Location Recce

Possible Location:  Javeed's Garage

These doors could show the claustrophobia of the garage itself, lending itself to the codes and conventions of the thriller genre, no chance of escape from the kidnapper

Codes and Conventions of similar genres

Normally, the codes and conventions included in the thriller genre are mainly to do with sound and editing. For example, quick cuts and different camera angles and the music to reinforce the tension within the movie.

Lighting is also typical of the thriller genre, and so are mirror and stairs. 

In hostage-type situations, there would always be a place of torture, somewhere dark and creepy looking without any chance of escape, very dim lighting, possibly tied up in on a chair and gagged. 



Possibly with a gun pointed at their head, threatening the police that if they don't come up with a certain amount of money in a certain amount of time then the person will die.

Script- 'Redemption'

Scene 1

INT. ABANDONED GARAGE – DUSK

SAM is knocked out in a chair with tape over his mouth and with his hands and feet tied up so he cannot speak or move. He is wet from blood and sweat. There is blood dripping from his wrists as he sits with his head lowered. He then wakes up all dazed, he begins to panic as he glances round the dark garage at old tools, pipes and a chainsaw sitting in the corner. SAM looks down to see a big pit and closes his eyes.  He has a flashback of someone beating him up brutally.

As SAM opens his eyes he listens to the dripping of his own blood and the dripping water from the pipes, this is when SAM begins to try and untie his hands from the back of the chair but struggles from the pain and the tightness of the rope. 

SAM is Shaken and breathing heavily

                                           

SAM begins to get more panicky as the silence begins to creep in and tries to ignore the pain from his wrists and tries to untie them again.

Non-diegetic dark eerie music starts

                                            

 SAM then hears footsteps from outside the garage; he sits quietly and listens for any more movement. He watches the door. A tall dark figure opens the door; SAM is still dazed and cannot identify this person in the shadows.

SAM breathing heavily

Music intensifies

The unidentified person walks to the chainsaw and picks it up, and starts to approach SAM and as he does the light hits his face and his identity is uncovered. He walks to Sam and rips the tape off his face.

SAM

 (shocked)

                                                      Jacob?

                                                      Why are you doing this?

JACOB walks around SAM with chainsaw in hand laughing as he does.

JACOB

(laughing)

                                                      You made me do this; don’t you see what you’ve done?

SAM shakes his head crying whilst JACOB stops in front of him and starts up the chainsaw.

Audience Research Questions and Evaluation

Audience Research Questions.

We interwieved 4 people from the age 17- 30. 3 males, one female.

1. What type of film audience member are you?
2. What are your favourite genres?
3. How important are opening sequences to you?
4. What are the most memorable opening sequences you have seen?
5. What would you like to see in an opening sequence?

Audience Research Evaluation

After reviewing the video, it shows that most of the audience want a memorable opening sequence that will stick in their mind and make them want to stay and watch the rest of the film. They want opening sequences that are very interesting and unique and contain an enigma that will entice the audience to stay. Also, after pitching our hostage situation type of opening seqeunce to them, they all said that they were willing to watch something like that providing that it is full of action, or it's very tense.

Possible shots for the Opening Sequence

High angle shot to show the victim's inferiority



Low angle shot to show the kidnapper's superiority



Establishing shot which is an outside shot of the location to show the isolation.



Dutch Angle Shot to show victim's disorientation as he comes to after being knocked out, he doesn't know where he is.



Close up shot to show victim's fears and emotions on their face.



Over the shoulder shot to further show the victim's fear as the kidnapper comes closer and closer to the victim.

Ideas for Opening Sequence

Possible Warehouse or Old Garage for Location like this:

Images found on Google











Something like this but without the car where one can be tortured without prying eyes and in total privacy.

Roles in Group

Producer- Me- Production Schedule and Props/Costume

Cinematographer- Charlotte- Shot List and Script

Editor- Javeed- Storyboard and Location Recce

Title Sequences and Other Ideas

Se7en Title Sequence Analysis

0.03- New Line Cinema presents

0.06- An Arnold Kopelson production

0.10- A film by David Fincher

0.13- Brad Pitt

0.18- Morgan Freeman

0.25- Se7en

0.29- Gwyneth Paltrow

0.33- Richard Roundtree

0.38- Richard Lee Emrey

0.42- John C McGinley

0.46- Julie Araskog and Mark Boone Junior

0.53- John Cassini, Reginald E Cathey, Peter Crombie

0.57- Hawthorne James, Michael Massee, Leland Orser

1.04- Richard Partnow, Richard Sehift, Pamala Tyson

1.11- Casting by Billy Hopkins, Suzanne Smith, Kerry Borden

1.16- Music by Howard Shore

1.21- costumes designed by Micheal Kaplan

1.24- edited by Richard Francis-Bruce

1.26- Production designed by Arthur Max

1.35- Director of Photography- Darius Khondji

1.39- co-producers Stephen Brown, Maria Greenwald, Sanford Parilforch

1.43- co-executive producers- Lynn Harris, Richard Sapestein

1.50-  Executive producers- Gianni Numari, Dan Kolsrud, Anne Kapelsun

1.53- written by Andrew Kevin Walker

1.59- produced by Arnold Kopelsun + Phyliss Carlyle

2.05- Directed by David Fincher

2.08- Monday

Other Opening Sequence Ideas

Buried (2010) With Ryan Reynolds

The titles go upward, which gives the audience a sense of falling, no security whatsoever and also establishes the genre accompanied with the dark, sombre soundtrack.

Along with Horror, we are also looking at Crime Thrillers; looking at Hostage situations in particular

The Departed (2006) With Leonardo DiCaprio and Jack Nicholson

Hostage (2005) With Bruce Willis

Collateral (2004) With Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx

Saw 1( 2004) 

Hostage Title Sequence Analysis

Hostage Title Sequence Analysis

The music in Hostage, starring Bruce Willis has a lot of tension and suspense, which adheres to the codes and conventions of the same genre: Thriller. The sombre tone of the trumpet at the beginning also reinforces the tension that would appear in the film. The opening credits are against a scene of a city, with the credits on the buildings, which show that even around normal daily surroundings that people are used to, abnormal things can occur. this is accompanied by typical city noises like police sirens, and cars honking. Throughout the opening sequence, there are images that are typical in a hostage situation, with snipers on a roof, targeting the kidnapper, and armed police vehicles surrounding the contained area. Images of a phone, shows typical negotiations between kidnapper and police, and the end image of a gun pointing at someone's head which all show stereotypical traits of a hostage situation in a thriller movie.

Opening Sequence Analysis( Ghost Ship)

Opening Sequence Analysis (Ghost Ship)

1. How does it establish genre?

It doesn't establish what type of genre is at the beginning, however the title of the film 'Ghost Ship' gives some indication to what type of genre it might be. At the beginning, it is quite deceiving, as it doesn't give much of the plot away, all you see are people dancing on a ship, the music is romantic, slow, then the sound changes, becomes more distorted, it starts to become more suspicious and more scary.

2. How does it introduce characters?

It shows the characters on a ship, setting the scene for 'Ghost Ship'. The costumes they wear also shows abundance of wealth. They look well-off, the type of music is also associated with the middle-class. The camera also shows a lot of the little girl which could signify her importance to the film. As the older characters aren't shown on camera as much as the little girl. The characters also are shown having a good time and oblivious to what is about to happen to them in the next scene.

3. How is narrative/or theme established?

The first bit shows the ignorance of the passengers on the ship as to what is going around them, only the audience know what is about to happen to them, together with the diegetic sound, it becomes tense for the audience and leaves them in suspense, because they know that something is about to happen, then it turns to a huge bloodbath, which sets the theme of the film, with more than normal gore and graphic violence than usual to reinforce the sheer brutality of the murders of most of the passengers on board this 'ship'.

4. What mood was created? How does this achieve this?

There is a stark contrast in mood from the beginning to the end, the mood at the beginning is lighter, more naive, then the diegetic sound gives a disorientated feel for the audience as the mood becomes darker by the end. They were laughing and dancing around then it changes to them being scared and fearing for their lives. The mood dramatically changes as it sets the story of how and why these passengers were murdered.

5. What is the enigma?

The enigma is why was the girl saved and for what purpose? Some could argue that it was because she was small enough for the wire to pass over her head, but throughout the scene, the camera was focused mainly on her, while the elder characters weren't given as much time shown on camera, this could also signify her importance to the film, giving the audience a sense of mystery and hopefully something that the audience will want to continue watching for.

6. Is there any interesting camera/ editing/ sound and MeS?

Editing- Slow-mo shows suspense.

Shallow focus onto wire foreshadows death. Fast-paced editing shows that its thrilling and exciting. As the camera goes through the characters, there is another shallow focus onto wire, filled with blood to reinforce that this wire brings death.

Cuts to intruments which are normally safe for people to use and be around becomes intrsuments of deaths and also becomes the passengers' demise. The sheer graphic violence shows that the killer showed no mercy, however unrealistic it actually is.

Sound- The sound turns from slow romantic music to distorted, which leaves the audience feeling anxious and uneasy as they don't know what is going to happen next.

Preliminary Task and Evaluation

AS Preliminary Task with Javeed, Charlotte, Georgia and Alix.

For the preliminary task, I was in a group with Georgia and Alix who were the actors, and Javeed and Charlotte were in charge of the camera and I was the producer and director. 

Preliminary Task Evaluation

After looking at the preliminary task,  there were some continiuity errors and I now know how to ensure the continuity is correct, and just to make sure that the camera is in the correct position and to make the transitions smoother and