Opening Scene Narration - Miss Miller

The opening sequence shall start with the use of an extreme long shot/ establishing shot, in which the surrounding settings of a isolated car park will consist of low key lighting, as the couple of the narrative argue (dialogue) about there relationship issues. The couple are wearing casual clothing and the girl is wearing some makeup. During the argument, the camera will go from a long shot and zoom into a mid shot of the couple (two shot) to show the angry and upset facial expression of the girl, also during the argument, an over the shoulder shot shall be used behind the girl, after which the boy walks away from the girl to signify the end of the relationship. As he drives off away, the camera shall zoom out away into a long shot. No iconography is present during the argument segment. Straight cuts shall be used to transition from one shot to another.

When the girl is left alone, a mid shot shall be used to film her, the lighting in the scene staying low key throughout. An over the shoulder shot shall be used to show the antagonist creeping behind the girl, in which a straight cut will focus on the girl getting her phone out.  Eerie music is playing throughout. The camera at this point will stay as over the shoulder until it straight cuts once again into a close up of the phone. At this point non - diegetic sound of her heartbeat shall be edited in, as the camera zooms into the next shot. The iconography present at this stage is of a hoodie and a phone.

A shot reverse shot is used to show the figure of the antagonist, as it switches to the scared facial expression of the girl while she is holding her phone which has no signal in her hand, as she has realised the other persons presense. The lighting in this segment remains to be low key, as eerie music continues to play in the background. A straight cut will be used to go to an over the should shot of the girl walking down a long alleyway, away from the stalker (before he takes chase). A POV/handheld will be used after that point to further show her walking down the alleyway, until she shortly realises that she is being followed, in which she starts to run.  The iconography present at this time remains to be a hoodie and a phone.

A straight cut shall be used to go to a close up of a scared facial expression of the girl as she is now panicking and in chase, as non diegetic sound of the girls heartbeat will be heard. The lighting in the scene has remained as low key. A reaction shot will be used to transition to panning of the chase between the antagonist and the girl down the long alleyway, as instrumental eerie music plays in the background. A straight cut will go to two shot of both the antagonist and girl in frame, in which he is slowly lagging behind her in chase. A straight will be used once again to a POV of the girl, in which she is entering the forest attempting to escape from the antagonist, diegetic sound of her footsteps and the antagonist can be heard also. The iconography present at this point is a hoodie.

A mid shot shall be used to show the girl in the forest, as she has attempted to escape from the antagonist however he trails closely behind. The antagonist in frame is holding a knife (iconography), in which a heartbeat of the girl (non diegetic sound) will be heard. The lighting in the final segment will remain to be low key. A straight cut will be used to once again go to a panning shot of the chase between the antagonist and the girl, during which it continues to pan the segment until the girl trips over leaving herself vulnerable to attack , during which part screams of the girl can be heard (diegetic sound). A straight cut will be used to go to the final shot, in which the antagonist manages to grab the girl, as eerie music plays in the background and the girl continues to scream, in which the signalling of the end of the sequence will come with a fade as he has her in his grasp, threatening her with a knife. The iconography present in the final segment is a knife and a hoodie.

Filming scedule - Miss Georgiou

A filming scedule is important to have as you can record all of the times you have gone out to film, so you can look back and see how proctuctivly you have spent your time and how you have done a group. It is also helpful as you can prepare for meetings beforehand, by doing so making everyone aware as to what time we are going to film, where and what, avoiding any confusion if it wasnt prepared beforehand.

We did not follow our filming scedule be every individual detail, as there were complications on certain days when trying to film, and on some occansions we did not get much filmed due to complications beforehand which we should have estabilished, making us have to make changes to certain dates due to issues with timing with certain people, as other group members were unable to film on certain days as they were busy with other things.

Shot	Date & Time	Location	Content/ Action	Shot type & Duration	Costume/ hair/ make-up	Iconography	Personnel	Equipment
1	29/11/14	Loughton, alley ways	Chase between the victim and antagonist	Long shot/ panning Duration – 25 seconds	Regular clothing for victim, black attire (hoodie) for antagonist		Actors – Samantha Apperley, Tyler Osman Cameraman – Mikaeel Khaliq	Camera, tripod, batteries, Memory card,
2	2/12/14	Loughton, forest	Chase between victim and antagonist	POV, handheld, panning, long shot Duration –  seconds	Regular clothing for victim, black attire (hoodie) for antagonist	Knife	Actors – Samantha Apperley, Tyler Osman Cameraman – Mikaeel Khaliq	Camera, tripod, batteries, Memory card,
3	8/12/14	Loughton, forest	Chase between victim and antagonist	High angle, handheld, POV	Regular clothing for victim, black attire (hoodie) for antagonist	Knife	Actors – Samantha Apperley, Tyler Osman Cameraman- Mikaeel Khaliq	Camera, tripod, batteries, Memory card,

Risk Assessment - Miss Georgiou

It is important to conisder risks beforehand as that way it makes us aware of the potential risks that we could face during filming, that we we can make sure we take precautions and are careful when doing so, making sure the well being of my group and I isnt in jeperdy, enabling the filming stage to run smoothly with less issues.

The risk assesssment will assist me with filming as I can consider whats scene we intend on filming, and consider potential risks and hazards. If any of which are iddentified before hand, we can alter sequences slightly if needed, so that are health and well being of those taking part in the scene is met.
The risk assessment also helps as we can do so and clearly view the issues that could be connected with multiple scenes, therefore before when we go out to film we are aware of the issues beforehand and can work around them.

Production roles - Miss Miller

People need to be allocated specific roles when creating a film as it enables every member of the production to contribute especially towards one area, making every member of the production team to have a significant role in production. As individuals we have qualities better than the other group members, as the same applies for them therefore focusing on specific areas can result in more profession production. The main roles that are necessary for creating a film consists of;

- Producers
- Directors
- Actors
- Director of photography
- Music producers
- Screenplay writer
- Editor

We decided upon who was going to do what by allocating people to roles based upon what there best qualities are and how well they would contribute towards the group when taking upon that role. The main actor of the sequence is Samantha Apperley as she studies drama as is the most significant character in the narrative, Mikaeel  Khaliq and myself still have acting roles within the sequence.

The editor of the production is myself as I edited the preliminary task my group and I produced, and I have prior experience using editing software programs and editing clips. My role of editor will consist of cropping clips which we have filmed and collating them together onto the film timeline within final cut pro (chosen editing software used), during which I also have to add low key filters to the film and have to do others things, such as speeding and decreasing the speed of the clip so that the visuals fitted with what we intended to film. Throughout my role I also had to add in additions sounds gathered by the music producers of the group, in doing so having to spending up the speed of certain sounds once again so that they fitted the norms of the genre, making the audio conventional to the thriller genre, contributing further towards the realism of the product produced. My role as editor assisted with the filming, as rather than having to repeat certain shots doing actions such as screaming , crying or anything along the lines, it can be edited in at a later stage (diegetic) rather than having to put a strain on the actors. It also helps with filming also as factors such as the time of day and lighting and trying to achieve the perfect lighting which fits the narrative and the common conventions of the thriller genre could simply be achieved by editing in filters and such, therefore taking a strain off the group as a whole. As when editing you can chose and crop between clips, it enabled us to film certain clips and scenes as many times and possibly and we could pick and decide which ones to edit in after woulds, making it easier for the actors within said scenes as one of the clips chosen will be appropriate and can be improved upon at a later stage, by that editing the sound within, the lighting on individual visuals such a focusing on certain parts in the scene for example (shallow focus). I done well with my job as editor as editing was finished within the time given, and the final product produced was of a good quality, as the effects used, the timing of clips and additional sounds added in alongside the visuals on screen fit very nicely and the overall product has come out very well after the editing period. Beforehand, my group and I were worried as the clips we had produced did not look very conventional to a thriller film while they were raw clips however, once they were edited everything fell into place nicely. The editing done allowed for the final product to follow the conventions of the thriller genre easier and contributed towards the realism of the film in general.  I could have done better in my role of the editor if I didn't have to get assistance on certain features on the editing software and done everything independently, as the editing was finished near the very later end of the time allocated, which would have been the case if I was better with the program itself. I could have improved upon how efficient I was with the time given also, as I did manage to complete things within the time given, however I could have completed it quicker and used my time is class better and taken a strain off one of my other group members who assisted me with some parts of the editing due to this (in return I played a big role with assisting with the photography).

The music producers are Mikaeel Khaliq and Samantha Apperley, as gathering audio and editing will take place during lesson time, therefore it is more logical for them to find sounds for the production while I edit, fully utilising the time available to us. There roles will consist of looking online for various different types of music which would be suitable for a thriller sequence, including examples such as heartbeats, heavy breathing, dark eerie music and such. This will make filming easier as sounds such as heavy breathing and screams can be found online and edited in at a later stage, taking a strain off the actors as they wouldn't have to do multiple shots while doing things such as screaming, as it can simply be edited in at a later stage. This helps with editing as those in charge of finding the sounds can send it to me to incorporate into the sequence, rather than myself having to find the sounds also, fully utilising time and making the editing process quicker and easier. I did well in there roles, as the final product wouldn't be the same without the addition music added in afterwards, making it the film that it is. They found very good pieces of sounds that are conventional with the thriller genre, an example being heart beats for the victim of the film, and heathy breathing for the antagonist. All sounds needed were gathered and were later added in during the editing process, making the editing easier as the sounds were easily accessible and for the editor, speaking up the process and enabling to me finish such within the time given. As they were the ones that found the sound, my other group member assisted me in adding the sounds onto the film timeline while I took part in completed other tasks, which was helpful as they gathered the audio therefore they had a better mental image as to where the particular sounds would fit in and to what affect, from helping with the editing also took the strain off everyone as individuals as I would have a look on various different websites in the search for other sounds to potentially add into the sequence, contributing further towards the final product. They could have done better within there role by gathering the sounds quicker and being more efficient with time, as some lessons were spent gathering one or two sounds at most, which resulted in our group being put on a tight schedule, slowing down the editing process and putting some strain on the editor at times, possibly affecting the final product as some segments within the film were rushed because of this. Although they did find good sounds, apart from the background audio found (which plays throughout the entire sequence as the music progresses at the same time as the narrative), therefore they had to be edited faster so that they sound more realistic as to what the audience would expect in a thriller sequence of our nature, therefore stretching the editing process even further and not fully utilising sound, although changes would have most probably been made regardless as to what sounds were found, to fully fit the sequence and to make it more conventional to the thriller genre.

The director of photography (cameraman) will be Mikaeel Khaliq. This is because he is the member in the group which has the least amount of screen time, only being seen in the opening part of the sequence during the argument segment. His role consists of telling the actors within the scene what to do and where they should be placed, as he will proceed to film the scene. This will make it easier to film as he is the hub of the filming process, as he has to organise everything accordingly, making it easier for the actors as we will get directed as to what to do, establishing what location filming should take place in and where objects within the frame should be placed. This assisted with the editing period, as organising what ways the shots are going to be and the placement of characters and things within the frame enables the editor to not have to add anything thing after woulds, an example being rather than having to edited in a zoom in affect, this will already be done with the raw film, in which we did do and incorporate into the final piece, rather than editing it in. He also done well in choosing the locations in which we would film in, as he found locations which fit with the narrative, therefore making the film look more conventional to the thriller genre as the locations follow that of typical thriller films. What he could have done better in his role however is to control his role and give firm instructions 100% of the time throughout the filming period, as I had to assist a lot of the time when it came to what shots we were going to film, essentially informing him what type of shot I believe will suit the scene, at times causing confusion as the role was essentially split between each other. Because of this, so every group member felt as if they were contributing equally towards the production, he assisted me in editing because of my part in terms of assisting with the photography.

Evaluation

Each group member for the most part done well in each of our individual allocated roles. On some occasions certain roles were not done to a suitable standard, an example being the producer roles as when we went to film, they did not always take charge of preceding and there was complications when filming on certain days due to not establishing what we intended to film before doing so. Not much could have been done differently apart from minor things within the individuals roles, and the producers knowing what we intend to film beforehand. Overall, I believe the roles were taken upon to a good standard. Filming overall did not go too badly, nor did it go particularly well either, due to complications mentioned previously into relation as to the other group members being unaware as to what we were going to film. We did not gather many back up clips and only filmed shots a maximum of 2-3 times and had to settle for which ones came out best, resulting in some clips not being of a quality that I and my group would have liked. Although, saying this the final product produced does look conventional to the thriller genre and seems reasonably realistic, as after editing everything feel into place nicely. At time things went well and at others not so much, often due to confusion, lack of communication or due to people not doing there role very well however, as we are all reasonably happy with the final product, not much would be changed if were given the opportunity to film again, apart from improving the quality of clips because of improved camera skills, and minor changes to certain scenes. In hindsight, we would allocate different roles to different people, or allocate roles in which two members work on it together, as during the period in which we completed the production, we established who was best at what, an example of which being Mikaeel being a good editor and myself being a good head of photography (cameraman), so officially changing members roles (as we did not always follow this precisely at times) could have result in individuals receiving credit for what job that actually passed out.

Group Storyboard - Miss Miller

The purpose of a group storyboard is to incorporate the best elements from every group members individual storyboards and collated them into one piece, demonstrating every group members understanding of the narrative and in depth as to what is going to occur in every scene.

We have created a group storyboard so while we are together as a group producing such, we can communicate to each other and get a better understanding as to the narrative and what we intend to film during the filming process.

We have incorporated the idea of using a handheld/ POV to film a segment in which the girl is running away from the antagonist into the group storyboard.  We took this example specifically from one of the group members individual storyboards, in which they got the inspiration from the film  "Nightmare on elm street", during a scene in the film in which the victim of the narrative is filmed being chased through the use of a handheld camera. In our group storyboard, a handheld/POV is used in a similar instance, during the segment in which the girl is being chased by the stalker through the alleyway. 

We have incorporated the idea of using a close up shot to film the segment in which the girl looks at her phone shortly after she has been abdandoned and has just witness the stalker, only to be shown that she has no signal. We took this example specifically from one of the group members individual storyboard, in which the inspiration originated from the film (                   )

We have incorporated the idea of using a panning shot to show the chase segment between the girl and the antagonist, taking place down the long alleyway near the end of the narrative. We took this example specifically from one of the group members individual storyboards, the inspiration from such coming from the film (                             )

I think the storyboard we have produced is reflective of what we intend to film, and is an accurate representation of a conventional thriller sequence and has been created well. We have managed to incorporate each others ideas into the group storyboard, as when we were creating the storyboard we each created a slide each (containing 4 shots) based upon the different ideas proposed by every group members individual ideas, as we were communicating with each other while creating it during class, commenting on each others slides and stating what we should and shouldn't add into it. We had to compromise on neglecting to using many elements from my own storyboard, as it differed in ending to that of my other group members, therefore only the beginning of the group storyboard is loosely based upon my individual storyboards ideas and the rest mainly consists of that of the other members in my groups ideas. 

Individual storyboard - Miss Miller

The purpose of a storyboard is to provide with a set of pictures and descriptions that tell a story,  giving a flow of action. This is done to show a preview of a film/sequence, giving a brief insight into the visuals beforehand.

We have created individual storyboards for a number of reasons. Once my group and I have produced individual storyboards, we can look at them collectively as a group and gather ideas from each of them, incorporating them into one singular group storyboard. During this process, we can comment on each others storyboards if they differ from each others significantly, therefore finding out why this is and clarifying the narrative we intend to film, avoiding any confusion at a later stage, as if we all a different idea as to what are going to film, it will result in wasting time during the filming stage trying to resolve the confusion.

An example of a convention in my storyboard is on the 15th frame, in which a handheld camera will be used to film the shot. The use of a handheld is during the part in which the girl is being chased by the antagonist, by showing the antagonists viewpoint while using a handheld to film such also, it puts the viewer in the feet of the antagonist as they are viewing his perspective as he chases the girl throughout the alleyway. This creation a relationship between the audience and the characters, as the it makes the viewer feel closer to the action, making for a more intense and thrilling experience because they want the girl to get out of chase unharmed due to the relationship made prior to this part of the sequence. In addition to this, the use of the handheld creates jerky and unsteady movements, through doing so creating a sense of urgency, which is relevant in both instances as they are present in which the victim of the narrative is being chased by the antagonist of the narrative. All of which connotes to the viewer that the girl is in serious danger from the antagonist, and that the girl and soon to be victim is in a very bad situation and has not got any control, implied through the shaky and unsteady camera movements, and as it being shown with the antagonists perspective, it shows that he has control over proceedings and further emphases the danger which she is in. I took inspiration to do this from the film "nightmare on elm street", as during the film it is used in a scene in which the girl is being chased/stalked by the antagonist of the narrative.

Another example of a convention within my storyboard is the use of low key lighting. This takes place from the 6th frame, and continues on throughout the storyboard and narrative. The use of changing back light to low key lighting is because the drastic change in lighting causes for the atmosphere to change to a dark eerie one instantly causes surprise for the viewer, after which resulting in the build up of tension and suspense for the viewer as it connotes that the scenes to follow are going to be of a hostile nature, due to nature of what is actually happening, as the change in lighting takes place once the couple have just broken up, in which the girl has been left alone, in which the antagonist of the narrative gets introduced in a moment. This makes the viewer feel in edge as they are unaware as to what is going to occur in the following scenes, as the visuals are very dark, both in nature and sight. I took inspiration from many thriller films and non in particular for this convention, as the use of low key lighting is present throughout many thriller films and is one of the most common conventions within the thriller genre, especially those that follow a similar narrative to that of my group and mines.

Another example of a convention within my storyboard is the use of silence within the 7th frame, in which the sounds in the film go completely silent. This is done directly after the couples argument and the girl has been left alone and abandoned, by doing so the use of silence emphases to the viewer that the girl is completely alone, due to which she is vulnerable. This results in increased levels of  tension and suspense for the viewer as it is implied that something bad is going to occur to the girl in the following parts, as she is completely alone in a deserted car park, a conventional location for bad occurances. The use of silence also makes the viewer focus solely upon the visuals, which brings further attention towards the conventional location, and within the context of the narrative it further connotes that something bad is about to occur. Due to this it keeps the viewer on the edge of there seat, as they are aware that something is going to occur, but they want the girl to get out of the situation unharmed. I took inspiration from many thriller films once again and non in particular as the use of silence is very common within thriller films of this nature, as it is very common for the thriller genre to be present within said films at certain points and segments, and to the same effect of building up tension and suspense, keeping the viewer on the edge of there seat.

I think my storyboard provides with multiple ideas which I believe will be suitable to add towards my group and I's combined storyboard. I think that the storyboard I have produced provides with good details towards the narrative, and has a various number of different media elements incorporated into such. As the main purpose of my individual storyboard is to contribute towards ideas for the group storyboard, within my individual work it demonstrates what types of conventions I intend to incorporate within the group storyboard, such as the various different types of lighting and how they change during certain sections to create feelings for the viewer, to the cinematography aspects such as the type of shots used during different parts of the scenes and to what affect for the viewer that there used. As the various different types of conventions mentioned have been proposed by those in my group and myself, I can demonstrate to my group what context I believe what will fit in with my storyboard, showing examples from within my 20 slides.  The main negative of the storyboard itself is the drawings as they are not particularly good, which wouldn't be an issue if it was clear as to what I am showing however that is not the case with some of my slides (however I believe that the descriptions clears up any confusion that could be caused from the pictures). Anything negative of my storyboard is that the drawings themselves lack detail, as they don't fully show backgrounds and minor details for example, so to avoid any confusion caused I have had to write detailed descriptions clearly explaining what is taking place within each individual scene.

Planning opening credits - Miss Georgiou

List of uses for opening credits

-  To inform the audience of the different roles of characters
-  To show the production company of the film
-  Show the title of the film
-  To introduce the mood/style of the film


Se7en opening credits analyse

The colour of the font used is white, whereas the background is back, showing a huge contrast in colours on screen, making the font easier to view alongside the dark images on screen. Hints of red are shown throughout the opening credits also. White is conventional of portraying good and innocence, whereas black is used to show evil and bad. The white font shows the names of the actors playing the characters in the narrative, showing that they are forces of good, and that they are trying to compact the bad due to the theme of the film. The hints of red are used to portray blood, red itself being occulted with blood and death, connoting to the viewer that the theme of death shall be present through the film.

A number of thriller conventions are shown throughout the credits. The use of colours creates tension for the viewer as dark colours such as black and bloodshot red are used throughout the opening. As such used are often associated with dark themes, the atmosphere created is very eerie and dark, creating tension for the viewer as the images on screen are being seen at a very fast pace, making it unclear as to what the viewer is seeing, creating further tension because of the mystery aspect created from such. As the images on screen are shown at such a fast pace, it creates surprise for the audience due to the contrast in the speed of the sequence.

Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitts names are shown, after which the title of Se7en is shown. This is done to show the audience who the significant characters in the narrative are, and also to promote the film by showing those famous names are in the film. As Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman have large fan bases/followers, therefore having them as the main focus of the trailer caters the film towards the individual fans of those actors

This is the title font for the opening credits that I created myself via final cut pro.  I did a number of things to ensure that I followed the typical conventions of thriller films with the types of text often used. I made it so the colour of the text is clear and easy to view, but also faded into the black back ground, as the narrative of the film has a dark element to it, therefore the colours used complement the typical conventions of what is usually associated with the colours used, as having a bloodshot red background arguably would be more conventional however the narrative isn't gory therefore a more subtle dark colour which has an element of mystery towards it is more appropriate. I positioned the text so that it is tilted towards the side. I done such as it connotes instability within the narrative, making the title seem more interesting as the viewer will question what the narrative is about due to such positioning. The font text used is rather large and clear, having large spaces between each word, making every letter stand out. The title of my group and I's thriller is undecided as it stands, however we intend to do a short one worded one (similar to that of real thriller films), therefore this text type would suit it as it shows extra significance towards the title itself as it will cover the majority of the screen and will be easily visible due to the size and spacing.

Samantha Apperley - Thriller title idea












Positives

- Blurred text adds an element of mystery to the title, making it seem eerie and unsettling.
- font used looks similar to that of real thriller titles, making it more realistic


Negatives

- The title is placed in the top left hand corner of the frame, which is unnessary as it is done to no suitable affect, therefore placing it central in the frame would be more suitable as it is the main focus of the frame, as the black background is used to make the white font more clear to view.
- Blurring the text does add an eerie element to the text however, it is not very clear to view

Mikaeel Khaliq - Thriller title idea











Positives

- Large, bold text is very powerful and striking to those viewing it
- Title is very clear and concise, yet still has a strange and eerie element to it due to the fade in colour near the end of the text
- Black smudges on the text makes the title font districtive from other ones similar to it, making it unique

Negatives

- The title covers the majority of the frame, making the text smaller but keeping it bold would be more suitable for a thriller film as it looks more suitable for an action film as it stands due to how striking it, as the narrative we have estabilished is rather eerie and has a mystery element to it, making a smaller and stranger looking title font would be more suitable


Summary

As a group we have decided to go with mikaeel's title font. This is because it is very striking for the audience, as well as being very clear to view as it hasnt been altered to be blurry, rather a fade has been used to create an element of mystery and to set the tone of a mysterious atmosphere for the opening credits.

Group planning - Miss Georgiou

My group consists of myself, Samantha Apperley and Mikaeel Khaliq. Group meetings are essential as we can all contribute towards ideas for the narrative and the planning stage, in which we can collate such ideas and elaborate onto when doing individual work on the project. As the weeks progress, it is essential that we inform each other onto the details in which we intend to include. Collating with the group allows for every member to be aware to what we intend to do, so once we get to the filming stage there is no confusion or complications as to the work.

In our first meeting (taking place on 13.10.14) we decided upon a group narrative between us. This consisted of discussing ideas and concepts for such; furthering reflecting on the ideas given in everyones individual narratives posts (refer to group narrative) and incorporating that into a whole group narrative. We decided however to go with the concept and idea Samantha's narrative, but we incorporate aspects from both Mikaeel and I's to produce a group inspired narrative.

On the 4/11/14, my group and I got together to work on a planning sheet for the mise-en-scene, in which we discussed what ideas of miss-en-scene we could use for our own opening sequence. During which we noted down different types of mise-en-scene which we intend to include within the opening sequence, at what time during the segment, and to what effect as to why it is used

On the 5/11/14, my group and I got together to work on planning aspects of cinematography, and what types of which we intend to incorporate into our own opening sequence. This consisted of writing down multiple different examples of iconography, in which we wrote down how we could incorporate such our opening sequence. By doing so we wrote down specific examples of such within our narrative into the individual sub subsections, also stating to what effect that particular type of cinematography would create.

On the 13/11/14, my group and I produced a planning sheet for the type of sound we intend to include in our opening sequence. During which, we noted down four different types of sounds which we intend to incorporate into tour opening sequence, after which we wrote down into the individual subsections specific examples from within the opening sequence, stating when the sounds will be used and to what effect.

On the 18/11/14, my group and I produced a planning sheet, in which we discussed the details of the characters of our opening sequence. We separated the page into three sections in which we described the characters of the narrative in depth, stating details such as there name, gender, clothing that they shall be wearing once it comes to filming, and how there character is conventional to the thriller genre. We also wrote down smaller details to accompany this, going into as much detail into the characters as possible, fully planning an in depth persona for all of such.

On the 21/11/14, my group and I got together to discuss ideas for the opening credits we intend to include in our opening sequence. We produced individual opening credit texts, then discussed what we thought was the positives and negatives of our individual ideas was, after which agreeing on what group members idea we are going to use after receiving feedback from my other group members

On the 24/11/14, my group and I created a group storyboard, in which we created by discussing the advantages and disadvantages of our individuals ones, and incorparated the good aspects of which into one sole storyboard, by working on 1 sheet each (containing 4 shots per page), communicating while doing so to avoid any errors or confusion. By working on 1 sheet each, we could complete the task faster and each group member therefore had a role to play in the creation of the group storyboard.

Meetings and discussions are important to carry out, as without doing such the group can't communicate with each other and will be unable to contribute ideas towards group ideas for whatever the task at hand is. Without meetings and discussing, it can also result in confusion between group members in terms of the film process, as without discussing and establishing such group members may be unaware as to the actions of the other group members, being uninformed about what work is going to take place.

My group worked well together at times and not so well at other times. During the times in which we worked well, we had assigned individual roles for each other as we would go to complete such efficiently, an example being one group member working on editing, whereas the other two would gather audio for the film. At times when we did not work well as a group, this was the result of either miss - communication unaware as to what to do at times, or it was the result of us just not working together to complete certain tasks in times however, for the most part we completed work and worked reasonably well together. 

Planning characters - Miss Miller

It is essential to plan for characters within a narrative so that the producer can establish how the characters are going to interest the viewer in the narrative, and to also enable to the audience to build a relationship with the character on screen, by doing so creating responses and emotions for the viewers watching the film.

Planning sheet my group and I produced
for the characters in our narrative

The antagonist (played by myself) is the stalker of the narrative. The antagonist is present post argument between the characters, as he is the one chasing the female victim after the boyfriend has left her alone in a deserted car park, being chased through the alleyways. His occupation is unknown, as his is age, name, and background. The antagonist shall be wearing all dark clothing, consisting of a  black hoodie and black tracksuit bottoms, making him hard to be visible in the dark, as the later scenes consist of mainly low key lighting. This shall be done to connote to the audience that he is a dark person, portraying him as the antagonist of the narrative without having any prior information given. The character is stereotypical to the thriller genre as no addition information is given on the antagonist, creating an enigma with his character, an enigma in the opening sequence is typical to thriller films as it engages the viewer with the narrative, making them want to continue watching. The audience will create a relationship between the antagonist as they are going to associate him with evil and mystery in the narrative, due to the enigma and the way in which the character is perceived by the viewer, through doing such this will allow the viewer to engage with the narrative better due to them establishing a connection with the antagonist.

Nicole, the victim (played by Samantha Apperley) is the young girl in the narrative. She is the focus of the narrative, as she is present in every segment of the opening sequence. Firstly, she is shown arguing with her boyfriend at the beginning, after the argument where she gets left alone by her boyfriend she gets attacked and chased by the antagonist. She is a 17 year old, has blonde hair, is a student, is white British and shall be wearing jeans, jumper and a coat during the film. Her character is extremely stereotypical to the thriller genre as the victim in such films are identical to the one of our narrative, as she is a young blonde girl who is portrayed as being vulnerable and is put in a position of danger. The argument between Nicole and her boyfriend is sparked due to her being cheated on, which from the off makes the audience to feel sympathy for her, which is only increased due to the nature of the events to follow in the narrative. The audience will feel further sympathy for her because of the way in which she is portrayed as being a "damsel in distress", from creating this relationship between the viewer allows to make the producer to create responses and emotions towards her as they want her to escape from the antagonist unharmed.

Zak, the third and final character (played by Mikaeel Khaliq) is the boyfriend of Nicole in the narrative. He is 17 year old student who is brown British and shall be wearing Jeans and a coat during filming. He is only present before and during the argument scene, in which she ditchs his former girlfriend and leaves her alone in a deserted car park. From doing such, the audience will instantly dislike him as a character as he is portrayed as being in the wrong, yet he only further worsens his perception to the viewer from doing this. This will make the viewer favour Nicole over him, making them create a hostile relationship with him as a character, making the events of the victim to follow seem worse, making the viewer feel further sympathy for her. He character is stereotypical as he is portrayed as being the abusive big boyfriend, his girlfriend being the damsel in distress who is unhappy due to his actions. The audience will further engage with the narrative because of his character as due to his actions, the viewer feels sorry for the girl and creates a relationship with her, due to this the viewer is put on edge because of the events to follow.


I believe that the characters in our narrative are very conventional, as they are extremely similar to that of characters in thriller films of a similar nature, and are portrayed in the same way and to the same affect for the viewer. They will emphasis the genre of the sequence as the viewer will associate the sequence we produce to those of real ones, as we will follow the conventions of the thriller genre, be that with the production and the characters themselves, as they have typical characteristics of characters in similar types of thriller sequences. I have found planning helpful in preparation for the filming process as I am now aware as to how my group and I need to portray the characters when filming, making sure we do it in a way that portrays them in the intended way.

Planning sound - miss Miller

Sound is very important within films as it allows the producer to control and manipulate the feelings of the audience from varying the sound included, accompanied with what is seen on screen. Planning is required to produce excellent sequences as if you plan what types of sounds you intend to use and to what affect this creates, it enables you to be aware as to what the resulting sequence will consist of, and how it makes the audience viewing it when the sound is paired alongside what is on screen.



Planning sheet my group and I
porduced for the sound elements
we intend to use in our sequence

Non diegetic sound -

An example of intended non diegetic sound will be heathy breathing in scenes in which the characters are far away from the camera, therefore the breathing could not be done via diegetic sound, so it has to be edited in afterwards. This is done to show the audience how scared the girl is, emphasising her emotions of shear fear and portraying her in a position of vulnerability as she is shown as the one being controlled, the antagonist controlling the proceedings as she is frightened due to him. From such, this makes the audience create a relationship between the character as they want her to get of the situation unharmed, as they picture themselves in her position, making the audience feel sympathy for them,  favouring her over the other characters as they are aware as to there situation. This is conventional to the thriller genre as making the audience create a connection between the characters allows the producer to create the main thriller conventions for the audience, building up tension by keeping the viewer on the edge of there seat as will want the girl to be fine during the scenes in which she is in a position of danger.


Parallel sound -

The footsteps of the girl while she is running through the alleyways and the forest will be heard clearly and amplified, making it easier to hear amongst the background music which shall be present during the scene also. This shall be done to create suspense for the viewer as it emphasis's the feeling of panic while she is trying to escape from the antagonist as it speeds up the scene, making for a more exhilarating experience frequently seen in thrillers, by including such making the sequence more realistic to actual thriller sequences. This builds a relationship between the audience and character as the viewer relates with the girl and pictures themselves in het shoes, from doing such creating further empathy as the audience feels sorry for her, hoping that she gets out of the situational unharmed.  This is conventional to the thriller genre as making the audience picture themselves in the characters shoes enables them to interact more with the narrative, making them gage with the storyline better, by doing so making scenes have more significance and adding for feelings/responses for the viewer.

Diegetic sound -

An example of diegetic sound in the sequence will consist of dialogue between the couple when they arguing near the opening part of the sequence. Another example shall be non diegetic sound of the victim during that segment.  This creates tension as the audience is experiencing the feelings/emotions of the couple. The victim will be shown screaming when she is running away, trying to escape from the antagonist. This will be done as it draws attention to her, highlighting to the audience how frightened she is, emphasising the feeling of shock shown during this segment of the narrative. This will allow the audience to build a relationship with the characters as they are being exposed to there emotions during the argument, allowing for the viewer to connect with them as they are being shown both perspectives, getting a better insight into both of the characters, allowing them to pick a side in the argument, engaging them with the narrative. This is conventional to the thriller genre as involving the audience with the characters in the narratives allows for the viewer to have feelings for the characters, allowing for the audience to have more responses to what is happening on screen as they are connecting to the narrative.

Silence -

Silence shall be used shortly after the couple have finished arguing and the man has left her alone in the car park, in which the scene will go completely silent (apart from diegetic sound which cant be altered/manipulated such as the sound of wind). This creates tension for the audience as it emphasis's the enigma of the narrative, as they are unaware as to what has caused the actions up to this point, resulting in the audience questioning what is going to happen next as the use of silence connotes to the viewer that something bad is about to happen to the girl, due to the eerie atmosphere as the mian focus will be on the visuals of the segment, which will consist of a low lit, deserted car park (convention location). The audience will create a relationship with the girl as they will feel sympathy for her as they can foreshadowing the events to follow, due to the sequence following the conventions of thriller films, as the elements used are frequent in films in which a girl is portrayed as being vulnerable; only to be put in danger at a later stage (identical to the chosen narrative). This is conventional to the thriller genre as the use of silence is frequent throughout thriller films to the same effect, helping create an eerie and unsettling atmosphere, from doing such building up tension and suspense for the audience (main thriller conventions).


Summary

I think my sequence will be effective in creating certain emotions and reactions  through the use of sound as it will help in creating a thriller like atmosphere for the viewer, be that eerie or fast paced. The atmospheres created from the use of sound are conventional to the thriller genre as they make the audience connect with the narrative and character, creating emotions and responses. I have found the planning helpful preparation for filming as I am now aware as to what sound techniques we intend to what affect, from such allowing for the filming process to have less complications.