Thriller - Final Edit

Thriller - Evaluation Question 1

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real life media products?

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulCPY6LQgZY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Thriller - Evaluation Question 2

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Within my thriller, the age groups that within the opening sequence of the thriller are young adults. This social group in represented rather negatively within the thriller overall as they are seen involved in violence and, as it shows, that one of the characters is killed and another is traumatised by the fact that someone 'knows' something that puts her in danger, showing crime clearly.

 

Because of the weapons shown, it does make the social group look negative because of the weapon use and the situation that he, the character, is in himself.

 

 

 

In terms of camera showing representation, there are many shots that are looking down on the characters, often sometimes up close and sometimes facing them, the characters slumped over, making them look vulnerable. The setting at the start is also in the middle of no where, making the characters look isolated. The costume is also typical of what that social group wear, perhaps even a stereotype, as the male character is wearing a very casual jacket.

The lighting is also natural at the start, but once the death is shown, it becomes very dark, with only a small bit of artificial light coming from a lamp beside a bed. This shows, in terms of representation, that the social group is involved in dark activities and criminal activities. The representation of the social group in question, young adults, is a negative one because of type of lighting that gives a negative effect as well as a stereotype of criminal activities and the actual nature and the themes of the thriller.
 

 

Thriller - Evaluation Question 3

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

 

The media institution that would probably distribute my product in its full length version would probabaly be the UK Film Council, who have distributed short films like Bulletproof (Aubrey Reynolds, 2006) as well as British made films like Into the Woods (Matt Taabu, 2008), a thriller set in the woods where a family of three encounter a stranger, which was filmed in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England in the UK. This would seem like a good distributor to use to distribute my product as it is a British institution and would therefore be more sensible to use rather than going for an American institution which would probably be more interested in higher budget films with a larger cast and a more high profile cast.

 

 

I also think that a good distributor to use for my thriller would be Film4, as they are also a British distributor, distributing films like Everyday (Michael Winterbottom, 2012), a thriller about a man imprisoned for drug smuggling and his wife being shot, and it shows the course of five years, a few weeks shown at a time. These themes are similar to the themes that are used in my thriller as themes such as violence and crime are involved, as well as being filmed within Britain.

 

These distributors may distribute my product as they are smaller, British distributors who would probably be interested in it as they do distribute smaller films and they have distributed films with my themes and they have distributed thrillers in the past. I think they would be the good choice to use for distribution.

Thriller - Evaluation Question 4

Who would be the audience for your media product?

 

 

 

Thriller - Evaluation Question 5

How did you attract/address your audience?

 

 

 

Thriller - Evaluation Question 6

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

 

 

Thriller - Evaluation Question 7

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ipkigu6JZw

Thriller - Evaluation Draft

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
My media product uses the conventions of real media products such as thrillers made by large conglomerates, as I tried to make use as many as could fit in using the research I gathered for the thriller project. Such as I tried to use a sense of mystery, as with the research I conducted for my thriller, I found that only basic information was in the narrative was given and this added a sense of mystery and the audience wanted to continue with the plot as there were still many questions to be answered. I also did not want to show the faces of my actors, as I noticed with The Usual Suspects (Bryan Singer, 1995), that they left the identity of the villain a mystery, right until the end. My thriller sticks to the conventions, but it does not challenge the forms and conventions of real media products, apart from the fact that the narrative is to do with young adults and teenagers. From the research I have gathered, nearly all of the narratives are about adults and their involvement in serious issues, rather than someone in a younger age group. Because of this, I feel that I have challenged the usual conventions of thrillers in my media product. I feel that perhaps I have developed forms of real media products because of this, but in terms of an audience viewing and future use in other thrillers and media products, I do not think that it would have much of an impact as the audience for watching teenager actors on the cinema screen is selective rather than adults who are more general within cinema and can fit any catagory.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?
My media product represents particular social groups such as teenagers and young adults, as those are the ones who are within the first few minutes of the thriller. However, within the first few minutes it represents the teenage age group in negatively as they are getting into trouble  and getting involved with criminals. The first teenager shown is killed for not completing a task set by the main antagonist and the second is also in trouble, becoming traumatized by the fact that the criminals they have associated themselves with have knowledge of something that they don't want them to know by using the words 'They know.' within a letter. Because of this, the social group is represented badly because of the criminal activities it gets involved in. Also, firearms are involved within the thriller, making the social group involved in dangerous activities, putting them in a negative perspective.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
A media institution that might distribute my media product would have to be a British independant film distributor, not a large American company like Universal or Warner Brothers as they deal in large, big budgeted films with high paid actors, writers and directors. Because of this fact, they would not be going to distribute a British independant film because it would be a much smaller, less money-making film than the company usual deals in. A smaller company would perhaps distribute my media project, if it was at the full length of a film.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

The audience for my media product would mainly be at an age range of 18-24, but given the nature of some of the themes within the thriller, such as death, the age range cannot be under 18 because of the violent theme of murder within the thriller. In terms of an audience, it would appeal to an audience who enjoys the themes of thrillers, such as action, adventure, mystery and darker themes such as murder and investigation of murder, which are both in some of the thrillers I researched for the project. Within The Usual Suspects (Bryan Singer, 1995), there are questions that the audience wants answering and the investigation of the murder is what interests them because they want to know who exactly has committed the crime. This also occurs in the film Angels & Demons (Ron Howard, 2009) and the film Se7en (David Fincher, 1995) as there is a large murder investigation within both and the audience wants to see the investigation resolved. Because of this, the age I have chosen would be suitable for my thriller rather than a younger audience. I would give it an eighteen certificate, perhaps a fifteen, but because within the first two minutes a death is shown, I would still go with an eighteen and over certificate.

How did you attract/address your audience?
I attracted my audience by using the conventions I found whilst researching thrillers. They often had a chase and the thrill of a chase, along with a problem that needs to be faced by the main characters. I wanted to show this with the narrative of my thriller by hoping to achieve and get as many conventions of thrillers I could put within it. I also wanted to attract and address the audience by involving mystery within the first few opening minutes, leaving many questions to be answered by the audience, engaging them and keep them watching by leaving unanswered questions that won't be answered until the end of the thriller.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

I have learnt a considerable amount about technologies from the process of constructing this project, especially on how to edit using more complex software which at the start of the project, I was lost with and found it very difficult to use. Now, I can use it more easily, compiling clips, audio and transitions together to make the final product, as well as placing effects onto the product. I also found it easier to use the camera and set up to use shots than I did before, making sure I get the right angle and it is in focus. I also tried multiple shots and found that this was a good way to find the best clip I wanted to use for editing and it really helped in the process of creating the final product.
I have learnt much in the way of managing my time filming and my time editing as well, so I have enough time to get my thriller completed and also allowing time for any problems that I may have faced along the way. I also learnt my way around Adobe Premier Pro much better than when I first started out. When I started, I had no knowledge of editing or filming, apart from very basic software and hardware such as Windows Movie Maker and handheld cameras. Now, I feel more knowledgeable about using this kind of technology and devices.

 

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
I feel that I have learnt and progressed a lot from my preliminary task and learnt many things, such as making the final product flow as much as I could possibly could, as within the preliminary task there was a moment that I walked past a board twice, which I tried to avoid happening again within my final product. Also, I think in terms of mise-en-scene and sound, I have learnt and progressed from it. For sound, I took several shots and tried to get the best sound possible, not wanting any sounds that were clearly out of place and accidental whilst filming. With mise-en-scene, I wanted a naturalistic feel to things such as costume, trying not to make it feel like a forced location and characters as I felt it was with the preliminary task, as within that, the only costume we changed was the coats that the actors were wearing and the location was obvious that it was filmed within a school enviroment, not the location that we had within the script. I also tried to use more different shots than with the preliminary task, creating a variety of them rather than the simple shots we used in the preliminary task, as there were many shots, such as long shots and shot-reverse-shot, that were often used but they did not work with the thriller.

Thriller - Final Edit

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyWOxztuI9c&feature=youtu.be

Thriller - First Draft Review

I've found that my thriller opening was far too short and it really needed more scenes. Perhaps a scene after the one I filmed as it is far too short. Also, from the feedback I have received I know that I need to change the title from 'The Thieving Raven' as it sounds more like the title of a TV drama. I am thinking about simplifying the narrative as it is very complex at the moment and I feel it has become too much in terms of location and script.
I also need to change the titles to simpler ones as it doesn't look as good with them large upon the screen.

The dialogue also needs to be changed as I feel it sounds a little forced and less natural than I want it to sound. I may change it to something shorter and have very little dialogue within it and focus more on an emotional response from the audience rather than a complex plot at the beginning as I need to keep the audience engaged but I can't reveal too much as questions cannot all be answered within the first few minutes.

Thriller - First Draft

 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ap8hu44jt0E

Thriller - Editing Cont.

I have faced several difficulties whilst editing, such as handling the new software, and cutting down the clips and with my first draft, it is only a minute long, and I did not reach the two minute target. I also think, even though the piece is a draft, is that it is very, very sketchy and raw, but hopefully I can fix this to the best of my ability. I will mostly likely have to broaden the story more and film more shots to reach the two minutes. Things will also have to be reshot in the time that I have after the first draft.
I really need to improve it as I feel that it is not as good as it could be.

Thriller - Filming Difficulties

1) Fake blood
In the scene with actors, during the speech between the Widow and Sebastian Delorio, Sebastian needs fake blood on his brow, to look like he has just been injured. But, due to not being able to find fake blood or acquire it, it will not be appearing within the thriller. I do think that Sebastian looking tired and lethargic is enough to get the message across that he has been in a hurry. Hopefully, Sam will be able to portray this, as an actor.

2) The Widow
Because of the due date of the thriller being so close and I only arranged filming with Sam so far, as because of my time in the Lake District the dates were pushed back, he will play the physical part of the Widow, as I now plan for only the hand and the upper arm to be shown along with the prop of the pistol. I will get Phoenix to do a narration, both for the lines of the Widow and for the Narrator, putting on a different accent for the Narrator, which I know she is capable of doing. I will need to arrange a time to do the narration with her one lunchtime.

3) The music
I also need to complete the score for the thriller, which will be nothing more than a few notes upon my keyboard at home. I will film myself playing it, making sure it does not last longer than two minutes, as to not go past the time limit. Failing that, I will need to get some free music from a website. I also need to get a gunshot sound effect for the thriller.

4) The title
The title of the thriller would be called the Theiing Magpie, after the Rossini overture which I would coer in my thriller on my piano. I now know that that is not possible to coer because of copyright reasons and also, it has been hard to get footage of magpies. However, on a trip to Elaston Castle, there were many ravens around that I could get some really good and up close footage of. So, the title will hae to be changed from 'The Theiing Magpie' to 'The Thieving Raen'. I chose this title because someone has stolen something from the Widow, which she wants back.

Thriller - Editing

I have begun editing my thriller. Working with the software, Adobe Premier Pro, I am finding it difficult as it is software that I am not familiar with and the only software I am used to working with is very basic, such as Windows Movie Maker. It is difficult adjusting to such complex software but I am beginning to understand it better the more I use it.

I have put all my shots onto the computer and I have started editing and have completed only a very small fragment of the introduction, because getting to grips with the new and complex software, but I think by next lesson I will be able to make some really good progress with it.

Thriller - Filming

I started filming in the Lake District and I have yet to film with my actors because of scheduling difficulties. This is a small problem but the scene involving the actors isn't very long, so the only issue is arranging a time when we can all meet up. The filming I did in whilst there, because of the recent snow, I managed to get good shots of the snow covered mountains whilst there.

The footage I shot there is mainly for the titles and it is staging as Scotland as that is where the introduction to the thriller is set. I wanted the mountains to give the effect that it was far from help if help was needed and that it would be isolated.

All that needs to be filmed next is the scene with the actors and perhaps more footage for the introduction that doesn't require any actors.

Thriller - Lighting

Lighting

 

 Whilst filming small shots, to make sure that my camera would be compatible with the systems at school so I can edit properly, which they are, I realised that the lighting was not brilliant and the shot had quite a fuzzy effect upon the final result. This is something I need to take into consideration when filming. I need to make sure that the lighting is good so that the final result of the film will be good and not look unprofessional and mediocre.

The lighting within my thriller will be natural lighting as all of it takes place outdoors and none of it is inside. What I need to be careful of it various weather. It will look quite odd within my thriller if in one shot it is an overcast day and then on the next it appears as a clear, sunny day.

Thriller - Film Schedule

Half Term

 

During the half term, I will be staying in the Lake District, Ambleside, for a holiday. This gives me an opportunity to film mountainous and scenic shots for the thriller. However, this does pose a problem for the main scene as I will not be able to meet with my actors and film. We will have to re-arrange this at a later date, after half term. The important thing is for half term whilst within the Lake District, is that I get the shots I need completing done and finished to the highest quality as I will not be able to return for a re-shoot.

 

After Half Term



 

After half term I will be meeting with my actors. I know that my lead male actor will not be available on Fridays and Sundays as that is when he is working, so I will have to co-ordinate my filming time around this, perhaps filming on a school night. I will have to check our timetables as to when we each finish and if anyone has a twilight period, which may conflict with the filming, as it still does tend to get dark very quickly once the school say is over. Weekends may be the best solution, but avoiding Sundays and Fridays. Saturday is likely option.



Thriller - Camera Notes

Today, within the lesson we began to talk about using the camera and things to consider whilst filming our thriller to get the best results.

• Pre-role and post-role - spend five seconds before any action happens within the shot.
• If panning, make the pan wider than usual for any errors at the start or the end.
• The rule of thirds.
• Avoid the centre square.
• When filming go diagonally for shots of the horizon, rather than straight.
• Be careful of white balance.
• Depth of field - consider it when filming to get good shots.
• Record ambient sounds in all of the locations.

I found it helpful, as some of the terms I had not come across before and I will definitely consider all of these when filming myself.

Thriller - Risk Assessment

Risk Assessment

In terms of locations, there is very little or no risk to the actors or the camera. The most probably risk to the camera is the weather. If there is bad weather such as snow or rain, we will have to take an umbrella with us and prepare for it, such as checking the weather forecast that day and seeing if we are okay for the shoot, as there is also make-up involved, and it spoiling or running would ruin continuity.

All three of us, the two actors and myself, are filming in woodland areas within the local area, so if rain has been heavy that day then it may pose a problem. The location I am going on without the actors as it is only shots of scenery, Ambleside in the Lake District. That may pose a problem with rain and wind and other heavy weather.

I will have to prepare before hand and make sure that the camera is safe and covered completely. Apart from the weather, there is little risk and little concern about safety as the locations are safe.

Thriller - Actors

Actors

The actors I have chosen are Phoenix Cooper-Morriss, who also appeared in my Preliminary Task as the Lab Worker. I chose her because I know her to be a good and reliable actress, and as we both are taking A-level Drama, along with my other lead actor, I know that they are able to perform to the highest ability in the thriller. They are both great actors and would be perfect in the roles of the thriller. Phoenix, will be casted as the antagonist of the thriller, who is named only as 'The Widow'.

My other lead actor is Sam Allison. I know that he is a great actor and is also taking A-level Drama. He would be perfect in playing the role of Sebastian Delorio, a hitman for The Widow who has failed him. Within the opening sequence we never find out what he has done, only that he is in a critically injured state and then later killed by The Widow.

I think that these actors are perfect to use for the thriller. Within my questionnaire, the results that I got back is that most people wanted a female villain. However, I did not want to show her face to add mystery and a sinister nature to the character. However, the character, Sebastian Delorio, will have to do a lot of shots where it is just the face only, making expressions.

Costume

For costume, there will be fake blood involved so my actors must aware of this. The only props, the lily and the pistol, I will handle those arrangements myself so the actors do not have to worry about anything but acting.

For Sebastian Delorio's costume, some combats and some militaristic boots as he is supposed to be a hitman working for a criminal. He would need something that would make it easier to do his job. And a black polo neck jumper. Or a black coat.

For The Widow's costume, something formal, as The Widow is a leader of a large and daunting criminal organisation. But, being in a woodland area, and in deep woodland, she would not be wearing anything too formal. However, being in a country that is not warm, she would be wearing perhaps a long coat.

She would be wearing boots and trousers similar to Sebastian, as she is a criminal antagonist carrying out a murder herself, so she would need to have something that would be easy to get across terrain, especially in a thick forest.



Thriller - Charaters & Narrative

Characters and Narrative

The Narrative

For the narrative of the opening sequence of the thriller, Sebastian Delorio, a young hitman in the employment of the antagonist, is critically injured and near death, but the extent of his wounds are not shown. As the antagonist approaches, later found out through the narration to be called The Widow. Delorio tries to grab the pistol that is beside him, but cannot due to his weak state. The Widow picks up the weapon herself. The Widow tells Delorio that she is unhappy with his efforts. He weakly responds, telling her that she knew what he was like. She says that she does know him well, hinting at relationship between the two of them. Her tone is serious, saying that she doesn't want failures in her organisation. He tells her he is sorry and tries to move but the movement causes him to wince and convulse with pain. The Widow then aims the gun at him. Sebastian Delorio then calls her The Widow, indicating at a relationship again. Before he can complete his sentence, he is shot (Much like in Kill Bill Vol 1), but we do not see Delorio die. A narrator, who is unnamed, then speaks about that was why she was so notorious, and he couldn't understand why she was coming after now coming after them (the narrator).

Characters

For the opening sequence, I wanted the villain or the antagonist to be like Keyser Soze in The Usual Suspects and Bill in Kill Bill Vol 1. Because of this, the faces are not shown but they do have a small bit of dialogue. There would be an encounter between the antagonist and a another character, which would result in their death, along with a narrator explaining some elements.

Sebastian Delorio

Sebastian Delorio, or simply called as either Sebastian or Mr. Delorio, is a hitman for the main antagonist. He has recently failed the villain, resulting in critical injury and later, death. He is young and it is implied in the dialogue that the two have had a relationship of sorts.

The Widow

The Widow, is the main antagonist and a criminal mastermind. With no other name given, other than the Widow, she has a constant air of mystery and fear around her. No-one knows what she looks like, but she can always get what she wants. She kills Sebastian Delorio, her hitman, for failing her. She does it without remorse.

The Narrator

He explains that The Widow cannot be gone against and he wonders why that The Widow is now suddenly going after him. This triggers questions in the audience such as why did she start hunting him, what for, who the narrator is, how he got into this situation and when.

Thriller - Dialogue

Thriller Dialogue

 

(Dialogue between The Widow and Sebastian Delorio)

 

(serious)  "I am unhappy with your efforts, Mr Delorio." - The Widow

(weakly) "You know me, boss." - Sebastian Delorio

"Yes, I do, Sebstian. I know you. But I don't want failures in my

organisation." - The Widow

(begging) "Widow, please." - Sebastian Delorio

"Not good enough, Delorio." - The Widow

(Narration introducing The Widow more)

 

"That was it. That was her talent. You never know where she is or when she coming for you. But, The Widow always gets you in the end. A fairytale you've heard somewhere. A dark legend. What I wanted to know, is why was she coming after me?" - The Narrator

Thriller - Storyboard

Thriller Storyboard

The scene would open with a mountainous scene, the titles fading in. It would show the main actors starring within the thriller. After the titles, at the bottom there would appear the title 'SCOTLAND. LOCAL TIME: 12:45PM', showing the local time and the place of the thriller, giving the audience some indication as to where it is set.

This is mid-shot of one of the characters, Sebastian Delorio, who is majorly injured. There is a weapon beside him, which is a small handgun. The location is within a forest.

This is an extreme close-up. It shows one of the characters, Sebastian Delorio, in pain, with heavy injuries.

 Another close-up of someone walking towards Sebastian.

Another close-up of Sebastian reaching for the weapon beside him. The hand weakly reaches out, showing him to be badly injured.

Sebastian then winces, showing the effort in trying to move the his body. This is a close-up.

It then cuts back to a close-up of Sebastian's hand, which is too weak to move. Another hand, but is obviously female picks up the weapon that he was about to pick up.

Another close-up of Sebastian who begins to talk to the unknown person, later through dialogue revealed to be The Widow. The Widow explains that Sebastian has failed her and that there are no room for failures.

The gun is pointed at Sebastian. This is a close-up.

Sebastian begs The Widow, but he is unable to finish his sentence. This is also a close-up of the character.

There is a gunshot sound but the screen cuts to black and we do not actually see Sebastian die or shot. This is used to add effect and for the titles.

The rest of the titles come onto the screen with the title of the film showing. It shows in the background, a slow-motion, mid-shot of a falling lily, covered in blood which we assume to be Sebastian's. The title comes up 'The Thieving Magpie'.



Thriller - Planning

I have been planning my thriller and have decided to complete the my thriller on my own. I have been inspired by many of the thrillers I have done for research, and some elements of it have been passed into my own work. Particularly, The Usual Suspects and Kill Bill Vol 1. During these, we never see the faces of the villains at the start and I wanted to keep this running theme within mine. This would also add to the mystery of the opening sequence.

From inspiration from other sources, I have decided on my title for the film to be called 'The Thieving Magpie'. This is a play on the classical work also called ' The Thieving Magpie' or 'La Gazza Ladra' by Rossini. It is called this because someone has been a thief to the antagonist, like a magpie.

This was also inspired by a TV villain in the BBC programme Sherlock as the song is used whilst one of the villains is stealing the crown jewels. Jim Moriarty, reminded me much of the villains that I saw in thrillers such as Bill in Kill Bil Vol 1 and Keyser Soze in The Usual Suspects. They are villains where the characters are never sure where they are and if they'll come after them, but if they do then they are in serious danger and most likely, death. I want to have a dangerous, inescapable villain within my thriller, like the successful ones in the thrillers.

Keyser Soze, Moriarty and Bill all have this factor in common. They are villains who are very dangerous and almost impossible to defeat or catch, as well as not really, truly knowing who they were. Inspired by these sources, the villain in my thriller will be faceless, or rather, their face will not be seen on camera through out the opening sequence to add mystery about the villain.

Brainstorm

I started planning, doing a brainstorm. I started thinking of the narrative. keeping in consideration my questionnaire results. I started to think of possible dialogue from that and locations I could use. I knew that during half-term, I would be visiting the Lake District, so I have an opportunity to film several scenic locations. I also knew of some more local areas that would be suitable to film in once that the trip is over.

Thriller Questionnaire Results

Thriller Questionnaire Results

From the results, I need to focus on them and produce in my thriller what my audience want and what they expect. I shall have to pay attention to this when I am planning and coming up with ideas as I have to plan it around what my audience wants and expects from the questions they have answered. I must focus on the location as several people have asked for urban areas and I now need to start looking for good locations for me to film and it is best if I start thinking now and get mutiple options so I can choose which is the best location and if I should use it or not. Now that the planning stage is over, I can begin planning which we will start in the lesson tomorrow.

Thriller - Questionnaire - Thriller Themes

Most people watch Suspense/Mystery thrillers and they have also said that they watch Crime, Science-Fictions, Fantasy and Supernatural thrillers. I need to think about this whilst I am planning for my thriller as I need to show what people expect from a thriller.

Thriller - Questionnaire - Thrillers

People often watch thrillers once or twice a month. Because of this I need to make my thriller exciting and as good quality as the ones in the cinema.

Thriller - Questionnaire - Violence

Most said that violence can be used but it is not vital for an opening sequence. In this case, I shall try not to use violence within it unless I have a good idea which I would like to show. If not, then the violence can be skipped and there can be more mystery and suspense.

Thriller - Questionnaire - Music

Most people want the music to be suspenseful, so I think that I should do something a bit like the music in the opening sequence of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire that I researched or The Usual Suspects because both were very suspenseful and had a large impact on the opening sequence. It is important to get the right music for the opening sequence of the thriller becuase it generates a first impression of the film.

Thriller - Questionnaire - Supernatural

People would like to see supernatural elements within the thriller so how I would present this leaves a problem as what to choose as well as an issue whether what I choose is feesable enough to do within it. However, several effects are possible to create.

Thriller - Questionnaire - Themes

From these results, many people want to see suspense and mystery within the thriller, with horror and crime coming second. From this I should plan and produce my thriller around suspense and mystery but I should also include the themes of crime and horror within, perhaps incorperating the two to create a horrific crime scene?

Thriller - Questionnaire - Character Age

From this, both teenagers and adults are the same level, with no one wanting children in thrillers. Because of these results I should incorporate these findings within my thriller. When casting I should think about these results when thinking about actors/actresses.

Thriller - Questionnaire - Villains

From the results I can see that a female villain is more popular than a male villain within a thriller. However, many people did respond with that the choice doesn't matter. I will take this into account but the fact that many people do want a female villain rather than a male shows that this is the option I should go for and I should think about this when casting people for the thriller, as well as how good they fit the role.

Thriller - Questionaire - Locations

From these results I can see that urban areas and locations are what people want from a thriller with dark houses, woodland locations and remote mountainous locations coming second and third. From these results I will use urban locations, but perhaps also a little bit of remote mountainous locations, dark houses or woodlands becuase they were also wanted. But, urban areas are a priority.

Thriller - Questionnaire

Thriller Questionnaire

I asked several people what they would like to see within a Thriller, so I could get a better idea of what they preferred in Thriller so I could incorporate it in mine. I asked them these questions as I thought they were the best to finding out what people wanted from a thriller and what to put within the opening sequence.

What location would you like to see in a thriller?

-          Remote mountainous locations

-          Woodland locations

-          Fields

-          Dark houses

-          Lakesides

-          Urban areas and locations

Would you prefer a male or female villain?

-          Female

-          Male

-          Doesn’t matter

Would you like the characters to be:

-          Children

-          Teenagers

-          Adults

What themes would you expect from a Thriller?

-          Horror

-          Action

-          Suspense/Mystery

-          Crime

-          Science-Fiction

Would you like supernatural elements within the Thriller or not?

-          Yes

-          No

What kind of music would you expect from the opening sequence?

-          Mysterious

-          Horror/Physiological

-          Sad/Melancholy

-          Suspenseful

-          Action-packed

Would there be any violence in the opening sequence?

-          Yes

-          No

-          There can be but it is not vital

-          A little

How many thrillers do you watch?

-          One a day

-          Once a week

-          Once every month

-          Once every few months

-          One a year

What kind of Thrillers do you watch?

-          Horror

-          Action

-          Suspense/Mystery

-          Crime

-          Science-Fiction

-          Fantasy

-          Supernatural

Thriller - Kill Bill Vol. 1

Kill Bill Volume 1
Quentin Tarantino, (2003)

The film Kill Bill is about a pregnant assassin who gets put into a coma after she has been shot by Bill. She then plans her revenge on Bill and the assassins who were once her friends.

Camera: The camera shows a high angle, close-up of the bloodied woman at the start, when actors are shown. We see a tracking shot of shoes belonging to a man. We never see this man, later revealed to be Bill, face. Most of the opening sequence is titles. The next shot we see is a close-up of her again but this time she is lying down and not moving.

Editing: The scenes with any actors are done in black and white, which gives the effect that the scene we are seeing is in the past and is a past event. We see the woman shot and then the next image we see is an outline of a woman's face lying down. It is unclear whether she is dead or alive, adding suspense.

Mise-en-scene: Within the shots seen within the opening sequence, the lighting is natural. The woman's make-up at the start is very bloodied, with her hair messed up and her face and chest, and all of the body that we can see is covered in blood and sweat.

This provokes questions in the audience as to how did she get into this state and why. We also see within the shots, cowboy boots come into the scene, showing the presence of Bill. His face is never shown, much like at the start of SE7EN and The Usual Suspects.

Sound: The first sound that we hear is the panting of the woman. By doing this, the audience are asking questions on why she is panting and why she is in that state that she is in. We then go into dialogue of the woman panting and an unknown man but from his handkerchief that he is holding that says 'Bill' on it we can assume that he is Bill. The woman later confirms his name as Bill later on in the dialogue. When the woman is shot we hear a loud and sudden gunshot and the screen blackens for the rest of the titles. We then hear the song 'Bang Bang' by Nancy Sinatra. The song plays for the rest of the opening titles.

Titles: The titles are done in san serif font. The titles open with the phrase or proverb "Revenge is a dish best served cold." Another title then fades in close to saying that it is 'Old Klingon Proverb'. This is most likely intended as a light-hearted joke and not to be taken seriously. Perhaps to confuse or make the audience laugh in some way. The titles then appear, showing Miramax Films Present. Another title in the same font then appears saying 'A Band Apart'. It then cuts to the black and white scene, showing a woman bloodied and on the floor, panting. When the woman is shot it then goes to more titles, in serif font.



“Revenge is a dish best served cold.” – Old Klingon Proverb

Miramax Films Presents

A Band Apart

The 4^th film by Quentin Tarantino

Main Actors:

Uma Thurman

KILL BILL

Vol. 1

Co-Starring:

Julie Dreyfus

Michael Bowen

Jun Kunimura

Kenji Oba

Yuki Kazamatsuri

James Parks

Akaji Maro

Kazuki Kitamura

Goro Daimon

Shun Sugata

And the 5,6,7,8’s

As the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad

1. Lucy Liu as O-Ren Ishii
2. Vivica A. Fox as Vernita Green
3. Michael Madsen as Budd
4. Daryl Hannah as Elle Driver
5. David Carradine as Bill

Guest-Starring:

Sonny Chiba

Chiaki Kuriyama as Gogo

Gordon Liu

Michael Parks

Editor: Sally Menke

Martial Arts Advisor: Yuen Wo-Ping

Casting:

Johanna Ray, C.S.A

Koko Maeda

Special Makeup Effects: K.N.B EFX Group, Inc.

Associate Producers:

Dede Nickerson

Koko Maeda

Costume Designers:

Catherine Thomas

Kumiko Ogawa

Original Music: The RZA

Production Designers:

Yohei Taneda

David Wasco

Director of Photography: Robert Richardson, A.S.C.

Executive Producers:

Harvey Weinstein

Bob Winstein

Erica Steinberg

E. Bennett Walsh

Produced by: Lawrence Bender

The Opening Sequence