Risk Assessment

Risk Assessment

As part of our  filming process we decided to conduct a "risk assessment" to help with our opening film. Attributes to consider were as followed:

Filming location:

Weather:
Attempt to shoot on a day where there is light but it is cloudy. Use of pathetic fallacy to reflect mood of film.

Careful not fall into lake:
When shooting scenes that require us to approach the lake in Cuckoo's Hollow, do not stand too close to the edge of the brush. Also be sure to not drop the camera in the lake in filming over the bridge or rails.

Neighbourhoods:
Do not make too much noise to disturb people living in the neighbourhood. 

Beware of traffic:
Don't get hit by a car.

Beware of passer-bys:
Could accidentally get them in the footage without consent.

Alchemy scene:
Be careful not to cut self on equipment.
Don't drop glass bottles/jars.
Beware of any spillages.

Pictures of Setting for film:

Production Name & Logo

New Logo & Production Company Name

(Mallard Media)

After careful consideration and general feedback from our target audience, we decided to change our production company name which subsequently changed the final outcome of the logo. Our new logo uses the contrasting tones of black & white to create a subtle logo. Black & white also has convention of being classy. Because of this, our new logo has a sense of professionalism to it which further improves its appearance. Also the black & white colour scheme is gender neutral which could appeal to wider audience. "Mallard Media" has an alliteration sound to it so it is more likely to make an impression on new audiences.

Dead End Typography

Typography

Here is a potential look for the Typography of "Dead End":

Inspiration:

The black typography conveys connotations of death which abides by the conventions of crime dramas relating to a murder case or evil intentions. The glass represents crime as many lives are shattered in crime dramas by law breaking scenarios like murder. The simplicity of the title shows a sense of realism to the project. If we were to go with this idea to represent our film, then we would make the glass an animation - shattering and heading towards the screen to reveal the film title.

The simplicity of the font reflects movie titles like Se7en but the shattered technique was loosely inspired by Black Shard.

Target Audience for "Dead End"

Target Audience for "Dead End"

The BBFC sets most thriller films with a rating of 15 which aims thrillers directly at a more mature audience. Most thriller films also have a viewer-ship of 15-40 year old indicating a mature yet conventionally modern audience. Thriller appeals to both females and males with the mystery genre being predominantly viewed by women (e.g. Midsommer Murders/Insomnia) and the action thriller (e.g. James Bond/Jason Bourne). With elements of both conventions, we intend for our film to appeal to both genders while being predominantly aimed at 15-40 year old viewers. Despite this, the largest more select viewer-ship is 15-21 year old views statistically. Therefore, a thriller with a younger cast is likely to attract this core group more rather than the conventional cast age range of 27-70 (with the Da Vinci Code as an example).

Location Scout

Location Scouting

This path will be the ideal location for the opening shots and also a shot to incorporate the urban background. The trees around created a good lighting effect that allowed us to shoot without the light being too bright.

This underpass is covered in graffiti making it good to set up an urban, gritty theme. The lighting had to be natural due to lack of lighting tools so we had to film on a particularly cloudy day so the contrast did not cause confusion.

Davids Lane is a very busy roundabout near an industrial park. This could work well as an establishing or filler shot to reinforce the gloomy feel and tone of the product.

Here at this location in Cuckoo's Hollow nature reserve, will be the concluding part of the opening sequence. It is loosely based on Netflix's The Killing to present influences and further reinforce gloominess.

The house on the left is where our group member Harry lives. He had a garage with good lighting and space for the Alchemy scenes. The garage wasn't regularly visited so there would be no sound contamination. 

BBFC

BBFC (British Board of Film Certification) 

A BBFC is a certificate assigned to a film or tv show that states the recommended age for the viewing of it's content.The age restriction is determined by amounts of certain explicit themes shown in the production (e.g. explicit language, sexual themes, drug use, etc.)

TV shows that inspired us

TV Shows that inspired us 

The Killing (US) is a bleak look at police work and follows a gripping and twisting murder case. The style of it and the simplicity of the scene set ups. It also has very dark themes such as addiction, the abuse of Native Americans, corruption of power and money, and depression. 

The narrative is relatively basic for a murder mystery show but it extends to follow a more realistic narrative where the lines between good and evil becomes more blurry.

The lighting is very poignant as it is all very grey scale adding to the atmosphere of mystery & oddly oppression.

Luther is one of the most focal inspirations for our project as it highlights the tormented lives of people who solve the most heinous murders.

It portrays a deeply troubled individual working on the fringes of acceptable law enforcement. A running sub-plot focuses on this and a task force designed to remove Luther from his job which he does in a controversial unorthodox way.

Villain Tropes

Villain Tropes

The xenomorph in Ridley Scott's original horror/thriller, Alien is first and foremost a hunter. A monstrous killing machine, the xenomorphs sole purpose is to kill making him/her unpredictable and highly dangerous. Arguably the greatest villain of all time due to their ferocity, the xenomorph has spawned a whole franchise lasting even now.

A thriller film is often defined by the villain rather than the main character. Their menace/threat that they pose 

is often the driving force of the film and so they are remembered for that. 

Popular Thriller Genre Films

Popular Thriller Genre Films

The film Now You See Me is less conventional crime thriller following a troupe of illusionists.
They baffle the authorities by carrying out a number of high stakes robberies in front of a live audience seemingly by magic and as the stakes  get higher, the illusions become more and more dangerous. 

It's concept is unusual for the genre due to the lack of general violence and it focusses on the intellect behind illusions and the 'magic' craze that is popular at live venues in cities such as Las Vegas.

The bank robbery committed using illusion cannot be proved but the authorities know it was the troupe which creates a public game of cat and mouse with the troupe being two steps ahead at all times. 

This chase is the only true staple of the crime thriller drama but what is more unusual (yet not entirely unique) is that the film focuses on the criminal element rather than the police.
Silence of the Lambs is the archetypal crime thriller as it is often regarded to be the film that set the tone for the genre and the with it the standard for which others are set to.

It features FBI agent Clarice Starling attempting to decipher the cryptic clues given by imprisoned cannibal serial killer, Hannibal Lecter to catch a serial killer called Buffalo Bill. 

This single film created the Hannibal Lecter film franchise and inspired many other intelligent serial killer material that focuses on the killer him/herself. 

The staple of the chase is present, along with the confrontation with a murderer but it's unique qualities is the relationship between Starling and Lecter that is synonymous with the franchise and book series.

Location Tropes

Location Tropes

First of the locations is probably the most famous of all crime ridden, thriller-esque locations is Gotham City from the Batman franchise which has been in existence since 1939. It is the set archetype for locations as such and has been shown to be the gritty place where no one wants to live. Such has been the stage for a number of film franchises each visibly taking aspects from the age old creation which itself, has appeared in a number of incarnations (from based on Chicago, New York to a fictional built and in Batman vs Superman, Detroit).

Basin City from Frank Miller's Sin City saga is a secluded city trapped in a basin/sink hole. It was nicknamed Sin City for its noire apparel and violent history. What also adds to the 'rough city' is the predominant red light district where a large portion of the stories to do with Sin City take place. 

The most used location for a thriller is undoubtedly New York. With Gotham being the archetype for a gritty city, it's no surprise that the eponymous TV show is filmed here. With boroughs ranging from the super funded to impoverished - it boasts a wide array of urban enviroments that have been adopted by a number of thriller TV shows such as Elementary, CSI, Blue Bloods etc.

Spoken Sound/Narration

Spoken Sound/Narration

In films, spoken words may take the form of dialogues, monologues, or narration.

Overlapping dialogue can create or reinforce a sense of nervousness, stress, and isolation.

Dialogue is invaluable for revealing a characters ideas, goals, and dreams, though often it does so more concisely, obliquely and revealingly than conversation in life does.

Parallel Scripting

Parallel Scripting

We, as a group, were torn between two versions of the script.
One being our original and the other containing alterations to include cross-genre elements including supernatural elements. 

The elements that will be present in our supernatural product:

• Mentions of magical element
• Potentially gloomier tone to make it a more bespoke supernatural tale such as Fables or Once Upon A Time.
• Characters being visibly fantasy themed
• More supernatural conventions such as fantasy terms and setting.

The elements that will be present in our crime thriller product:

• Grey skies
• A monologue narrative
• A hinted villain presented in a mysterious way
• Clear protagonist and side-protagonist
• Explosion

Unable to decide which track we wanted to go down, we have decided to create the alternate script and during filming, we film the alternate script alongside the original. In the editing process post-filming, we will come to the decision of which path to take.

Modern Supernatural Idea (Shelved)

Modern Supernatural Idea (Shelved)

Due to practicality of filming and timing, it was deemed that a parallel script and filming schedule was generally impractical. We also believe that due to our research that we have conducted, we have not encompassed a supernatural element. To this end, we have not seen the potential audience reaction so making a film of that nature will be both painstaking and a risk due to the unknown element. 

In conclusion, the supernatural alternate script has been shelved. We are instead continuing with the crime thriller film that we intended to produce.

Potential Cast:

Warlock - Keenan (Me)

A young male warlock studying spells & incantations from books & scrolls. Costume to consist of modernised robes, jewellery, pentacle necklace. Props include, spell books, scrolls, wand. Setting to be in a library. Camera angles to include a lot of fast paced match on action shots. Key lighting to be source of light to create a mysterious atmosphere.

Werewolf - Harry

Werewolf running through the woods chasing his prey (rabbit). Costume to be prosthetics hair or werewolf fancy dress costume. Setting to be woods during the daytime. Camera angles to be in first person view whilst chasing the rabbit, wide shot to reveal werewolf's appearance. Natural lighting to set the tone for a "natural" feel to the shots.

Vampire - Kieran

Vampire turns into a bat and enters a bedroom with someone sleeping, bites neck and turns them into vampire too. Costume to be white shirt, black cape, black trousers and shoes. Setting to be in a bedroom. Camera angles to make use of 180 degree rule when dialogue appears, over shoulder shot.  Key lighting from lamp shades to create tension.

Mood Board

Mood Boards

Mood boards are a useful way of recording different conventions associated with different genres. 

Fantasy Mood Board

For the fantasy genre, general conventions consist of a magical element like spells, wands, staffs, crystal balls, mystical creatures etc. In cases like the Arya Stark, Gandalf & Hermione promo posters; dark colours and shadows are implemented to create a mysterious and mystical feel to it. The aesthetics of the typography used usually has a regal flair that helps abide by the stereotypical fantasy conventions. Some form of magic is often depicted as an archetype for the fantasy genre (which can be seen in the fantasy mood board with characters like Gandalf or Hermione).

Crime Mood Board

For the crime genre, general conventions consist of cops, detectives, mystery, murder, guns. In cases like the Catwoman Gotham poster, the use of dark & gritty colours like black & grey depict the general convention of mystery within the crime genre. The aesthetics of the typography used usually coloured white in a simple text style. This usually indicates that benevolence of the main protagonist solving crime. Therefore, conforming to the stereotypical crime conventions. In cases like the Dexter poster, the typography is blood red with blood splattered angel wings as part of the mise en scene, creating the imagery of dexter being the angel of death. This subverts the crime genre and incorporates the sub genre of thriller. Instead of the audience following a protagonist who solves crime, Dexter follows an anti hero who has questionable morals by murdering serial killers.

Script (Draft)

‘Script (Draft)’

By CakeBox Productions

A bleak city landscape. The camera is following a man walking through the grey streets. He is wearing warm clothing indicating winter. Camera pulls focus in and out changing focus from him and the scenery around.

John(aside)-: I always wanted to be a police detective. I don’t know why.

Cut to next shot. Close-up match on action of Jon brushing past a building.

John(aside)-: Maybe it was the TV shows. The good cop always catching the bad guy and he somehow manages to rescue everyone at the end. Cool story.

                Cut to extreme close up of the Bomb Maker tinkering.

Cut back to John. Low angle shot like the camera is behind a car following the approach of John.

John(aside)-: No. It was a nice thought, though. Maybe one day I’ll get given a case where the killer is some idiot with a clear motive, prints at the scene, the works.

                Cut to extreme close up of the Bomb Maker’s mouth area. He slowly smiles.

                Cut to shot of traffic with muffled car noises allowing the monologue to be heard.

John(aside)-: That would be nice before I retire. That old cliché.

Shot of the back of John. He is looking down at traffic on an overpass. The sound of wind and traffic is muffled.

John(aside)-: Long time until that, unfortunately.

                Cut to two-shot. Another person approaches. It is John’s partner, Pedro La Guerta.

Pedro-: John?

John-: Pedro. What d’you need?

Pedro-: You at the station. Someone’s there claiming that they’ve set up a bomb in the city. They’re asking to speak to you personally.

                Close up of John as he replies.

John-: And here I thought that I could have the morning off.

Cut to main titles.

Script Changes

Script changes

When filming, we came to the conclusion it was easier to use the script as guidelines than strict rules. 

We came up with all the dialogue when on set which made the filming much quicker as we weren't restricted by what we had to follow. The one fixed thing, however, was the monologue which is going to be played over the travelling scenes. We compromised the script so the filming could expand and evolve without being restricted. It cut time and also gave us more freedom for what we wanted to do.

As of now, the script is only exists due to the script and the rest is pretty much obsolete now. 

‘Untitled’

By Mallard Media

A bleak city landscape. The camera is following a man walking through the grey streets. He is wearing warm clothing indicating winter. Camera pulls focus in and out changing focus from him and the scenery around.

John(aside)-: I always wanted to be a police detective. I don’t know why.

Cut to next shot. Close-up match on action of Jon brushing past a building.

John(aside)-: Maybe it was the TV shows. The good cop always catching the bad guy and he somehow manages to rescue everyone at the end. Cool story.

                Cut to extreme close up of the Bomb Maker tinkering.

Cut back to John. Low angle shot like the camera is behind a car following the approach of John.

John(aside)-: No. It was a nice thought, though. Maybe one day I’ll get given a case where the killer is some idiot with a clear motive, prints at the scene, the works.

                Cut to extreme close up of the Bomb Maker’s mouth area. He slowly smiles.

                Cut to shot of traffic with muffled car noises allowing the monologue to be heard.

John(aside)-: That would be nice before I retire. That old cliché.

Shot of the back of John. He is looking down at traffic on an overpass. The sound of wind and traffic is muffled.

John(aside)-: Long time until that, unfortunately.

                Cut to two-shot. Another person approaches. It is John’s partner, Pedro La Guerta.

Pedro-: John?

John-: Pedro. What d’you need?

Pedro-: You at the station. Someone’s there claiming that they’ve set up a bomb in the city. They’re asking to speak to you personally.

                Close up of John as he replies.

John-: And here I thought that I could have the morning off.

Cut to main titles.

The red highlighted portions show the obsolete sections as the dialogue was revised.

The green highlighted portion shows the cut cues rather than strict instructions so these are open to change. 

Costumes & Props

Costumes & Props

Costume

Costume: Costumes are the distinctive style of dress/outfits which usually adjure to a certain genre or . A costume can be a particular style of clothing worn to portray the wearer as a character or type of character other than their regular persona at a social event such as a masquerade, a fancy dress party or in a theatre performance.

Props

Props: A property, commonly shortened to prop (plural: props), is an object used on stage or on screen by actors/actresses during a performance or screen production In practical terms, a prop is considered to be anything movable or portable on a stage or a set, distinct from the actors, scenery, costumes and electrical equipment. Consumable food items appearing in the production are also considered properties.

Costume ideas for our opening scene:

Costume for the Alchemist (Keenan - Myself)

• Black Cloak
• Black Trousers
• Black Shoes
• White T-shirt

Props for the Alchemist 

• Vials
• Jars
• Cat
• Herbs
• Pestle Mortar
• Rocks
• Jewels 
• Skull
• Bunsen Burners/Fire
• Water
• Books

Costume for the John (Harry) & Pedro (Kieran)

• Dark coloured jacket
• Jeans
• White v-neck 
• Black boots