Thriller Films- The basics

I conducted some research to gain a better understanding of the genre i'll be focusing on. I summarised the key conventions through the applications of keynote and Slideshare.Conventions of the thriller genre

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Using green screen in iMovie

Object is isolated in front of green screen

Today, i investigated the possible filming and production skills which i might use, such as the green screen effect, which as years gone past has been made very simple and easy. In my story, the wife drowns in the river on a day lovely day out with her husband. 

Now since its 2°C at the start of January and making a character submerge into cold water to give the effect of a drowning can be quite difficult. I therefore used the advance of technology to help me. Since i will use iMovie for the basic editing, i decided to perform some research on YouTube and other websites so i could learn the basic techniques required for a green screen effect. I began to see how easily this could be performed with great effect.

Background is chosen to replace green screen

Firstly, an object (in my case, the wife) has to be placed in-front of a relatively large green screen. I record my wife lying down for the effect of drowning and her head beginning to submerge under the water. The wife's hair could be wet to start with so when the water is added as the background, the effect will be more realistic.

Secondly, i would need to place a suitable background to replace the green screen. As a photograph would not work, i would have to record the flow of the river from the bank where, theoretically, the wife would be. I would import the clips from the camera through the camera USB into iMovie.

The two put together...

Thirdly, i would drag my clip of the green screen over the clip of the river. iMovie then gives me the option to choose 'green screen effect' which when clicked it, the flow of the river should replace the green screen. Furthermore, i would need to check the timings of both clips and make sure they work together accordingly. Further video adjustments and editing can be made once the green screen effect is up and running.

Using Modern Technology for Pre-Production- Celtx

For the scene which involves my protagonist enter his son's room, i have decided to one close-up shot placed at position 1. and a wide shot of the room at position 2. The latter would give a point of view shot (the father observes the empty room). The set will be lit up naturally by the sunlight through the window but to ensure there is a substantial amount, i will have another source of light pointing to the bed and across the room.

                                    
                                      Bathroom scene
                                 

The scene set in the bathroom will be very complex. I therefore made sure i knew where to place my cameras and lighting before i began filming. As the storyboard states, the protagonist will enter his bathroom and immediately see a glimpse of his wife at the sink. Camera position No.1 will show the wife at the sink as the father enters but then the next shot will be from camera position No.2 where another take without the wife will be shot. This gives the effects that the wife has disappeared and it was only the father's imagination playing tricks.

When the father himself is at the sink, he will be filmed from a similar position to camera position No.1(close-up) This is so we can clearly see his reaction for when he hears the distant scream. There will be lighting from behind the character from both windows and lighting from the ceiling.

Sky Media - Crime and Thriller

Today, i performed research into the genre of thriller and the typical audience that frequently watch it. I used Sky Media to find my research and the website explains what kind of movies are watched by specific audiences. I was presented with many types of genres such as indie and family etc.

Sky describes its thriller / crime channel in this way: 'This is a channel dedicated to intrigue, murder and suspense. From whodunits to gritty noirs and gangster sagas, this channel is all about edge-of- the-seat plot twists and gripping tales of the underworld. Full of mystery, murder and tension, its always worth investigating.'

When researching specifically in the crime/thriller section i learnt that:

• Viewers of Sky Movies are generally more upmarket than the average viewer
• Monthly average audience is approximately 9.9 million individuals
• It reaches both male and female audiences
• A great place to reach all the family - 16% of viewers are children
• Attracts a younger audience -  35% of viewers are 16-34

More intriguingly, I further found out that SkyMovie viewers are more likely to:

• Be owners of new technology products such as Xbox and an IPod
• Have broadband access
• Be interested in fashion, music and clubbing
• Take regular holidays/breaks
• Have health and life insurance
• Go to the cinema regularly

Out of Sight- The Storyboard

The video above was created in imovie '11 and the images of 'Death of Ophelia' along with 'Signs' were taken from Google images.

My Storyboard

After the treatment, I composed my storyboard over Christmas. Again, I hope to express the themes of mystery and the paranormal.

Techniques used for composing ideas

  Stickies