Mood Board + Horror Clichés

As the horror genre is very closely related to the thriller genre, I decided to create similar as above a mood board / image map of some of the many horror cliches. In this I have included images all relating to the cliches such as:

• The car never starting when the victim is trying to run away until perhaps the antagonist is right outside the car (e.g. The Hills Have Eyes, Freeway and Carriers - which all show cars breaking down before something fatal happens)
• The female characters always trip or stumble as they run to escape (e.g. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre)

• Whenever a character is trapped / kidnapped etc, they always plead to the antagonist thinking that they would be set free (e.g. Scream Queens, although it isn't a horror film it still is an example of the character asking the antagonist to stop however in this case not verbally)

• There is never any signal on their phones especially when being in the scene with the antagonist (e.g. P2)

• Victim's never run out of their front door and out of the house but instead run to hide in different areas of their house (e.g. Scream)

• Character with authority and parents never seem to understand or cannot help the victim (e.g. The Purge – Have authorities knowing all along, working with the villain)

• The antagonist most of the time doesn't carry guns and instead kills with other weapons which are more slower allowing the character more chance to escape each time (e.g. Scream)

• In a group of friends, they always add suspicion on the most obvious character and then create a plot twist on who it actually is (e.g. Scream TV Series)

Location Reece

Location to be used: Date of when location is needed: Time of when location is needed:	>Kingston Car Park B – Level 12 >30th December (Other dates in January will be needed) >After 6:30PM (Not many people around and it’s dark)	>We can use another car park near by >Chose a different date
Do you need permission to record/photograph in this location? Who will you need to contact?	>No we don’t need permission	>N/A
Will the levels of noise cause a problem? If so, how will you overcome this?	The level of noise will only be a problem if there are lots of people out in the street next to the car park. This shouldn’t be too much of a problem as the shops shut in the evening so there won’t be many people about.	>If there is too much noise then we can either edit the sound after or choose another day to film.
Is the level of lighting suitable?	>Yes	>If something changes and the lighting doesn't become suitable we can edit the lighting later on.
If inside, are the Emergency exits clearly visible and available? Is Emergency equipment provided?	>No because it’s outside >There isn't emergency equipment but if we don’t have the equipment it won’t be hard to carry on without it.	>We can use the light from our phones if the lighting isn't suitable or edit later on. >We all have cameras on our phones we can film with if the camera we are planning to use isn’t accessible
Is there public transport easily available to you?	>Yes we can easily get a bus or train to the location >We are using a car so we get there in that	>If strikes occur or roads are cut off we can rearrange the day >If the car breaks down we can use public transport

Location to be used: Date of when location is needed: Time of when location is needed:	> Car Park – Stairs Between Levels 11 & 12 >30th December (Other dates in January will be needed) >After 6:30PM (Not many people as the top floor is usually quite empty)	>Use another set of stairs on a different level >Go on a different day >Go at a different time of day
Do you need permission to record/photograph in this location? Who will you need to contact?	>No we do not need permission	>Choose a different car park
Will the levels of noise cause a problem? If so, how will you overcome this?	>No because there shouldn't be much noise as there won’t be many people around >No as it’s inside so there won’t really be ambient sounds	>If there are people we can wait for them to leave the staircase and inside area >We can edit over the sound at a later stage
Is the level of lighting suitable?	>Yes because this location is very bright which contrasts with the darkness of the next	>If the lights aren't working we will have to choose stairs on another level or wait till they’re repaired and shoot at this location at a later stage
If inside, are the Emergency exits clearly visible and available? Is Emergency equipment provided?	>Yes there is door on each floor so they are very close to where we are filming. >There isn’t emergency equipment but if we don’t have the equipment it won’t be hard to carry on without it.	>We can use the light from our phones if the lighting isn't suitable or edit later on. >We all have cameras on our phones we can film with if the camera we are planning to use isn’t accessible
Is there public transport easily available to you?	>Yes we can easily get a bus or train to the location >We are using a car so we get there in that	>If strikes occur or roads are cut off we can rearrange the day >If the car breaks down we can use public transport

Analysis of opening and titles - The Purge

The opening of the film The Purge directed by James DeMonaco (2013) portrays the genre of thriller and adding the idea of it very early on in the film by the micro elements that are presented throughout the film. Specifically compared to the other two films, this opening purposely uses the element of sound to present the irony as they incorporate the non-diegetic sound before the scene is even set where they show different attacks happening. However over the top of this, they are playing calm and peaceful music which contradicts the whole scene happening as they are committing crimes. I think they specifically chose this type of music that could even be misinterpreted for music that Disney would include in their animated films. This has been done to create a feeling of ease yet still unsettling the audience by what they are viewing and losing the focus on the sound with the amount of violence going on. Therefore the inspiration I will take from this opening onto our own is the use of sound as it has been successful for them by creating an atmosphere of peace yet is counteracts with the scenes being shown. For our opening I would want us to include music that settles the audience and perhaps isn't exactly the genre convention. This will be done to make the audience question the genre that is meant to be portrayed but then in fact thrill them in the last moment. I think it will also show the enigma codes to the audience of confusion as to what is going on that will later be revealed so they are engaged with the opening.
Throughout the opening, the titles that are shown are in white, very straightforward with little design being added onto it and easy to read but not given enough attention for the audience to get their attention as they are occupied by the disturbing scenes happening in front of them which makes them question what is happening especially as the sound is a key feature of adding suspicion. As the titles are shown while the scenes of attack are playing, they've cleverly created it so the attacks are taken from security cameras therefore the same font is used when showing the security camera information as the titles. By using such a simple font, it allows it to go unnoticed and that is intentionally what they may have wanted, as they would know that the audience would care more about the scene happening in front of them so it ensures they are paying attention to what is happening in the film early on before it even starts.

From the attack scenes alone, it allows the audience to position themselves for more violence and danger to be shown as very early on, it is already going in depth with the attacks therefore it can only show more from it and perhaps even more gory.  An enigma code is added in early on in the film as the audience do not know what is happening in the opening which shows the genre of thriller as they are left in a suspense until the film fully starts, but throughout all the scenes it shows the similar theme of how the victims are being treated so the audience can start to piece together what the film is about but they do not know how all the attacks are link. The use of an micro element is shown again from the mise en scene, in the opening the main type of characters shown are mainly young male adults which portrays the stereotype of the male gender being more dominant than females. This is evidently portrayed in a high angle mid shot where a young female character is shown to have been beaten up very badly and looks around before she leaves in fear of the attacker returning once again although the audience are unaware of which gender the attacker may have been, it is very likely that it would have been a male character therefore just proving the stereotype for the role of males. 

In this film, the Utopian Solution once again following through with the genre of thriller which mainly consists of there never being a solution. However in this film, there is a slight solution which is when the day of purging is finally over but this is only until next year which doesn't completely fulfil the situation but as the ending result for this film it does. Also in this film, it includes action codes as the purge starts at the Sandin's house due to the homeless male who the son lets in therefore connecting the two contrasted groups of people together. This also includes social tension as the different classes and backgrounds of people are very apparent throughout. The social tension of the Sandin's is higher than everyone else's in the neighbour hood which shows they are of higher class yet still suffer from for example exhaustion. 

Analysis of opening and titles - The Gift

The genre of thriller is presented in the opening of The Gift directed by Joel Edgerton (2015) by the use of micro-elements, for example one of them is mise-en-scene. This is shown immediately within the very beginning of the film, where they show the outside interior of a house and then move inside where it very quickly goes into the shot where the two main characters are introduced. Both characters are dressed to give the impression to the audience that they are wealthy as the male role is wearing a suit and the female is dressed smart casual, this portrays that they are of a higher class and specifically using the modern built house that is being shown to them to buy that they are more likely to buy it. 

However two other micro elements such as cinematography and sound are shown to build the rising tension, as the film opens with an establishing shot of the exterior of the house which also includes non-diegetic sound that starts at the beginning without the scene even being introduced to the audience. With the use of cinematography where one shot is showing the interior of the house zooming closer and then immediately cuts into a different section of the house. This could be done so the audience from very early on in the film can see the inside interior of the house which is may of purposely been done as it is likely they will buy the house therefore most of the future scenes to come will be shown in this specific house. 

While this is happening the music in the background is increasing very slowly and is adding tension as the house looks ordinary however from the slight tones of the music where it is deepened. This then suggests there may be something more to the house that isn't being shown or is something yet to come which represents the genre of thriller with the added suspense and mystery especially as it’s in the opening of the film. In difference compared to other thriller openings, this film opening had a cold open it went straight into the plot of the film without introducing the actors. At the end of the opening sequence, the title of the film in white is shown on a black back ground which shows the simplicity from the two colours and then goes straight into the film therefore it suggests they want the audience to focus on the plot of the film and the characters rather than titles. The titles was one of the things that inspired me as while completing research, I found this to be simple yet effective. The black and white just creates elegance as they haven't overdone it and especially with the simplicity of the scenes which is another element I admired to the opening. For our opening, I want to recreate the titles and use one that is sophisticated and doesn't have a lot of effect so the audience are aware of it but also allows the attention to be on the scene as well. I also want to incorporate simple shots like they have in the opening, they have used shots from far away and different angles of the characters. This has been done to create a rise in tension which fits into the genre conventions of intensifying the situation before it has even began.

Similarly again, for the film there is no Utopian Solution as in the end the male main character has a break down therefore none of the answers relating to the other two characters are solved. Therefore the film throughout shows an enigma code to the audience as what could happen but then is never solved as the questions remain unanswered.

Analysis of opening and titles - Black Swan

In the opening sequence of Black Swan directed by Darren Aronofsky (2010), the main genre of thriller is shown clearly throughout from the micro elements.  To begin with an micro element that fits the genre at the very beginning is the use of non-diegetic sound of a piano being played which starts before the titles are even introduced to the audience, the music is shown to represent the pace the character is drawing at. Therefore at the beginning of the opening, the tone of the music is calm and steady as the drawing is going at a slow pace to create an illusion to the audience that nothing is going to happen. But later on in the opening, the sound of the piano being played is fastened as the character speed's up drawing. Straight from the beginning, an enigma code is incorporated as confusion is built up for the audience as they are unsure of what the character is drawing and even if this character is relevant in the film. This opening has helped to inspire ours as I particularly liked the enigma codes made prominently throughout the opening. It is entirely consisted on mystery and confusion which makes the audience want an answer to all of their questions, all of which fit into the thriller genre. Which is why I think creating more unanswerable questions for the audience at the opening will be more successful as they will want to know what is going to happen next. Although in difference, I do not like the titles used in this opening therefore for ours I would want to feature a font that is more modern. This may be because the titles used for this opening doesn't fit in with our genre and the audience would expect to see a more contemporary title instead.

The titles are still made to be shown prominent throughout the opening as they purposely add the titles on top of the scene. This has been done to add attention to both the titles and the scene but by having the titles placed in different angles of the screen and not just at the bottom, it allows the audience to acknowledge the cast members names that are appearing. For the film, the titles are made to look historic and aged more than modern which could dishearten the audience's attention although it adds onto the enigma code as the film could be of a more mature content. 
But they have added another twist into the opening and managed to fit in another micro element being the cinematography, where they have created the opening to all be extreme close up shots therefore the audience only see the hand of the mystery character drawing something that is yet to be identified. Slowly the pace of the music begins to speed up and the tension is dramatically increased as the character’s drawing pace also alongside the music speeds up which leaves the audience in anticipation to finally see the drawing being created. 

However right before the title ends, the drawing is finished and left on a black image from the chalk which then leaves the element of mystery from the genre to the audience. After the title of the film is shown on top of the black chalk from the drawing, over the non-diegetic music the sound of glass shattering is put on top which then leaves so many questions to the audience as they are left in a confusion which shows the style of the film which links on from the genre.The mood and style even just from the opening is mysterious and suspicious, the moral of the beginning made by the directors was perhaps for the audience to be completely unaware of what is going on. This is because in the opening, it doesn't suggest much about the narrative of the film or what is happening, who the random hand drawing belongs to, if it is a character in the film? Which leaves the audience to then be more interested in the film and want to continue to watch it to answer their questions that they've formed throughout the opening. 
As for the Utopian Solution, it was not solved as overall in the film the main character kills herself. Therefore the end is never fully completed although she does fulfil the role of both the White and Black Swan however it conflicts with her mental health which eventually is the ending as the solution to the character's problems resulted in death. However, this could itself could be the end solution as there could of been no way out for her stress other than for her to kill herself. This links in with the social tension she is faced with throughout the film which begins to become the main cause of her failing mental health.

Production log (pre-production)

For the pre-production we've so far planned the plot for the opening of our film, cast the actors and found a location. The plot of the film has been decided through the minor changes made throughout the weeks, we have drawn and written all the information on the story board however that has yet to be changed from the new scenes. The actors have been cast and we are selecting dates that all the cast can begin to film however one of the main actors is unavailable during the Christmas break therefore we are will continue filming without him and then re-film when he is available. Lastly the location was found, we are using the Kingston car park but we just have yet to confirm it with security or anyone in control around when we may be filming. As well as deciding that we will be filming hopefully around the schedules more specifically on Sunday's as from the sound and lighting shots which was filmed on a Sunday, it was more empty although we have chosen on the top outside floor of the car park as we knew it would more likely to be empty throughout the week rather than using the indoor levels which could constantly be busy.

Choosing a genre and researching

The thriller is a very wide genre and can be confused along with horror, however after doing some research I was able to identify some of the most popular, best, top grossing films from the genre. Firstly from the IMDb website, they created a list of the most popular thriller feature films and the top three were Spectre, Crimson Peak and The Gift which all were released in 2015 so very recent, although I disagree with some of the choices they put as I wouldn’t classify Spectre as a thriller film and more of a spy film. However similarly again from IMDb they featured a list of best suspense/ thriller films and the top three were The Sixth sense (1999), The Dark Knight rises (2012) and Inception (2010) compared to the last list, these films are shown to be more varied in years. Lastly from the film4, I found the top 30 thrillers of all time that they had listed and the top three were The third man (1949) directed by Carol Reed, Rear Window (1954) directed by Alfred Hitchcock and The usual suspects (1995) directed by Bryan Singer. This list of films is very different from the ones IMDb have published in their lists as they are created from an older generation therefore they could be more outdated. The thriller genre has evolved over time, as in the later dates the films may not have been a low budget due to the generation but the plot narrative may not be as skilful as it is now. Through the way of editing and in general the plot, which allows the film to create an overall suspense but that effect may not have been able to be created, therefore in the past they may of made it to be gory instead of adding mystery.

Like any other genre in film, thriller has many conventions such as:

• Low key lighting
• Quick cuts
• Shadows
• Tension music
• Changes in the angle of shots
• Diegetic sound of breathing
•  Montage of shots
• The leading character is in the mercy of the person who has taken possession over them

As well as having many conventions that we will have to include in our preproduction but also ensure it's original, thriller also has many clichés for example:

• There is a murder, that is followed by a trial of other murders that all relate back to the first one. This shows the unrealistic situation as there is only murders that couldn't happen again or happen repeatedly leaving the area in danger.
• Along with this, there is also a burial scene where all the characters are there wearing black including the murderer and the suspense is just increased however linking in again, the generations have changed and different methods have formed in which can be done instead of a burial
• Lastly, in thrillers if any of the characters are in threat or on the run many of them can be quite obvious and do not care of their surroundings to be aware that they might get caught again. 

Overall however the main concept is that certain thrillers can be very unrealistic and not observative of their situation, which then leads to events that the audience can already predict to happen.

Genre Fact File
Films that are similar to our opening and genre that helped inspire us with the plot and the shots used were: Lovely bones, The Perfect Guy. We also used other films such as Halloween, Memento, The Purge as despite the fact that they weren't completely thriller yet helped us with different type of shots for the opening. As for thrillers that fit into the audience for teenagers or young adults, films such as: Crush, Scream, Taken, The Strangers etc. For example for the film (Crush) which wasn't a very well known film however was targeted towards teenagers and that was shown in the plot. The stars cast in the film were: Lucas Till, Crystal Reed, Sarah Bolger, Caitriona Balfe, Reid Ewing, Leigh Whannell, Holt McCallany and Camille Guaty. The film was only published in America and had a budget of $1.2 million, it also earnt $8,123,213.