Story Board

Story Board

Shooting Schedule (2)

Date: 17/03/12

Time: 12pm-3pm 

Location: Chiswick bridge

Shots: 7-8, 11-13, 17-21, 1-3

Actors: Sergy

Crew: Migle (director and camera), Catherine (props, assistant director) 

Costumes and props: package, watch, uniform and bag for Sergy

Equipment: Camera, DV tape, tripod

Potential issues: Lighting-if the weather is cloudy the lighting wont be as strong. Weather-it could end up being rainy or cloudy which would affect the lighting but could also damage equipment and affect the continuation of the scenes. 

Risk Assessment: Low-however people could be in the alley such as teenagers therefore there could be a danger there

Shooting Schedule (1)

Date: 10/03/12

Time: 12pm-3pm

Location: Chiswick bridge

Shots: 14-16 4-6 9-10 

Actors: Segun, Sergy, Marlon

Crew: Migle (camera and director), Catherine (props and assistant director)

Costumes and props: tracksuits for Segan, casual clothes for Marlon, uniform and bag for Sergy

Equipment: Camera, DV tape, tripod 

Potential issues: Lighting: it could be dark due to the alley way. Weather: could be raining meaning that we have post pone the filming to another day as the rain would get over the lense of the camera and disfigure the image

Risk assessment: Medium- as we are filming firstly by a road for the bus scenes therefore a car might hit the equipment. Also the alley way could be a dangerous place depending on who residents in it 

Planning

'Monopoly'

Film Synopsis:

Life has has always been a challenge for 16 year old Jay growing up in 'The Neighbourhood' being forced to evade a string of bad influences and trouble which surrounds him, however one day on his usual journey to school, he unexpectedly stumbles across a vicious attack, possibly a murder, which throws him into a crossroad of crime and danger and a split second decision from Jay has resulted him to live life on 'The Edge' as his life now hangs in the balance, will he ever escape the clutches of corruption?

Film Script:

EXT. ON STREET. DAY
JAY casually strolling down the street on his way

home from school. On his journey JAY is being followed and watched by a mystery character.

EXT. BUS STOP. DAY

JAY makes his way towards the bus stop and waits for the bus, whilst still being followed

JAY

(Frustrated)

"Come on, where is this bus!"

INT. ON THE BUS. DAY

JAY on the bus home, staring outside of the window.

EXT. STREET IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD. DAY.

JAY continues to walk towards his

house down the street, suddenly he hears a cry for help.

VICTIM

(Cry for help)

"Ahh Help, Help!"

EXT. NEIGHBOURHOOD. SCENE OF ATTACK. DAY

JAY rushes around the corner, hides behind a wall/car and to his surprise witnesses an attack. The attacker escapes the scene running past JAY and they both exchange eye

contact, as he staggers away the a suspicious package falls out of the attacker pocket, with full temptation JAY glances at the package, rushes towards it picks it up and leaves the scene, once

again being persuited by a mystery character.

Our initial story board was similar to the final draft, however it didn't really match the expectations of a Thriller Genre as it lacked a real story line and tension, therefore for the second draft we decided to include a mystery suspect who seems to appear everywhere and seems to be following the main character throughout, this in turn creates and builds up a

lot more tension as well as anticipation and suspense which grips the audiences. Furthermore the fact that the film is set around an urban surrounding and the main character

is a school student, will appeal to the target audience of teenagers as they can relate to the location and the characters.

Characters:

Jay

Jay is a 16 year old secondary school student who is also the main character in the sequence and is going to be played by me. Jay is a school student therefore he must be attired in school uniform and carry a school bag denoting and emphasising the fact that he is still a student, furthermore i myself am roughly the same age as this character therefore the role that i am playing would be a lot more believable, rather then casting someone older.

Attacker

The 'attacker' will be played by Segun Beckley. The 'attacker' pla

yed by Segun is physically bigger and more built than the main character Jay as well as the 'victim', the fact that he is bigger makes him come across as a lot more intimidating fitting the role of the attacker. The costume is also very important in determining the characters personalities and the 'attacker' will be attired in dark clothing, perhaps tracksuit bottoms and a hoodie to make him look convincing as an attacker.

Victim

The 'victim' will be played by Marlon. Just like any ordinary victim the the actors appearance comes across as innocent which indicated a sense of vulnerability, therefore he really fits the role of the character. The 'victim' is around 16 to 17 years of age, and will be attired in casual everyday clothes which is usually associated amongst teenagers.

Locations:

First Location:

This location represents an urban neighbourhood denoted by the dull brown bricks as well as the block of flats, furthermore due to the urban characteristics the audience will get implications that the neighbourhood may be a bad crime ridden area, this is important regarding the film as we are targeting the mid teens, who may have also grown up in these types of environments, furthermore the fact that the film has the sub genre of a crime thriller, it is suitable to set it in this location.

Second Location:

The second Location is the Bus Stop, where the waiting for the bus scene will take place. To avoid the dangers of having to film the the scene on the road and obstructing cars etc. we specifically chose this Bus Stop as it faces the pavement instead of a Bus Stop which faces the road, therefore it is a lot more convenient and safer for our cast.

Third Location:

The third location is the ally way as to where the attack will take place, once again there are denotations suggesting that it is set in an urban area, which fits in well with the concept of the film. Around this location there isn't as much lighting as the other locations therefore the low key lighting will create a lot more tension as the audience will anticipate danger due to the conventions of the thriller genre. Out of all the locations in terms of health and safety, due to the fact that we will be placing the tripod and camera on the road to film, this location carries some dangers as we will have to watch for cars.

Character casting research

Before any movie production crew make any decisions about what actors to cast for a film they must first make sure they have a clear idea about what kind of character they want portrayed, their costume, age etc. This makes it easier to narrow down which actors fit the criteria and which do not. When it comes to our thriller sequence, in order for the characters to look believable there must a lot of thought out detail in them. 

Main Character Jay: must be a 16 or 17 year old looking teenage male. He shouldn't be too well built as if he was the audience would get confused as to why he doesn't fight the mug who attacked the strange. He must be able to look fairly vulnerable. This character will have to wear a school uniform in the beginning sequence as he will be shown as coming home from school. Race does not matter as London schools are mixed races. 

The attacker: must be a 19 to 20 year old looking male as he must be intimidating and over powering of Jay and his victim. This character must be well built, taller than Jay and scare the audience in some way. He will be wearing a hoodie and sweats as that stereotypically connotes a criminal. The more intimidating and dangerous he looks the better.

Victim: an 18 year old looking male as if the victim was a female the main character would step in and help her being attacked, whereas if its two males fighting the main character. This character will be wearing casual clothes to make him look like an everyday teenage male who has unluckily been chosen as a victim. 

Follower: this character is not properly seen in the beginning sequence however small parts are seen such as the hand with the watch etc. This character has to be a middle aged male who wears business clothes 

screenplay (draft 2)

EXT. URBAN STREET. DAY
JAY casually strolling down the street on his way to school. Camera shots shows a third party character following and watching him. 


EXT. AT BUS STOP. DAY
JAY late for school and anxiously looks at his watch revealing the time realising that he is now late for school. A camera shot shows a close up of the follower also looking at his watch. JAY takes out his phone and calls his friend

JAY

(in an irritated voice)

listen I'm going to be late for school, tell Miss, she's going to kill me

JAY(come on, where is this bus) 
INT. ON THE BUS. DAYJAY on the bus en route to school, staring out of the window.


EXT. ON STREET. NEAR SCHOOL. DAYJAY walks rapidly towards school and hears, a cry for help. 

VICTIM

(fearfully shouting)

ahhh! Help! Help! 

EXT. ON STREET. NEAR SCHOOL. DAYJAY dashes around the corner of the road, hides around a wall and to his huge surprise witnesses a vicous attack. Victim gets beaten by the attacker and dragged out of JAYS sight.


EXT. ON STREET. NEAR SCHOOL. DAYATTACKER makes an escape and runs past JAY looking him in the eye, closely examining him. Whilst he runs away he drops a suspicous looking package. JAY with full temptation glances at the package. JAY rushes towards the package unzips his bag and throws it in, he then leaves the scene. All through this the follower has been watching his every move. 

____________________________________________________________________________________

Only a few changes were made to the first script to get this one. Firstly we added an extra character (the follower) in order to add suspense, tension and enigmas to the script as the audience will now be asking who this character is? why is he/she following the kid? Any views from this third character will be needed to be shown as if from point of view and somehow allow the audience to see that someone is watching the kid. Dialogue was also added to make the scene more engaging with the audience as before it only had the cries of help from the victim whereas now the man character is heard too. 

exsisting thriller synopsis

The Da Vinci Code (2006)

"A murder inside the Louvre and clues in Da Vinci paintings lead to the discovery of a religious mystery protected by a secret society for two thousand years -- which could shake the foundations of Christianity."

This is a religious/mystery thriller showed by the "christianity". This synopsis is only two sentences long however manages to grip the audience by the tension and suspense in it with showing the danger in it. Thriller synopsis' tend to be fairly short and without giving away too much makes the audience ask questions therefore wanting to watch the movie. 

Inception (2010)

"In a world where technology exists to enter the human mind through dream

 invasion, a highly skilled thief is given a final chance at redemption which in

volves executing his toughest job to date: Inception."

This is a psychological thriller. This synopsis isn't the best as it doesn't really show the danger in it or the suspense however manages to summarise the movie in a few short sentences and ask questions about what the mission is? what the technology does? etc. 

Synopsis of the Dark Night

Every hero has a journey. Every journey has an end. Christopher Nolan returns to complete the epic Gotham trilogy that launched with Batman Begins and reached the stratosphere with the billion-dollar blockbuster The Dark Knight.
Batman is now hunted by the law led by his friend Commisioner Gordon for taking the blame of Harvey Dent's murders and protecting his reputation. He must quickly deal with the arrival of new villain Bane who is bent on the destruction and chaos of Gotham City, face old wounds and get a handle on the enigmatic Selina Kyle before his city is lost for good.

Screenplay Format

EXT. URBAN STREET. DAY
JAY casually strolling down the street on his way to school


EXT. AT BUS STOP. DAY
JAY late for school and anxiously looks at his watch revealing the time realising that he is now late for school.

JAY

(come on, where is this bus)

INT. ON THE BUS. DAY

JAY on the bus en route to school, staring out of the window.

EXT. ON STREET. NEAR SCHOOL. DAY

JAY walks rapidly towards school and hears, a cry for help.

VICTIM

(fearfully shouting)

ahhh! Help! Help!

EXT. ON STREET. NEAR SCHOOL. DAY

JAY dashes around the corner of the road, hides around a wall and to his huge surprise witnesses a vicous attack. Victim gets beaten by the attacker and dragged out of JAYS sight.

EXT. ON STREET. NEAR SCHOOL. DAY

ATTACKER makes an escape and runs past JAY looking him in the eye, closely examening him. Whilst he runs away he drops a suspicous looking package. JAY with full temptation glances at the package. JAY rushes towards the package unzips his bag and throws it in, he then leaves the scene.

certification classification research

Films need to be classified for certification so viewers that are of an unsuitable age do not watch the film in cinemas, it is the responsibility of the BBFC to classify the films and they are given certification to ensure that young people don't watch a film that may influence of effect them in a bad way. there are many issues that are looked at when the films are given a certificate, such as: discrimination, drugs, horror, imitable behaviour, language, nudity, sex, sexual violence, theme and violence. they also consider the context, the tone and impact of a work (e.g. how it makes the audience feel). 

The lowest certificate that can be given is a 'U'. U stands for universal and is suitable for everyone above the age of 4. the films given a 'U' certificate generally have a good vibe, no violence, no horror, no discrimination, no drugs, no imitable behavior, no nudity, no sex, and the language has to be very mild bad language excluding swear words. 

The next certificate given is a 'PG'. PG stands for parental guidance and is suitable for people of all ages and they can be unaccompanied by an adult. The content is given a PG rating if it is believed that it will not upset or effect a child of the age 8 or older however parents are advised to consider whether the content is suitable for their children who may be more sensitive. There would be no discrimination unless refereed to historically or is clearly shown to be disproved. Any reference to drugs will be shown giving an anti-drugs message. Horror will not be involved and the closest scenes to horror will be fantasy. No bad language, nudity, reference to sex or major violence will be shown during the content. 

The next certificate is '12/12A'. 12 means suitable for those aged 12 years and over. 12 and 12A use the exact same criteria to classify the content, the only difference is 12A is used for cinema films. Films classified 12A are not recommended for those under the age of 12 however with parental guidance a person under the age of 12 may be taken to watch the film if they're parent feels it is suitable for that child. No one under the age of 12 are allowed to purchase or rent a film with the 12 certificate. 

The certificate '15' is given to content that is only suitable for those aged 15 years and over. No one under the age of 15 is able to go to the cinema to watch an aged 15 film even if they are with a parent and no one under the age of 15 is able to purchase or rent anything given the certificate 15. 

The final certificate is '18'. No one under the age of 18 may see a film in cinema given the 18 rating and no one under the age of 18 is able to rent or buy content given the 18 certificate. The 18 certificate is given as under the human rights act, adults should be given the choice to choose their own entertainment.

Biographical reference to Alfred Hitchcock

Alfred Hitchcock was born on 13th August, 1899 and died on 28th April 1980 from liver failure and heart problems. He studied at St. Ignatius College in London, School of Engineering and Navigation (mechanics, electricity, acoustics, navigation) and studied art at the University of London. 'The acknowledged master of the thriller genre he virtually invented', Hitchcock began his career in 1919 when he illustrated title cards for silent films at Paramount's Players-Lasky studio in London. In 1939 Alfred went to Hollywood and his first film was 'Rebecca', where he won an Academy Award for best picture. for the next 30 years Alfred usually made a film a year. In 1979 he won an AFI life's achievement award. A famous quote from Hitchcock '"Television has brought back murder into the home - where it belongs."


Hitchcock's films are usually centered around murder, his films are all full of deception, mistaken identities, and chase sequences. there are three main elements that make up Hitchcock's films, the first being an innocent man who is accused of a crime and has to track down the real guilty person to prove his innocence 'Examples of films having this theme include The Lodger, The Thirty-nine Steps, Saboteur, Strangers on a Train, I Confess, To Catch a Thief, The Wrong Man, North by Northwest,and Frenzy.' the second main element his films are made up of is of a guilty woman who enmeshes a male protagonist and ends up killing him or being saved by him, 'examples of this theme include Blackmail, Sabotage, Notorious, Rebecca, Vertigo, and Marnie.' the third element is when the murderer's identity is established during the coming together of the plot 'examples of this theme include Shadow of a Doubt, Rope, Rear Window, and Psycho.'

Hitchcock's greatest gift was his ability to build and maintain suspense, he used innovative camera viewpoints and movements, well developed editing techniques and effective music. He had a grasp on human psychology and was able to develop this into his films to create suspense and change the audiences frames of mind, he had great ability to develop his thrillers whilst maintaining their believability.

synopsis

A synopsis is almost like a blurb for a film which tells you the main storyline in a short and simple form mentioning the age rating, director, main actors/characters and what to expect e.g. genre. They must make sure to get the reader of it intrigued and let them know the main details without giving away "spoilers".

Idea 1:
15
when 17 year old Sarah loses her parents in a freak car accident and is placed in an American boarding school she soon finds out the car crash was no accident. The closer she gets to her class mates and teachers the more she finds she can not trust anyone, not even herself. In this crime thriller Steven Spielberg shows the journey of finding a whole new identity after the realisation your present identity isn't what it seems.
(opening sequence would involve the scene being set from the end of the film of Sarah amongst destruction and having a voice over with flash backs of a few things that led up to the particular scene before the title is shown).
Idea 2:
15
A normal street in West London filled with children going to school, parents going to work and a strange new neighbour moving in. Clearly something isn't right and the only people to notice is 18 year old Cristian and his friends as they go on a psychological hunt to find out who this new neighbour is and why normality is the last thing on the street since she's moved in.
(to emphasize the strangeness of the neighbour there would be shots between the production titles of Cristian being watched through the window as if through the neighbour's eyes. Very fast paced and abstract. Then a shot of red nails holding a camera will be shown. After this there would be a shot of the "normal" street e.g. children playing, teenagers chatting, people going to and from work etc and a car pulling into a newly sold house (close up of sign showing sold) and then a close up of the nails being red).

Research on audience

Different films have to be tailored for a specific audience in order for it to have themes, characters, scores etc which suits the audience. Age, gender and other demographics such as social classes etc are all considered when it comes to choosing or narrowing down an audience as each group is completely different with different tastes in films.

When it comes to the production of a film a primary audience must be chosen first. The primary audience is the audience that the movie is specifically aimed at; the main audience. A secondary audience must be considered also which is the people who will go and watch the movie from word of mouth or reviews but the movie was not aimed at them specifically e.g. the primary audience of a cartoon film could be children of ages 4 and over whilst the secondary audience will be the parents who go to watch the movie with their children.

Producers and directors must make sure they do have a primary audience in mind otherwise the film will not have enough success as there will be a complete mix of audiences that parts of the movie appeals to however the whole film will not appeal to anyone.

Opening Titles & Scene

The main title sequence or the opening credits of a movie can be considered as one of the most important aspects in a film, they are the first images the audiences witness, outlining the filmmakers intentions and set up the expectations of those watching. Futhermore another important aspect of a film which has a combined link with the opening titles is the opening scene as it sets the tone for the movie, its supposed to lure people into the story and into the world of the characters right away.

Kidulthood Opening Sequence Analysis:

(The Opening scence ends at around 3:10)

The sequence begins with the the titles of the film production company as well as the fundings over a complete black screen allowing the white titles to stand out catching the audiences eye, furthermore the first title is viewed in complete silence, however the following titles are back up by sound, the 'stealth film' titles is introduced with gun shot sounds perhaps giving as impressions of what prospect the film may have, suddenly a low tense score kicks in over the titles and it continues throughout, finally the film title of 'Kidulthood' is introduced, once again back up by the asynchronous sounds of students, giving conotations that the first scene may take place in a school, the font from the title 'Kidulthood' tells us alot about the film as it seems to be sort of urban which once again could be characteristics for the film.

The title then cuts to the first scene, which is a close up of teenagers, denoted by the attire such as the footware, kicking a ball around the playing field, which is a typical stereotype of teenagers being active, the scene is also backed up by the asynchronous sounds of students as well as the non diegetic low tense score which could be a build up to an event, which both soundbridge over each scene. Futhermore there are a series of cross cut revealing and introducing various different characters, who may play a role in film, most of the characters are students denoted by school uniforms, which is worn to there own preference, shirt tucked out, ties undone etc. this connotes the fact that teenagers are rebellious and are always willing to make fashion statements especially the girls and whilst these characters are being introduced there are a series of cross cuts revealing another character possibly the antagonist who seems to be working on some sort drilling machine, however due to the close up, we do not see what he is working on, this is an enigma as we as the audience begin to wonder and as questions as to what he is doing.

An intimidating character, denoted by his appearence and clothing wearing a 'hoodie' is also introduced and these factors connote the fact that he is seen as a clear danger and comes across as a very shadowy character fitting the codes and conventions of a Thriller, there are cross cuts between this protagoinst and another character kissing his girlfriend 'claire' showing a clear link/releationship between them, dramatic irony is arrised as the protagonist 'sam' is looking for his girlfriend 'claire' however we as the audience know where she is and that she is kissing another character, creating anticipation as we fear that they may get caught known as an action code, futhermore there are a series of crosscut of two males handing out invitations for a house party as his 'parents are away' this is another stereotype of teens being rebilious also this party may spell danger as there would be no supervision from adults, therefore the audience would want to watch the remainder of the film to see what may happen at the party.

The cross cuts, showing the close up of the antagonist working on the machine, continouse once again raising further enigmas, as the audience continue to ponder. The protagonist finally finishes on the machine and the long shot zooming into a medium shot shows him, suspiciously looking around and placing the suspicious looking package into a yellow container making the audience wonder what the package was, this enigma causes the audience to want to watch the remainder of the film hopefully to find out what the package contained.

Synopsis

A synopsis shows a brief summary of a movie so the audience can get a feel of what its about before they watch it.
idea:
We are back in 1939 where Hitler ruled the minds of many yet in the shadows we do not notice one of his many lovers. Who knew that she worked behind the scenes of trying to bring this monster down. This historical thriller follows the dangerous path she took to reveal Hitler's secrets in order to bring him down and the truth about what lies beneath the mask of a happy life.
(15)

Film Ideas

After some research of certain film synopsis' I have come up with some possible Ideas for our films:

Idea 1: Crime Thriller

'Monopoly'

16 year old Jay, making his usual journey home from school, unexpectedly stumbles across a deadly affair, forcing him into a crossroad off crime and danger putting his life at huge risk, as he desperately aims to break loose, will he ever escape the clutches off corruption?

Idea 2:

'Fostered'

After 15 years Kyles's foster parents feel it is the right time to explain to him what happened to his real parents, they were murdered in a brutal attack. The very distraught Kyle decides to take things into his own hands and collect all the clues he can fin which hopefully will trace him to the murderer.

Idea 3: Crime Thriller

'The Edge'

Growing up in the troubled neighbourhood Malcolm has always had to fight for everything he has ever wanted, however this type of life style carries many risks and consequences and after waking up in hospital following an attack , Malcolm has his eyes all set on revenge.

Synopsis'

The movie synospsis allows the the audience to figure out exactly what the movie may be about, the synopsis wil outline the basic plot details without, giving you 'spoilers' which may ruin the movie for you.

_____________________________________________________________

Synopsis examples: Kidulthood (crime, drama thriller)

It's just another day at school for West London Teenagers Trife, Jay and mooney: Beatings in the classroom, sex on the playing field and drugs in the schoolyard. But things are about to flip sharply for this tight trio and their crowd. With school cancelled following the tragic suicide of bullied pupil katie, the teenagers are all forced to face their own responsibilites and blame for responsiblities they have got themselves in to.

BBFC Classification guidelines

'U' Universal - Suitable for all

- It is impossible to predict what might upset any particular child. But a ‘U’ film should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over. ‘U’ films should be set within a positive moral framework and should offer reassuring counterbalances to any violence, threat or horror.

'PG' Parental Guidance - General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children.

- Unaccompanied children of any age may watch. A ‘PG’ film should not disturb a child aged around eight or older. However, parents are advised to consider whether the content may upset younger or more sensitive children.

'12A/12' - Suitable for 12 year olds and older

- Exactly the same criteria are used to classify works at ‘12A’ and ‘12’. These categories are awarded where the material is suitable, in general, only for those aged 12 and over. Works classified at these categories may upset children under 12 or contain material which many parents will find unsuitable for them.

'15' - Suitable for 15 year olds and over

- 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.

'18' - Suitable only for Adults