeling of space and time disorientation, therefore creating a feeling of confusion within the audience. Also it gives the audience an insight into the characters past. Secondly, I am using low key lighting to create an eerie atmosphere and the shadows will represent the inner darkness or evil within them. I will be using quick shots to increase the feelings of suspense and quicken the action. Moreover, I will use close-ups to emphasise their emotions, POV shots to display their distorted views and tracking shots to keep the audience interested in the storyline.
Questionnaires:
I made a primary survey which focused mainly on the codes and generic conventions of thrillers, to find out what the audience are expecting to see. I chose to do a secondary questionnaire in order to receive more thorough feedback in which I can apply to my own thriller opening. Moreover, I needed help in choosing answers to questions that I was unsure of, for example what time of day I should film it. My secondary questionnaire concentrates on my own opening sequence, based on actors, plotline and location, as I need feedback from my viewers in order to make some decisions centred around my thriller, in order to make it appeal to a more extensive audience.
Choosing a target audience:
My target audience is 15+, however I am aware that my actual viewers will be ages of 25+ as my generation choose to watch other genres such as actions or comedies. In order to protect children from unsuitable and even harmful content in films and videos and to give consumers information they might need about a particular film or video before deciding whether or not to view it, the BBFC examines and age rates them before they are released. This independent scrutiny prior to release ensures the highest possible level of protection and empowerment.
A classification for a 15 film means that no-one younger than 15 may see the film in the cinema, rent or buy it. There are many factors to a film which make it suitable for only 15 years old and over.
Firstly the work as a whole must not endorse discriminatory language or behaviour, although racist, homophobic or other discriminatory language and themes can be included. Drug taking can be shown, however cannot promote or encourage drug misuse, for example through instructional detail. Dangerous behaviour, for instance, hanging, suicide and self-harming should not dwell on detail which could be copied. There may be strong language and very strong language may be permitted, depending on the manner in which it is used and who’s using it. Moreover, there are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context. Nudity in sexual context is allowed but no strong detail. Sexual activity is allowed but works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable. Strong threat and horror is allowed however a sustained focus on sadistic or sexual threat is unlikely to be tolerable. Lastly, violence may be encompassed but again, should not focus on the infliction of pain or injury.
An 18 classification means that the film is only suitable for adults, therefore no-one younger than 18 can see an 18 film in the cinema, rent or buy the film.
Until recently, 18 certificate films could not contain the depiction of actual sex acts, which more recently could only appear in films with an R18 certificate. Sex material which genuinely seeks to inform and educate in matters such as human sexuality or safer sex may be permitted. Sex works containing clear images of real sex, strong fetish material, sexually explicit animated images or other very strong sexual images will be confined to the R18 category. The language is also a lot stronger in an 18 film with the constant use of much ruder words.
For my thriller I will follow the BBFC guidelines to ensure it fits into the 15 certificate bracket. It will contain only small amounts of bad language, as there isn’t much dialogue in my opening and I feel it helps to portray the characters madness. Furthermore, there’s no sexual activity, but it does contain a death, however it doesn’t show how it occurred and therefore it doesn’t dwell on the detail and can’t be copied by the viewers. Drugs will be seen in the shots, however won’t be taken in a way which promotes or encourages drug misuse. I haven’t yet decided if I will show drugs being used or whether the audience will make their own prediction on what happened.
Consequently I have adapted my audience to a 12A certificate bracket because discriminatory language or behaviour is not endorsed by the work as a whole and there isn’t aggressive discriminatory language or behaviour. The misuse of drugs is infrequent and not glamorised or given in instructional detail. Also there is no promotion of potentially dangerous behaviour which children are likely to copy and no attraction of realistic or easily accessible weapons, such as knives. The clips of Kieran’s hallucinations could be seen as a psychological threat and a horror sequence. Although some scenes may be disturbing, the overall tone is not and the haunting sequences are not frequent or sustained.
Devised narrative for your whole film and opening thriller:
I have chosen to make the opening scene of a psychological thriller. The overall film will follow the main male character- Kieran-and his girlfriend-Annabel, showing their relationship progress as they begin using drugs, which becomes the only thing keeping them together. They meet the antagonist of the film, who becomes their dodgy dealer. He runs a gang which murders people who have done wrong to him in the past, and due to Kieran and Annabel’s bad addiction, the antagonist blackmails them into completing the crimes and murders he has lined up, in return for the drugs. Annabel dies of a drug overdose, making Kieran become severely depressed. He then becomes aware of the horrific things going on around him and loses his sense of humanity, however continues working for the antagonist due to his desperate need for drugs. Kieran becomes haunted by it all, so much that his hallucinations cause him to betray his dealer- he does not give off a signal for one of the attacks. Therefore, with panic of what the antagonist would do to him, he runs away. His life becomes twisted and altered into hell and due to his distorted vision, he believes he is being haunted by his dead girlfriend and all the people he has killed. At the end he fakes his own death in order for him to restart with a new identity. It replays the end of the opening sequence with Kieran led on the floor, however right at the end he blinks in order to make it clear to the audience that he isn’t actually dead.
My opening sequence starts at the end of the film, with Kieran “dead” on the floor at the end of an avenue of trees, zoom out slowly from his eye and then quickly to portray going back in time. It then flashbacks to minutes before he dies, with him walking then running away from his mad visions. However at this point the viewers are unaware of whether what he can see is real or not and if so, who it is and why they are chasing him. Guy dressed all in black with black gloves, watching him from behind some leaves. Juxtaposition of the erratic chase compared to the calm of the stalking. Kieran runs round a corner and his leg slips. Black man walks sternly up to him. reaches in his pocket, sound of pen click- audience think its a gun- then he writes his name on an envelope and slips it in his pocket.
Holly Gorton
Thriller Planning
