Script For Our Thriller

This is the script we will be using for the filming of our thriller. We have used minimal dialogue as we want the film to be more about the 'thrill' factor and less about the acting. As with any film, when we actually come to film it we may improvise some parts and not stick to the script fully, but this is the basic outline of what we will be saying.

'Hidden'

(Establishing shot) It is a cold night in February. Two young people are walking home from a drunken night out together. A strange shadowy figure is standing under a lampost at the other end of the road watching them. As they are walking towards the camera, their laughter and chatting is heard.

Katie: And like when Charlie tipped his drink over Sarah!

(Both laugh as they arrive at Katie's driveway)

Katie: Well, this is me.

(Camera switches to the mysterious figure moving closer - sound bridge of conversation)

Daniel: Are you sure you're going to be alright?

(Camera switches to the mysterious figure moving closer - sound bridge of conversation)

Katie: Yeah, I'll be fine. Thanks for walking me home.

Daniel: No problem! I'll see you later.

(They smile at each other. Daniel watches Katie walk up to the door and unlock it. Camera switches to the mysterious figure walking closer. Camera switches back to the front of the house. She turns back and waves before she enters) 

(Jump cut to a knife being slashed, a 'slashing' sound is heard. Straight cut to Daniel laying on the floor in a pool of blood with his throat cut)

(Straight cut to the inside of the house. Katie walks through the front door and walks to the window after setting down her coat and bag. As she goes to close the blinds, she sees something suspicious on the floor)

 (She slowly leans closer to the window to get a better view. Whilst she is looking out of the window, the reflection of a mysterious man is evident from the inside of the house, but Katie is oblivious to it. When Katie realises that the thing on the floor is Daniel, she gasps and spins around quickly to rush outside)

(Close up on Katie's face. She screams as she is confronted with the killer. Jump cut to a black screen)

(End credits)

Thriller Storyboard

This is the storyboard that me and my group produced. We are going to film our thriller based on this storyboard.

Production Company Title

The title for mine, Charlie and Daniel's production company will be the same one that we made up for our Preliminary Task - KCD Productions. We have made graphics for our production logo which will go at the beginning of our thriller.

Target Audience Research

Me and my group have created a survey using Survey Monkey to collect information regarding our target audience. We asked several questions including:

• What is your favourite thriller sub-genre? (e.g. political, psychological...)
• Who would you want to play you in a film biopic of your life?
• How often do you go to the cinema?

We are currently awaiting the results of our survey. We hope to gain a large response as this will make our target audience research more detailed and varied.


The link to our survey is:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KPP3BV5


Please take the time to fill out our survey as it will really help us analyse what will make a great thriller!

Target Audience

When making a film, it is important to think about the target audience. This will help the film maker decide on aspects of the film that will appeal to a certain audience in order to make as much money as possible.


There are several easy ways to collate information on target audience:

• Survey
• Questionnaire
• Focus Group

There are also various aspects that have to be considered when collecting information:

• Gender
• Age
• Interests
• Favourite actors/actresses
• Hobbies
• Job
• Favourite types of film

Thriller Openings

The opening of a thriller is one of the most crucial parts o the film - it can either make the audience want more or make them want to turn it off. Three successful thriller openings are that of 'Memento', 'Brick' and 'Zodiac'.

Memento

Conventions:
Just from the first few minutes of the film we are presented with an eigma: why is the polaroid picture fading the more he shakes it? SHouldn't it be the other way around? Is this a sign of what is to come later in the film?

Camera:
Close ups help us focus on what is on screen to give us precise details of what is important. We can also read characters' faces and get an idea of the mood of the film.

Editing:
After the opening credits, the picture turns to black and white. This tells the audience that they are waching a flash back or dream which allows them to retrieve information that happened prior to the beginning of the present. They audience also begin to understand that the film is in reverse and the beginning of the film is actually towards the end. Short frames at the end of the opening create suspense and speed up the feel of the film as he goes to murder a man.

Sound:
The music at the beginning of the film is in a minor key which adds a dark and mysterious atmosphere to the opening to give the audience an insight as to what the rest of the film will be about.

Mise-en-scene:
The fact that Guy Pearce (the protagonist) has blood on his face immediately draws the audience's attention to the fact that the film is a thriller. He is also holding a gun suggesting that a crime is about to be commited which creates suspense.

Brick

Conventions:
Again, we are given an enigma that runs throughout the opening scene of the film: why is there a dead body?...

Camera:
The use of the camera in the opening of this film makes it seem very realistic. It starts with a hand-held camera which creates the illusion that we are looking through someone's eyes. The camera then switches so that it is steady and it shows a close up of the dead body. The fact that we only see the hand laying dead and cold in thewater makes it even more sinister.

Editing:
There is a graphic match between the bracelet on the dead body which them switches to the blue bracelet on the girl from a flashback of when she was still alive. This makesit a smooth transition from scene to scene.

Sound:
The music plyed at the beginning of the film is very eerie and is played in a minor key. This makes the audiece aware hat something is about to happn which adds suspense and tension.

Mise-en-scene:
The surroundings in the opening of the film are very dull and dreary - there is a grey sky, the floor is muddy and there is someone with their head in their hands. This gives the film an overall sombre mood. The body still has a fleshy coulour which suggests that she has only just been killed.

Zodiac

Conventions:
Once again there is an enigma that is posed at the very beginning of the opening scene of the film. A mysterious car pulls up and shoots the young couple in the parking lot. But who is the culprit?

Camera:
The low key lighting of the film creates a silhouette of the man who is about to kill the young couple. This adds to the air of mysetry and also conceals who the killer is which keeps the audience guessing who it is. Long shots also establish the setting to allow the audience to know where the film is taking place.

Editing:
Captions at the bottom of the film allow the audience to know extra information that would not necisseraly be given to them simply by watching the opening.

Sound:
The use of contropuntal music creates suspense and tension as the audience is expecting something bad to happen but the music doesn't suggest this.

Mise-en-scene:
The firewrks in the opening sequence let the audience know that a celebration is taking place. The fashions show us that the story is set in the mid 1990s.



Narrative - Structure, Formulas and Devices

Continuity Editing:


This makes the whole film very free flowing and makes each shot transition smooth.


Cause and Effect:


The clear establishment of 'cause and effect' plotting sets up character motivations and helps tell an interesting story which proceeds logically and steadily.


Enigma:


This refers to a puzzle, something mysterious or inexplicable, a riddle or a difficult problem. In thrillers this is commonly something which the protagonist has to try and solve before the narrative is resolved and the film finishes.

Red Herring:


A red herring is the name given to a device which intends to divert the audience from the truth or an item of significance. Can work with other devices (enigmas) to create suspense.
E.g. In Saw, two characters spend time imprisoned in a room in which a third character lies dead. Throughout the film, both characters appear to be guilty of a series of murders, until it is discovered at the end of the film that the third person was never really dead and is in fact the real killer.


Cliffhanger:


Often these feature a main character in a difficult dilemma or confronted with a shocking revelation. This entices the audience and keeps them watching to see how it gets resolved. North by Northwest has a literal cliffhanger at the end!