Test Shots

Test Shots

After agreeing upon the chosen actors for our opening sequence, we decided to carry out some test shots for possible camera angles for the different scenes that could occur within the first sequence. We had also experimented with various techniques of one of the rapid scenes, much like that seen in 'Shaun of the Dead', of our character making tea, pouring water and pouring juice. This could be a possible shot that we would use within our publication to make our sequence more engaging for the audience. 

Opening Sequence Sounds

Opening Sequence Sounds

The sounds used within our opening sequence are important as we do not have much dialoge within each scene. The use of Foley and music will be used in order to create effect and so it is essential to get the right tones and sounds to use within the production. The videos below give an indication of the sorts of sounds our group could possibly use within our production to build a tense and sinister atmosphere. 

These sounds may be useful in creating suspense as the short, loud, sudden bursts may shock the audience. This could also be effective in scenes where sudden events take place, such as when the stalker bumps into the innocent girl.

The whispering sounds may be useful to portay the deranged mind of the stalker and how he may be talking to himself, showing he is somewhat mental and obsessed over the girl. 

These sounds may be effective to use within the background of the sequence as they create an eerie and scary backing tone. This could be used to build tension within certain scenes and make the sequence more engaging. 

These sounds may also be effective to use within the background as they create suspense. If the sounds were to be increased at certain points when editing, it may be successful in establishing the genre as the sounds are conventional of its genre.

The use of these sounds may be effective to play within the background as the faint piano tone creates an eerie atmospehre that may make the audience feel anxious when watching the sequence. When the sound within this clip could be used throughout the sequence as it does not dramatically change tone and is successful in building tension and suspense. 

The use of the static radio sound could be used within a possible scene where a news report about stalking is shown on screen. The sound is displeasing to hear and so make create tension and make the audience feel anxious. 

Title Fonts: 'Obsessed'

Title Fonts: 'Obsessed'

In order to create an authentic opening sequence, it is essential to choose a font which reflects the genre of the film. These tests allow our group to figure out the sort of design we may use of the title and which may reflect the plot of our film effectively. The various fonts could potentially be used within the sequence as they can relate to the genre of the film and the various scenes that occur. We decided to choose the first font as it effectively reflects the genre we have chosen and relates to the scenes that occur within the sequence. The scratched effect used within the font creates an eerie and mysterious tone as the letters are distorted and etched onto the screen. This is also conventional of the horror/thriller genre as the font if often used in games and other media devices to establish the genre effectively. However, this font is dependant on the effects available on 'Live Type' due to the limited fonts available on this programme. Our group are willing to change the font in order to create a more effective opening sequence title sequence that may seem gripping for the audience.. 

This font is much like the game 'Slender' an iconic horror game. This may be effective in our sequence as the scrached effect creates an eerie feel and could reflect some scenes within the film where the main character scribbes on paper.

This font is more on an emphasis on the darker shading within the title, making it stand out ffrom the background. Like the first font, it also creates a scratched out effect which may be effective to use within our opening sequence.

This font gives a more subtle effect which makes the letters look like they are old and worn out. The letters fade around the edges giving a unique, worn out look which could be used to reflect the props within the last scene of our sequence. 

The use of this typewriter effect could be used to reflect the documents the stalker had collected of the innocent girl. This is a bold and clearly visible font which may make the text stand out from the background.

This font creates a rather eerie tone as the letters are smudges and hard to read. This could perhaps reflect the deranged mind of the stalker and the documents he had collected about the girl. This could be effective as the font is bold and has an original smudged effect.

Filming Schedule

Filming Schedule

This is a schedule of filming for our group's opening sequence. We intend on using Wednesday's and Thursday's for the main bulk of the filming from the 27th of November to the 19th of December. This will allow our group to gain at least 20 possible hours for filming, however, more may be used if needed on weekends or other weekdays provided all group members can come along. The weekends are purely for collecting the correct props for each scene to create an authentic atmosphere for the thriller genre sequence. Free time and lessons can also be used to look through footage and figure out what still needs to be filmed and to edit the sequence and start to put it together. In this time, we will also make sure that our blogs are up to date with relevant filming experiences and various test shots. 

Filming Schedule

Questionnaire Evaluation

Questionnaire Evaluation

We gave our questionnaire to 15 volunteers who completed the survey that offer both open and closed questions. The age range for questionnaires were those aged 16-17 years old of both genders, who were our initial target audience. This creates a varied response from different genders so that we gain a good idea of what people think about our idea. This gives our group a clear idea of what our target audience think about our opening sequence idea and how it could be altered to create a more effective opening sequence. From the results, we analysed what people had thought and took their ideas into consideration when we film and create the opening sequence.

The first question asked on the questionnaire asked the respondents what their favourite genre of film was. This allowed us to gain an understanding on what the most popular genre of film was and whether our chosen genre, thriller, appealed to its target audience.

(Question 1 on Questionnaire)

From the results of the question, we found out that the preferred genre of the film is Thriller. This is encouraging, as our group have decided to create the opening sequence within this genre. The second few favourite genres of Horror and Mystery are also likely to be present within our opening sequence, so the genre our sequence may fit into will hopefully appeal to the target audience.

We then asked what are expected to see within the films of their favourite genre. As the majority of the respondents replied thriller, horror and mystery, we created a table to show the various conventions that we could perhaps incorporate into our opening sequence.

(Question 5 on Questionnaire)

There are various conventions within each genre that cross over from each other, such as the use of weapons, narrative enigma and hidden identities. These conventions listed by the volunteers allow our group to select certain features that could potentially be used within our opening sequence to make the audience aware of the genre of film they are watching. These conventions could also give possibility of our group to gain a chance to challenge conventions and create a slightly different opening sequence within the same genre.

The next few questions are based on the plot of our opening sequence: “a mentally deranged man becomes obsessed with a typical teenage girl who lives near him. He creates a project starting with just a few pictures, however, over time his obsession grew to a point at which it drives him into a spiral of despair that he cannot escape from.” We asked the respondents what they thought of the plot and any ideas of how it could be improved.

(Question 7 on Questionnaire)

The results showed that the majority of the volunteers felt the plot was good. One respondent felt the plot was bad as it lacked a sense of danger or uncertainty. Some other volunteers also felt that the plot lacked a ‘scary’ feel for the genre in which the sequence fits into. We felt the results were promising as it shows that the majority of our target audience think our trailer is good or excellent. However, we took on board the various concerns with the plot and slightly altered some scenes in order to create a scarier feel. For example, by leaving weapons on show within the last scene creating an eerie and sinister tone.

We also asked some questions on some of the ideas we decided to put within the sequence, such as masking the identity of Vincent, the main character (stalker) within our sequence. Around 85% (13) of the respondents felt that it was a good idea to mask the identity of the villain to create a sense of mystery and uncertainty around the main character. However, around 15% (2) of the respondents felt that masking the identity of the stalker was not a good idea as it was ‘cliché’ and that it would be more exciting if we challenged conventions.

The last question on the questionnaire asked if the audience felt the plot of the film fits well with the genre we have decided to go into. All the respondents (15) felt that the plot does fit well within our genre as various aspects links with other films within that genre. The majority felt that our idea was good and related to the genre, however some felt that though it related to the genre, that our sequence needs to be unique compared to other films of the genre. We looked at the concerns and tried to adapt our film to make sure it is convincing and effective in portraying our plot and genre.  

Questionnaires

Questionnaires

Our group produced some questionnaires so that we can gain an idea of what people may think of the idea for our opening sequence, the genre we are exploring and perhaps how we could improve initial ideas. Below is a sample of three of the responses from questionnaires we had given out to various people. 

Questionnaires

Contingency Plan

Contingency Plan

In order for my group to be aware of any problems that may occur during filming, we had to think of solutions and possible outcomes to make sure we do not have any problems with the people involved with the opening sequence. This plan allows our group to conscious of any problems and possible ways to overcome them. 

Problems with Cast:

It is likely that there may be several problems with the cast chosen for the sequence such as unreliable actors, dropouts and perhaps poor acting. In order for our group to be prepared for such events, we have minimised the number of external cast, leading to our group using actors who are within our group. This keeps the likelihood of anyone dropping out very minimal, as we have to be together as a group when filming. Also, if there is a problem is substandard acting, we have two back up actors for each main character, this prevents the outcome for inadequate opening sequence acting. However, this may not be a huge problem as our opening sequence contains minimal dialogue, meaning speech will not dramatically affect the final product. The main focus for our sequence will be based on sound, body language and emotions, meaning our sequence must be presented clearly so the audience to understand what is happening without the use of dialogue. The use of sound such as Foley and music must also be executed clearly to create an engaging opening sequence.

Problems with Crew:

There may be some problems with the crew when it comes to filming, as we have to work around everyone’s schedules. This could be due to work, being late or getting lost when getting to the locations. In order to prevent this from happening, we would discuss the location where we will be filming, what time we are to meet up, which equipment, props and costumes are needed and to ensure we arrive at the correct time so that the sequence is filmed within the correct time of day. If possible, we would also travel to the location as a group so that we all arrive as the same time and can begin filming straight away, preventing time wasting. As all the cast for the film are also within our group, there may not be problems with filming as many scenes needed, even when it comes to editing, as we can visit the location as a group and film what is necessary as soon as possible. 

Locations:

As a group we have chosen the various locations we will be using for our opening sequence. The main locations are easily accessible and can be visited as often as needed. Some of the main locations are filmed within or around the homes of some of the people within our groups, meaning multiple filming techniques can be used at ease. However, some locations are within public locations such as a park and shops. This could cause some potential problems when filming as noises, or other people may disrupt the filming process. To prevent this from happening, we would either film early in the morning or during the time when school is open so the streets may be empty. The locations of these public places are also within a village and not a main high street, so it may not be as busy as other locations. This could reduce the amount of noise from cars and members of the public walking past the screen.

Technical Difficulties:

Our group may encounter some technical problems such as the loss of footage, wrong software to back up video files or if the camera runs out of battery. To prevent the camera from running out of battery, we will ensure it is fully charged before filming, and also take a spare battery just in case we run out during mid filming. We would also take multiples shots of various scenes to get an experimental range of shots as well as making sure we have backed up files just in case some may become corrupted. We would also back up the files after each day of filming to reduce the likelihood of loosing the footage. We will also edit our final sequence as a group using school computers which all have the necessary equipment and software in order to edit the sequence effectively.  

Continuity Problems:

There may be some continuity problems that may occur throughout the sequence such as locations, clothing, props or other aspects being dramatically changed. In order to make sure our group does not encounter problems with costumes, we will take an image of what they are wearing on each day of filming and refer to them when we film different shots on different days. This allows us to make sure the costume looks the same within each shot and that there are no drastic changes. We will also refer to previous filming we have done to make sure we record at the specific time of day and at the correct locations to make sure there are no continuity problems. The placement of props and locations will also be pictured so that we can recreate scenes if needed if any technical difficulties arise. 

Opening Sequence Storyboard

Opening Sequence Storyboard

In order for our group to gain an understanding around the scenes within our opening sequence, we created a storyboard illustrating the various shot types we will use. The type of shot and camera movement have also been shown in order to know the various perspectives and camera movements within each scene. For example, within the first few scenes, the type of shot used will be in the perspective of the stalker and the camera movement will use techniques such as panning and tracking. Though there is not much dialogue within each scene, the use of sound is one of the main focuses of the opening sequence. Foley such as footsteps, heartbeats and heavy breathing feature throught various sequences as well as faint music, setting the eerie scene of the genre of the film, thriller. This storyboard will help when it comes to filming as it allows our group to clearly see what needs to happen within each scene and the various use of foley that we need to collect. 

Opening Sequence Storyboard

Final Group Idea: "Obsessed"

Final Group Idea: 'Obsessed'

This prezi production is a collection of all aspects of our final group idea. Each segment is set into 5 different points consisting of: premise, an explaination of each scene, Costumes & props, Lighting & location and sound & camera angles.

Character Auditions

Character Auditions

Our group decided to hold character auditions to ensure we get the correct actors for the role who can portray the 'Stalker' and 'Innocent Girl' as the best way possible. It was important for the main character of the stalker to be well chosen to make the production as authentic as possible and to create an engaging enigma surrounding the deranged mind of the stalker. The character of the 'Innocent Girl' known as 'Sarah', was also an important role as we had to choose a specific type of person who fits the character traits of the role, such as being fashionable for her age, the ability to act different emotions such as fear and have a clear voice. We held three auditions from each role of Vincent (stalker) and sarah (innocent girl) in order to get the best fit for the role. We decided to go with Matthew Clark for the role of the stalker as his presence allowed his character to become mysterious whilst also retaining a 'normal' trait through the use of costume and actions. We also decided to go with Lucy Parsons for the role of the 'Innocent Girl' as she had a clear voice and an ability to effectively bump into the other characters, a key aspect for the scene. Upon picking the characters, we carried out some test shots prior to the actual filming of the scenes. 

Target Audience for Opening Sequence

Target Audience for Opening Sequence

Age: 15+

Gender: Male/Female

Social Demographic: Working Class/Middle Class

Occupation: Students/University students/Retail

Hobbies and Interests: The general teenage target audience may enjoy socialising, going out with friends regularly and visiting various shops for food and clothes. They may typically enjoy watching movies of the thriller/horror genre as they may enjoy the thrill of getting scared. The students may be dedicated to their education and work hard to achieve their full potential at whichever from of education they are studying in. Other interests may include going to mainstream/popular events such as concerts. They may often keep up to date with new trends in fashion and technology, often buying the newest products that are released.

Style: People of both genders may like to follow trends and fashion in order to fit in with other people of their age group. The may also care about their appearance and often buy products in order to make themselves feel better. Though there are a mixed people from various social demographic backgrounds, most of the viewers may be influenced by style and want to consider that they can keep up with trends.  

Personality: The typical audience type may like to socialise with their friends and have a good sense of humour, but can also be serious when necessary. Some other people who fit within the target audience may be outgoing, bubbly and friendly, but often influenced by the opinions of others and base their decisions on what they say.  The general personality of the target audience may all have the common liking for the film of our chosen genre, thriller, and their various personalities allow them to view different situations through varied perspectives.

Media Grouping: The favourite films for this target audience may be those which make them jump and feel anxious about their surroundings. The scenes may give an adrenaline rush to the audience due to heightened tension, a common convention of films of the thriller/horror genre. Though the audience may enjoy watching these films, they may also enjoy watching mainstream television such as soaps (Eastenders) and entertainment (X-Factor).

Audience Theory: The Uses and Gratifications theory is an approach to understand why people seek out various media content for different purposes. This audience theory can enable our group to target the audience specifically to suit their ‘entertainment’ needs. The ‘Personal Identity’ aspect of the theory may also be fulfilled as the audience are able to find models of behaviour. Blumler & Katz theory suggests that a text must ‘gratify an audience’s needs’. These can be achieved through:

•      Information: Satisfying curiosity and general interest, for self-education which they could gain a sense of security through knowledge.
•      Entertainment: To escape, or be diverted from problems, to get emotional release or just general enjoyment.
•      Education: To gain a better understanding into situations and realising the bigger picture.
•      Social Interaction: Gaining an insight into circumstances of others, to gain a sense of their own belonging, to find a basis for conversation, while having a substitute for real-life companionship.
•      Personal Identity: To look at different models of behaviour, this would enable them to gain an insight into themselves, But also to find reinforcement for personal values.

It is essential for our group to target a specific audience for our opening sequence as it enables us to make a convincing film of the chosen genre. The audience will gain information on specific characters within the film, however, narrative enigma may be used in order to make the audience question why certain things happen, creating a sense of tension and suspense. These techniques can all be used to incise the audience and make them engaged with the opening sequence of the film.  

Costume and Prop List

Costume and Prop List

Before we begin the filming of our opening sequence, it is essential that we plan and design all details of the mise-en-scene so we are organised and ready to start the filming of our sequence immediately. In order to do this we need to take into account the costumes and props of the designated characters we plan to feature in our opening sequence. Costumes and props play a huge role in making a film reflective of its genre as well as making a sequence convincing therefore it is essential we plan in advance.

Costumes:

Vincent: During the course of the opening sequence this character will not change costume.

Vincent will be seen wearing a black pull over hoodie along with fitted black denim jeans. He wears muddy brown suede trainers on his feet. The use of darker colours connotes a dark and mysterious personality as well as suggesting he is perhaps a shifty character. We chose to use dark clothing for the “villain” (according to Vladimir Propps character theory) in our sequence as it is conventional of the horror/thriller genre.

Sarah: 3 costumes changes are made by Sarah throughout the course of the opening sequence in order to show the change in days.

The first outfit worn by Sarah in the sequence is an Aztec print black and brown knitted cardigan from Top Shop with a black button up short sleeve Primark shirt underneath which has been tucked into light blue, denim, skinny Top Shop jeans which have been turned up at the bottom. On her feet she wears black Puma suede’s with white laces.  This particular outfit has been chosen as it reflects her age, gender and the time set of the film well. As our film is set in modern day shops such as Top Shop and Primark are well trending amongst teenagers therefore to show Sarah is like any other average teenage girl we have used clothing from these particular places.

The second outfit worn by Sarah is black H&M leggings with a collared, creamy/white blouse from Top Shop. Over her blouse she is wearing a dark blue denim jacket with a fur collar and inner lining. On her feet is sandy coloured Timberland boots. Again we have dressed Sarah in typical, trendy teenage attire to reflect on the time set and age. Unlike Vincent her clothing is relatively light in colour promoting her innocence.

The final outfit we see Sarah wearing is again black H&M leggings however this time with a black, rolled up sleeve, baggy t-shirt with a white star and moon pattern on both front and back, Sarah wears this outfit with black puma suede’s. The dressing of Sarah is one that many teenagers can relate to which gives the audience a direct and personal 
link to the victim of our sequence as they may even share the same items of clothing.

Props

Likewise for our sequence we will need a number of props in order to make the scenes look more professional but also true to life. Below are is a list of props that will be involved in the filming of our production:

•     Pictures of blonde girl printed on paper
•     Piles of scrap and tatty paper 
•     String
•     Pegs 
•     Pens and pencils 
•     Small open tray with dye
•     Camera on desk 
•     Torches
•     Ink pots 
•     Bag
•     Phone  
•     Diaries
•     Tea/coffee
•     Newspapers
•     Slippers

For the first location which is filmed on a public street the only props needed is a phone and bag for Sarah as she walks home alone whilst on her mobile.

The props for our film mostly come into use in scene 4 as this is when Vincent goes back to his home. During this time he makes himself a cup of tea and picks up a torch before heading to the back door with his freshly brewed tea. We then enter the shed and this is where a large majority of our props are found. Pictures are stuck on the shed walls of the girl along with a string stretching from one corner of the shed to the other with even more pictures pegged to it. On the desk we find pens, pencils, a camera, diaries, paper, ink pots, newspapers and a tray of photo print dye. The torches 
are used as the lighting source of this scene.

Locations for Opening Sequence

Locations for Opening Sequence

In order for my group to choose appropriate locations for the filming of the opening sequence, we created a table to show each location and how it will be used within the sequence. The images show a clear view of the setting used in the film as well as allow our group to figure out how the camera and setting can be used to create convincing shots to signify the genre of the film. Each of the images corresponds to certain scenes where they will be used within the plot of the sequence. The description within the table explains why we had chosen the locations and key events that take place within these settings. This will allow our group to understand exactly what we need to do when it comes to filming the opening sequence so that we have a clear idea of locations and settings for each scene. 

Locations for Opening Sequence

Character Descriptions

Character Descriptions for Opening Sequence

Vincent:

Possible actors: Matthew Clark, Frankie Coombs, Ryan Mepham

Age: 23

Gender: Male

Ethnicity: White British

Social Demographic: Middle class

Has had a traumatic childhood, his mother tragically died when he was 8 years of age. His father was a drunk who often abused him and forced him to leave his own home at the age of 16. Ever since this event he isolates himself from the rest of the world; he is lonely and very reclusive because of this and rarely communicates with the outside world. His life is somewhat hectic as he has not had the structural influence from his parents.

Hobbies and interests: His main interest would be stamp collecting and gardening. It’s a relaxing activity which his mind when he feels angry. Gardening is Vincent’s most favourite hobby and most of the tools he collects and stores in his shed at the bottom of the garden.

Personality: Vincent is extremely shy and is seen to be a recluse. He rarely interacts with people and his neighbours no nothing about him. He has been known to have a temper which is quite fiery and fierce, this is due to his father’s rage and abuse and has forced him to retaliate and stand up for himself when he needs to. Unfortunately, his temper can get out of hands and neighbors have had to call the police on several occasions because of it. Of course, there are no witnesses so he is always let off. Apart from his fiery temper Vincent seems to be quite a simple man on the surface, he’s always been described as quiet by his neighbors but no one is really close enough to know what he’s truly like.

Role in film: Vincent is the main character in the film; his mind is obsessed with just one girl. The story follows him and how his obsession grows and then swiftly turns to madness which is way out of his hands.

Sarah:

Possible actors: Lucy Parsons, Alexandra James, Manisha Dhokia

Age: 18

Gender: Female

Ethnicity: White British

Social demographic: Middle class

Sarah is an average teenage girl who has a very active social life and enjoys being around people. She had a very happy childhood and comes from a good and kind family who have always encourages her to do what she wants to do. Her father is an accountant and her mother is a teacher, Sarah is currently learning to become a nurse as she believes in helping others and doing the right thing.

Hobbies and interests: Sarah is part of the netball team at school and is also house captain. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and loves to go out and have a good time.

Personality: Sarah is a bright, funny girl who is always friendly to people. She is a very sociable person with many friends who enjoy her company. Sarah is a cheerful girl who always tries to see the best in others.

Role in film: Sarah is a victim to a crazed stalker who will not leave her alone. She becomes suspicious of everyone around her, to a point where she is unable to trust anyone. She becomes frightened and confused as she knows someone is watching her but doesn't know who... 

Opening Sequence Script

Opening Sequence Script

“OBSESSED”

SCENE 1

EXT. PUBLIC STREET- AFTERNOON

A normal suburban village in Banstead, it’s around 12:00pm in the afternoon. Cars pass the houses infrequently disrupting the tranquillity of the afternoon silence.

Vincent, a young man with dark blonde hair makes his way home from Banstead village with his hood up, masking his identity. Sarah, a young blonde teenage girl is walking in the opposite direction towards Vincent, her eyes glued to her phone unaware of his presence.

VINCENT

[Head facing down at feet walking. Looks up and sees Sarah, and doesn’t take his eyes off her]

SARAH

[Keeps staring at her phone whilst walking in Vincent’s direction]

VINCENT

 [Walking pace increases and he deliberately walks into Sarah]

SARAH

 [Vincent causes her to look up, her expression startled]

     Sorry, didn’t see you there

VINCENT

 [Remains silent and begins to walk away and stops a few feet past Sarah]

SARAH

 [Offended by the absence of his response walks quickly away from his direction]

VINCENT

 [Turns around and stares at Sarah walking away]

SARAH

 [Glances back and sees Vincent’s icy glare staring back at her. Sarah’s pace then quickens desperate to get away from him]

SCENE 2

INT. INSIDE HOME - MID AFTERNOON

Inside home in a bedroom at the top of the house, the street is quiet. It’s about 3:00pm and the sun is starting to set, creating a dark atmosphere and eerie feel.

VINCENT

 [Sitting on a chair and staring out of corner window. He spots Sarah walking past his home, he discreetly jumps out of his chair and stares at her. His hand reaches up towards the glass and strokes it slowly.]

SARAH

 [Walks casually past the window heading home, with her hands in her pockets.]

Scene 3

Montage of clips, all shot by Vincent of Sarah. Shows the progression of his obsession and how he starts to fixate his life around Sarah. 

First clip

EXT. EMPTY PARK - DUSK

SARAH

 [Walking across the park with her friend, laughing and chatting]

Second clip

INT. CORNER SHOP - 10:00AM

SARAH

 [Browses round corner shop, picks up a chocolate bar and buys it, walks out of shop and heads home]

Third clip

EXT. Outside Sarah’s home - 4:00pm 

SARAH

 [Takes out her keys and walks in through front door]

Scene 4

INT. Inside Vincent's home - 5.00pm

Vincent

[Walks into home and then walks into kitchen to make a cup of tea.]

EXT. Vincent's Garden - 5.15pm

Vincent

[Grabs torch and walks slowly into garden holding cup of tea.]

[Opens shed door slowly and walks in and sits down.]

INT. Vincent's Shed - 5.15pm 

Vincent

A small dark shed placed in the secluded area of the back of Vincent's garden. It is nearing night and there is little natural light. The sound of distant cars disturb the serenity in the desolute area at the bottom of the garden. 

Vincent sits inside a desk within the shed with his identity still masked. The inside of the shed is decorated with various old papers, pictures and journals of Sarah. Tools and weapons are hanging within the background as Vincent begins to add more images and objects to his collection. A panning shot across Vincent's deranged eyes gives away the only part of his identity as his eerie obsession continues. 

[Takes out diary and scribbles small notes inside. Grabs a picture of Sarah, and smiles creepily.]
[Flashes of the weapons, pictures, notes and diaries create a distorted effect as the camera focuses on Vincent's eyes]

Cut to black, title appears. 

Initial Film Ideas (Mind Map)

Initial Film Ideas

In order for my group to develop a stronger understanding around various themes and aspects of the opening sequence, we created a mindmap to put all our ideas onto one page. The information on the key topics (Costume, setting, genre, props, characters, conventions and traits) will allow us to create a cogent opening sequence relating to a specific genre, and include various conventions in order to make it convincing. This information can then be used to develop the storyline of the opening sequence, create a compelling script and develop the personal traits of the main characters. These ideas can then be accumulated into the opening sequence idea we had chosen and help to create a convincing title for our film. 

Initial Ideas Mind Map 

Opening Sequence Mood Board Diagram

Opening Sequence Mood Board Diagram

In order for our group to develop a deeper understanding of the various aspects of the opening sequence, I created this mood board diagram. The different points, such as setting or costumes, allows our group to define the genre of the film, its conventions and other topics surrounding the key points of the sequence. It allows me to gain a stronger idea of the things that are needed in order to create a compelling sequence that appeals to the target audience and fulfils conventions of the genre chosen. It also enables me to look for appropriate locations for the settings aswell as gather props which may be used.

Opening Sequence Mood Board Diagram.doc

Individual Idea for Opening Sequence

Individual Idea for Opening Sequence

Name: The Fear

Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Horror

Plot:

The sequence begins with a scene of the life of a child at school being taught and doing various typical school activities. A montage of clips showing how he is doing at school and presents the life of an average child who lives a normal school life. Simple instrumental music is played to present a cheery, uplifting mood within the audience. As the sequence continues with the music playing within the background, the child returns home who lives with a loving family who care about him and look after him dearly. When the parents greet the child, they use affectionate language such as ‘dear’ and ‘love’. A short conversation takes place where the mother of the child tells him that they are going out for a special meal for achieving such great results at school. The scene cuts away to show a late night from the perspective of the camera looking into the window. The shot is displayed through obscured views from leaves and branches covering the screen from a bush that a man seems to be hidden within and staring at the family with the sound of heavy breathing within the background. This indicates to the audience that they are being watching by a mysterious figure. Various shots show the family enjoying a family meal at a typical Italian restaurant. Here, the audience are aware that the child is enjoying treasured experiences with his family, but there are soon to be a turn of events. As the family leave the restaurant and being walking home, they are faced with the decision of walking down a dark alley to a shortcut to their home the once cheery music is changed to low base notes and slow piano and string instruments playing. They decide to take the short cut. As they walk further into the alley, the sound of music increases more and more until a heightened sense of climax is set. However, the music is suddenly stopped and the sound of the panting breath of the child is left. The family seem to have safely reached the other side of the alley and they all let out a sigh of relief, but suddenly a man with a hidden identity springs from behind and attacks them. The man uses a suppressed weapon and brutally murders both the parents of the child with several bullets. The man faces the child who felt as if death was imminent and quickly closes his eyes, however, as the killer goes to shoot the child, the gun had run out of bullets. The sound of a contracting bullet trigger is played to emphasise this. He then suddenly scrambles to quickly reload the weapon, dropping various bullets on the floor as he creates a sense of urgency with his killing. The child peeks with one eye and sees the man quickly reaching for more ammunition and trying to place it into his gun, but quickly decides to take the risk of running and hiding from the killer. A low camera shot showing the dead bodies, the killer’s feet scattered with empty bullet shells are shown with the child running off into the distance and hiding. A close up of the child sitting in a dark secluded area within a shadow is displayed with the focus on his character. Within the background a view of the killer walks across the screen, the focus then shifts to him as the child at the foreground is blurred. The killer then pauses and faces the child’s direction, then turns back and walks in the direction he was once walking in. Foley used for the sound of a heartbeat of the child is used as well as the sound of footsteps from the killer moving across the screen, the sound of footsteps slowly fading away. The camera pans into a view of the child with his eyes clenched shut with the only sound of his heartbeat played. Suddenly, a hand wearing black gloves covered in blood taps him on the shoulder. The boy’s eyes beam open in shock and takes in a sudden intake of breath with fear ridden over his expression. The screen then cuts out into darkness where the title of the film, ‘The Fear’, slowly fades on and then off into darkness.

Setting:

The setting for the film would initially start within a state school environment where the child is being taught lessons and his ordinary life is being conveyed. The sequence progresses to a scene with when the child comes home from school and is greeted by their parents who are making tea and watching television. The area where the family lives is a standard town area, their house being semi-detached with a medium sized kitchen and living room. The conversation then commences about going to a restaurant with the child within the living room. A cut shot takes the next scene to the Italian restaurant where the family are sitting around a table and eating their dinner. The place is authentic and has chequered tablecloths, vines and plants decorated inside on the walls and a wine rack displayed above the bar. The view from outside the window is unclear due to plants and branches covering the camera. Then the view from the alley way is shown on a dark unlit road. The alley looks dark and mysterious, with several other paths leading from within it. The floor path is broken and uneven, with smashed bottles littering the area. The other side of the alley way is also dark, however, streetlights give a brighter picture and makes the family more visible. The last scene where the child hides is behind a dark shadow on an off road with the streetlight glow in the background dimly lighting the main road behind the boy.

(Semi-Detached Family House)

Character Profile and Costume:

Father: Black suit and red tie and smart black shoes showing he works and has an occupation of an office job. He has dark brown hair, 5ft 10in height, and brown eyes.

 

(Suit worn by Father)

Mother: Simple attire, often wears somewhat casual clothes, has a job as a teacher. When at the restaurant she wears a plain black dress with a simple necklace and flat shoes. 5ft 6in in height, hazel brown eyes and light brown hair.

(Dress worn by Mother)

Child: Simple grey t-shirt with black hooded jumper with zip, black and white trainers and blue jeans. He has light brown hair, 4ft 11in in height and dark brown eyes.

(Clothes worn by Child)

Killer: Black leather jacket, black jeans, black worn out boots, leather gloves and a black mask over his face with no features showing and is 5ft 11in in height.

(Killer's Leather Jacket and Gloves)

Props:

School bags, house keys, kettle, tea, mugs, television and remote, plates of food (pasta), wine glasses and bottles, menus, purse, wallet, guns and bullets.

Sound:

Throughout the scene soft, gentle instrumental music is played to show a cheerful setting of the child within his school, at home and at the restaurant. The music slows down and tones begin to clash giving an eerie and mysterious tone. Foley is used within various scenes such as the sound of the kettle being switched on, footsteps, cutlery clashing on plates, heartbeats, heavy breathing, suppressed gunshots, running footsteps, bullets falling on floor, silenced screams, flickering of streetlamps and sharp gasps.