Shot list

Shot list  

These are the different shots we are going to film and the shot types we will use. This will help us know what we need to film on the day so as not to waste any time, although we might film more shots if we think more effective ones could be captured.

Storyboard

This is our storyboard for the thriller task.

Lighting and Sound

Lighting

For our thriller we are mostly going to use natural lighting, but we might use torches to try and change the brightness of certain places or objects.
For the scene where the protagonist is in the building we will just have natural lighting, although if we feel it is too bright, then we will try to adjust this by covering up the windows. We might also try and make his face appear darker because this creates the effect of mystery.

 

When the car pulls up natural lighting will be in use because it is outside. We will also use the weather to our benefit as it will change the mood of the scene. It is usually foggy or raining around this time of year which will again create a sense of mystery and tension.

 

When the soldiers are moving through the building we might put small torches on their guns to shine more light into the rooms. This could allow for some more shots as we could focus the camera on the light on the walls which would create a cool effect. We might also do this because it will make the soldiers appear more official and professional.

We could also use torches to create shadows in the building which would also create a sense of mystery and fear as it might be dark.

 

Sound

Our thriller will have music over the top and some diegetic sound such as the sound of the car and footsteps.

The music that we use will be slow and quiet at the start but it will increase in pace when the vehicle appears. The music will remain at a fast pace until the soldiers enter the room and find it empty, in which the music will reach a crescendo and then slow down slightly. The music volume will also follow this pattern of quiet to loud to quiet again. 

The music will consist of mostly string instruments throughout and drums when the speed builds up. There will not be any vocals over the top of it. The varying of pitch and the string instruments fit the typical thriller music style because it creates an unsettling atmosphere.
The violins will create a high pitch screeching noise which will be unpleasant to the audience and it will create the effect that something bad is about to happen. The drums will be loud beats with the pace starting slow, quickening and then slowing down again in time with the action. This also creates the effect that something bad is going to happen and it also emphasises the power in the soldiers when they move through the building. 

Target Audience

Age Ratings
Age ratings are designed to stop children from seeing or hearing unsuitable things in films. The BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) give the public information about the film, like the age rating, the genre, how long the film is and what unsuitable actions are in the film that might cause the viewer to become uncomfortable. The BBFC examine films before they are published and gives them a suitable age rating.

The BBFC look at issues that children should not be subjected to, such as discrimination, sex and nudity, drugs, foul language and violence when making decisions. The more frequent these groups are in the film the higher the age rating meaning the film is only suitable for adults.


Demographics

-Age

-Gender

-Race/ethnicity

-Socio-economic class

Psychographics

-Interests

-Hobbies

Socio-economic class

A - CEO's, surgeons

B - Teachers

C1 - Nurses, accountants

C2 - Plumbers, electricians

D - Retail

E - Students, pensioners, unemployed

Timeline for our thriller

Production Company

Conventions of thrillers

Conventions - Narrative

• Thrillers are supposed to create suspense and excitement for the audience.
• The narrative resolves around the investigation of an enigma or the hero is the only person who can solve the enigma.
• They mostly involve violence.
• If often reveals the workings of particular institutions such as the police, the army or the Government.
• The thriller centres on injustice in society but solves these wrongs.
• There will be a rational rather than supernatural explanation of the puzzle.

Conventions - Setting

• A thriller can be set in an urban environment or a rural environment.
• They can be set in old abandoned buildings or new city buildings.
• They are usually set over big areas as there are usually chases.
• They can also be set in abandoned buildings and asylums.

Conventions - Characters

In a thriller there is usually:

• A Protagonist - They are usually a detective or someone on the run.
• A Antagonist - They are usually a villain or a prisoner.
• A Damsel
• Villains - They are usually English, Russian or German.
• Innocent victims/Bystanders
• Characters with dark pasts
• Psychotic people
• Terrorists
• Spies
• Special organisations (MI6 or the CIA)

Mise-en-scene

- Props

• In thrillers there are usually guns, knives and others.
• Cars are usually used for police chases or as a signal to the hero to run.
• Technology is used especially when organisations are involved.

- Costumes

• The main character tends to wear black clothing to hide their face and look inconspicuous.
• There are a lot of people wearing suits in some thrillers to show their authority.
• Police uniforms are worn in most thrillers too.

- Camerawork
Thrillers feature a lot of different camera shots.

• Long shots which allow the viewer to see the location and the setting which can make them wonder why or how they are there.
• Mid shots to focus more on a certain area.
• Close ups to capture the facial expressions of the character or to make them the centre of attention.
• Cut-Ins to show the characters hands or injuries.
• They might also have high and low shots to make the hero or villain seem more, or less powerful.
• Two-shot which usually features the boss and their aid.
• They also feature cutaway shots which takes away the attention of the main character onto something different (like a S.W.A.T team).
• They feature lots of quick cuts.

-Lighting

• The lighting in thrillers is usually dark and mysterious to compliment the story. 
• The darkness allows the characters to hide their identity.
• Lighting helps to connote emotions and thoughts             

Conventions - Sound

• Thrillers use a lot of dramatic music and face pace music.
• The music usually starts off at a slow pace and gradually speeds up which helps to create tension and build up climax.
• The sounds in thrillers change from loud to quiet depending on the pace and action. 

                 

Overall, the key elements of a thriller are to have an ongoing investigation and someone on the run from the government. It should be set in an urban environment and it must have a protagonist and antagonist. They should also contain a damsel and a villain. A thriller must contain weapons and cars to create fight and chase scenes. Police uniforms, suits and civilian clothing is another key aspect of any thriller.

There should be lots of different camera shots in a thriller that hide or show certain parts of the story. The lighting in a thriller should be low-key to create tension and the sound must be very dramatic.