3rd Production Meeting

Now we have started filming, we have got to the midway point of our opening. Throughout, we have a lot of takes that are not going to be any use to us, so we have started deleting the shots that went wrong and picking the shots that went smoothly. We have also looked through our filming to ensure we have all the different types of shots in our shot list, we enquire to make a good thriller opening.

2nd Production Meeting

My group has moved on further, Tayo and I have now created a shot list and storyboard for our thriller opening. Our production is named 'Beautiful Insanity'. In the second image we have discussed and noted down our main storyline for our project, the name of the production and our production company. Along with the contrapuntal music we will be using throughout the final piece, we decided on the music now because we have a strong idea and we needed to get the basics finalised.

1st Production Meeting

Tayo and I were previously working with two other boys in our class but due to the inconvenience of different visions of what we wanted in our final piece, we decided it is best if we split groups. Although we had already confirmed our initial ideas, Tayo and I have started another film opening.

We have decided on a new idea that could possibly be based in school as it is easy to access a convenient and will involve some of our classmates for extra help with any filming we will need.

Initial Ideas

Introducing Our Group

Tayo - right side                                                                                 Nadine (me) - left side
She is in charge of costume and                                                 I am in charge of directing as our
props as I will be using her                                                         thriller opening was initially my idea
folder for filming.  She is also in                                               so I feel like I can bring the idea to life. charge of the location that we will                                             I am also in charge of filming as I will
be filming at and the she was responsible                                  be adding some of my point of view
for recruiting some friends of ours that                                      shots. As there are only two members
will be our actresses.                                                                  of our group we have decided to do                                                                                                           joint editing.

How to Film a Thriller

There are certain thriller conventions that are very common in a thriller, all these techniques of camera work is what makes a thriller what it is. These are listed below:

* reverse shots
This shows the character and then what the character sees. Thrillers can be quite hard to keep up with so this helps the viewers keep up to date with what the full surroundings are.

* fast pace shots
Fast pace shots build up suspense when something bad is about to happen. It keeps you on the edge of your seat waiting for a climax to build.

* non-diegetic music/sound
This creates tension AND suspense by using sinister music, this could be associated with death, misfortune and fear.

* extreme close ups
This usually creates curiosity because the audience aren't usually familiar with their identity.

* point of view shots
These shots are used to make the audience feel like they are part of the thriller, the viewer is put in the same situation as the character. This causes a "thrill.'

* diegetic background sound
When diegetic sounds are included it makes the scene more realistic as nothing is left out. Seeing as this thriller above is shot outdoors, the sound of nature was recorded; the scenes feel more natural.

* dark lighting
Dark lighting is usually associated with "scary" things, even being in your bedroom in the dark makes your heart beat a bit faster. This is why directors of thrillers love to put their characters in dark scene
* tracking shot

* high-angle shot
This shot is used in thrillers to make the character look isolated, weak and vulnerable. The minute they are put in a high-angle shot is when the audience know something bigger and stronger could attack them. This then makes the audience get emotionally attached to the character and

* hand held camera shot
The technique has been used to heighten tension and give realism to countless films and television programs. 

Titles (thriller examples)

After the IDENT use a FADE IN. 
The titles should then be in the following order:
(1) 'Your Production Company' Presents
(2) A Film by 'One name - usually the director'
(3) Starring or With
(4) Male star
(5) Female star or other way round
(6) Title of film - or could be at the end
(7) Also starring - 2/3/names - each on seperate title
(8) Then 3/4/5 of the following - you choose - each on seperate title
Editing
Music
Cinematography or Director of Photography
Casting
Set Designer
Costume Designer
Script
(9) Then Producer(s) - can be more than one
(10) Always finish with Director - one name, usually the same as A Film By ...
(11) Could put title here
Remember to use LiveType and try to make titles interesting. They can be either over black or superimposed over your film. Space them out over the two minutes of the film.Give the audience plenty of time to read the titles. 
(12) Finish with a fade out & fade music out


Seven Trailer
At the beginning of the trailer the production company was shown so it indicates to the audience where the movie has come from and if it is a universal ident or an independent ident. The red writing corresponds with the red cross shown in the thriller. Rather than the title being written in words it was written in numbers which gave a visual effect because we remember the word 'Seven' more. The associations with red could be the devil, blood, danger or hell so it gives a sinister effect. The words are jaggedy and the uneasy text shows us the thriller will not be peaceful so the words give a good insight to the movie.