Planning: Character Representations

Planning: Character Representations

 

In Thriller movies certain characters hold different purposes and give the story meaning. Characters need to be read and understood by the audience.
Character's representation are how each character is being presented in a film production towards the audience. It is important because having the right actors to play the roles that are suitable based on how they look and their acting skills can create a lot of different meanings and will be based on the audience to judge on the characters. It is also includes different personalities within the characters in a film as the audience will have their own connotations and view points on each of the characters. This will helps the viewers to decide whether he or she is a good character or if they like them or not.

Character's representation can be shown through body language, facial expressions, voice tone and appearance that need to be relatable towards the narrative

 

Victim- In our thriller the character of the victim will be played by a young white female, this is because through research I found that this was stereotypical and conventional to the thriller genre. It is stereotypical because a young white female possesses characteristics which show her as quite timid and weak, therefore the audience will also expect them to behave like this therefore have sympathy towards them.

 

NAME: Carlie Cokell

AGE: 15
GENDER: Female
ROLE IN THE FILM: Female Victim
COSTUME:
FACIAL EXPRESSION: Blank/ Clueless
BODY LANGUAGE:

From important research, I found that representing my female victim in this way was conventional because the stereotype shown is that women are weaker than man and that they are feeble and helpless.












Antagonist- In my thriller I will be playing the role of the antagonist, I am a black male 6 foot 1 in height with an athletic build. I am filling this role because conventional antagonists have a rough build or frame similar to mine, this will make the character of the antagonist even more intimidating and fit the conventions of a thriller film

NAME: Javel Robinson
AGE: 19

GENDER: Male
ROLE IN THE FILM: Psychotic Ex-Boyfriend
COSTUME: White T-Shirt, Black Jeans, Black Jacket/ Hoody
FACIAL EXPRESSION: Distressed/ Disturbed
BODY LANGUAGE:

Research: Questionnaire and results

I created a questionnaire in order to identify what people expect to see within a thriller movie, this helped me to identify the people that I handed out my questionnaire to were people of the age 16-34 this is because this is the age group of the people that I have targeted my thriller for, this is because the narrative applies mostly to them.

Below is the questionnaire that I created:

 

I handed the questionnaire out to various people who all fit within the age range and I received their feedback

 

 

 

 

Here are some of the key findings from my questionnaire:

 

This graph shows me that that most people feel worried after watching a thriller film. This has helped me gain a general understanding of how someone will feel after watching my thriller.

 

 

This shows me that people prefer to see thrillers take places in locations such as houses, this has helped me because I know the location I should choose to shoot my thriller.

 

This information tells me that people prefer to see thrillers that have a theme based around romance, this tells me that I should write a narrative based around romance.

 

This graph shows me that people prefer to see male antagonists, this has helped me in choosing the roles for the characters in my thriller.

Pre-Production Paper work

Pre-production paperwork

 

 

Before filming could be done we had to ask premission to use certain locations to film in/ on once we gained permission we then had to take out the correct safety measures to ensure no damage would be done on anyone or property.

 

This is the Location Release form, this was made to ask the owners permission of use/ access to the location.

 

This is the Release and Consent Agreement, this was made to ask permission of the parents or guardians of any cast members involved with the production

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the groups filming schedule, this was made to ensure that all crew and cast members knew when they would be needed for filming.

 

This is the Location Recce it was made to give an brief idea on how to travel to and from the location and where the address of the location is. all crew members and actors and actresses were given this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the risk assessment, this was made to ensure that all risks have been assessed and measured to ensure safe filming.

Preliminary Task

Planning: Mes En Scene

Planning: Mes En Scene

 

 

Lighting: In our production we are going to use natural lighting to create a realistic and believeable atmosphere to create tension for the audience.

 

Setting: Our first setting will be on a street at night, this will be to create realism and give the story life.

Our second setting will be in a house, this will be to create tension and to appeal to the conventions of the thriller genre.

 

Iconography: A Mobile Phone, Handbag and a Knife will be used to avoid over complication of the scene and avoid drawing away audience focus.

 

Costume:
The costume we will be using is fairly simple but will be a clear representation of the roles being played

 

Victim: The victim will be wearing a casual white jumper, jeans and a pair of trainers to show that she is just a regular person of not much importance and to connote her innocence.
Later on we will have her in her in her pyjamas to show that she is relaxed and unaware of whats about to happen.

 

Antagonist: we will have the antagonist in dark clothing to connote his dark intentions and to also conceal his identity.

Body Language and facial expression:

 

Victim: The victim will use a variety of facial expressions and different body language to show fear and timidness.

 

Antagonist: We won't be showing the antagonists face to keep him mysterious but his body language will be show his confidence and his intention.

Planning; Final Idea/ Opening scene narration

In our group, we came up with and decided the narrative of our final idea for our thriller production. Our thriller is about a young woman in her late teens or early 20's, Who breaks up with her boyfriend after finding someone new; The boyfriend mentally snaps, he then decides to sneak into her home to murder her.

Our Chosen Title: It's Not Over.

Narrative/Plot:

The beginning starts with a mid-shot introducing the female character walking home during a night time setting. The location for this will be on the Great Cambridge Road, this location would be suitable for this first shot because it provides a generous amount of lighting but still dark enough to keep it low-key. As she is walking, a close-up shot will be used to show her messaging her boyfriend saying ''It's over ! I'm sorry but I'm in love with someone else..'' She will then continue walking home. A variety and mixture of shots will be used to then show her entering her garden. The lighting is a mixture of natural with low-key.

We then see mid-shot again from the behind of the female character as she opens the front door and enters her house. As she enters her house, a high angle long shot will be used to show her walking into the house. The lighting here will be low-key as no one else is at home and the house is covered in darkness.

As we continue into the scene , we then see the female victim go up into her bedroom to change into her pyjamas, we will use a camera trick to "jump" the process of her getting changed; once she is changed she will then walk out of her bedroom and enter her bathroom to wash her face, A high-angle mixed with a mid-shot is being used to film her as she does this. The light will be on in the bathroom this will provide some lighting in the shot.

Once she returns to her bedroom The female victim will then lay down on her bed to sleep. There will be lighting provided by a small lamp.

As the female is laying down in bed sleeping, a panning shot is being used to film slowly her feet and travelling up to her head, to then showing a clock on her chest of draws next to her bed displaying that it's really late; the pan will continue to travel towards the lamp to reveal the antagonists hand turning it off . The female wakes up in a panic turns the light back on, she then goes down to her kitchen to get a cup of water. Once She has then walked downstairs into her kitchen. As she enters the kitchen, she then gets her cup of water. There will be lighting used in the kitchen provided by the kitchens light.

After drinking her water she places the glass down on the kitchen counter, we will then use a close-up shot to zoom in to a reflective surface, this will be used to reveal a reflection showing her ex boyfriend standing behind her holding a knife. He then lunges out at her and grabs her by her hair, throw her on the ground and stabs her repeatedly in the stomach. A long shot is being used  to show what is going on but a close-up will then be used here to show her facial expressions as she's is being brutally stabbed to death. 

After a certain number of stabs, we then see the female victim once again wake up in panic from a nightmare. Once sat on the bed a reaction shot mixed with close-up shot will be used to show the relieved expression of the female victim as she realizes that it was only a nightmare, a point of view shot will be used to show her looking around her bedroom. She will notice a dark ominous figure, holding a knife is gazing at her from the corner of the room. Then it will cut to black to add tension and suspense.

Narrative Structure:
Aristotle & Bathes

Characters:
Female victim, antagonist.

Mise en scene:

- Locations: Home, Street

- Lighting: Natural lighting, back lighting, low-key lighting.

Costume:

- Female victim: White/Cream jumper + a coat, Light blue jeans.

- Boyfriend (antagonist): Black trouser, black hoodie + black coat.

Film influences:

- Takers 2010 gave us the idea/ theme of obssension.

-Panic Room gave us the idea of a mysterious killer sneaking into the female victim's home.

-Scream 1996 influenced us the idea of the female victim being home alone.

Why is the opening conventional to a thriller?
- Our thriller opening is conventional to thriller because we include typical themes of death and obssesion which is conventional to the thriller genre.

What themes does our thriller present?

- The themes that our thriller present are Obsession, Love and Death. 

Conclusion

- Our group have come together and discussed and agreed as to what we want for our final idea to be and we are all happy with the idea.

Planning: Storyboard

A storyboard is a visual plot or plan of how each shot is or will be structured

This is essential planning because it's a very efficient and allows filming to run smoother because it gives the crew members an idea of what is to be filmed and what will be on screen e.g. Characters,
Iconography, Lighting. A storyboard also tells you the length of each shot and whether sounds will be used in that shot.

Key conventions of a storyboard are:
-Duration
-Shot number
-Lighting

Below is the storyboard I created for how I wanted my thriller to look.

Conclude:
This has been beneficial to me as it has given me a visual insight on how I want my thriller to look.