Editing

I am finding it hard to make this shot look like a realistic kidnapping. I hope with sounds and effects it will look more realistic.

Filming

I finished filming all of my shots today. The weather was very unpredictable but luckily we avoided most of the rain. Hopefully I'll be able to edit my shots together to make my film look realistic. The addition of sound will also help to make my film successful.

Filming

I started filming today. I only managed to get half of my shots filmed which is a lot less than I'd have liked. My original plan was to get all my filming done in one day, however now I can see that this was an unrealistic expectation as I underestimated how long it would take to set up etc. Another reason why we got so little filming done was that both my primary and secondary filming location were out of use due to different reasons, so we had to look around for a new appropriate location. I plan to get my filming finished tomorrow as now I have a clear location and I have experience using the camera and tripod so it wont take as long to set equipment up.

Filming

I plan to film tomorrow because both me and my cast are free and the weather looks alright from what I've seen. I'll take an umbrella to put over the camera and tripod if it does rain and I'll make sure to bring food and hot drinks so my actress stays warm.

Storyboard

Call Sheet

Date	Time	Location	Actors	Props	Shots
17/02/2014	11:00am	Field location	Katie	Bag	Shots 1-18
17/02/2014	1:00pm	Street location	Katie and Dad to drive the car (but he’s not actually shown in any shots)	Bag	Shots 19-47
18/02/2014	11:00am	Field/Street	Katie	Bag	Any extra filming I need to complete, any shots I need to re-do

- My film opening is only shot in 2 different locations so that's why my call sheet is quite simple and short. My aim is to get all my filming done in one day, if we start at a reasonable time which I've chosen to be 11am then hopefully we will be able to get filming complete all in one day. However I'm not sure whether we will be able to complete all the filming in one day so I have allocated an extra day for any unfinished filming. 

Location 4

• This is the final location I looked at. I have decided to film the main part of my film opening in this location. There are many positives of this location, firstly, the field is in a quiet and secluded area meaning that I can film effectively and create the eerie mood of the character being alone and vulnerable.
• Secondly, the field is fairly dry and not too muddy considering the bad weather that has recently occurred. Also the field has no livestock and this therefore means that no interruptions will occur in filming.
• This field is fairly basic and doesn't contain much which is good as I need a simple open space to make my film look as convincing and real as possible.   

Location 3

• This location seemed good at first due to the scary looking trees and the surrounding eerie atmosphere. However there is too much water surrounding this location and the water is too deep to stand in safely.
• Also I feel that filming in water, as well as the dangers of it, would look unconvincing for the style and mood I want my film to create. To film in water would cause many unnecessary problems and I think it would be easier to stick to the simple narrative I already have. 

Location 2

• This is the second location I discovered. I decided not to film in this location as there is too much mud and flooding which would make it difficult for my actress to film in. Also these conditions are not suitable for a tripod and there would be risk of camera damage. 
• The surrounding fields are usually full of crops and would therefore be unsuitable to film in. 

Location 1

• This is the first location I found. I have decided to film the road part of my film opening in this location. There are a number of reasons for this decision, firstly the road is fairly quiet and excluded from the public which gives off an eerie vibe but also this is good as it is out of the way of the public which means my filming wont be interrupted.
• Another reason for choosing this location was that there isn't much traffic on this road therefore there will be less risk of accidents or interruption from cars passing by.
• Finally I liked the big tree in this location because it looks spooky which is what I want the atmosphere of my film to be. 

Props

My film opening only involves one prop. This prop is the bag the victim is carrying. I have picked this prop because it represents to the audience the idea of her walking home from school which signifies her age and a bit about her background. The audience will see this bag and think of her using it to hold all her school work and books, the bag will be either a backpack or a shoulder bag which are both typical of bags students would carry. One of my final shots will be a close up of this bag being left on the ground after the victim has been taken so this will represent its significance to the audience.

Costume

Costume the actors will wear:
The character in my film will be dressed in normal everyday clothes that a teenage girl would conventionally wear. These would probably consist of jeans and a basic jumper because my character isn't supposed to look dressed up. I want my character to look casual and this will be reflected by their costume. Jeans are conventionally laid back and unprofessional items of clothing and I want the audience to read the character as being young and unprofessional. The costume doesn't give away too much about the character but it represents her age as being a teenager who doesn't yet have a full time job. The audience don't need to read too much about the character from her costume because other things represent the character well like props. The audience will be more informed about the type of character the young girl is, later in the film.

Casting

This is Katie who will be acting in my film opening:

Reliable?
The person I have cast to play the role of the victim in my film opening is my sister Katie. She will be the only character that actually appears on screen in my opening because the antagonist is never actually shown in any shots. This makes the task easier as I only have to coordinate when/which days to film with one actor and not have to coordinate when lots of other actors are all free. I will be filming in my half term and Katie has the same half term as me so therefore we will easily be able to correspond the times we are both free. Katie is a reliable cast member because we live in the same house and we're both easily able to get to the locations I've chosen to film in therefore there should hopefully be no complications.

Mise En Scene
The character in my film is a 15-16 year old teenage girl and Katie is 16 so I feel she will accurately represent the character I have pictured for my film opening. The character is meant to be a fairly young girl who is abducted whilst walking home from school, Katie goes to school still and walks home so I feel like she is fairly similar to the character I've picked and will be able to introduce the character effectively to the audience. Her hair is very curly and wild which represents her to be young and self thinking which is appropriate for my character. This idea that she is self thinking also indicates her to be vulnerable and at risk.

Preferred Reading
I think the audience will see the actor as being quite young and vulnerable. The idea that she is walking through an empty field alone will represent that she is at risk which is what I want. Her age of 16 is a good age as lots of people think of teenagers as being quite naive and helpless which is what I want them to think of my character.

Health and Safety

Risk	When		Planning
Hypothermia	Outside for long time in cold wind and bad weather conditions allows risk of hypothermia.		Make sure actor wears warm clothes with lots of layers, ensure that the cast have regular breaks to warm up, check weather forecast beforehand and attempt to pick a warmer day with better weather.
Road accident	Character has to walk along road in part of my film.		The road is quiet so traffic shouldn’t be too much of an issue but be sure to stop filming immediately and move off of the road if a vehicle is coming.
Falling over	Ground in field may be muddy and slippery due to bad weather.		Ensure that cast and crew wear appropriate footwear for walking in a field. Try to avoid the muddiest parts of field.
Water Damage	Camera or equipment could be exposed to water damage due to bad weather conditions.	Check forecast beforehand and only film on days where no rain is forecast. If rain starts then finish shot I’m on and pack up and reschedule to film on different day.

Film Pitch

Film Pitch from COGray

Mood Board

Mood Board from COGray



Slide 1 shows my mood board for the conventional locations in thriller films. All of these are quite mysterious and eerie looking locations because they are designed to make the audience feel tense. Places like quiet fields/wooded areas are common in thriller films because these places are meant to make the audience feel scared and alone.

Slide 2 shows the conventional props and costumes used in thriller films. The knife and the gun are both weapons, weapons are used frequently in thriller films and are often carried by the antagonist or sometimes by the protagonist who wants to use them to stop the antagonist e.g. a gun carried by a policeman. Torches and phones are often props used within the thriller genre. The phone is often used by the victim to call for help and the torch is often used in the dark/eerie locations discussed above. Rope can be used by the antagonist as well. The costumes shown are police and military costumes as many of the protagonists will have been trained in forces like this. Protagonists are often policemen or something similar with a history in dealing with violence/crime. The antagonist is often wearing dark looking clothes or possibly a suit to give connotations of their power.

Slide 3 shows the typography commonly used in thriller films. All of these fonts have darkly coloured backgrounds indicating the suspense narrative of the film. The typography is written in a bold font to stand out and to represent the themes of the film. The typography colour is either black which gives connotations of darkness and fear, red which gives connotations of blood and violence or a glowing white which signifies a supernatural theme in the film. 

Consolidatory Post

What to include in the cinematography and planning of my film opening?
To make my film opening convincing as a real media product I need to include:

• A key protagonist and antagonist. The two opposing protagonists and antagonists need to be clear from the very start of my film so the audience are aware of the different sides and are allowed an insight into the narrative. Almost all films of the thriller genre include an obvious protagonist and antagonist from the beginning of the film.
• I need to include titles that use the appropriate typography style to match my films genre and narrative. These titles must link in with these two things or the film opening will immediately seem unrealistic.
• My film must involve suspense and tension as these are two key elements of the thriller genre.
• My narrative will be likely to involve the antagonist making something bad happen and the protagonist having to solve this problem. This is a stock situation very typical of the thriller genre.
• The music must link in with the shots nicely to create the appropriate mood for the audience. In this case my music must be tense and eerie as I want the audience to feel suspense and worry.
• The costumes I use in my film opening should provide some insight into the characters and give a background on them. It may reflect their age, style or profession.
• If I can create one effectively then I should try and include my own ident for the very opening of my film to make it look like a real film company has produced this film. This makes the product more realistic. 
• My camera angles will have to reflect the importance of the character or their role in the film. Camera angles must be used very carefully to show subtle things to the audience e.g. the characters power.
• My location must be appropriate for my opening. I'll have to film it somewhere quiet and eerie to make the audience feel tense and uncomfortable. The location is very important in setting the mood of the film.
• The audience must be made to either fear or dislike the antagonist.

The Bourne Ultimatum

(0.00-2:55)
Key Character Types:

• The key protagonist is carrying advanced equipment and knows a lot about what to do in situations when someone is following you. He knows to be careful of security cameras and all of the skills needed to avoid the antagonists. This signifies that he has experience in situations like this which represents that he may have a job involving undercover work or something similar. This means that he would have a trained background of some sort which is conventional of the thriller genre as the protagonists in thriller films usually have some sort of trained background.
• The key antagonist is likely to be the man giving orders to the rest of the antagonist group and controlling them. He is made to look dominant and strong which are both stereotypical of antagonists in thriller films.
• Male character that is being chased is paranoid which makes the audience feel paranoid like they are waiting for something to happen. This makes them feel tension which is conventional of the thriller genre.
• The fight scene makes the protagonist look strong and intimidating. He manages to successfully fight off the group of antagonists even though he is outnumbered. The antagonists are surprised and worried by the protagonists ability which makes the protagonist seem dominant to the audience. 

Stock Characters:

• The stock characters will be others belonging to the opposing groups. For example other agents in the force the protagonist belongs to or other antagonists in the antagonist group. These stock character types are conventional of the thriller genre as they add more to the narrative.
• The stock character may also be a love interest of the protagonist. 

Narratives and stock situations:

• Antagonists have access to public security cameras and advanced monitoring equipment indicating that they have professions are involved in something where they would require advances software. This gives us insight into their background and the idea that they may be trained. They are fighting the protagonist who is likely to be an agent in a larger organisation. These two organisations are fighting each other, the idea of two large opposing organisations fighting each other is conventional of common narratives in the thriller genre.
• The protagonist is fighting to protect the male character being chased as the antagonist wants to catch him. The idea that the antagonist has caused a problem and the protagonist has to solve it is stereotypical of the thriller genre.

Genre Iconography:

• The antagonists are carrying guns. Guns are an icon of danger and tension which are both conventional of thriller films. 
• The hi-tech equipment used by the antagonists e.g. the hacking of the cameras, are iconic of the thriller genre because they hint at the narrative involving some sort of trained force battling another trained force. They give clues to the audience that the film may have a spy story line or set up.

Themes of the genre:

• The protagonist and antagonist are meant to seem fairly matched on their ability and past experience in undercover situations. Both sides have evenly matched equipment and training which shows the audience that it will be difficult for either side to be successful without a fight.
• Tension is conventional of the thriller genre. Tension is created in this clip by the mystery and suspense the audience feels when the male character is found and followed by the antagonists.
• The main protagonist and the main antagonist are both made to look dominant and powerful.

The Dark Knight Rises- Bane Destroys Gotham

Key Character Types:

• The key antagonist is dressed in black mask covering his face to make him look creepy and mysterious. Mystery often gives connotations to the audience of danger and tension as they fear the unknown. Both of these fit with the thriller genre. The antagonist is made to look mysterious so the audience fear him.
• The protagonist is wearing a police uniform and driving a police car which represents to the audience that his job is a policeman. Policemen have trained backgrounds and a particular skill set. The trained background of the protagonist is conventional of the thriller genre.
• Antagonists mask represents that he could have been involved in an accident in the past and this signifies that he may have had a dangerous job or a trained job. This represents the antagonist to be strong and intimidating and that he is evenly matched in ability to the protagonist.
• Aerial shot is used to show the extent of the damage caused by the antagonists attack. This shows that the antagonist has lots of power and that it will be a challenge for the protagonist to stop him.

Stock Characters:

• The stock characters will most likely be other people in the opposing forces. For example other members of the police squad or other antagonists playing a less important role.

Narratives and stock situations:

• The stock situation in this clip is that the antagonist is blowing up the city of Gotham and the protagonist needs to stop him before more damage is caused. This narrative is conventional of the thriller genre in the idea that something bad has happened because the antagonist has caused it, and it is left up to the protagonist to resolve the situation.
• Antagonists are trying to attack policemen and trap them. This is a conventional narrative of thriller films because it involves two opposing associations/organisations challenging each other. In this case the fight is between the police force and the antagonist gang.
• Antagonist saying "let the games begin" indicates the story line and the idea that he has planned for something bad to happen or for people to get hurt.

Themes of the Genre:

Protagonists vehicle being overturned by explosion causes suspense within the audience because they don't know if he will be alright or if he will be successful in stopping the antagonist. Suspense is a common theme of the thriller genre.

Protagonist is warning of antagonists plan and rushing to stop him. This indicates he is running out of time and that it is a race against the clock. This causes tension which is a theme of thriller films.

Genre Iconography:

• The audience is made to look vulnerable and confused when the antagonist carries out his attack. This is an icon of fear and it makes the audience feel fear. Fear is iconic of the thriller genre.
• Antagonist is made to look mysterious and well built which are both iconic of his physical ability and this is meant to make the audience aware of and scared of his strength.

Taken (Kidnapping Scene)

Key Character Types:

• The key protagonist has lots of advanced/specialised equipment to monitor phone calls and to analyse them. This indicates that he has a trained background in the police force or some other form of undercover work. The protagonist having this trained background is stereotypical of protagonists in the thriller genre as in many other thriller films the key protagonist has been trained and had a past in the military or police etc. 
• The cross cutting between the key protagonist and the female character indicates some sort of close relationship between them because of how upset and heartbroken the protagonist looks when the girl is kidnapped. This could represent a father and daughter relationship between the two characters which would explain why the protagonist was so worried and caring for the female who was about to be kidnapped.
• Audience doesn't actually see the key antagonist/s but sees their bottom halves and hears their voices. The idea that the audience isn't able to see their faces provides the element of mystery and tension. Both of these are stereotypical of the thriller genre and the stock narrative in thriller films.
• Protagonist speaks about his "set of skills" when threatening the antagonist over the phone. This backs up the idea of him having a trained background which is conventional of thriller films.
• Zoom in on protagonists recording equipment to signify his trained background and that he is used to tense situations and knows how to deal with antagonists.
• Audience hears antagonist speak in a different language which gives insight into the narrative and the antagonists background.

Stock Characters:

• The stock characters in the film would most likely be the rest of the girl who got kidnapped's family and friends. They would be upset about her being taken and would want to try and find her and get her back. 

Narratives and Stock Situations:

The main female character is hiding from people under the bed which indicates the idea that she is going to be kidnapped. Kidnapping is a conventional narrative of the thriller genre because a bad situation has occurred and this situation has been caused by the antagonist. It is then up to the protagonist to stop the antagonist. In this film the protagonist is the father who has to save his daughter before it's too late and the antagonist is her kidnapper. 

The film begins with something bad happening that the antagonist has caused and will most likely end with the protagonist resolving the situation or the protagonist failing and the antagonist winning. In this case the protagonist will either find his daughter (the female being kidnapped) and save her, or he wont find her in time and something bad will happen to her e.g. she is killed by the antagonist.

Genre and Iconography:

• The protagonists spy equipment is iconic of the thriller genre in the idea that he has in the past been involved in some sort of secret or defense work. This is a common aspect of the genre.
• The character of the young female girl is iconic of the thriller genre because this signifies that she is vulnerable and can't take care of herself which means she is in danger and may need the protagonists help. The thriller genre often includes young female characters who are at risk of attack, they usually play the victim of the antagonist.

Themes of the Genre:

• The girl hiding under the bed as the antagonist gets closer and closer makes the audience feel suspense like they are waiting for something to happen. Tension and suspense are both common themes of the thriller genre. This makes the audience sit on the edge of their seats because they know something is going to happen but don't know when or what.