My treatment - When The Cat Is Away

I have been working on my idea for my thriller, entitled: When The Cat Is Away.

Below is the treatment of my original idea, since making this we have decided as a group on a different idea, but I thought it would be interesting to compare the differences between the original ideas and the final plan.

Group 3 Production Treatment

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Reviewing a previous AS class Thriller

In thursdays lesson we looked at previous classes Thriller openings. As a class we looked at 5 from the last two years and each chose one to review. I have chosen to review 'Silent Whisper'.

The colours seen in 'Silent Whisper' were very typical of the thriller genre, there were many blacks, whites and reds. As it was shot at night, the reds and whites stood out. The credits were disguised in the opening sequence, one of the characters was writing them onto pieces of paper or they were in the background.

I liked this opening more than the others because it didn't give away its story line as some of the others did, I felt that some groups wanted to fit a story line into their opening but the group that did 'Silent Whisper' left a lot to be decided on the audiences part.

We are introduced to two characters. First is a young girl. The girl is dressed in white and we first see her sitting by herself her back turned away. The white gown she is wearing gives the audience an idea that she is innocent. The white against the dark of night also makes her seem ghost like, especially as the way it has been filmed we can't really see her legs. We never see her face which makes the audience question her innocent look, she could be hiding something from us. The other character is very mysterious, we only really see his hands in the opening, and even then they are gloved. We see the hands writing letters and dropping rose petals. We feel that this man is some sort of a villain even though we do not see him do any kind of evil things.

The themes seemed to be Supernatural and could maybe incorporate Voyeurism. The Supernatural element was undeniable but we aren't given enough information about the relationship between the two characters to decide more, this already building interest and suspense.

The director chose very good shots and it was editing very well in my opinion. I particularly liked how some parts were sped up to make the girl look like a ghost, a technique often used in Hollywood films. Sometimes the camera work was shaky but I felt that this lends itself to the genre, it puts you in the position of the character and can simulate the fear the character would be feeling.

The musical score was also good, like any good thriller score it created tension and its main technique was to use jumpy high pitched keys to do this.

Overall 'Silent Whisper' was very effective, I was on the edge of my seat and genuinely intrigued as to the story behind the two characters. A very good opening in my opinion.

Thriller as a Genre

Thriller as a genre is what adds to make a thriller for example: types of characters , locations, what is the aim is it continuous, 

Characters that often occur in thrillers:

Convicts, criminals, stalkers, assassins, down-on-their-luck losers, innocent victims (often on the run), prison inmates, menaced women, characters with dark pasts, psychotic individuals, terrorists, cops and escaped cons, fugitives, private eyes, drifters, duplicitous individuals, people involved in twisted relationships, world-weary men and women, psycho-fiends, and more

The themes of thrillers frequently include terrorism, political conspiracy, pursuit, or romantic triangles leading to murder.

'Thriller and Suspense Films are types of films known to promote intense excitement, suspense, a high level of anticipation, ultra-heightened expectation, uncertainty, anxiety, and nerve-wracking tension. Thriller and suspense films are virtually synonymous and interchangeable categorizations, with similar characteristics and features.'

http://www.filmsite.org./thrillerfilms.html

Alfred Hitch-cock  was a very iconic and legendary filmmaker and director he first directed in 1925 and when he rose to become famous his films were well known as full of suspense and psychological aspects were always used this picture above is from a Hitch cock film called rear window which is also the fifth most popular thriller film according to IMDB votes.

Box office Figures

I have been looking in to box offices figures for thrillers, thriller is one of the hardest genres to classify there are so many types of thrillers for example: crime thrillers, sci-fi thrillers, action thriller and many more. I have research the Top 5 Thrillers in the Box office and what types of thriller they are to gage what sort of Thrillers are the most popular;
UK
1. Next - £795,012
2. Wild Hogs - £654,684
3. Fracture - £577,881
4.Mr Bean's Holiday - £507,064
5. Blades of Glory - £462,622
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6611675.stm
Source: Screen International

Top Rated "Thriller" Titles

1.The Godfather (1972)
2.The Godfather: Part II (1974)
3The Dark Knight (2008)
4.Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
5.Rear Window (1954)

http://www.imdb.com/chart/thriller

Looking At The Preliminary Task

The preliminary task was to introduce us to the equipment and editing suite. We were told to make a short clip demonstrating the 180 Degrees rule, shot reverse shot and match on action, all of which we incorporated.

First, we decided on our scenario. After 5 minutes or so we decided on something simple, a girl confessing that she is pregnant.

We then drew a story board which would be our guide to the shots we were taking and our narrative structure.

Location was decided on almost immediately, we chose a room away from classes that was big enough to film in and quiet enough so we wouldn't be disturbed.

The group was split into two, two of us were acting and two were filming. Although, We all helped each other when deciding exact points from where to film from.

We were efficient in our filming and had it done in one go, we were then ready to start editing. We all helped edit, that way we all gained experience on Final Cut Pro.

I was pleased with the outcome of our exercise, but there are a few things that I found fault with. I think the camera was tilted to one side in some of the shots, so the angles look a bit off and crooked. Sometimes the camera was a bit shaky too.

I feel that the over all outcome overshadows the faults however, the cuts are fluid and when watching you do not notice our mistakes.

The prelim was very important as an introduction to the course. We have learnt what we can do with the cameras and equipment. We also have learnt our basics in editing.

I look forward to exploring the possibilities of Final Cut Pro, it seems as though it has the facilities so we can make a really effective opening.

A Different Kind of Thriller - Death Note

Death note is a Japanese thriller film with a difference. Death Note follows the story of a young college student who finds a book which when a name is written in it, the person dies. Two teenage genius' are pitted against each other before one captures or kills the other. The film relies heavily on dialogue between the two main characters. The film was adapted from a popular manga novel.

Usually Thriller films are targeted at an audience of 18+ but Death Note has a target audience of about 12+. This once again shows how diverse the genre is and how its boundaries are being redefined all the time. This shows us that we can make a thriller that is suitable for people our age, it doesn't have to be gritty and dark. Death note is also a good example of a sub-genre within thriller, it is very supernatural orientated. The film inspires me because it has broken some of the rules of typical hollywood genres but none the less is a great film. Although it is a Japanese film it has been very popular in the US and Britain.

Death Note

Preliminary Exercise