Today we had our first production meeting, we all shared our ideas and contributed to what our final thriller piece would be. I shared my idea about the teenage girl who gets possessed and turned into a vampire, my group quite liked the idea and thought it would be a piece we could work with in all aspects. i.e. the editing would be black and white with red lips or her white vampire teeth with blood on them. We also talked about the possibility of doing it at brick lane or in the woods, but we felt that the streets would be more effective as a type of location for the story line. We bonded in our first meeting and I'm very happy with the group I was put in as we all have very creative minds but we work well together.

In our group we talked about possibly filming the thriller sequence at brick lane, so I took the liberty of going to brick lane and taking some photos for future reference.

Synopsis

16 year old, Madeline is sent to a mental asylum for psychotic and dangerous behaviour. She speaks to her therapists about a certain recurring memory. As a back story the audience finds out that Madeline was raped by her father at 14 years old but was forced to continue living with him as her mother committed suicide when Madeline was 10. Her father is forcing her to keep her mouth shut about the event which leads to Madeline having several stories that she tells the therapists to cover up the truth. This results in the asylum therapists thinking she is mentally insane and unstable and she is kept against her will in the asylum for the next 8 months. Over that amount of time she begins to look for escape routes through back doors and security camera and decoding the security system. On the 2^nd night of her 9^th month, Madeline launches her escape and is successful however whilst leaving through the final door she does not manage to break the security code properly which sets off the alarm. Madeline sets off running back home, knowing she does not have a lot of time till they come to get her. She runs home frantically to confront her father, Madeline finds a gun on the kitchen table and keeps it for protection, however as she barges through the door she walks in on her father raping her younger sister Kaitlyn. Madeline is in such an emotional state by now that she reaches for the gun right as the security team from the mental institute violently knock on the door. There is a moment of tension as the she points the gun to her father and the security team threaten to break in. The moment they break the front door, Madeline attempts to shoot her father but is frightened by the security team and ends up shooting her sister instead.

Opening Sequence

A combination of quick and short shots with slow disturbing, intimidating music. Shots of a 16 year olds room, with a dark tone. Shots of pictures on the wall, very dark meaning and scribbles. Themes of depression. Blurred and shaking shots of broken toys, blood on the floor, blades and scars.

Madeline screaming and banging “Im not crazy” on the door and Kaitlyn on
an autopsy table being covered by a white sheet with blood dripping down her legs foreshadowing her being raped.

Class Feedback
As this was the piece that I chose to present to the class, i received both positive and negative feedback.  There was positive feedback on my opening sequence as they said that it was god to incorporate the quick shots to create suspense and not give away too much in the narrative. I was also told the creativity of the piece was very good and detailed however it may be too harsh as a film for the AS course, it should not include scenes of such violence as well as the use of younger actors being violated.

Synopsis

Ben and Jess are in an amusement park. When they were in a ride they suddenly heard screams and cries and the amusement park closes. When they come out of the ride they find a deserted amusement park so they try to get out. They find that all the doors are locked and as they try to get out a voice speaks to them on the announcement speakers. They find out that the man talking to them is a mentally insane person who wants to kill them, but promises he will not do so if they do exactly as he says. Both Ben and Jess cant see the killer but can only hear his creepy spooky voice, there is very dim lighting so they cant see very much around them or if the killer is near. The killer sends them on different rides and Ben and Jess have to go on them not knowing if they are going to come out alive. Some of the rides are very haunting and scary and on one of them the two get a glimpse of the killer and he has a sword in his hand. The two cant get off the ride as it is in a tunnel and Jess watches as the killer chops Ben's head off. Then Jess gets out of the ride and calls out for the killer and surrenders to him.

Opening Sequence

A few establishing shots of an amusement park/carnival type of event happening with diegetic music of everything going on however there is creepy clown music in the background. Every so often the shot switches to short images of clowns, then back to a normal crowded amusement park, then back to the clown but it now has blood dripping down the side of it, then back to the carnival for a while then finally back to the clown with his head being chopped off. Throughout this piece the music is increasingly creepy and every time the shot changes to the clown there is a sharp high pitched sound that becomes bigger and louder with every cut.

Synopsis

Emma, ever since she was young was a prankster, now at 20 years old she is a world renowned ballerina who still lives with her mum. She has morphed her life into one single focus, ballet. This results in Emma having no time to go out with friends or do anything a normal 20 year old would do. Due to the pressuring and hard work from her teacher and mother, Emma becomes a nervous character with a hint of a mental disorder as she slowly reveals signs of her going mentally insane. After a difficult night of rehearsals and abuse from her mother she decides to go out and meet some of her old friends. Her and her friends reminisce about the times when Emma used to be fun and used to be the best prankster, as she would claim to have some ridiculous disease that everyone would worry about and think was real. After the fun died down, Joe, one of Emma's oldest friends takes out a baggie of drugs. It is not indicated what the drug is, only that it is cheap and mixed. Emma's friends give her some of the drugs and peer pressure her into taking it, even though Emma has never taken drugs before in her life. Emma is overwhelmed and in the spur of the moment takes the drug. She then begins to get the effects of the drugs (reflected in camera work) and we see a quick fade to black from her point of view. Over the next few days Emma worries about what she has taken and feels weird things beginning to happen to her body. She starts getting nose bleeds, as well as spasms of the stomach, dry mouth, and bluish coloured nails and and lips. She tells her friends about this but no one believes her due to her past as a prankster. The symptoms get worse and worse as she realizes her body is slowly deteriorating, but no one believes her which leads to her mental insanity. After 3 days, she dies from drug poisoning.

Opening Sequence

A young Emma is playing a prank on her friend. You can hear screams from another room and using a point of view shot you are approaching the screams as emma's friend. There is a moment of tension and climax/build in the music as you walk in the room and reach to see under the covers and Emma has fake blood all over her face and screams to scare her friend. This will scare the audience and to show that it is a prank Emma will burst out laughing.

Synopsis

McKenzie has the perfect life, she's a typical blonde, rich and popular teenager at Lincoln High. Her father is a very well off and well known man in the city who has insight on one of the newest technologies that includes 3D projection. McKenzie insists that her dad gets her the early release, untested version of this device. Once she gets it McKenzie begins to act weirdly and strangely, as she turns on her phone her eyes are locked in with the scanning device and whenever her phone is on she is being brainwashed. During the brainwash she begins to get cravings for human blood and heroin. The story is playing on the typical stereotypes as there will be a scene where she is walking down the street with a man following her and she turns to attack him. Then she begins to realize what has been happening to her, she tells her father about this who reports it to the engineers and then McKenzie is taken to science lab where they determine she has become a drug loaded vampire. Due to the terrible media that would take place against her fathers company, her father decides to keep it a secret and sacrifices McKenzie who has to stay in the lab where she eventually dies.

Opening Sequence

Inspiration: Kyle Cooper. Contrast of shots between glamorous life, lipstick, clothes, hair accessories and jewelry

versus blood, vampire related items such as vampire teeth. To create the immediate change that occurs in McKenzie's life. Tension filled music included to create a sense of discomfort.


Group Feedback
My group decided to choose this idea, with a few minor changes, as our thriller opening sequences. They liked the idea of a typical blonde popular girl being the villain as it converged to the stereotypes of the girl usually being the victim, it would be a good twist to the story. We also decided on the editing of the shoot which would make it more individual and different would make it all black and white except for her lips or the blood dripping down from her teeth.

Genre, Hybrid and Sub- Genre

What is a Genre?
A Genre is a way to categorize films based on their content and the narrative. For example a Comedy

What is a Hybrid Genre?
A Hybrid Genre is a type of genre that contains two genres as one. For Example a Romantic-Comedy

What is Sub-Genre?
A Sub-Genre is a genre within a genre. For example a Teen Comedy

Why is genre used?
Genre is used to attract a target audience and to easily market a type of film for people who enjoy the same kind of genre.

What are Genre conventions?
They're things that you recognize with a genre, for example in a romantic scene it is common to see roses, wine or candles. Genre conventions are used to convey the atmosphere to the audience and set the scene.

What are 3 different things that films within a romantic genre might share in common?
Firstly one would usually find roses, wine and candles as explained previously. These would be an example of props that are associated with a romantic genre. Actors such as Channing Tatum, Jennifer Aniston and Zac Efron could also be associated with a romantic film and finally it is common to find slow paced romantic soundtracks with modd lighting adding to the mise en scene of the film.

Thriller

What is a thriller genre?
A thriller genre is a type of genre that is suspenseful and thrilling to the audience, it creates tension within the piece as well as it also playing
with the element of surprise and anticipation

Conventions of a thriller?
Some conventions could be dark alley ways, knifes and suspenseful settings that create tension

Sub-Genres of thriller?
Action Thriller
This is a hybrid genre. Take a thriller, give it’s defining elements a back seat, and focus on the action, and you have an action-thriller. This is more common in movies than novels because of the visual appeal of explosions and violence. Die Hard: Kill Bill Vol. 1, The Born Identity

Aviation Thriller focus on air flight, and the battle of human wits and technology against the force of storms, or sabotage, and always of sheer gravity.The High and the Mighty, The Flight of the Phoenix

Conspiracy Thriller

In this subgenre the protagonist must confront a large, powerful organization whose threat only he sees. Usually he must do so alone. Murder by Decree

Crime Thriller
This subgenre focuses on crime, and is usually from the criminal’s point of view. Physical action and eluding the police take the place of gathering evidence and trying to discover the criminal. The Usual Suspects, The Fugitive

Disaster Thriller
In this subgenre a (usually) natural disaster is taking place, and the antagonist is either trying to stop the disaster, the extent of the disaster, or just save themselves before time runs out and the disaster has run its course. The Poseidon Adventure, Into the Storm, Twister, Armageddon

Exploration subgenre stories were more popular when much of the globe was mysterious, and long before Google Earth. Even now the hero's stint in rugged mountains, or along jungle rivers, can provide a thrill. Sanctum

Forensic Thriller
In this subgenre the protagonist(s) are forensic scientists whose involvement in an unsolved crime threatens their lives.

Legal Thriller
This subgenre takes place in and around the courtroom. Usually the protagonist is a lawyer who has found their case threatening death for either them or their client. A Few Good Men, A Time to Kill, The Firm

Medical Thriller
This subgenre involves something usually used for medical purposes becoming a deadly weapon. Often it is a virus that is leaking out to the public. The protagonist or antagonist or both are doctors. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

Political Thriller
In this subgenre political relations or the whole government is at stake, and the protagonist is employed by the government to stop the decline. The protagonist may have been low-level before having attracted attention.

Psychological Thriller
A personal favorite. In this subgenre a lot of the conflict is mental, rather than physical. The protagonist has become involved in a dangerous situation which literally threatens their sanity. They must use mental prowess to overcome their opponent, whether the battle is inside their own head or it a battle of wits.

Religious Thriller
This subgenre uses the history and myths of religion. Usually a religious artifact or historical secret is discovered, and different people and groups vie for control.

Spy Thriller
It’s hard to call this a genre mash-up when spy novels almost have to be thrillers. At any rate, this subgenre focuses on the high adventures of field agents. It is usually set against the backdrop of some war.

Supernatural Thriller
In this subgenre other worldy elements are introduced, usually as an antagonistic force, but just as in the romantic thriller, the plot line and feel or distinctly that of thrillers. Some characters may have psychic abilities and other supernatural novel elements may be present.

Survivalist thrillers center upon such rugged specimens of humanity. A disaster has struck a specific group of people, if not the entire planet, and survival depends upon toughness and skill. Jerry Ahern's epic "Survivalist" series leads this pack, and devotes long descriptions to every knife, gun, and other weapon in use. David Brin's novel The Postman, filmed by Kevin Costner, reverses this by making survivalists the villians. On a more personal scale, Michael Armstrong's short story "A Little Walk Home" depicts its stranded protagonist hiking 500 miles across the Alaskan wilderness.