Props and costume

To cohere to the conventions of a thriller movie we decided to use props, such as weapons, to give to our antagonist. However,  we are also debating whether or not to let the victim also have a weapon. This would go against the typical conventions of our genre and would bring a unique aspect to our thriller.

Nikki, Libby and I wanted to make our antagonist fit the part, by dressing him in dark colours. We decided we wanted a black hoodie within our costume as this makes our intruder seem quite anonymous and mysterious. The colour black is often associated with with dark and evil things, as it brings forth a sinister atmosphere. In all crime thrillers I have analysed, the antagonist is either dressed in dark clothing to conform to the norm, or they can completely go against it. This is by making the antagonist seem like a normal civilian (usually dressed in smart clothing)- and therefore makes the audience feel even more scared of this character, as they realise they can be deceived by anyone. Because of this, we wanted to combine the elements of both of these. We thought that a hoodie is quite a casual piece of clothing that most people would wear, however, the black also brings an aspect of darkness to the character. Therefore ,we can make a connection between how our audience will be scared of the fact that anything can happen to them in the safety of their on homes, and how they can't trust anyone as they may turn out to be your worst nightmare.

When thinking into costume choices in detail, we decided that we wanted our antagonist to fit the part in every aspect. Wearing these type of shoes makes the antagonists feet look bulky. This overall makes him look dominant and controlling. This is also a typical shoe for intruders to wear, as they are very popular and are worn a lot by most individual's within our society, this means the police would find it harder to track down the antagonist just by evidence left behind (such as a foot print), as most people would have these shoes. Therefore, this once again makes our antagonist look like a smart and experienced killer.

Similar to the other costume choices, we decided that we wanted our antagonist to wear all black jeans. This is because it fits the costume and colour scheme, and overall works well together to form a typical antagonist.

We came to a consensus that we wanted to make our antagonist seem as anonymous and mysterious as possible. We throughout we would do this by including a black mask and black leather gloves into our antagonist costume. As well as gloves hiding evidence via finger prints and DNA, which makes the antagonist look smart and cunning, it also looks creepy, and lets the audience know that the antagonist is obviously planning a brutal attack. This is good at building suspense for the audience.

In regards to the victim character, we wanted her to look as weak as possible. This gives the audience the sense that her fate is sealed and builds suspense as they are then nervously waiting as to what will happen next. As you can see in this screen shot from the movie 'Mean Girls', the bedroom of Regina George s a typical girly room. To crate this atmosphere, my group and I are going to use candles, girly music, fluffy pillow and bright colours to put across the idea to our audience that our character conforms to the typical stereotypes of a young female victim.  We want to make the audience feel as if our victim is in a safe, homely environment. This will cause our thriller to be much more effective, as it reminds the audience that no one , no where, is safe.  Therefore we will use props such as candles, fluffy pillows and more.

The last two props we will use is a laptop and a phone. We decided we wanted to include these as they play a key role in making our thriller storyline make sense. Out victim is seen on the phone with her friend, and using her social media via her laptop to contact her boyfriend. It's also typical of a teenager to have these type of hardwares, meaning we are conforming to the stereotypes of youth representatives, therefore, making our character more convincing.

Institutional research

Production Companies

20th Century Fox

Twentieth Century Fox is commonly known as one of the 'Big six' major American film studios located in the Century City area of Los Angeles. Founded in 1935 by William Fox, Joseph M. Schenck and Darryl F. Zanuck, the group successfully made some of the highest-grossing films in North America. For instance, Avatar, Star Wars, Independence Day and more. From these list of movies, it's clear that the institution has a wide range of themes and genre's to appeal to their mass audience. An example of this is Sci-Fi, thrillers, romance, comedy and more. 

Due to being such a well-known production company, it means they have developed a large and stable audience. This would be extremely useful for our thriller as it means we will be able to attract loyal viewers. Therefore, when considering which film studio we would like to work with, we thought 20th Century Fox would be a good candidate due to it's wide variety of film genres and large audience. We also enjoy the well-known theme song that comes with the studio opening as it creates suspense and is a good build up to the start of the thriller. As well as this, it includes quite dim colours that set a cinematic atmosphere and works well with our crime genre. Additionally, it looks as if there are HollyWood lights shining from the name, which would make a professional start to our opening.

Warner Bros

Another member of the 'Big Six' American film studios is Warner Bros. The company's name originated from the four founding Warner Brothers, Harry, Albert, Sam and Jack Warner. The first studio was opened in 1918 on Sunset Boulevard in HollyWood. However, it didn't start becoming known till 1923. Some of their most famous films include American Sniper, Harry Potter and Inception. All three of these movies include thriller aspects, which means their audience will know which type of genre to expect from the company. Warner Bros also has a cartoon unit that has created popular cartoons in 'Looney Tunes'. Characters such as Tweety Bird, Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck became central to the company's image in subsequent decades.

Due to the production companies cartoon reputation, we decided that it wouldn't fit our genre. This is because people would associate the Warner Bros pictures with childish-innocent programmes/movies that do not fit in with our genre. Also, It doesn't set the atmosphere for the audience due to its bright colours. Therefore, we will not be using Warner Bros.

Paramount Pictures

Paramount Pictures  is an American film studio based in Hollywood, California. It has been an American media conglomerate Viacom since 1994. It's one of the oldest production companies, founded 104 years ago in 1912 by W. W. Hodkinson, Adolph Zukor and Jesse L. Lasky, as a famous players film company. In 2014, Paramount Pictures became the first major Hollywood studio to distribute all of its films in digital form only. Famous for it's movie, Titanic, the company has built a reputation for having suspense filled films. This would be good for our thriller as the audience would be expecting this type of genre.

Another aspect of Paramount Pictures that is effective, is the way it is presented to the audience before the movie starts. It employs dark and mysterious colours which creates an element of suspense. Additionally, Paramount Pictures has been around for a long period of time, meaning they have a large audience which will help us gain viewers.

Film4

Film4 was started in 1982 as Film4 Productions, a film production company owned by channel Four television corporation. It has been responsible for backing a large number of films made in the United Kingdom, and around the world. It started as a subscription-only service available only on Sky platform, digital terrestrial via ITV digital and most UK cable services. It is known for its involvement in The Inbetweeners Movie and Attack the block, both of which are British movies.

When looking at this production company, my group decided it wouldn't be an effective one to use. Due to it having a subscription-only service for a long period of time, it means they most probably didn't develop a large audience, meaning not many people would watch our thriller. A subscription also means that it would most probably only be watched by middle class or upper class individuals, who are able to pay to watch it. Additionally, the movies that Film4 have been responsible for, were not big hits and only British people are likely to watch them. This means we will not have a large audience. Furthermore, the Film4 colours are quite vibrant and colourful, if we was to incorporate it, it means it would ruin the tense atmosphere we are trying to create.

New Line Cinema

New Line Cinema is an American film studio that was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye as a film distribution company, later becoming an independent film studio. It became a subsidiary of the Turner Broadcasting System in 1994 before Turner merged with Time Warner in 1996, and was later merged with its larger sister studio Warner Bros. Entertainment in 2008.

Although it isn't one of the oldest film production companies, it has build up a very large audience that respond positively to many of their films. Due to some of our music choices within our crime thriller, we feel that it has aspects of a horror. This is because of our antagonist looking extremely creepy, which is also paired with our use of scary music. We felt that this worked well to create a successful crime thriller as we wanted to exaggerate the dangerousness of our antagonist, which ultimately aided in the increase of suspense. New Line Cinema is known for its movies: A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, The Conjuring and The Mask. All of which made a big impact on their loyal audience. As you can see from this research, New Line Cinema are a good candidate for us as they have had experience with a wide range of film genres, all of which have been a  success. Therefore meaning people will want to watch our crime thriller opening. 

As well as this, my group and I found the colour scheme of their introduction quite intriguing. It's dark and is a good way to build suspense for our audience. Through this course we have learned that the lighting (mise-en-scene) plays a key role in making a product have an impact on the audience. E.g. Bright lighting represents happiness, blue is sadness, red is anger, darkness is sinister. 

I feel that this film production company will work very well with our crime thriller opening. 

Production schedule

Production Schedule

This is my group's production schedule. We have decided to create a table as we feel it's an effective and easy way to keep organised, and ensures that everyone knows what dates to keep free so that we can film. Our location will stay consistent throughout the whole thriller, however I have mentioned which rooms we will be filming in to explain it in more detail. I have also included what equipment we will be needing, which will primarily just be a camera, tripod and basic props. In regards to filming times, we will do this between 4pm and 8pm. This is because it will start to get dark and this sets the atmosphere for the audience. 

Test Shots

Test shots:

Our first choice for the role of the protagonist was Kenadi. She is highly fashionable, and this would therefore appeal to our female teenage audience. However, after some consideration, we decided that she did not fit the 'vulnerable' role. One reason for this was Kenadi's height. Because she is tall, it means it looks like she is less likely to be a victim, as she would be able to fight back. this would make our crime thriller un-realistic, as the audience would argue that she had every chance to fight back. But, we did not want her to do this. Additionally, Kenadi has never had any acting experience, and this would mean that she may of got nervous in front of the camera/whilst we was filming, meaning it would effect the outcome of our thriller. Kenadi also lives far away from the location to which we wanted to film, and also has a job. This means she may not always be available to film, which would be difficult for us as we had to film on certain days in order to complete our thriller in time.

Rhiannon was our choice for the antagonist role. Due to Rhiannon's confident personality, we knew that she would be very confident during filming. Rhiannon is also very easy to work with, and suggested some good ideas on what to include and what kind of camera shots to take, Rhiannon is quite tall, and therefore fit the role of being very patronising and over-powering over our vulnerable teenage victim. Additionally, Rhiannon was willing to be costumed in quite stereotypical manly clothing, such as bulky shoes and baggy clothing. Our mask also hid her feminine face, therefore aiding in the illusion that she is a man. Rhiannon was very reliable, available to film at anytime and also lived locally. Overall she was a great candidate for the role of the antagonist.

 Isobel was our second and last candidate for the role of the protagonist. Due to her small height, it meant that she fit the role of a vulnerable character perfectly, and also looked similar to the age group that we are trying to appeal to. Isobel is quite confident in front of the camera, and also used to do drama, meaning she was comfortable with acting. Isobel's style was very similar to what we wanted our victim to wear, so she could use her own wardrobe when filming which was much more convenient due to our low budget. Additionally, she can drive, meaning that this provided us with transportation to and from the location in which we needed to film.

Target Audience Research

Target audience research and findings

https://prezi.com/_p4wauomu3ac/target-audience-questionnaires/#

Title designs

Title Designs

Because crime is only briefly covered in the media, we decided to create a thriller opening. As inferior members of society, we are often marginalised from the gruesome and cruel stories of people who have been been a victim of serious crimes. As I have mentioned in previous blogs, the crime genre is one of the most watched categories on television, in movies and in books. This is because we are so interested to find out what goes on beyond the protected walls of our homes, television screens and more. Watching an antagonist in action is increasingly intriguing as it goes against common norms, values and morals. People usually can't fathom someone acting or thinking the way criminals often do. We decided 'The Disappearance' is quite an obvious title, however it does bring a sense of ambiguity and interest for the audience.

The first two film titles we were considered were in this grungy style. They are both similar, however, the size of their font is slightly different. I chose this font because it captured my attention straight away and I am hoping the audience would react to it in the same way. We chose the title 'The Disappearance', because it has not been used before and creates a sense of ambiguity as to what the story line would be. For instance, who or what disappeared? or were they found? My group and I liked the idea of using a black and white colour scheme as it makes it look like a news article, this form of media is often used to alert the public of missing person's, murders and more. I quite liked the effect it incorporated, which makes it look like the writing is rotting. It also looks like black and white splatters of blood. We thought this was effective as it symbolises crime (which is our chosen thriller genre) and also makes it look as if the person has been gone for a long time; meaning our thriller would be a detailed and long journey of finding the missing person. We were undecided of which one we preferred as they are very similar, however, I think that the larger font has more effect and brings a sense of drama to the title.

This effect on the title is very eye-catching. The bold letters ensures that the audience/consumer is able to recognise the title. This draws their attention to it and encourages them to watch the movie. One aspect of this title I particularly like is the images within it that make it look like a newspaper article. News paper articles, as mentioned before, are known for posting stories about missing person's, murders and more, meaning the audience would get an idea of the plot of the movie. Individuals who are particularly interested in crime thrillers would automatically be attracted to this title, and the effect, as it is a good representation of the genre. Additionally, the small white writing within the black font gives a sense of chaos, as if this is a big case in the media that would create an interesting and nail-biting storyline.

When searching for titles I came across this unusual effect. I found it was similar to the title 'Psycho' that I had analysed previsouly, this is due to the broken-up letters. One aspect of the Psycho title I liked was the fact that it represented the the mental state/situation of the antagonist. In this title, it is set out to look like a ransom note. As well as this being a typical convention of a crime thriller, it also suggests to the audience that the antagonist has a long history of crime, or has a 'signature' of how he communicates/threatens his victims. It could be interpreted that he has a long history of crime as he used already existing words to piece together his message, this could be because his hand writing is more likely to be identified. This makes the antagonist look increasingly clever, cunning and experienced, as he knows what precautions to take in order to avoid being caught. Therefore, it shows that the victims capturer, that made her 'disappear', will not be easily taken down. The audience will then be excited to watch such an intense storyline. 

Top 10 Grossing films of all time

↣1. Avatar- 2009- $2,787,965,087

Sam Worthington as Jake Sully, a disabled former Marine who becomes part of the 'Avatar Program', after his twin brother is killed. His military background helps the Na'vi warriors relate to him. Avatar is a 2009 American science fiction film directed, written, produced, and co-edited by James Cameron, and starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, and Sigourney Weaver. The film is set in the mid-22nd century, when humans are colonising Pandora, a lush habitable moon of a gas giant in the Alpha Centauri star system, in order to mine the mineral unobtanium, a room-temperature superconductor. The expansion of the mining colony threatens the continued existence of a local tribe of Na'vi – a humanoid species indigenous to Pandora. The film's title refers to a genetically engineered Na'vi body with the mind of a remotely located human that is used to interact with the natives of Pandora. 

↣2. Titanic- 1997- $2,186,772,302

In 1996, treasure hunter Brock Lovett and his team aboard the research vessel Keldysh search the wreck of RMS Titanic for a necklace with a rare diamond, the Heart of the Ocean. Titanic is a 1997 American epic romance-disaster film directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. A fictionalised account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winsletas who are members of different social classes who fall in love aboard the ship, during its ill-fated maiden voyage. Cameron's inspiration for the film came from his fascination with shipwrecks; he felt a love story interspersed with the human loss would be essential to convey the emotional impact of the disaster. Production began in 1995 when Cameron shot footage of the actual Titanic wreck. The modern scenes on the research vessel were shot on board the Akademik Mstislav Keldysh, which Cameron had used as a base when filming the wreck. Scale models, computer-generated imagery, and a reconstruction of the Titanic built at Playas de Rosarito in Baja California were used to re-create the sinking. The film was partially funded by Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox.

↣3. Star Wars: The Force Awakens-2015- $2,068,223,624

The story begins thirty years after the events of Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi. The First Order has risen from the ashes of the Galactic Empire and is opposed by General Leia Organa and the Resistance, both of which seek to find the missing Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (also known as Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens) is a 2015 American epic space opera film directed, co-produced and co-written by J. J. Abrams. The direct sequel to 1983's Return of the Jedi, The Force Awakens is the first installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, and stars Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Max von Sydow.

↣4. Jurassic World-2015- $1,670,400,637

Located off the coast of Costa Rica, the Jurassic World luxury resort provides a habitat for an array of genetically engineered dinosaurs, including the vicious and intelligent Indominus rex. When the massive creature escapes, it sets off a chain reaction that causes the other dinos to run amok. Now, it's up to a former military man and animal expert (Chris Pratt) to use his special skills to save two young brothers and the rest of the tourists from an all-out, prehistoric assault. Jurassic World is a 2015 American science-fiction adventure film and the fourth instalment of the Jurassic Park series. The film was directed and co-written by Colin Trevorrow, produced by Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley, and stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard. The production companies were Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment, also responsible for the rest of the Jurassic Park franchise, and Thomas Tull's Legendary Pictures. Set 22 years after the events of Jurassic Park, Jurassic World takes place on the same fictional island of Isla Nublar, off the Pacific coast of Central America, where a theme park populated with cloned dinosaurs has operated for ten years. The park plunges into chaos when a genetically created dinosaur breaks loose and goes on a rampage across the island.

↣5. The Avengers-2012- $1,518,812,9,88

The agency is a who's who of Marvel Super Heroes, with Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When global security is threatened by Loki and his cohorts, Nick Furyand his team will need all their powers to save the world from disaster. Marvel's The Avengers (classified under the name Marvel Avengers Assemble in the United Kingdom and Ireland), or simply The Avengers, is a 2012 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the sixth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film was written and directed by Joss Whedon and features an ensemble cast that includes Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Clark Gregg, Cobie Smulders, Stellan Skarsgård, and Samuel L. Jackson. In the film, Nick Fury, director of the peacekeeping organization S.H.I.E.L.D., recruits Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk, and Thor to form a team that must stop Thor's brother Loki from subjugating Earth.

↣6. Furious 7-2015- $1,516,045,911

Furious 7 (often stylised as Furious Seven and alternatively known as Fast 7 and Fast & Furious 7) is a 2015 American action film directed by James Wan and written by Chris Morgan. It is the seventh instalment in The Fast and the Furious franchise. The film stars Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Djimon Hounsou, Kurt Russell and Jason Statham. Furious 7 follows Dominic Toretto (Diesel), Brian O'Conner (Walker) and the rest of their team, who have returned to the United States to live normal lives after securing amnesty for their past crimes in Fast & Furious 6 (2013), until Deckard Shaw (Statham), a rogue special forces assassin seeking to avenge his comatose younger brother, puts the team in danger once again.

↣7. Avengers: Age of Ultron-2015- $1,405,403,694

Avengers: Age of Ultron is a 2015 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the sequel to 2012's The Avengers and the eleventh film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film was written and directed by Joss Whedon and features an ensemble cast that includes Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Cobie Smulders, Anthony Mackie, Hayley Atwell, Idris Elba, Stellan Skarsgård, James Spader, and Samuel L. Jackson. In Avengers: Age of Ultron, the Avengers fight Ultron, an artificial intelligence obsessed with causing human extinction.

↣8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 2- 2011- $1,341,511,219

The wedding is interrupted by Death Eaters, as Voldemort has taken over the Ministry of Magic and is now in charge of the wizarding world. Harry, Ron, and Hermione Disapparate (i.e., teleport) to a busy street in London, where they are soon attacked by Death Eaters. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 is a 2010 British-American fantasy film directed by David Yates and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is the first of two cinematic parts based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling and features an ensemble cast.The film, which is the seventh and penultimate instalment in the Harry Potter film series, was written by Steve Kloves and produced by David Heyman, David Barron, and Rowling.The film stars Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, with Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, respectively, reprising roles as Harry's best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. It is the sequel to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and is followed by the concluding entry, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.The story follows Harry Potter on a quest to find and destroy Lord Voldemort's secret to immortality – the Horcruxes. Filming began on 19 February 2009 and was completed on 12 June 2010.Part 1 was released in 2D cinemas and IMAX formats worldwide on 19 November 2010.

↣9. Frozen-2013-$1,287,000,000

Anna, a fearless optimist, sets off on an epic journey - teaming up with rugged mountain man Kristoff and his loyal reindeer Sven - to find her sister Elsa, whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. Frozen is a 2013 American 3D computer-animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the 53rd Disney animated feature film. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale "The Snow Queen", the film tells the story of a fearless princess who sets off on an epic journey alongside a rugged iceman, his loyal pet reindeer, and a naïve snowman to find her estranged sister, whose icy powers have inadvertently trapped the kingdom in eternal winter. Frozen underwent several story treatments for years before being commissioned in 2011, with a screenplay written by Jennifer Lee, and both Chris Buck and Lee serving as directors. It features the voices of Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad and Santino Fontana. Christophe Beck, who had worked on Disney's award-winning short Paperman (2012), was hired to compose the film's orchestral score, while husband-and-wife songwriting team Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez wrote the songs.

↣10. Iron Man 3-2013- $1,214,811,252

Marvel's "Iron Man 3" pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy's hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. Iron Man 3 (stylised onscreen as Iron Man Three) is a 2013 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Iron Man, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the sequel to 2008's Iron Man and 2010's Iron Man 2, and the seventh film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Shane Black directed a screenplay he co-wrote with Drew Pearce, which uses concepts from the "Extremis" story arc by Warren Ellis. The film stars Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Stephanie Szostak, James Badge Dale, Jon Favreau, and Ben Kingsley. In Iron Man 3, Tony Stark deals with posttraumatic stress disorder caused by the events of The Avengers, while investigating the reemergence of the Ten Rings, led by the mysterious Mandarin and comes into a conflict with old enemy; Aldrich Killian.