Feed back from other groups:

Q1-09
What they liked:
Olivia is a good actress. The plot doesn't give away too much information.
Improvements:
Cuts need to be smoother.
Will benefit from filming each clip for longer


Q1-08
What they liked:
Location is realistic
Acting is good
Thrilling plot so far
Editing and camera work is good
Improvements:
Sound - it needs music and some of the sounds are too quiet or too loud.
Needs to be longer

Q1-07
What they liked:
Very good acting
Good setting
Good use of slow motion
Good props
Improvements:
Sound effects a bit random
No credits
The bit at the end with the woman pointing the gun could have some faster cuts.

Q1-12
What they liked:
Good use of props
Leaves questions
Improvements:
Some cuts needs to be shorter
Some music needs to be added

Q1-11
What they liked:
Good use of close-ups
Wasn't too long
Improvements:
No comment

Rough Cut

Changing Our Idea

We have discussed our original idea as a group and decided that we are going to change our opening. We have decided to change it for the following reasons, firstly, we feel that our idea would need a lot of tense acting and speech and we don't think that in such a public place such as frankie and Bennys this would be possible. Also we have yet to find out if we can use Frankie and Bennys for our filming, and as the deadline is coming closer we feel that it is wasting time.

Our new idea is using the same theme of women and drugs etc, however we are going to use shorter clips such as a clip of someone putting on lipstick, or fixing their hair, for the first part, however we will change the images to be more sinister, such as putting a gun in a bag or a needle on a table etc.

Our Film Certificate

We have decided that our film would be certified as a fifteen, this is because it will not contain strong bloody violence or strong language or images of drug use. However, it will contain drug references so it needs a higher certification.

A 15 film also brings about more of an edge to the film as it includes violence, as it is a 15 it has more of a wider audience as it includes teenagers, rather than being an 18 it has all of these features however doesn't have this wider audience.

This also applies to our new film idea.

Deadlines

11th Jan to 15th Jan: Thriller introduction.

18th Jan to 22nd Jan: Analysis of real and student examples/ Production logos.

25th Jan to 29th Jan: Planning and delivery of pitches.

1st Feb to 5th Feb: Storyboarding, shot lists and other planning.

Cameras are available from Friday 5th Feb at 4.10pm until shooting deadline of 9am Monday 8th March. Students can have 2 overnights or one weekend to film. There are three weekend slots available ( 6th & 7th Feb, 27th & 28th Feb and 6th & 7th March).

8th Feb to 12th Feb: Filming.

15th Feb to 19th Feb: HALF TERM. NO CAMERAS OUT.

22nd Feb to 26th Feb: Filming and editing.

1st March to 5th March: Filming and editing.

8th March to 12th March: 8th March Shooting deadline. 2nd lesson of this week is Rough Cut Deadline. Third lesson of week, rough cut feedback.

15th March to 19th March: End of second lesson of the week is Final Cut Deadline. Last lesson of the week, feedback on final cuts and re-introduction to Evaluation questions.

22nd March to 26th March: 9am 22nd March is Interim writing deadline. Lessons this week are for feedback on interim drafts and revisions/writing.

9am 29th March: Final writing deadline.

Filming Tips

At the start of the lesson the class brainstormed tips for filming and heres what we came up with:
1) Think carefully about the different shot types
2) Organisation - of both time and a decent shot list (could be ticked off as each shot is done)
3) Think ahead - for example the credits, where they will go, how they will appear on the screen etc
4) Stick to the storyboard as much as possible
6) Shout out each shot number before each shot or take
7) "lights camera action"
8) Think about the distance, e.g camera and sound
9)Lighting should be tested so it is not too dark or light
10) Perform. The actors should make an effort.

Ideas

We have decided that for the opening,we will make music on garageband and have clips or images of both the inside and outside of the restaurant as this will show the audience the setting and where the story is set. Other ideas are things such as, someone putting on lipstick, expensive bags purses etc as this shows that the characters and the story will be more classy and high end, however we may also include needles and guns as this shows the darker side of the story,

Mise-en-scene in our opening

Props: The props that we will need for our opening are:
- guns
- expensive looking purses
- drinks.
- handbags

Costumes:
Druggie - Tracksuit, bags under eyes, rough, hair slicked back
Drug dealer - Dressy, lots of jewelery, expensive looking
Under cover cop - similar to the drug dealer, however the cop will have handcuffs in her bag


Location: We are hoping to film our opening in frankie and bennys as in the restaurant we can film the conversation with the characters sitting at a booth.
Lighting: We will film the opening at both night and day, inside Frankie and Benny's the lighting is quite dim - so the room will be relatively dark, however we will need to do test shots in order to check that the lighting will look good for our film.

Our inspiration for our film opening came from a scene in the film Grosse Pointe Blank, where two men both have guns underneath the table threatening each other. This scene also inspired us because of it's comedic value, although it's a thriller it can still contain humour, which is what we aim to do with our film opening.

Initial Ideas

-Location: cafe with booth seats (Frankie & Benny's)
-Something secret going on under the table (Women with guns)
-The exchanging of something between the women
-3 Step-ford women: 1. Nervous woman on drugs, 2.Drug dealer type (rich and snobby), 3.Undercover police women whose befriended the women and gained their trust.
-Funny or suggestive phrases between the women to reference danger or bitchiness e.g. "it's to die for."
-All three women have guns but none of them know about the others.

The Film:
-Beginning with music and three shots of the women coming to the restaurant and shots of their surroundings with credits. The music stops and a restaurant bell rings, the next shot is of all three women sat around the table. There is interaction between the women and snidey comments between them, after we have established a relationship between them and why they're all there we go to a shot under the table of all three women hiding guns behind their purses, napkins etc...

Reservoir Dogs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awGkBWTlZPE&feature=fvw

Reservoir Dogs is a film which we took inspiration from. The whole idea of having a few people sitting at a table having a conversation, mean while there is some dodgy business going on gave the idea for our thriller opening. A drug addict, a drug dealer and a police officer acting as an undercover drug dealer are our main characters. During the conversation between the women, there will be a gun hidden under the table. This is unlike Reservoir Dogs, as it is our own idea which will spice up our video.

Political Thriller

Usually set against the backdrop of political power struggle. The plots are usually illegal and are designed to give political power to someone, while the persons opponents are trying to stop him from getting it. They can involve either national or international political scenarios. Both US presidential elections and World War 11 are popular scenarios. And example of a political thriller is the film Agency. An example of a political thriller is State of Play.

What Is a Thriller

Thriller- is a genre of fiction in which tough, resourceful, but essentially ordinary heroes are pitted against villains determined to destroy them, their country, or the stability of the free world. Part of the allure of thrillers comes from not only what their stories are about, but also how they are told. High stakes, non-stop action, plot twists that both surprise and excite, settings that are both vibrant and exotic, and an intense pace that never lets up until the adrenalin packed climax. Thriller-If the genre is to be defined strictly, a genuine thriller is a film that rentlessly pursues a single-minded goal - to provide thrills and keep the audience cliff-hanging at the 'edge of their seats' as the plot builds towards a climax. The tension usually arises when the main character(s) is placed in a menacing situation or mystery, or an escape or dangerous mission from which escape seems impossible. Life itself is threatened, usually because the principal character is unsuspecting or unknowingly involved in a dangerous or potentially deadly situation. Plots of thrillers involve characters which come into conflict with each other or with outside forces - the menace is sometimes abstract or shadowy.

Script

-Hiya
*Hi
-You alright?
* Yeah good thanks bye.

Shot list.
Establishing shot. walking along corridor
Close up shot. Door handle
Match on action. Walking in the door
Reaction. Someone swiveling on a chair facing the door
Long shot. Both the people
Over the shoulder. Conversation

Props.
Chair.

Location.
Media classroom