Making of a thriller film...
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Develop a plot idea - Writing all ideas
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Location Recces - Take photos - Outside & Inside (house)
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Character profiles - Who will feature? - Who are they going to be?
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Actors - Auditions
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Source music - Royalty free - or make your own
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Foley sound effects - Or free sound effects
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Transport - Logistical side
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Props - What will be needed? Can i get them for free?
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Equipment list
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Risk assessments
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Costume and makeup - Plans
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Storyboard - Shot list
Workshop film:
Binary Oppositions
Claud Levi Strauss was a French anthropoligist in the 1900's who proposed a theory of binary opposites which entails that the majority of media narrative forms such as books and films contain opposing main characters.
Binary opposition is the system of language where two theoretical opposites are strictly defined and set off agaisnt one another.
One example of Binary opposition could be from the film 'Would you rather' this is clearly shown throughput the film because the villian was a male and had bad thoughts of killing people and the hero was a female who wanted to save one another.
Conventions of a thriller genre
For this task, I researched the codes and conventions of multiple thriller films for Unit Learning Aim A.
I found that it is conventional for a conspiracy thriller to include...
-Characters that usually are convicts, spies/soldiers, criminals or sometimes innocent charaetrs which then get dragged into danger.
-Conspiracy films usually create feelings that thrillers create eg, excitement, suspense & uncertainty.
-They usually include conventional locations for example, goverment offices or populated areas.
-Also conventional plots like kidnappings, assassinations & threat of terroism.
An example of a conspiracy-thriller film is: Conspiracy Theory (1997)
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It might seem weird to think of a paranoid thriller as being the product of a more innocent time, but consider this: To disseminate his wild theories about militias and the UN and the Vietnam War and whatever else crosses his mind, Conspiracy Theory protagonist Jerry Fletcher (Mel Gibson) (1) uses a newsletter that he (2) physically mails to followers who (3) actively choose to subscribe to it. In 1997 (if not for much longer), conspiracy theorists still had to work to get their message out and then struggled to reach beyond a self-selecting bunch of the like-minded. And consider this: Gibson already had a reputation for being something of a conspiracy-addled kook in the mid-’90s (thanks to some wild ideas he had about Rhodes Scholars being tools of the New World Order), but he hadn’t yet picked up the violent, hateful, racist reputation he would develop few years later. His weirdness was considered part of his charm. Directed by Richard Donner and co-starring Julia Roberts, the film is at best mildly diverting as entertainment, but it’s an intriguing time capsule of a moment when conspiracy theories still felt marginal enough to be kind of amusing.
(information taken from https://www.vulture.com/article/best-conspiracy-theory-movies-political-thrillers.html)
Audience feedback
FILM BUDGET PLAN
Legalities
SWOT analysis - Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
Group meeting - 1
This is a rough copy/plot of the film opening we are planning on creating
Mind map of what is going to be included in our film and/or what its about.
The Rationale
Our film pitch
Main conventions of a murder mystery thriller film:
A murder is usually one of the main conventions of a Murder Mystery Thriller as it creates the mystery of who commited the murder. A main character is sometimes murdered but a lot of the time the person murded is related to one of the characters is murdered and the protagonist has to solve the murder. The victim in a Murder Mystery Thriller is the person who is either murdered or kidnapped. To ceate tension a suspense, this is sometimes a close friend or family member who is murdered. Typically there is only one victim, but in some Murder Mystery Thriller films there is more than one who is murdered. In most Murder Mystery Thriller films there is a detective, or a person who attemps to solve the murder. They often find multiple clues to help them solve the mystery. Typically in a Murder Mystery, the murderer is unknown until the end of the film. Clues are one of the most important conventions of a Murder Mystery Thriller as the crime cannot be solved without them. Clues alos get the audience involved in the film, as it helps them solve the murder as well. The twist in a murder mystery film is an unexpected turn of events at the end of the film. It is normally something that shocks the audience as it is unexpected, and to the audience, it seems unlikely to happen.
Location Recce
The location we're going to use for the making of our film will be based in Devon. We decided to use this place because it'll make more and also look better for what we have as our idea.
Costume & makeup plans
-Hoodie
-Joggers
-Trainers
Too keep comfy and it's also casual wear therefore would be good for the main character. Trainers so easy to run away from the problem.
Props plan
-Knife
-Phone
-Torch
Practical uses for all throughout the film.
Equipment plans
Camera & tripod will be needed to actually film the scenes and also help keep the video footage steady and stable. Without the tripod it'll make the footage move and look messy.
This shows us what we need in order to succesfully film and complete the opening we're making. The equipment list is included within the contingency plan.
Risk Assesments
Vehicles:
- All vehicles used to be safe and if needed then have drivers who have license to drive it.
- Crashes could be caused if big commercial vans or helicopters are used.
Electrics:
- Cables shouldn't be left near any water
- Drinks & food kept seperate from wires and cables.
Trip hazards:
- Wires
- Cables
- Ropes
Make sure they're covered or neatly put away. Not in the way of any fire doors or anywhere people need to walk.
Props & falling equipment:
- Make sure all equipment used is safe and checked
- Safety harnesses if people are climbing buildings etc.
- Props are secure
Plan & research titles
Research Music
Shot list
Storyboard
Old storyboard
