"Thriller" is a loose term referring to any film that generates suspense and excitement as a major aspect of its narrative.
There are many theories about Thrillers, documented in Thrillers by Martin Rubin. One such theory, the Transformed City theory by GK Chesterton, argued that Thrillers took urban settings and transformed them into exciting locations for dramatic stories, eg. Se7en. This was set in a purposely-unnamed city. Other examples include Cloverfield, The Day After Tomorrow and 28 Days Later.
Northrope Frye's Heroic Romance theory argued that Thrillers were stories that took ordinary people and threw them into extraordinary situations. Examples of this include SAW, White Noise, Red Eye, Phone Booth, Enemy of the State and Panic Room.
The Exotic theory, by John Cawelti, argued that Thrillers took the elements of ordinary life and added exotic elements.
WH Matthews' Mazes and Labyrinths theory argued that humans have a fixation with physical puzzles. Mazes and labyrinths are often used in the form of mysterious quests.
The Partial Vision theory, by Pascal Bonitzer, argued that the audience are given a partial view of things whilst important details are obscured.
Noel Carroll's Q&A theory argues that Thrillers are structured around a series of questions, the answers to which the audience are led to want.
The Enigma Codes theory by Roland Barthes was devised after Barthes analysed all narratives in terms of codes that operate moment by moment. Enigma codes are moments in which the audience is led to ask a question. In Thrillers, enigma codes are very important for telling the story in a suspenseful way.
Section 2: Research into Examples of Thriller Opening Scenes
Se7en
Narrative Structure
Linear. Personal. Two contrasting storylines. Lots of mystery (books, sanding fingerprints off, mechanical objects).
Thriller Codes and Conventions
Story is personal. Lots of questions are being asked by the viewer ("Whose hands are they?", "What's this person doing?", "Why is that person sanding off their fingerprints?"). Premeditated crime is implied as being part of the main storyline.
Camerawork
Attention is drawn to the hands, fingers, mechanical objects, maps and plans via closeups. Jolty camerawork maintains the unstable nature of the film to represent the villain's mind.
Mise-en-scène
The room is dark and dingy but stylish at the same time. This is a visual effect for which the director, David Fincher, is renowned. Lighting and footage are manipulated to achieve this almost-colourless and cold effect. Cluttered objects on the table are seen but are not implied to be important to the film in any way; they are simply there to represent the killer's mind, which we can assume is cluttered and filled with junk.
Sound
The opening song, Nine Inch Nails' Closer (remixed), is a song about getting "closer to God" through physical interaction. We can assume this was used to symbolise the physical interactions the killer has with his victims, as he believes he is doing a good deed and cleansing the Earth of scum.
Editing
Fast editing maintains the jolting nature of the film to represent mental instability.
Graphics
The titles are big (important), white (good) and against a dark background (evil). They flicker a lot (mental instability).
Psycho
Narrative Structure
Linear. Personal.
Thriller Codes and Conventions
Story is personal. There is a pretty girl (stereotype). Lots of questions are being asked by the viewer ("What is happening?", "Who's this woman?", "Why are we being shown this?"). Mental instability and murder are part of the main storyline.
Camerawork
Jerky movement to represent mental instability.
Mise-en-scène
Suburban setting.
Sound
Legendary theme music is used to build suspense and strike fear into the viewer whilst preparing them for something worse.
Editing
Smooth editing; not too quick or long. Keeps the pace right.
Graphics
Black background (evil), white titles (good), huge font (important).
Red Eye
Narrative Structure
Linear. Personal. Begins in a domestic setting, soon intercut with contrasting storyline. Lots of mystery (girl, fish, wallet).
Thriller Codes and Conventions
Story is personal. There is a pretty girl (stereotype). Lots of questions are being asked by the viewer ("What is this building?", "Who's looking at these people?", "What are these blueprints for?"). Money and corruption are implied as being part of the main storyline.
Camerawork
Attention is drawn to the wallet at the start via a zoom. A closeup is used on a box. At one point a panning shot is jerky, but one must assume this apparent mistake is intentional as the film is directed by Wes Craven, an established master of this genre. A low-angle shot of a building makes viewers wonder if this building is the one seen in the blueprints beforehand.
Mise-en-scène
Photographs of loved ones, including children graduating. Wallet on the table is snatched away hastily by a hand, the owner of which is unknown. Contrasting storyline shows an apparent seafood company's employees unloading crates of fish. Crates have a stamp on them ("Inspector-approved"). Location is shown to be Florida via more information on the crates.
Sound
Sound of airplane at start of film - "red eye" flights depart late at night and the film starts at night-time. The music is paced perfectly, works with the airplane sound and changes when the film swaps between storyline. Domestic but creepy noises: door creaks, wind, etc. The music and visuals both end at the same time.
Editing
Smooth editing; not too quick or long. Keeps the pace right.
Graphics
The titles fly away like planes. They are big (important), white (good) and against a black background (evil). The main title is huge (very important) and red (Red Eye).
State of Play
Narrative Structure
Linear. Begins with a man fleeing from something or someone, creating mystery. Equilibrium - destruction - resolution. Mini-cliffhanger.
Thriller Codes and Conventions
Chase scene, gunshots and apparent assassins are shown, all in the opening sequence. Questions being asked by viewer ("What's in the briefcase?", "Why has the hitman already got the case when the pursuer is usually after something?", "Has the black guy seen something he shouldn't have seen?").
Camerawork
An establishing shot is used to show us that the story takes place in Washington DC. This backs up the claim that the film is a Political Thriller. A closeup on the fleeing man shows fear. No two-shots yet (impersonal, strangers). White supremacy (black man being killed by white). Point-of-view shot (focuses on briefcase and then corpse). Pizza delivery boy survives being shot (mini-cliffhanger).
Mise-en-scène
Dark lighting and costumes convey the scene's mood. The briefcase conveys importance. The story takes place in Washington DC, backing the film's status as a Political Thriller. Scared man running conveys fear for life. Traditional political city (bright buildings, contrast to dark night). Black man has horrible teeth (drugs, crime, poor, maybe from slums). Group of people save pizza delivery boy's life (democracy).
Sound
Sounds of the city (cars, chatter, footsteps). Man panting whilst fleeing (weakness, close to death). Music (escalates tension and suspense, drums foreshadow violence). Silencer on gun (hitman, professional). Symbol of innocence dying (bicycle falling over, thunder loudens to signal climax).
Editing
Fast editing (conveys pace of scene). Starts slow, speeds up, builds suspense.
Graphics
Titles are red, white and blue (American patriotism) and against a black background (good vs. evil, light vs. dark). Blue (cold, dead, merciless).
Strangers on a Train
Narrative Structure
Linear. Two strangers meet, talk about life. One reveals his plan for the perfect murder, but the men then part ways. Train tracks (criss-cross, life paths collide). One person (purposeful walk) lose masculinity (other walk normal). Unusual shoes (unusual person). Feet bang together (connected).
Thriller Codes and Conventions
Sound begins in dramatic way, suddenly turns happy. Main plot focuses on murder. Questions being asked by viewer ("Why is the strange man so pushy?", "Why are we only seeing shoes at the beginning?", "Are they going to carry out the perfect murder?").
Camerawork
Low-level shots (no faces, strangers). Shot-reverse-shot (characters assessing each other).
Mise-en-scène
Train station, old taxi (strangers, anonymity). Shoes (distinctive, two people). Feet (travel). People look respectful, unconventional for murderers to look as such. Trains (inescapable fate).
Sound
Orchestral music (grand, theatre-like). Sudden change to happy music (Tom and Jerry-like). Sudden change to epic music (distinguishes characters' separate personalities). Sudden change to dramatic music (surprise).
Editing
Cross-cutting. Almost looks as if the two main characters are walking towards each other, and therefore their fate / destiny. Speeds up as they get closer.
Graphics
White and black (good vs. evil, light vs. dark). Titles against action, not just solid colour. Lots of fonts, massive size, classy.
American Psycho
Narrative Structure
Linear. Personal.
Thriller Codes and Conventions
Story is personal. Lots of questions are being asked by the viewer ("What's going on?", "Why is this man suddenly turning violent?", "Why has no-one noticed this man's sporadic violent remarks and actions?"). Money, vanity, mental instability and corruption are part of the storyline.
Camerawork
Extremely smooth camerawork lulls the viewer into a false sense of security; one would expect a film with the word "psycho" in the title to be jumpy and violent, eg. Hitchcock's Psycho (the main killer American Psycho is a reworking of Psycho's killer), but this is the opposite. We can assume that the camerawork represents the main character's state of mind, as he is a calm and very well-presented citizen most of the time, but sporadically turns into a violent killer. The calm camerawork may represent the calm before the storm.
Mise-en-scène
White tablecloths and very well-presented customers also lull the viewer into a false sense of security; again, one would expect this film's title to indicate violence, but this is also reversed. The colour white is pure and good. We can again assume that the main character's state of mind is represented here, as the white colour is pure, but the main character's purity is tarred.
Sound
Calm, sophisticated music lulls the viewer into a false sense of security again. One would expect this film to contain senseless violence right from the beginning, but this stereotype is also reversed. We can once again assume that the main character's state of mind is represented here through the "calm before the storm".
Editing
Smooth editing; not too quick or long. Keeps the pace right.
Graphics
The titles are very calm. These also lull the viewer into a false sense of security; again, one would expect this film's title to indicate violence, but this is also reversed. The franticness one would expect from a film like this - possibly with jumpy titles like Se7en - is not present.
Narrative Structure
Linear. Personal. Two contrasting storylines. Lots of mystery (books, sanding fingerprints off, mechanical objects).
Thriller Codes and Conventions
Story is personal. Lots of questions are being asked by the viewer ("Whose hands are they?", "What's this person doing?", "Why is that person sanding off their fingerprints?"). Premeditated crime is implied as being part of the main storyline.
Camerawork
Attention is drawn to the hands, fingers, mechanical objects, maps and plans via closeups. Jolty camerawork maintains the unstable nature of the film to represent the villain's mind.
Mise-en-scène
The room is dark and dingy but stylish at the same time. This is a visual effect for which the director, David Fincher, is renowned. Lighting and footage are manipulated to achieve this almost-colourless and cold effect. Cluttered objects on the table are seen but are not implied to be important to the film in any way; they are simply there to represent the killer's mind, which we can assume is cluttered and filled with junk.
Sound
The opening song, Nine Inch Nails' Closer (remixed), is a song about getting "closer to God" through physical interaction. We can assume this was used to symbolise the physical interactions the killer has with his victims, as he believes he is doing a good deed and cleansing the Earth of scum.
Editing
Fast editing maintains the jolting nature of the film to represent mental instability.
Graphics
The titles are big (important), white (good) and against a dark background (evil). They flicker a lot (mental instability).
Psycho
Narrative Structure
Linear. Personal.
Thriller Codes and Conventions
Story is personal. There is a pretty girl (stereotype). Lots of questions are being asked by the viewer ("What is happening?", "Who's this woman?", "Why are we being shown this?"). Mental instability and murder are part of the main storyline.
Camerawork
Jerky movement to represent mental instability.
Mise-en-scène
Suburban setting.
Sound
Legendary theme music is used to build suspense and strike fear into the viewer whilst preparing them for something worse.
Editing
Smooth editing; not too quick or long. Keeps the pace right.
Graphics
Black background (evil), white titles (good), huge font (important).
Red Eye
Narrative Structure
Linear. Personal. Begins in a domestic setting, soon intercut with contrasting storyline. Lots of mystery (girl, fish, wallet).
Thriller Codes and Conventions
Story is personal. There is a pretty girl (stereotype). Lots of questions are being asked by the viewer ("What is this building?", "Who's looking at these people?", "What are these blueprints for?"). Money and corruption are implied as being part of the main storyline.
Camerawork
Attention is drawn to the wallet at the start via a zoom. A closeup is used on a box. At one point a panning shot is jerky, but one must assume this apparent mistake is intentional as the film is directed by Wes Craven, an established master of this genre. A low-angle shot of a building makes viewers wonder if this building is the one seen in the blueprints beforehand.
Mise-en-scène
Photographs of loved ones, including children graduating. Wallet on the table is snatched away hastily by a hand, the owner of which is unknown. Contrasting storyline shows an apparent seafood company's employees unloading crates of fish. Crates have a stamp on them ("Inspector-approved"). Location is shown to be Florida via more information on the crates.
Sound
Sound of airplane at start of film - "red eye" flights depart late at night and the film starts at night-time. The music is paced perfectly, works with the airplane sound and changes when the film swaps between storyline. Domestic but creepy noises: door creaks, wind, etc. The music and visuals both end at the same time.
Editing
Smooth editing; not too quick or long. Keeps the pace right.
Graphics
The titles fly away like planes. They are big (important), white (good) and against a black background (evil). The main title is huge (very important) and red (Red Eye).
State of Play
Narrative Structure
Linear. Begins with a man fleeing from something or someone, creating mystery. Equilibrium - destruction - resolution. Mini-cliffhanger.
Thriller Codes and Conventions
Chase scene, gunshots and apparent assassins are shown, all in the opening sequence. Questions being asked by viewer ("What's in the briefcase?", "Why has the hitman already got the case when the pursuer is usually after something?", "Has the black guy seen something he shouldn't have seen?").
Camerawork
An establishing shot is used to show us that the story takes place in Washington DC. This backs up the claim that the film is a Political Thriller. A closeup on the fleeing man shows fear. No two-shots yet (impersonal, strangers). White supremacy (black man being killed by white). Point-of-view shot (focuses on briefcase and then corpse). Pizza delivery boy survives being shot (mini-cliffhanger).
Mise-en-scène
Dark lighting and costumes convey the scene's mood. The briefcase conveys importance. The story takes place in Washington DC, backing the film's status as a Political Thriller. Scared man running conveys fear for life. Traditional political city (bright buildings, contrast to dark night). Black man has horrible teeth (drugs, crime, poor, maybe from slums). Group of people save pizza delivery boy's life (democracy).
Sound
Sounds of the city (cars, chatter, footsteps). Man panting whilst fleeing (weakness, close to death). Music (escalates tension and suspense, drums foreshadow violence). Silencer on gun (hitman, professional). Symbol of innocence dying (bicycle falling over, thunder loudens to signal climax).
Editing
Fast editing (conveys pace of scene). Starts slow, speeds up, builds suspense.
Graphics
Titles are red, white and blue (American patriotism) and against a black background (good vs. evil, light vs. dark). Blue (cold, dead, merciless).
Strangers on a Train
Narrative Structure
Linear. Two strangers meet, talk about life. One reveals his plan for the perfect murder, but the men then part ways. Train tracks (criss-cross, life paths collide). One person (purposeful walk) lose masculinity (other walk normal). Unusual shoes (unusual person). Feet bang together (connected).
Thriller Codes and Conventions
Sound begins in dramatic way, suddenly turns happy. Main plot focuses on murder. Questions being asked by viewer ("Why is the strange man so pushy?", "Why are we only seeing shoes at the beginning?", "Are they going to carry out the perfect murder?").
Camerawork
Low-level shots (no faces, strangers). Shot-reverse-shot (characters assessing each other).
Mise-en-scène
Train station, old taxi (strangers, anonymity). Shoes (distinctive, two people). Feet (travel). People look respectful, unconventional for murderers to look as such. Trains (inescapable fate).
Sound
Orchestral music (grand, theatre-like). Sudden change to happy music (Tom and Jerry-like). Sudden change to epic music (distinguishes characters' separate personalities). Sudden change to dramatic music (surprise).
Editing
Cross-cutting. Almost looks as if the two main characters are walking towards each other, and therefore their fate / destiny. Speeds up as they get closer.
Graphics
White and black (good vs. evil, light vs. dark). Titles against action, not just solid colour. Lots of fonts, massive size, classy.
American Psycho
Narrative Structure
Linear. Personal.
Thriller Codes and Conventions
Story is personal. Lots of questions are being asked by the viewer ("What's going on?", "Why is this man suddenly turning violent?", "Why has no-one noticed this man's sporadic violent remarks and actions?"). Money, vanity, mental instability and corruption are part of the storyline.
Camerawork
Extremely smooth camerawork lulls the viewer into a false sense of security; one would expect a film with the word "psycho" in the title to be jumpy and violent, eg. Hitchcock's Psycho (the main killer American Psycho is a reworking of Psycho's killer), but this is the opposite. We can assume that the camerawork represents the main character's state of mind, as he is a calm and very well-presented citizen most of the time, but sporadically turns into a violent killer. The calm camerawork may represent the calm before the storm.
Mise-en-scène
White tablecloths and very well-presented customers also lull the viewer into a false sense of security; again, one would expect this film's title to indicate violence, but this is also reversed. The colour white is pure and good. We can again assume that the main character's state of mind is represented here, as the white colour is pure, but the main character's purity is tarred.
Sound
Calm, sophisticated music lulls the viewer into a false sense of security again. One would expect this film to contain senseless violence right from the beginning, but this stereotype is also reversed. We can once again assume that the main character's state of mind is represented here through the "calm before the storm".
Editing
Smooth editing; not too quick or long. Keeps the pace right.
Graphics
The titles are very calm. These also lull the viewer into a false sense of security; again, one would expect this film's title to indicate violence, but this is also reversed. The franticness one would expect from a film like this - possibly with jumpy titles like Se7en - is not present.
Section 3: Brainstorm of Ideas for Your Film
Idea 1 (Psychological Thriller)
A woman is sat down at her local bus station in the early hours of the morning. She thinks she's alone, but little does she know that a man is following her with possibly murderous intentions.
Idea 2 (Psychological Thriller)
A woman is walking through her deserted local shopping centre in the early hours of the morning. The woman thinks she's alone but two masked men, who have been watching and plotting to kidnap her, are following her.
Idea 3 (Crime Thriller)
A man is fleeing on his bicycle from something / someone as fast as possible. Blinded by fear, he pays no attention to the vehicle he crashes into, sliding over the bonnet and slamming onto the ground. Crawling away from the car on the floor, the man is obviously injured. Another man, masked, exits the car and slowly approaches the crawling man, doing nothing to help him. It becomes apparent that the crawling man was fleeing from the masked man. The crawling man gets slower and slower, to the point where he has no energy to resist a kick in the ribs from the masked man, forcing him onto his back. The man on his back stares at the sky, breathing shallowly, until it becomes apparent that he is no longer actually breathing. The masked man gets back in his car and drives away.
Idea 4 (Crime Thriller)
A man is fleeing on his bicycle from something / someone as fast as possible. Blinded by fear, he pays no attention to the vehicle he crashes into, sliding over the bonnet and slamming onto the ground. Jumping back up to his feet, the man carries on running. He runs out of breath near a payphone, and hears the phone start to ring. After some hesitation, he picks the phone up and talks to his pursuer. Hanging up the phone after a chilling message, the man is grabbed from behind by the pursuer and knocked out. The kidnapper flings the unconscious man over his shoulder, throws him in the boot of his car and drives away.
Idea 5 (Supernatural Thriller)
A group of teenagers spend the night at a new hotel just outside their hometown. Little do they know, their rooms are each haunted by different malicious spirits.
Idea 6 (Supernatural Thriller)
A young woman spends the night at a hotel after an argument with her husband. After checking into her room, she finds that no technology works. Little does she know that this is the work of a malicious demon that has chased out or killed numerous guests.
A woman is sat down at her local bus station in the early hours of the morning. She thinks she's alone, but little does she know that a man is following her with possibly murderous intentions.
Idea 2 (Psychological Thriller)
A woman is walking through her deserted local shopping centre in the early hours of the morning. The woman thinks she's alone but two masked men, who have been watching and plotting to kidnap her, are following her.
Idea 3 (Crime Thriller)
A man is fleeing on his bicycle from something / someone as fast as possible. Blinded by fear, he pays no attention to the vehicle he crashes into, sliding over the bonnet and slamming onto the ground. Crawling away from the car on the floor, the man is obviously injured. Another man, masked, exits the car and slowly approaches the crawling man, doing nothing to help him. It becomes apparent that the crawling man was fleeing from the masked man. The crawling man gets slower and slower, to the point where he has no energy to resist a kick in the ribs from the masked man, forcing him onto his back. The man on his back stares at the sky, breathing shallowly, until it becomes apparent that he is no longer actually breathing. The masked man gets back in his car and drives away.
Idea 4 (Crime Thriller)
A man is fleeing on his bicycle from something / someone as fast as possible. Blinded by fear, he pays no attention to the vehicle he crashes into, sliding over the bonnet and slamming onto the ground. Jumping back up to his feet, the man carries on running. He runs out of breath near a payphone, and hears the phone start to ring. After some hesitation, he picks the phone up and talks to his pursuer. Hanging up the phone after a chilling message, the man is grabbed from behind by the pursuer and knocked out. The kidnapper flings the unconscious man over his shoulder, throws him in the boot of his car and drives away.
Idea 5 (Supernatural Thriller)
A group of teenagers spend the night at a new hotel just outside their hometown. Little do they know, their rooms are each haunted by different malicious spirits.
Idea 6 (Supernatural Thriller)
A young woman spends the night at a hotel after an argument with her husband. After checking into her room, she finds that no technology works. Little does she know that this is the work of a malicious demon that has chased out or killed numerous guests.
Section 4: Audience Research & Research into BBFC Film Classification System
We can see from the pie charts that more men than women did this survey.
Most people we surveyed were 16.
The majority of people we surveyed, prefer to watch a horror film.
The majority of people prefer to watch a film in the cinema.
20 out of 39 people payed most attention to the character types.
20 out of 39 people said that their favourite thriller film was SAW.
most people consider gore to be necessary in a thriller.
Most people disliked the film White Noise. And the least disliked was Se7en.
Most people say that the villans identity should not be revealed during the films opening.
Most people say that shock value in a film in something they prefer.
Nealry everybody we surveyed said that they prefer music and sound effects to build suspence in a film rather than nothing.
Nealry three quarters of people we surveyed prefer diegetic sounds.
14 out of 39 people surveyed say that their favourite film title is Your Last Call.
The font that is most popular in our survey is Agency FB, and the least favourite is Algerian.
The most popular colour out of the following is black.
Most people we surveyed prefer a male hero.
Most people prefer a male villan in their thriller film.
The majority of people prefer a male victim in a thriller film.
Our film, Your Last Call, is aimed at people of many ages, and most particular people 15-30, as the film has got younger and older people in it, it will relate to that kind of an audience, it is quite scary so would not be appropriate for people under 15. We asked many people aged 16-19 what kind of films they like, and the majority said horror thrillers, so we chose to do ours as that genre of thriller, and targeted at that age range. I have covered a range of ages within my target audience, mainly ages 16-19, as we gave the questionnaires to people at college. My results are probably going to be biased in favour of the lower end of my target audience’s age range.
Section 5: Treatment
Treatment for Your Last Call
Concept
A young man is being chased by an apparent psychopath, but doesn't know why. He is finally caught by the psycho and - upon being kidnapped - learns why the psycho has him in his sights.
Synopsis
Beginning: Trev, a 24-year-old man, is seen running in a panic through the streets of his hometown. Taking a breath in an alley, he hears a nearby payphone start to ring. After some contemplation, he answers it. The voice on the other end threatens him and belongs to the man Trev is revealed to be running from. Suddenly, Trev is knocked out and thrown into a car's boot.
Middle: Trev wakes up tied to a chair in a warehouse. His kidnapper appears and demands to know where Trev has put his money, but Trev says nothing. The kidnapper tortures Trev, then shows him a video of his wife and children begging for their lives with knives held to their throats.
End: Trev escapes from the warehouse, only to discover that his wife and kids are actually being held in the same warehouse. He frees them but they are confronted by the kidnapper before they can escape. Trev attacks the kidnapper with a hammer and smacks him with such impact that he falls through a window to his death. Trev takes his family home and they try to forget about the whole thing.
Opening Scene
The begins with an establishing shot of Runcorn's Silver Jubilee Bridge. Trev flees through Runcorn's streets in a panic. Taking a breath in an alley, Trev hears a nearby payphone start to ring. After some contemplation, he answers it. The voice on the other end threatens him and belongs to the man Trev is revealed to be running from. Suddenly, Trev is knocked out and thrown into a car's boot.
Target Audience
The film will be aimed at teenagers, adults and fans of Thriller films in general. It will have a 15 certificate for graphic depictions of violence, profanity and substance abuse (alcohol / drugs).
Other Details
No recognisable stars in the film in order to emphasise realism. Locations will be ordinary, suburban settings.
Concept
A young man is being chased by an apparent psychopath, but doesn't know why. He is finally caught by the psycho and - upon being kidnapped - learns why the psycho has him in his sights.
Synopsis
Beginning: Trev, a 24-year-old man, is seen running in a panic through the streets of his hometown. Taking a breath in an alley, he hears a nearby payphone start to ring. After some contemplation, he answers it. The voice on the other end threatens him and belongs to the man Trev is revealed to be running from. Suddenly, Trev is knocked out and thrown into a car's boot.
Middle: Trev wakes up tied to a chair in a warehouse. His kidnapper appears and demands to know where Trev has put his money, but Trev says nothing. The kidnapper tortures Trev, then shows him a video of his wife and children begging for their lives with knives held to their throats.
End: Trev escapes from the warehouse, only to discover that his wife and kids are actually being held in the same warehouse. He frees them but they are confronted by the kidnapper before they can escape. Trev attacks the kidnapper with a hammer and smacks him with such impact that he falls through a window to his death. Trev takes his family home and they try to forget about the whole thing.
Opening Scene
The begins with an establishing shot of Runcorn's Silver Jubilee Bridge. Trev flees through Runcorn's streets in a panic. Taking a breath in an alley, Trev hears a nearby payphone start to ring. After some contemplation, he answers it. The voice on the other end threatens him and belongs to the man Trev is revealed to be running from. Suddenly, Trev is knocked out and thrown into a car's boot.
Target Audience
The film will be aimed at teenagers, adults and fans of Thriller films in general. It will have a 15 certificate for graphic depictions of violence, profanity and substance abuse (alcohol / drugs).
Other Details
No recognisable stars in the film in order to emphasise realism. Locations will be ordinary, suburban settings.
Section 6: Character Outlines & Script
Your Last Call Character Outlines
Trev
Age: 24
Sex: Male
Height: 6ft2
Build: Athletic
Hair Colour / Style: Black / short
Eye Color: Dark brown
Skin Colour: Tanned
Relationship Status: Married to Maria, father of two children
Occupation: Sports personality
Hobbies: sports, martial arts
Notable Personal Qualities: Extremely fast and enduring, loves sport
"The Kidnapper"
Age: 44
Sex: Male
Height: 5ft10
Build: Athletic
Hair Colour / Style: Black / Bald
Eye Color: Dark blue
Skin Colour: White
Relationship Status: Widower
Occupation: Unknown, possibly drug-related
Hobbies: Unknown
Notable Personal Qualities: Cunning, witty, murderous, cold
Maria
Age: 23
Sex: Female
Height: 5ft6
Build: Slim
Hair Colour / Style: Blonde / shoulder-length
Eye Color: Dark blue
Skin Colour: White
Relationship Status: Married to Trev, mother of two children
Occupation: Saleswoman
Hobbies: Swimming, jousting
Notable Personal Qualities: Competitive, loving, sentimental, able to turn off emotions in time of crisis
Click here to see the Your Last Call script.
Trev
Age: 24
Sex: Male
Height: 6ft2
Build: Athletic
Hair Colour / Style: Black / short
Eye Color: Dark brown
Skin Colour: Tanned
Relationship Status: Married to Maria, father of two children
Occupation: Sports personality
Hobbies: sports, martial arts
Notable Personal Qualities: Extremely fast and enduring, loves sport
"The Kidnapper"
Age: 44
Sex: Male
Height: 5ft10
Build: Athletic
Hair Colour / Style: Black / Bald
Eye Color: Dark blue
Skin Colour: White
Relationship Status: Widower
Occupation: Unknown, possibly drug-related
Hobbies: Unknown
Notable Personal Qualities: Cunning, witty, murderous, cold
Maria
Age: 23
Sex: Female
Height: 5ft6
Build: Slim
Hair Colour / Style: Blonde / shoulder-length
Eye Color: Dark blue
Skin Colour: White
Relationship Status: Married to Trev, mother of two children
Occupation: Saleswoman
Hobbies: Swimming, jousting
Notable Personal Qualities: Competitive, loving, sentimental, able to turn off emotions in time of crisis
Click here to see the Your Last Call script.
Section 7: Production Material - Storyboards and Shotlists
Our storyboards helped us to shoot our film quicker.
Section 8: Recce and Location Sheets
We scouted locations and eventually found a street that fit perfectly into our film as we needed a street to run down, and to film our sequence in one day in which case the emptiness of the road was handy.
Section 9: Production Schedule
Production Schedule for Your Last Call
Name of film: Your Last Call
Director(s): Ryan Davies
Producer(s): Rachel Axon, Callum Howard, Sean Butler
Client: OCR Exam Board
Date production started: 20th November, 2009
Treatment started: 20th November, 2009
Treatment completed: 22nd November, 2009
Treatment sent to client: 22nd November, 2009
Storyboard started: 20th November, 2009
Storyboard completed: 23rd November, 2009
Shooting started: 28th November, 2009
Shooting completed: 28th November, 2009
Post-production started: 7th December, 2009
Post-production completed: 14th December, 2009
Rough-cut submitted: 14th December, 2009
Final show completed: 14th December, 2009
Name of film: Your Last Call
Director(s): Ryan Davies
Producer(s): Rachel Axon, Callum Howard, Sean Butler
Client: OCR Exam Board
Date production started: 20th November, 2009
Treatment started: 20th November, 2009
Treatment completed: 22nd November, 2009
Treatment sent to client: 22nd November, 2009
Storyboard started: 20th November, 2009
Storyboard completed: 23rd November, 2009
Shooting started: 28th November, 2009
Shooting completed: 28th November, 2009
Post-production started: 7th December, 2009
Post-production completed: 14th December, 2009
Rough-cut submitted: 14th December, 2009
Final show completed: 14th December, 2009
Section 10: Edit Decision List
Our Edit Decision List helped as it told us where to cut the footage, how and where we were editing and in which order. It helped us along as we were told by it how to improve our film and smooth it out to the best of our ability. It helped us in piecing our film together in all the right places, which we planned out by writing a list of steps and stages.
Section 11: Audience Feedback
The audience thought Your Last Call was good. One person said the acting was brilliant. Another said the music fit in perfectly with the film's genre. The audience said that the opening sequence was clear and that they were able to make assumptions about the film's plot from it.
On the other hand, some people thought that some of the shots were too long. The shots in question were of Colin Oates' character carrying Jaymie Weston's character to his car and shoving him into the boot. The audience said we could improve the film by cutting these shots shorter.
On the other hand, some people thought that some of the shots were too long. The shots in question were of Colin Oates' character carrying Jaymie Weston's character to his car and shoving him into the boot. The audience said we could improve the film by cutting these shots shorter.
Section 12: Analysis of Completed Sequence
1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge the forms and conventions of real media products?
My media product, Your Last Call, uses forms and conventions of real media products in many ways. We used a typical villain and chose an actor whose physical traits are stocky, tough, roughened and violent to create a more realistic thriller as this is very typical of thriller films. We also used a stereotypically normal person as the hero, as viewers can relate to him. He is just a normal male and wears jogging bottoms, giving viewers the impression that he is perhaps poor, which we later realise in the film he is.
The opening to our product is typical to many thrillers. It appears ordinary but has a twist which is common in other media products. It is full of action and fast camera work. We used loud, powerful, fast music to make our product memorable. We used a lot of fast editing. Many people in the film industry make music one of the main points as it can make or break your opening sequence (and the whole film). We did not give to much of our plot away in order to let the audience guess what was happening, which is very typical of other similar products.
2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?
Our media product shows the hero dressed in scruffy, "chavvy" clothes, to give the film more realism and grittiness. The protagonist looks like a typical person, which will make it easy for many people to relate to him. We used males in our product to suggest that men are more dominant. The villain in our film is an older man, which is very typical since the villain is usually older and male in most films, which represents the villain stereotypically.
We used an exaggerated stereotype of the villain. We chose a stocky actor and dressed him in black, a colour which represents danger and power, and which gave him an evil look. We made all the characters in our film working-class, as it is shown in the media that they cause trouble and this makes the film more dramatic and realistic. Our product is set in a typical common British council estate. Many people can relate to this, as it is very realistic and common.
3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
The type of media institution that would distribute our product would be one that specialises in action thrillers. To make the full film it would require a large budget as there are lots of special effects needed, and professional camerawork with fast moves. However it's not set in an expensive location, and there are no explosions, so money could be saved. Companies that would be ideal for distribution of our film include Entertainment Film Distributors, Icon Movies, Lionsgate, Momentum Pictures, Revolver Entertainment, and Palisades Tartan.
4. Who would be the audience for your media product?
Our film is aimed mostly at teens and adults who enjoy watching thrillers, specifically people aged 15 - 30 as the film has younger and older people in it. It can relate to an older and younger audience. It is quite scary so would not be appropriate for people under 15, as it contains gore and violence. We asked many 16 - 19 year-olds what kind of films they enjoy and the majority said horror / action thrillers, so we chose to do ours as that genre of thriller; targeted at that age range. I have covered a range of ages within my target audience, mainly ages 16 - 19, as we gave the questionnaires to people at college. My results are probably going to be biased in favour of the lower end of my target audience’s age range - it would be mainly aimed at the younger audience as the main character is young and many young people can relate to him. People would be made aware of this as we used realistic people and realistic settings.
5. How did you attract / address your audience?
We decided to name our film Your Last Call after asking many people which title they liked best out of a possible seven choices. Your Last Call was the most popular and the name went very well with the film, and boosted the thriller / action theme. We opened our film with a young man running through the woods. The audience can relate to our characters because things like this could happen to them as the character is just as normal as they are. We took all the advice from our pie charts and used them in our film. The majority of people said they would like to watch a film in the cinema; this gave us inspiration to use clear, bold shots that would look spectacular on a big screen. Most people said that they paid most attention to character types in a film, so the story was based around our characters. Nearly everybody preferred shock value in a thriller film, so we decided to add a surprise in the opening to create shock value. We used the shot where the protagonist gets knocked out as it was unexpected. We also added loud, upbeat music as it fit in perfectly and that’s what most people wanted to see since this type of music would attract a younger audience.
6. What have you learned about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
I have learnt how to properly produce a film and use a variety of shots / angles to establish where a story takes place. I also learnt more about using technical equipment such as tripods to make the product look more professional. I have also learnt how to make storyboards and the importance of storyboards in the filmmaking process. It is essential to have a good, solid plan before you start to shoot your film and that everybody has a general idea of what they are doing such as acting, filming, editing etc.
7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learned in the progression from it to the full product?
Before we started to create our thriller film, we had to complete a preliminary task; a short film of someone tying their shoelaces. This gained us an insight of what it was like to work with the camera equipment, and to use different camera angles and shots. Once we had done this, we edited it on the computer. This helped us a lot and we learned how to properly edit our films, cutting out all the un-important footage for a polished result.
I have learned a lot from the start of this task in creating a thriller film. I learned more about cinematography and using a variety of shots such as panning, tracking, and high / low angles. I learned how to make the film flow a lot better in editing. I learned all about different films and genres, and how to create one of my own using different codes and conventions to fit in with the film.
My media product, Your Last Call, uses forms and conventions of real media products in many ways. We used a typical villain and chose an actor whose physical traits are stocky, tough, roughened and violent to create a more realistic thriller as this is very typical of thriller films. We also used a stereotypically normal person as the hero, as viewers can relate to him. He is just a normal male and wears jogging bottoms, giving viewers the impression that he is perhaps poor, which we later realise in the film he is.
The opening to our product is typical to many thrillers. It appears ordinary but has a twist which is common in other media products. It is full of action and fast camera work. We used loud, powerful, fast music to make our product memorable. We used a lot of fast editing. Many people in the film industry make music one of the main points as it can make or break your opening sequence (and the whole film). We did not give to much of our plot away in order to let the audience guess what was happening, which is very typical of other similar products.
2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?
Our media product shows the hero dressed in scruffy, "chavvy" clothes, to give the film more realism and grittiness. The protagonist looks like a typical person, which will make it easy for many people to relate to him. We used males in our product to suggest that men are more dominant. The villain in our film is an older man, which is very typical since the villain is usually older and male in most films, which represents the villain stereotypically.
We used an exaggerated stereotype of the villain. We chose a stocky actor and dressed him in black, a colour which represents danger and power, and which gave him an evil look. We made all the characters in our film working-class, as it is shown in the media that they cause trouble and this makes the film more dramatic and realistic. Our product is set in a typical common British council estate. Many people can relate to this, as it is very realistic and common.
3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
The type of media institution that would distribute our product would be one that specialises in action thrillers. To make the full film it would require a large budget as there are lots of special effects needed, and professional camerawork with fast moves. However it's not set in an expensive location, and there are no explosions, so money could be saved. Companies that would be ideal for distribution of our film include Entertainment Film Distributors, Icon Movies, Lionsgate, Momentum Pictures, Revolver Entertainment, and Palisades Tartan.
4. Who would be the audience for your media product?
Our film is aimed mostly at teens and adults who enjoy watching thrillers, specifically people aged 15 - 30 as the film has younger and older people in it. It can relate to an older and younger audience. It is quite scary so would not be appropriate for people under 15, as it contains gore and violence. We asked many 16 - 19 year-olds what kind of films they enjoy and the majority said horror / action thrillers, so we chose to do ours as that genre of thriller; targeted at that age range. I have covered a range of ages within my target audience, mainly ages 16 - 19, as we gave the questionnaires to people at college. My results are probably going to be biased in favour of the lower end of my target audience’s age range - it would be mainly aimed at the younger audience as the main character is young and many young people can relate to him. People would be made aware of this as we used realistic people and realistic settings.
5. How did you attract / address your audience?
We decided to name our film Your Last Call after asking many people which title they liked best out of a possible seven choices. Your Last Call was the most popular and the name went very well with the film, and boosted the thriller / action theme. We opened our film with a young man running through the woods. The audience can relate to our characters because things like this could happen to them as the character is just as normal as they are. We took all the advice from our pie charts and used them in our film. The majority of people said they would like to watch a film in the cinema; this gave us inspiration to use clear, bold shots that would look spectacular on a big screen. Most people said that they paid most attention to character types in a film, so the story was based around our characters. Nearly everybody preferred shock value in a thriller film, so we decided to add a surprise in the opening to create shock value. We used the shot where the protagonist gets knocked out as it was unexpected. We also added loud, upbeat music as it fit in perfectly and that’s what most people wanted to see since this type of music would attract a younger audience.
6. What have you learned about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
I have learnt how to properly produce a film and use a variety of shots / angles to establish where a story takes place. I also learnt more about using technical equipment such as tripods to make the product look more professional. I have also learnt how to make storyboards and the importance of storyboards in the filmmaking process. It is essential to have a good, solid plan before you start to shoot your film and that everybody has a general idea of what they are doing such as acting, filming, editing etc.
7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learned in the progression from it to the full product?
Before we started to create our thriller film, we had to complete a preliminary task; a short film of someone tying their shoelaces. This gained us an insight of what it was like to work with the camera equipment, and to use different camera angles and shots. Once we had done this, we edited it on the computer. This helped us a lot and we learned how to properly edit our films, cutting out all the un-important footage for a polished result.
I have learned a lot from the start of this task in creating a thriller film. I learned more about cinematography and using a variety of shots such as panning, tracking, and high / low angles. I learned how to make the film flow a lot better in editing. I learned all about different films and genres, and how to create one of my own using different codes and conventions to fit in with the film.
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