Run through and Analysis of it's effectiveness

In order to create our run through of our thriller, we used our mobile phones to record the different scenes within our opening sequence. We edited these scenes using iMovie on a Macbook, this is a very simple and straight forward movie making software as it allowed us to combine all our different scenes together into one. By making this short and 'un-professional' version of our opening sequence whilst using a minimal amount of props, it allowed us to imagine what our project will look like and to see if we needed to make any last minute changes. We had limited time and limited resources in school but we tried to improvise which made it more of a challenge. After filming this, it enabled us to learn the importance of proper equipment and props. To improve, the script/dialogue needs to be further improved to make it a more thrilling opening sequence and to engage the target audience more. We also will need to include sound effects to increase the suspense and to add excitement. This practice run through wasn't two minutes long so things need to be made longer or additional filming needs to be included. The credits also need to be inserted into the opening sequence, whether that be the beginning or end of the scene along with the title of the film. We need to decide whether there is going to be a title sequence or not.

First and Final girl

Equipment

Make-up

Researching and evaluating any last minute risks prior to filming

Weather:

Above is a screenshot of the weather forecast for tomorrow (04/02/17), the day we will be filming our opening sequence. This research is necessary because it is important to access whether it is safe or not to film. Looking at the forecast it is going to be dry with cloud and therefore it is good weather for us to film. This is because the road should not be slippery as it will not be damp or flooded, it should also not be too icy because it is 9 degrees and therefore not quite cold enough for ice. It can also be noticed that there are no specific weather warnings regarding wind, looking at the forecast there will only be 7mph wind speeds, this is good because if it happens to be windy outside then it could affect the quality of our filming.

Sunlight regarding filming hours:

The picture above is showing the times of sunset and sunrise. It is evident that the sun sets at 4:56pm and therefore gives us an idea of what time we should begin filming according to how much time we need in the daylight and how much time we need for filming in the dark.

Actors availability:

We had to be sure that all of our actors were able to be present tomorrow during filming. A few weeks ago once we had set the date to film, we had to make sure that our actors were available on this day to film. However we took into account that there will always be a risk that our actors may not be able to film due to unpredictable and unavoidable circumstances such as illness. Currently all our actors are in good health and have confirmed that filming tomorrow is okay.

Camera equipment reliability:

We have just checked prior to filming tomorrow that our camera equipment is sufficiently working and that we are able to use and set it up tomorrow. After checking it is now evident that our camera equipment is working as it should be and is ready for filming tomorrow. This check was necessary because we have to be aware of any important risk such as this that could delay or prevent us filming tomorrow.

Traffic in the area regarding filming hours:

We researched how busy the area we are filming in might be at certain points of the day. This is important because we are now aware of when we should film certain scenes according to how loud or quiet the scene needs to be. This could affect us because the noise levels and traffic congestion are important to some of our scenes. We concluded that the house we will be filming at is located on a quiet road with very few cars throughout the day, however there is a main road off of this road that we may use for filming and we have discovered that there is no particular peak time that it may be busier due to it being a Saturday, however it is likely to be busier earlier in the day due to people going out for the day.

Evaluation of our script

The script for our opening sequence doesn't really contain much long conversation or any other dialogue, apart from Sophia shouting and screaming and her father on the phone to the police. The mysterious non-diegetic music towards the end increases the pace as tension builds up as it is only  played when the kidnapper is present. This music is pre-recorded allowing it to be heard clearly and to work more conveniently. Throughout our opening sequence, this short script will be the only dialogue involved. We think the less speaking we have in the opening minutes will make it more anticipating and therefore more exciting for our audience, ensuring that suspense is built up throughout. This portrays the characters as more anxious, making the audience eager to carry on watching and keeping them on the edge of their seats. Due to the main reason our script doesn't contain much dialogue, there is not much to say within essence of visualising the characters feelings and emotions. However, it does help to portray the victims emotions as feeling extremely panicked and traumatised. This is shown from the expression of the *screaming and yelling loudly* of Sophia's fear and distress, highlighting her feelings of terror. In addition to this, her fathers emotions seem very overwhelmed by the tragic news that he has just heard about his daughter. This is clearly shown when he says "I'd appreciate if you update me as soon as you know more", evidently emphasising how he is anxious and on edge about what has happened. Moreover, the non diegetic background music helps in order to foreshadow later events that will be partaking throughout the rest of our opening sequence. This is because the mood goes from joyful and optimistic to fearful and frightening, thus creating tension in our opening sequence which is what we want for our audience in order to make them feel more alerted, therefore making them want to keep watching. 

Our Script

Introducing the characters; Emily, an innocent stereotypical teenage girl who is on her way home at the time when she is kidnapped by Paul, a middle aged man who preys on teenage girls. David, Emily father, is concerned about his daughters disappearance and is in contact with the police as the search for his missing daughter continues. 

Scene 1: The street
(Enter Emily)

*Non diegetic joyful music as Emily crosses the road*
(Enter Kidnapper in his car)

*Non diegetic music as kidnapper follows Emily home*

*Diegetic, synchronous sound of the engine being turned on*

*Non diegetic music playing as Emily listens to music through her earphones*

*Kidnapper gets out the car and shoves Emily in the boot* 

Emily: (Screams loudly) "Help! Somebody help me!" 

Scene 2: Emily's House
(Enter Father)

Father: (worryingly) "Alright, thank you for the update. I'd appreciate it if you update me as soon as you know more." 

Scene 3: Kidnapper's lair 

*Emily screams loudly*

*Non diegetic music plays, gradually getting louder* 
(Enter Kidnapper) 

*Kidnapper pins photo of Emily on pin board* 

- End - 

Potential Names For Characters & Title

Potential Characters Names:

Our opening sequence features three characters who play a major role in the plot of the film. Above are the potential names for our characters who will be cast in our opening sequence. We decided to go for the name Sophia as the Victim, Paul as the kidnapper, and David as the father. This is because we think these names are modern, up-to-date and also suit the genre of our film. We felt that the name Sophia suggests innocence and purity which is symbolic of the victim in our opening sequence. The name also fits the image of the stereotypical teenage girl that we are aiming for. The father is a standard father, who is protective over his daughter and overwhelmed by what has happened. As a group we decided that the name David suggests this and is a typical name for a father in the modern day. The kidnapper's name 'Paul' is a regular name which we chose for the kidnapper. This was selected randomly because usually there is no particular name that might specifically suggest the role of a kidnapper.

Potential Title Names:

After assessing all the title options presented above, we decided that our thriller would be called 'The Captive'. We chose this title because it best suited the concept of our film. The girl who was kidnapped is taken randomly from the streets after being watched over multiple days by the kidnapper. The victim was essentially 'captured' from a well suited and close dynamic neighbourhood, thus the name 'The Captive'. My group and I feel that the name 'The Captive' illustrates suspicion and projects a mysterious feel. We all agreed on this name for the simple reason that we like the unknown vibe that it presents.

Sound Effects

Age Rating

We chose to classify our film as a 15 age rating. This is because when we looked at the BBFC (British board of film classification) guidelines, we discovered that any film that includes moderate scenes of violence or threat would be rated 15 and above. This applies to our film as it does contain a few scenes of violence however it does not contain strong language nor does it contain any sexual scenes that would deem the film inappropriate.

Our target audience

As a group we decided to aim our film at young adults, between the ages of 15 and 20. This is because we feel that our film can relate to the threats and dangers that this age group may be subject to. We also felt that looking at our survey that we previously did, the young age groups were the ones who most enjoyed thriller films such as this. Our secondary target audience will be between the ages of 20 and 40. This is because we feel that anyone within this age will enjoy the film and find the thrilling nature of the film enjoyable. Besides from the age groups mentioned, there will be older audiences however we will not be targeting our film at such groups because we feel that they will not be our main audience. Any age group below the ones mentioned are unlikely, this is because the film is rated a 15 and therefore anyone younger would not be permitted to watch it. 

Films with similar lighting to ours

One example of a film that has similar lighting to ours is Scream. This is because it has scenes that are filmed in an isolated area that has outdoor dark lighting. This compares to the lighting that we will be using in our opening sequence as we will be filming outside in natural dark lighting. Scream also includes scenes that are filmed inside a house with the lights on. This is similar to how we will be lighting our opening sequence as we will also be filming inside a house with the lights on.

Another movie that has similar lighting to ours is Cabin in the Woods as there is dark lighting used inside the cabin to create a suspenseful atmosphere. This is similar to the lighting we will be using in our opening sequence as the room in the kidnapper's house where he has the wall of his victims will have dim lighting to add to the mystery of the film.

Our Moodbaord

In order to create this mood board, my group and I added a selection of different pictures that are representational to our opening sequence and are very relatable. We have used images from 'Scream' as we based similar features of our opening sequence on this film. Furthermore, we have a picture of a girl tied up in the boot of a car with rope, as well as a news reporter in a news report studio. The image of the man (kidnapper) in the right hand corner pointing up at pictures of the wall is vital. This is because this gives away what the main plot of our opening sequence is all about; thus foreshadowing later events that may occur.  We have numerous images of girls tied up, which highlights the danger and pain that our main victim will be going through at certain key moments. In addition to this, the trees depict where the kidnapper takes the girl (an isolated area), giving off some sort of suspicion and a mysterious feeling. The image of the blood brings the audience in as it is symbolising endangerment and vulnerability.

Research into real life incidents similar to our film

The Psychology Of Horror

The Psychology Of Horror
Why young people like Horror films?

According to a 2004 paper in the 'Journal of Media Psychology' by Dr. Glenn Walters, the three primary factors that make horror films alluring are: tension (generated by suspense, mystery, terror, shock, and gore), relevance (that may relate to personal relevance, cultural meaningfulness, the fear of death, etc.), and (somewhat paradoxically given the second factor) unrealism.

Dr. Johnston reported that: “The four viewing motivations are found to be related to viewers’ cognitive and affective responses to horror films, as well as viewers’ tendency to identify with either the killers or victims in these films." More specifically she reported gruesome watchers typically had low empathy, high sensation seeking, and (among males only) a strong identification with the killer, secondly, thrill watchers typically had both high empathy and sensation seeking, identified themselves more with the victims, and liked the suspense of the film, furthermore, independent watchers typically had a high empathy for the victim along with a high positive effect for overcoming fear, and lastly, problem watchers typically had high empathy for the victim but were characterized by negative effect (particularly a sense of helplessness).

Dr Jeffrey Goldstein added on to say a well known quote within the psychology genre:"People go to horror films because they want to be frightened or they wouldn't do it twice. You choose your entertainment because you want it to affect you. That's certainly true of people who go to entertainment products like horror films that have big effects. They want those effects…[Horror films must] provide a just resolution in the end. The bad guy gets it. Even though they choose to watch these things, the images are still disturbing for many people. But people have the ability to pay attention as much or as little as they care to in order to control what effect it has on them, emotionally and otherwise."

Scary movies can play on this, LeDouz says, "If you have a good imagination, you can connect to your hardwired fears simply by thinking about a scary situation." We can relate this to young people considering as young people grow up their imagination expands and therefore watch the horror film with a bigger and set. Due to this, lots of young people like horror films because they can image what they watched in their brain without feeling a sense of real fear as they are aware it is in their imagination.

This picture below shows exactly how the human average brain reacts to horror films:

A common question asked upon the young generation, is what do they like about horror films, what makes them so intrigued? In order to find out the key answer to this specific question, my group and I looked into different psychologists, reading through their professional facts and knowledge based ideas.

Analysis of BBFC and Film Classification

Our thriller is going to have a rating of 15, this is as it contains scenes of intense and brutal content. This is because it contains a kidnapping scene which can be extremely violent and traumatising.

What does this mean?

No one younger than 15 may see a 15 film in a cinema. No one younger than 15 may rent or buy a 15 rated video work.

What sort of language may be used?

There may be strong language. Very strong language may be permitted, depending on the manner in which it is used, who is using the language, its frequency within the work as a whole and any special contextual justification.

Will there be threatening behaviour?

There may be strong threat and horror. A sustained focus on sadistic or sexual threat is unlikely to be acceptable.

Will there be extreme violence?

Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable. Strong sadistic violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal references to sexual violence but the depiction of sexual violence must be discreet and justified by context.

How can I find out more about a specific 15 film?

Please check the BBFC insight for the film or video you are thinking of watching. BBFCinsight is available on this website, on our free App, as well as on film posters, DVD and Blu-ray packaging, and on some listings. It provides comprehensive information on exactly why a film or video has been given a particular category. All the issues are discussed in detail and parents in particular can use this information to make informed decisions when choosing viewing material for their children.

Will it contain sexual nature?

Sexual activity may be portrayed, but usually without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour, but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.

Will it contain nudity?

There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context. There may be nudity in a sexual context but usually without strong detail.

Will it contain imitable behaviour?

Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on detail which could be copied. Whether the depiction of easily accessible weapons is acceptable will depend on factors such as realism, context and setting.

Will it contain drugs?

Drug taking may be shown but the work as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse (for example, through instructional detail). The misuse of easily accessible and highly dangerous substances (for example, aerosols or solvents) is unlikely to be acceptable.

Related Documents & Downloads: 

This link further highlights what will be used within films with the same BBFC rating and classification to ours. 

http://www.bbfc.co.uk/sites/default/files/attachments/BBFC%20Classification%20Guidelines%202014_3.pdf