Shot list

Close up of radio device

Panning shot of wall chart and other surveillance items

View from behind character

Over shoulder shot of images on wall

Over shoulder shot of character holding/ braking photo frame

Close up of jacket zipping and gun being pocketed

Long shot of motorbike arriving

Medium shot of character un-mounting bike

Variety of shots of character walking up drive including:

-         low angle

-         high angle

-         over shoulder

-         point of view

-         mid shot

Close up of interrogators watch

Panning shot of inside room / keeping interrogator in foreground

Medium shot of character entering and shooting gun

Low angle shot of character walking over body and shooting again

Extreme close up of cigar being stamped out

Mid shot of character putting down items on table

Mid shot of character cutting tied up friends bonds

Mid shot of character holding friend/ dropping him

Mid shot of character picking up gun and pointing it at friend

Point of view shot of character standing over friend (from friends point of view)

Cut to black
Title

  

Filming Schedule

Saturday 29th January

14:00 - setting up scenario, from 2pm me and my various helpers set up the indoors set, this involved hanging up dust covers to hide the house and setting up varoious mise en scene such as the table and chir, lamp and water bowl.

16:00 - 17:00 - filming main action of thriller, between 4 and 5pm I shot and directed the sequence in the indoor set, this involved the entrance of the protagonist, the killing of the antagonist and the "rescue" of th protagonists friend.

17:00 - 17:30 - filming scene on motorbike, at 5pm, when the lighting was right I shot the scene where the protagonist  arrives at the scene on the motorbike.

17:30 - filming protagonists walk up the gravel path


Saturday 5th February
18:00 - setting up set, at 6pm we set up the set in my room, this involved laying out various mise en scene, such as the surveillance equipment and teenage items, it also involved pinning up the images of the house and the antagonist.
20:00 - filming scene in surveillance roo, at 8pm I shot the sequence where the protagonist is sitting in his room and seubsequently leaves the room to kill the antagonist.

Film Plan (Cast, Crew, Props, Equipment, Locations and Time )

Cast:
Sam Stronge - the vengeful teenager
Tom Reeve - the best friend
Alan Ratenbury - interrogator/ next target
Sam Sleight - interrogator's voice

Crew:
Patrick Ball - camera man/ director/ producer

Props:
large white dust covers
BB gun
gloves
leather jacket
motorbike helmet
radio
motorbike
chair
watch
water bucket
TV
family photo
chart of mug shots
cigars
box cutter
tape
photos of house
casual teenage items

Equipment:
camera
tripod
microphone
video camera
dictaphone

Locations:
my house - location of main action
my room - location of surveillance room/ hideout

Time:
twilight

Treatment 2 (improved/ redone)

The opening shot is a black screen with no music and the sounds of a person being forced under water. We hear a brutal interrogation scene and as the camera zooms out it reveals that we are hearing this over a radio. The camera then pans left slowly, allowing the audience to take notice of a wall chart with various mug shots on it, some with crosses through them and a time next to their name. The camera slows down briefly to highlight the next person on the list. It stops on a photo being held up in the gloved hand of a mysterious figure. The photo is a generic looking family photo. His head turns left to look at a small screen which shows someone look outside of a house from left to right. The hand holding the photo slams down, smashing the glass of the frame. An electric guitar piece begins to play in the background. We see someone zipping up his leather jacket and leaving the room.

The scene then cuts to a shot of a tall person arriving on a motorbike. He un-mounts and begins walking up a gravel drive. The camera varies its position as it focuses on the person walking up the drive. We then see the man look at his watch which when the camera zooms out again, is an identical one on the wrist of the interrogator. He is kneeling over the sprawled out teenager. At this point the door bursts open and one shot is fired. The interrogator falls dead. His face matches the one on the wall chart. The teenage boy looks up at the helmeted man and says “I’m sorry, I told them that you were coming and where you were hiding, they’ll be waiting for you now.” The man then takes off his helmet and is revealed to also be a teenager. We then see from his viewpoint and he slowly lifts the gun towards the other boy. He is still talking but everything has gone silent, his hands are shaking. The screen goes black and three shots are heard. Everything remains silent as the credits flash on screen.

The types of shot I will use are close ups of: the eyes of the characters, the wrist watches during the shot transition and the radio used to listen in on the interrogation.

To follow the walking scene I will use a variety of shot types such as over the shoulder and panning shots as we move around the character who will be shot from the front and back while keeping to the 180° rule. Further shot types will include mid shots looking at the interrogator and the victim and eyes level shots from the perspective of the main character.

This opening can be easily connected to the scene in Kill Bill where we see Beatrix riding her motor cycle behind the crazy 88 gang. It makes similar use of face obstruction and energetic music. The sounds we hear from the interrogation are comparable to the scene in V for Vendetta where the main character is being tortured for information.

What is truly happening in this scene is the interrogator, who is part of a network of people involved in the murder of the main characters family. Only one person went to jail for the murders but the survivor of the family knows that there were more people involved. He has been one by one eliminating everyone involved - literally everyone, so that he can be sure that “justice” has been done. The interrogator who is next on the list (implied by the wall chart) has become aware that the people involved in the crime are being eliminated and it seems logical that the person behind the killings is the surviving member of the family – the main character. In regards to this the interrogator has taken hostage one of the boys old friends, someone who might know where he is hiding or what he is planning to do next. However the house where he is being held captive was already bugged as it was the next target for the main character. The main character then carries out his plan as normal with the intention of rescuing his friend in the process, however while he was making his way to the house the friend revealed his intentions and hiding place. In his anger he kills the friend who has compromised his whole mission.

The rest of the film would have shown the boy on the run from both the mob and the police, who soon catch wind of the situation after his hiding place is revealed. The film would also have dealt with the internal struggle as the teenager contemplates what he has become in order to achieve his goals. 

Preliminary Task Questions

What planning did you do? How was this useful, and how did you change from your plans?

Before we could start filming we had to go through the planning stage for our preliminary task. This firstly involved finding a suitable location for our assignment and deciding where the actors would position themselves. Once this had been decided we drew up a floor plan of the location which included the position of the camera in each of the different shots. Subsequently, we designed storyboard which showed exactly what would happen in the short film. Finally, before we actually started filming we rehearsed the task without cameras.

The planning was vital as it made sure that everyone knew what they were doing as well as where and when they would be needed. It also allowed us to pinpoint areas which we wished to change in order to improve the film. After the planning stage the only change that was made was the actors – one was not available on the day so she had to be replaced with someone else. In hind sight the planning could have had better organisation, however, as a group, we eventually managed to get it up to a successful standard.

What camera skills have you developed? How confident are you with using the cameras, and has this confidence changed during the project? Give details of specific camera skills/ techniques you have developed/ improved, and include areas where you lack confidence/ need to improve?

I have developed skills with the camera such as using the dolly and using the angle of it to create effect. I am fairly confident with using cameras and believe that I have sufficient skill to create a decent film however after doing this task I do feel as though I have learnt a good deal about what shots would work at specific moments. As my main role was to be an actor in the task the skills I developed during its course were mainly down to observation and a small amount of manually handling the camera. However in the planning stage I learnt of the various effects that can be achieved through changing the shot types, for example by using low angle shots we gain a feeling that the actor on screen is dominant and by using eye level shots we can feel as though we are seeing from the eyes of the character involved. I still lack confidence in areas such as keeping the camera steady while moving when using a dolly is impractical. Also I do not always know when to use the different shot types to make the end product better.

What editing skills have you developed? How confident are you with using the editing program? Give details of specific editing skills/ techniques you have developed/ improved, and include areas where you lack confidence/ need to improve?

Before this task I had done some basic editing but on a simpler, less advanced programme. By editing this film I have developed skills such as piecing together the shots into a sequence which uses a variety of shot types while still following the story line smoothly. I have observed how shot transitions can be useful in linking two sequences which do not directly connect, for example using fade. I now feel fairly confident with this editing programme and think that I could basically edit any future films I create; however I would still require help with some of the more intricate details. Areas where I need to improve are: putting dialogue on films as a separate soundtrack; making sure that after using a variety of shots I have not repeated small parts of the film and touching up the imperfections on the end result.  

Atonement and This is England Demographic

The target audience for the film atonement would most likely be females between the ages of 15 and 25. The use of strong female characters appeals to this demographic as well as the style of the film - costume drama. Costume dramas are usually made for a female audience as their stories tend to focus on aspects such as love. The male audience stereotypically goes for more action related films which involve aspects such as violence and heroics.

The film "This is England" would almost certainly appeal to a more masculine audience as it includes heavy levels of aggression and social realism. The target audience would be males between 15 and 25 which suggests that its content appeals to a similar age category to Atonement however more focused on the male audience. It may also appeal to an older audience (40's or 50's) as the content directly relates to their own life experience.

How does “Leon” follow the conventions of the thriller genre?

The film Leon follows many of the typical conventions of the thriller genre. While many of its features stray from this stereotype it is the “thriller” aspects that create an atmosphere of suspense in the film.

The characters are quite typical of a thriller in some regards, for example the main character (Mathilda) represents a femme fatale nature. Although she is only 13, she is portrayed as if she were grown women. This is shown in the way she looks and behaves. Her clothes combine elements of sex appeal (leggings and a chocker) and young innocence (cartoons on the leggings and a girly French style hair cut.) The innocence shows her vulnerable side (enhanced by the bruises on her face) while aspects such as her cigarette and chocker show a darker or perhaps more lethal side.
Along with the femme fatal character there is also the typical gangsters and the mysterious hit man characters.

Leon uses the conventional method of extremes to generate suspense. The opening scene shows the landscape of the whole city which demonstrates how small the characters seem in comparison and yet their actions have such huge consequences. Furthermore the film uses a multitude of close ups to keep an ambiguous atmosphere around the characters while giving us some basic information about them. this means that we focus on some of the more intriguing factors about the people involved, for example the tinted glasses and the drinking of milk, both of which build foundations for the characters personality.

The settings in Leon are archetypal of the thriller genre; an early example of this being the shady coffee shop where Leon is receiving his contract. Within twenty minutes of the film we have already seen two spiral staircases, a very commonly used element in thrillers as it creates disorientation in the audience’s minds. The use of spiral staircases also allows for opportunities to show vulnerability, for example when Leon is hiding on the stairs the drug dealers cannot gauge where he is and it is when one of them desperately looks down the stairwell that we see just how vulnerable the staircase makes him seem – because of the vast amount of hiding places amongst the different levels.

The use of drugs in Leon is perhaps the most clichéd element of the film. Drugs are very frequently used in thrillers as it has connections to real life as well as creating a huge amount of motives behind the actions seen in thrillers. The gangsters willingness to murder a whole family (including a four year old boy) for the sake of finding 10% of their stock shows just how sinister this mob is. The connotations of gangs and drugs are widely used as they provide reasons for unspeakable things to happen – like the murdering of a child.

The many conventions of the thriller genre seen in Leon make the film a relatively clichéd film, however the way it is portrayed seems to transform the clichéd elements of it into a relentlessly enthralling thriller.

Questionaire on Film participation

How often do you go to the cinema?

1. 1-2 times a month
2. once a month
3. 1-2 times a month
4. once every two months
5. once a month
6. once every two months
7. once a month
8. once a month
9. a few times a month
10. once a month

Which is your favourite cinema and why?

1. Vue - cheap
2. Vue - near and cheap
3. Vue - cheap
4. Vue - near
5. Cinema City - cultured
6. Odeon - comfy
7. Odeon - comfy
8. Odeon - near
9. Vue
10. Vue

How do you hear about films?

1. adverts on TV
2. adverts on TV
3. adverts on TV
4. msn/ adverts
5. trailers
6. friends/ trailers
7. adverts on TV
8. cinema websites
9. adverts on TV
10. trailers

Whats the last film you've seen?

1. Adventure Land
2. Expendables
3. Toy Story 3
4. Devil
5. Inception
6. Shrek 4
7. life as we know it
8. made in dagenham
9. Expendables
10. Scott Pilgrim vs the World

What is your favourite genre of film?

1. comedy/ adventure
2. sci fi/ action
3. all except horror
4. fantasy/ romance
5. rom com/ romance
6. rom com/ adventure
7. rom com
8. comedy
9. rom com
10. comedy

How and where do you prefer to watch films?

1. cinema
2. cinema
3. cinema
4. cinema
5. at home with friends
6. at home with friends
7. DVD
8. cinema
9. cinema
10. DVD

Is there a british film or TV drama you have seen recently? if so, what?

1. this is england 86
2. shallow grave
3. idiot abroad
4. downtown abbey
5. downtown abbey
6. made in dagenham
7. sherlock homes
8. this is england 86
9. this is england 86
10. sherlock homes

Why do you think that film directors consider cinema to be the best place to view their films?

1. where everyone can see a specific film
2. better experience/ more profit
3. holds your attention more than a DVD
4. experience
5. experience/ profits
6. experience
7. mass audience
8. appeals to a vast audience (V is easier to ignore)
9. profits from film plus increases chances of people buying the DVD later
10. bigger audience

The people from this survey were an assortment of males and females all between the ages of 16 and 17. Their age, gender, ethnicity and social class generally fit into my thrillers target audience. This questionnaire shows me exactly how the people I am aiming at watch films and what they are watching.

Working Title

working title is a company based in London who aim to bring good quality British cinema to the UK without the obvious restrictions that are seen on Warp. As such their films (while retaining some British elements) do have a more Hollywood look to them as they aim for large audiences in both the UK and the USA. Because of their connections with the states (being partially funded by Universal Studios) their budget is far higher than Warps at around £25,000,000 as opposed to Warps £1,000,000.
This budget is reflected in how their films look; Working Title can rely heavily on special effects and A list actors to draw their audiences in whereas Warp have to make do with what they afford (often to good effect.)

Both companies appear to aim their films at teenage to early 20 year old males, however this does not necessarily apply to all of their films.

Some well known examples of Working Title films are: Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead, Atonement and James Bond.