work in progress

29th November
Today, Amy and I finished off putting the titles up on the wall this was difficult as the images would not say attached to the wall. After we had done this the boys came and joined us, we filmed the titles a few times over so that eh position of the camera was right, however it was very shaky so we decided that when editing the shots we were going to make the titles distorted. We finished this early so decided to film Daniel crossing out the date in the calendar, this helped us to show how the two girls were connected.

work in progress

28th November
Today we filmed shots where Daniel was looking at the shrine of Laura.  This part of the opening sequence was a lot easier to film compared to other parts of our filming. The camera was a little shaky as it was hard to keep a steady hand while walking. To make this better, we have decided to edit this with a shaking effect to make the audience think that we did this intentionally.  Getting the pictures to stay on the wall was hard but we were able to film the shots before they fell down.

During break me and Amy decided to stay in the basement and set up the images and string that we were going to use as part of the titles in our opening sequence. As we did this over break me and Amy decided that it would be best to go out with Laura and film the flash backs that she was in.

work in progress

24th November
Today we did 2 hours of filming, we filmed all of the shots where Amy was in them so that the rules of continuity were not broken later on in the filming, this included her hair and clothes ensuring they were kept the same throughout. We managed to do this in the first hour so in the second hour we were able to concentrate on the shots of Daniel that were scripted to be in the later stages of the opening sequence. Due to Amy being unwell the day before we were a day behind on our filming schedule and from the shots of Daniel from the 24th we made the decision to film different things on a later date as we did not like the current shots we had taken.

Work in progress

On the 23rd November we began to film the opening sequence, we started off by filming some of the shots from the middle of the opening sequence where Daniel is on the computer looking through the girls facebook. I was in charge of the camera and making sure the boys knew what it was they were doing.

Editing schedule

Date	Period	What we will be doing
1/12/16	3 and 4	Pick the shots we will be using and put them into the order that we want them in and start to cut the shots to the right length
5/12/16	1 and 2	Add effects to the titles and flash backs e.g. colour correct/isolation, change in speed. Add in the titles themselves and change the font and colour to the titles. Go through shots and cut exes.
6/12/16	5	Add the music and sound effects for the computers. Start to decide on transitions. Film the extra shot that we need for the film.
7/12/16	1 and 4	Smooth out transitions, make the sound fit with the shot so the tension builds in the correct places.
8/12/16	3 and 4	Finish off the editing and do any last changes, make sure anything that hasn’t been done previously is done.

Filming Schedule

Final Story board

 This is our final story board for our opening sequence.

Summary of the Film

In our storyline, the main antagonist is Damien, who is grieving the death of his girlfriend, who was kidnapped and murdered. This left a mental scar on Damien, who hasn't accepted the death of his girlfriend, therefore he kidnaps a girl who looks like his deceased girlfriend on the day his girlfriend disappeared but a year later, intending to kill this lookalike on the same day his girlfriend was killed but  year on from her death.

In our opening sequence, Daniel Thresher plays Damien, who is the antagonist of the opening sequence. Amy Collins plays herself, who is the victim of Damien's horrific misdeeds. These are the main characters, secondary characters will include: Hugo Holmes playing Chris and Rose Spencer is playing Sophie.  The only part that will be seen in our opening sequence will be Damien looking back at the memories of his fallen girlfriend and his kidnapping of Amy.

changes that have been made to the opening sequence

The only change that we have made to the opening sequence is the location of the filming, we had to change the location of the filming due to the fact the basement we wanted to use was flooded and because of the electrical equipment and electrics down there it would be unsafe for us to film in this location. Instead we are going to film in the schools exam  hall seller, this location is better because it is safe for us to use and is a better location as it is darker and dingier than the basement we were going to use so it will give a better effect in our opening sequence.

Actors

We have chosen to use Amy in our opening sequence as she is a young girl and is vulnerable, this fits with our opening sequence as there needs to be a victim. When talking to the target audience we were told that they expected to see a young vulnerable character as the victim. 

We have chosen to use Daniel in our opening sequence as tall strong minded teenager, this fitting with the main male character in our opening sequence as he is obsessed and possibly psycholoically disturbed which we feel should be portrayed through a strong and powerful person. We were told by the target audience that they would expect to see a male character as the main character in a psychological thriller as this is what is typically seen in the cinemas.  

We have chosen Laura to be in our opening sequence as her and Amy have similar qualities. These being looks as well as their personalities. Again she would be seen as a vulnerable character in a psychological thriller due to her age and her being a female. She is also a victim of some sort which was what the target audience expected to see. 

Post Production - Sound effects

Footsteps
Screams and shouts
Heavy breathing


We will use the these sound effects because they fit the genre we are going for, which is psychological-thriller and it goes really well as it adds suspense to the scene we are doing. Heavy breathing shows the person being scared or threatening. Screaming shows innocent people being scared or possibly threatened in this case by the kidnapper. Footsteps adds suspense during a quiet scene when the steps are off camera.


We are going to use quiet music that adds drama and slowly escalates to the way the scene is going, and cuts off at any dialogue or for whatever the reason may be.

Picture of the group planning locations

When looking at locations we realised that we will not be shooting in any location other than the basement because we feel that there is no need to film outside of it. Also showing his obsession of needing to be near the girl as he is near her at all times. Although we may still change the locations we will use and may need to film else where if we have re considered our locations. Below is the group looking at the locations and deciding where the best location to film would be.

Picture of the group planning costumes

When searching for costumes we looked on high street fashion shops as these are the shops that our target audience would shop in and is age appropriate for our characters. The girl who has been kidnapped costume does not need to link to the psychological thriller sub genre as we want to get her youth-fullness across to the audience. On the other hand the kidnappers costume will link to the genre of psychological thriller due to him wearing black clothing, related to a lower status. We feel that these costumes will help to capture our target audience. Below are images of the group planning the costumes.

Storyboard update

During our last story boarding session we decided to change our ideas from what our initial ideas were. We are still going to base our opening sequence on a kidnap but instead of the kidnapper taking his ex girlfriend he is going to kidnap the girl for another reason. That reason being the girl he kidnaps looks like the girl he used to date. The girl that he used to date was kidnapped and killed, this is the reason he kidnaps the girl in our opening sequence because of their similar looks. The kidnapper can not get over the loss of his previous girlfriend. This is also where the name for our film has come from "obsessed". We have chosen this name as we feel this best reflects the plot of our story. During the storyboard planning session we also swapped around some of the shots into different orders, we also changed the shots to different ones, for example we changed a close up shot to a low angle medium shot. We also played around with the orders of the titles and discussed the different types of sound effects and music that could be used in our opening sequence. We have also decided that the group no longer wish to use a car as one of the props in our sequence. Below are some images of our group making these changes and the new plot summary for our opening sequence.

Post Production - Editing Techniques

1. Green screen. We will not use the green screen because we have found all the locations needed for our opening sequence and the green screen is not necessary for it.

2. We will most likely not use the 4 way split screen because it does not fit in the sub genre of a psychological-thriller and especially our opening sequence would not suit the 4 way split screen idea. however we may use a 2 way split screen during our opening sequence.
3. Cropping images will probably not be used in our opening sequence because it would not fulfil the audiences expectations of a psychological-thriller and is not needed for a kidnapping opening sequence.

4. Colour correction will be used in our opening sequence because in some scenes it will make the colours on screen look nicer with the surrounding objects. Such as when cutting to a different scene where one is darker than the other, you can see all the same colours in the same shade on screen to not mess the mis-en-scene.

5. Desaturation will be used quite often, especially when the kidnapper in our opening sequence is on the scene. This is to capture a real saddened look for the opening sequence.

6. Colour isolation might be used as it gives an impression that the coloured part is more important and it seems to give life to that area, for example giving someone colour when they're surrounded by black and white, to show innocence and good fortune.

7. Reverse clips might be used in a thriller genre to demonstrate someones mental instability. However for our story of kidnapping we might only use this in specific areas or not at all due to possible confusion for the audience.

8. Changing speeds will most likely not be used for our genre as its used more for action films slowing down explosions or speeding up fist fights. Therefore for the natural looking pace of a thriller, we will not use the changing speed edit.

Props list and changes to props list

We are going to use a car as one of our props to show how the abductor gets from one place to another.
The victim is going to be tied up using cable ties or rope.
Pictures put on the wall of the basement will be created by us to demonstrate the abductor and his victims past and present relationship.
We will also be using missing posters, there will be pictures of these on the wall of the basement as well as the current boyfriend and best friend handing the flyers out.
Newspaper cut outs will be used/created and seen in the opening sequence.
A tv screen will be used to show the abductor looking at news reports, reporting the abduction of the girl he has taken.



These are the props we actually used in our opening sequence

Computer screen

Pictures on wall to create a shrine

Calendar to mark date

We decided not to show the rope in the end but just imply that the girl is tied up

The pictures we used to create the title sequence, this included newspaper articles we created

psychological thriller iconography

Title Analysis

The title sequence opens with this as the first title, the studio because they claim all rights for the following, which is the trailer and movie for inception. The reason the studio is the first title shown in the title sequence is because its the most important and legal thing that must be included in the title sequence to make pirating illegal and able to keep all the rights.

The second screenshot is showing what the rest of the title sequence is like. It sort of tells a story with the images shown on screen and the writing is on the environment which is very creative and uncommon compared to the usual title sequence. 

History of Psychological thrillers

In psychological thrillers, characters often battle their own minds: they attempt to determine what is real, who they are, and what life's purpose is. Amnesia is a common plot device used to explore these questions. Character may be threatened with death, be forced to deal with the deaths of others, or fake their own deaths.Psychological thrillers can be complex, and reviewers may recommend a second or third viewing to "decipher its secrets."Common elements may include stock characters, such as a hardboiled detective and serial killer, involved in a cat and mouse game.Sensation novels, examples of early psychological thrillers, were considered to be socially irresponsible due to their themes of sex and violence. These novels, among others, were inspired by the exploits of real-life detective Jack Whicher. Water, especially floods, is frequently used to represent the unconscious mind, such as in What Lies Beneath and In Dreams. Psychological thrillers may not always be concerned with plausibility. Peter Hutchings defines the giallo, an Italian subgenre of psychological thrillers, as violent murder mysteries that focus on style and spectacle over rationality.

Certificate ratings

BBFC research and expected certificate rating for film and why
The BBFC is the British Board of Film Classification. They are an independent non profit organisation which regulates media content in the UK. They are a self/co-regulated organisation who are a trusted classification and labelling system for the UK. Classifications of films in its basic terms are the minimum age for viewers.
Classifications of films are set on the BBFC's guidelines. These guidelines are regularly updated and are the outcome of research and experience as well as public consultation.
These guidelines for age ratings are:

The people who examine the media deciding on which rating the media is look at many issues. These being issues related to discrimination, nudity, sexual violence, theme and imitable behaviour. The examiners also look at the context and the tone of the film, as this is how it makes the audience feel. These are important as they help the examiners to decide if young people e.g. under 12s can watch the film. For example: a film may be a thriller containing nudity and sexual violence, this would be given a rating of 15 due to the content and the nature of the film.

To make sure the ratings of the films are up to date, every 4-5 years the BBFC consults the public to see what the public think of the age ratings before they are released. This finding out what the public thinks age groups should be exposed to. There fore making sure that they are fitting in with the publics expectations of age ratings.

Expected certificate rating for our film and why?

The expected certificate rating for our film is 15. This is because our target audience are people aged between 16 and 25. This meaning that we are targeting an audience younger than 18 as well as older meaning that we would like a rating of 15. As well as the target audience, the content of the film we hope would also give the film a rating of 15. The genre of the film is psychological thriller, this giving it a scary context and tone to the film due to the themes put through it. Although the film has very dark and gloomy themes, there will be no nudity, sexual violence or discrimination during the film, this causing it not to be classed an 18. But in the film there will be imitable behaviour of the abduction, even though this is a feature of the film, it still makes it accessible for people aged 15 due to it being behaviour that is unlikely to be imitated as well as this being the only feature of the film that will increase the age rating.

Iconic thriller sounds

Sound effects:
Agirl screaming - by tcrocker68 from freesound.org
https://www.freesound.org/people/tcrocker68/sounds/235592/

Footsteps- by sturmankin
https://www.freesound.org/people/sturmankin/sounds/273371/

Rocking chair- by stevelalonde
https://www.freesound.org/people/stevelalonde/sounds/80473/

Heavy breathing - by under7dude
https://www.freesound.org/people/Under7dude/sounds/163383/

These are some examples of sounds you expect to hear in a thriller. The general sounds used are usually either very low or high pitched depending on the individual thriller or moment in the thriller. Many sound effects are used in thrillers to have emphasis on the situation, making the audience feel suspense and tense. As well as sound effects, there are many sound tracks used in horrors, these are normally songs which are again very low or high pitched. These songs are usually also songs which give off emotions such as upset and anger which are portrayed to the audience.

For example:

Thriller score horror scene- by memz
https://www.freesound.org/people/memz/sounds/325142/

Modular synth- by suzenako (this would be perfect to use in or psychological thriller)
https://www.freesound.org/people/suzenako/sounds/128787/

Costume planning for the male character

The characters dark attire makes him look mysterious and intimidating, as the colour black has connotations with evil emotions this showing the audience his possible intentions. This making the audience aware that he is the villain in the scene. This costume is good as it has a black hoodie but we will not be using this costume due to there only being one piece of black clothing, we want all of his clothing to be black to emphasise that he is the villain.

This picture again is black showing the mood of Damien. Again making him look intimidating, but this time the is also due to there being all black and the ripped jeans. This showing that he is from a working class background, or maybe even unemployed; this being due to the ragged look of clothes. This also giving mystery to Damien as it can leave the audience wondering why he is dressed like this or what his intentions are going to be. We hope to use this as or characters costume as we feel that this suits the character best.

This costume is another possibility due to there being all black clothing, the types of clothing also show Damien's position in the hierarchy as he is wearing very basic clothes which are associated with working class people. Again the black shows connotations of being evil, which shows to the audience his mysterious nature as well as implying his intentions.

Costume Planning for the female character

Character 1 - Laura

The audience will learn that the the girl in the opening sequence is young with a cool edgy vibe. Shows that she is well presented, taking care with what she looks like. We want this to show the audience that she is a normal average working class teenager who can afford to make themselves presentable. The ripped jeans shows he laid back personality but the boots also show that she wants to make herself presentable, this displaying that she is a normal teenage girl.

The audience here again will learn that the character is a young girl who wants to look presentable, but doesn't make much effort to do this by wearing ripped jeans and a basic jumper. Making her seem relaxed, giving her a cool laid back look and personality. The makeup here is very simplistic but effective as it shows the girls youth, without making loads of effort. Her hair has an almost beach vibe look again giving her this cool laid back look.

This will show the audience that the character is a young girl who is a student, as well as showing that she is working class. This look gives her a laid back vibe, showing not much effort being put into the outfit wearing a baggy jumper and ripped jeans. This showing her chilled personality and outlook towards life; also showing her commitment to her education due to looking like she could be attending school/college.

The top picture will be our costume as we want to give off a young edgy vibe to the girl as well as showing a personality to her in contrast to the other main character, the villain.

Analysing costume within films of the psychological thriller genre

The following images are taken from the trailer of shutter island, they show different costumes that are relevant to our sub-genre, of which is psychological thriller.

Inspectors

The costumes that these two characters are wearing suggest that they are undercover, the costumes are dark in colour and this suggests that they are trying to blend in and do not want to be given any attention. This shows the sub-genre as they are dark in colour, dark clothing is usually used in psychological thrillers and are expected shades to be seen on characters that are in films of this sub-genre. This image helps to show the narrative as it is clear the two character are looking for someone or something and this is emphasised through the way they are dressed. The image is creative as both characters are dressed in similar clothing and gives the audience the impression that they have the same intensions. However the character on  the left of the screen as you look at the image is dressed in a dark waste coat and dark coloured tie, this could suggest he is of higher importance or is a villain himself. This would link to our opening sequence as we could have both the crazy Ex boyfriend and the new boyfriend dressed in clothing that is the same but with small differences to show how they both care for the girl but the clothing can emphasise the differences between them through the clothing they wear.



Old Lady
In the image the woman is dressed in old shabby clothing, this suggests to the audience that she is an elderly person, possibly in a retirement home or in a hospital. Again, the lady is dressed in dark clothing but the clothing has some colour to it this shows that within the psychological thriller sub-genre that she is a victim in the film. It could also help to portray her helplessness within the film. The clothing could help show the narrative as the matching colour scheme shows her mental state and could suggest she has a mental condition where everything in her life has to be the same not different. The screenshot is creative as she almost blends in with the flowers and the grass and this could show that the lady is one who always falls into the background as is forgotten about. This could work in our opening sequence as we could have flash backs of the Ex boyfriends past and show him being neglected and forgotten about like the lady in the image.



Police officers
In this image the characters are dressed in police uniform, this shows that they are important characters with high authority as they are dressed in uniform. It shows our subgenre as they are most likely hero's in the film and help to sort everything out. This is relevant in a psychological thriller as there is usually crime and the police officers are heir to stop the crime. The clothing helps to show the narrative as it suggests that something bad is going to happen in the film for police officers to be needed in the film. The image is creative as it almost mirrors the shot of the two detectives earlier on in the trailer of the film. This suggests that the film has a lot of similarities throughout and this could also link to the mental state of the old lady.  This could work for us within our opening sequence as we could have a character dressed as a police officer to help find the missing girl.

These images are taken from the film black swan, the costumes they are wearing help us to understand what kind of costumes would be a good fit for our opening sequence.

Dressed Up
In this image the characters are dressed in black suits, in our genre this typically shows that they are important and high class people. In this image the girl in white stands out against everyone else in black this also gives the audience the impression that the girl is the main focus in the frame. This would link to our sub-genre as the thing that is not right or different stands our against the rest when in the presents of other people or other tings. The dark suits connect to our sub genre as they are typically the colour of most clothing on thrillers. This image helps to show the narrative as it shows the girl getting everything she wished for. We could use something link this in our sub genre, we could show the girl escaping from the kidnapper and being reunited with her friends and family.

Ballerina
This image gives the impression that the girl is innocent as the white ballet dress suggests this it also indicates that the girl is a victim.  This links to the sub genre of psychological thriller as the audience would be expecting to see a character that is a victim and suffers either because of another's mental state or their own. This helps show the narrative as the girl dreams of being a ballerina, everything is perfect but the fact that the girl is slightly misted over suggests that not everything is as it seems. The image is creative because the girl is centre of the frame, suggesting that she is the most important. The feathers on the dress make it become almost life like and realistic. However, the white dress and white feathers contras with the darkness within the title. We could use something like this in our opening sequence but the opposite way round, we could dress the kidnapper in dark clothing and have him against a light coloured background with lights and mist to cloud over him.






Black VS White
In this image we can see that two contrasting colours have been used for the costume of the girl. This would be relevant to a psychological thriller as it shows both the outside perception of the girl with the white costumes and the black costume is a symbol for the mental state of the girl, showing that the girl is almost like two different people. This image shows the narrative through the costumes as the contrasting colours represent the mental state if the girl and the two sided personality that the girl has. The image is creative as it shows the contrast of personalities and two contrasting colours that are both associated with different feelings and emotions. We could use this in our opening sequence by having a split screen with both shots being of the kidnapper with the black representing the way people view him and the white or a light colour the way he thinks people see him or even how he thinks he appears to everyone who is around him.

These images are taken from the film gone girl and they also have costumes in them that could be used in our opening sequence.                                                                                                            

Casual clothing
The clothing on this character is again dark in colour and quite dull, this fits with the usually seen costumes of characters in psychological thrillers. The costume fits with the genre as it is very casual, this make the character blend in with everyone else around him. Also showing his class and status within society. This helps to show the narrative as it shows the character isolated and standing day dreaming as is he is looking foe someone. The image is creative as it can show the mental state of the character as he is alone and the clothing is very simplistic.