poison prop

In our film our protagonist is going to be drip fed poison. Because we haven't got a  proper drip we have used a sandwich bag instead.

Seven title sequence

Opening title sequence (seven)

This title sequence from seven has given use some good ideas for our opening title sequence. Lots of different pictures frames; these frames will include things such as props, locations and each frame will last about 2-3 seconds long.

Student Examples- Mistaken Identity

Strengths- Effective use of camera shots such as the over the shoulder shot when he was driving the car which help to intergrate the credits smoothly. Also the clever close ups on the hand in the snow and the feet dangling down work very well as they give the audience enough of an insight to realise that there has been a potential murder(s) or suicide but still leaves many questions unanswered such as how did the bodies get there and what is the identity of the bodies. Editing also remains smooth and relatively consistent throughout, although it isnt necessarilly at the typical speed you would excpect to see in a Thriller but the slow speed works well in the opening. Another strength is the dialouge, the ongoing commentary from the main protagonist gives us an insight as to what his role is within the film without giving too much away. The montage scene for the opening credit also works well as it gives the audience a preview at potential key objects/ locations within the film.

Weaknesses- One of the main weaknesses I feel that there is within this opening is the soundtrack. Whilst the song in the opening was no doubt an attempt at a counter convention for a Thriller film, it does seem to lack any real power or meaning to the lyrics or tune that would make it effective, overall, whilst its purpose is to probably mislead the audience, I would consider it too harmonious and subtle for a thriller film, misleading or not. There is no doubt this is an element that we will try to avoid.

Elements that we may take into our film- We are going to use an opening montage scene with a similar structure to the one used in Mistaken Identity, except we will obviously be showing objects which play a key role within the plot of our film.

Christopher Nolan - Charlie

Characters & Group Roles

Max curdy 

Main Protagonist (Adam) - Servais 

Main Antagonist (Vincent/Vince) - Max 

Thug/ henchman (Tyler) - Freddie 

Captive/ hero's friend (James) - Charlie

we have appointed these roles specifically to everyone because we thought it would be more effective. For example, Servais and Charlie both have blonde hair which is a light colour, we would want to associate these bright colours with goodness so the audience have a better idea of who is good and who is bad. Though Myself and Freddie have dark hair, it won't be visible due to the wearing of masks. However, our size is slightly taller than the protagonists which will give off an impression of power over them. The wearing of the balaclava's will also make it clear that the characters are not good as its odd to find a hero wearing a mask that's associated with crime and potentially violence.

All protagonists wear casual clothing that is fairly coloured, this is to represent the character in a good way. Light colours are often associated with good traits. The clothing is casual as we want to show that the protagonists are still normal people like the people in the audience. This will enable the audience to relate to the characters and root for them, hence making the film a more enjoyable experience. The antagonist however will be wearing 'Chav-like' clothing which is dark. This is to represent the fact that they are in a gang and out of the norm. Dark clothing is also associated with evil so the audience will know that they are the characters that are bad.

Our aim with costuming is to make sure that the audience know more about the character without the use of speech and to know whether or not they are good or bad. As our target audience is 15- 30's, we feel like the costuming is appropriate and enables the target audience to relate to them. Our characters are young and are experiencing gang life, the target audience are of the same generation and have probably heard of gang events that have happened in real life, this adds a sense of realism in our film.  We also want to challenge these colour concepts as the traitor is the friend who wears clothing like the protagonist, this will make our film unique to other thriller films and add a surprise which will make the film exciting and therefore more enjoyable for the audience.

Audience Research

We have decided from doing this section of the audience research that our main target audience in terms of age range will be the next generation/ young hopefuls and as they make up around 1/5 of the population it still fits in with our ethos of trying to make sure our film has mass audience appeal. We also hope to have a wider range appeal towards the mainstreamers, as this category makes up around 40% of the population and if we can attract these two markets there is no doubt our goal of mass audience appeal will have been achieved.

 

What makes a Thriller a Thriller?                              

Max Curdy

A thriller film is a film that aims to keep the audience anticipating what's going to happen next, to keep the audience on the edge of their seat. The concept of the genre revolves around the use of suspense, tension and excitement. In short, the point of  a thriller is to be thrilled, hence the name! Thriller films also make out 1 objective that must be completed (example - stop the jokers plan - Batman). 

Characters of a Thriller film are quite basic when you strip the conventions down. There is; a protagonist (hero) that comes to save the day. Often a male which ends up seducing the his female friend after the day is saved. There is an antagonist (villain) that comes to stir up trouble for the hero to deal with. Again, often a male that is always beaten at the end of the story. There is a damsel in distress in which is mostly a female role. This character is often taken hostage or put in danger which the protagonist has to save her, she is also the prize at the end of the story. 

Now you can't have a film with only 3 characters in it, there are also others such as 'the helper' which is normally a friend of the protagonist that helps save the day. There are the henchmen, multiple characters that follow and help the antagonist with his deeds, though they are easily beat by the hero. Having said that, one of the henchmen often becomes a small challenge for the hero. Despite these other character types, the most important ones are the protagonist, antagonist and the damsel in distress. 

Obviously if every thriller film were to simply repeat these character types the audience would grow tired of them and the film wouldn't be very thrilling. So every movie tries to put a twist to the characters or plot making the film unique and resulting in unexpected events. Also, many films try and break stereotypes and challenge these character types, for example the protagonist or antagonist may be a woman or  the protagonist may not be as good as you think. 

Another type of Thriller film is psychological thrillers, this is where they focus on making the audience think! With these types of Thriller films, the character types mentioned above don't always apply. 

Thrillers mostly take place in public places such as in towns or cities. This makes the action seem a lot more real and makes the audience able to relate. The whole point of a Thriller is to make the audience feel ''wowed'' but that won't happen if the plot is not believable, like there is no chance of the events taking place in real life. Public places are also used a lot as the antagonist often threatens to harm the people living in these densely populated places. The fact that its such a threat makes the action seem more exciting which keeps the audience on the edge of their seat wondering how or if the hero will save them. Exotic places are used sometimes to show off what the character is like, for instance, if the character is dangerous or a terrorist they might be shown in a cave with guns (iron man) or if the character is simply working in a normality scene before the event takes place (day after tomorrow).

The Basic Narrative Structure

Exposition >>> Rising Action >>> Climax >>> Falling Action >>> Denouement 

Exposition - Meeting characters, establishing the setting, setting the tone, establishing the normal of the world.

Rising Action - The central conflict is introduced and the tension between the protagonist and the antagonist begins to mount. 

Climax - The turning point, which marks a change for the better or the worse, in the protagonist's future. Usually high speed action and marks the ending of a film. 

Falling Action - The major action has happened. This is the after math. Sorting out the major conflict's resolution.

Denouement/Resolution - The creation of the new normal. The conflict is resolved. 

Props/Costumes

We have chosen to use a gun as its not only a typical weapon used within thriller films, but also fits in with the fast paced action packed theme of our film a lot better than a weapon such as a knife, and its also a common weapon used in gang crime and given thats a strong link within our films plot we thought it would be a missed oppurtunity to leave a gun out.

We also decided to add ski masks to both of the villains costumes so it would make their role in the film not only easier to identify but would also make it clear to the audience that they are used to combat and crime as the ski masks have a common association with crime and it will show the antagonists pose a serious threat to the protagonist. We are also deliberating as to whether or not James will have one on when he is tied to the chair, we will update when we have come to a decision. The masks also allow us to add more, minor characters in the factory to fight or run passed without the audience knowing we have used the same actors.

Were also using a stack of cardboard boxes (more than displayed in the photo) for a stunt scene within the warehouse. The main thinking behind using them is that they are a cheap and effective prop but also commonly seen within a warehouse and therefore they will not look out of place.

WHOLE FILM ANALYSIS- KILL BILL VOLUME 2

Typical Thriller conventions

One of the main thriller film conventions that we see within the film is a plot twist, we are given this twist at the end of the film when Beatrix goes to kill Bill only to find out that he has actually been helping to raise his daughter who she presumed had died in the shooting from the first film. Plot twists are a common convention seen within thrillers as whilst they not only add complexity to the story they also keep the audience guessing as they can't predict whats going to happen in what is normally an engrossing and unpredictable plot due to the ongoing twists and turns within the film.
We also see a typical thriller setting in the film which is set largely in the middle of nowhere (bucks house) in a run down caravan situated in endless desert terrain, its common for thrillers to be set in these types of settings as they often have connotations of crime and decivilisation, and also the large spacious deserted area is very suitable for combat as their is nobody around to get involved and disrupt it.
One other typical convention that we see is the use of lighting, during the buried alive scene, the lighting within the coffin is extremely dark, apart from the one circle of light coming from Beartrixes torch which is extremely bright and creates a definite contrast of lighting within the coffin, the mass of darkness represents the evil and mystery and adds suspense and anticipation to the scene as we begin to feel claustrophobic just by seeing all the darkness she is surrounded by, which also adds to the anticipation and suspense and creates entrapment for the protagonist, therefore the scene in itself is typical of the thriller genre as the protagonist has the odds stacked against her in terms of survival.

Opening Credits 

Unlike most thrillers, the opening credits within this film manage to counter act the norm due to the fact Kill Bill is split into two separate films, the credits of volume two start of with a black and white flashback scene in which we see Beatrix informing the audience whats happened within the first and second films so far, and she then informs the audience of her main reason for her mission; to kill Bill, then a plain white lettering of Kill Bill appears on a black background and the film begins to role. This counter acts the typical thriller opening scene as its rather basic colouring, the music is old fashioned, but one element which is typical of a thriller is the flashback scene in the opening (which incidentally we have decided to use within our film) thrillers often start the film with these sorts of scenes to sometimes give the audience a plot hint, to confuse them even further, or to set the tone for the film, in this case the credits have been merged with the flashback scene hence the colour use of black and white in both shots and the audience have been given a plot hint that she manages to kill everybody who she needs to before getting to Bill.

Editing

Throughout the film, particularly in fight scenes, we see frequent use of jump cuts. A good example of this is shown during the scene in which we see Beatrix lurking outside Bucks caravan waiting to kill him, the shot suddenly cuts to Beatrix bursting through the door, we then see a quick jump cut parallel switch to Buck with his gun and, unexpectedly, he manages to shoot Beatrix in the chest. These quick jump cuts are a very clever use of editing as the fact that Beatrix has just been shot in the chest is another huge plot twist as she is potentially on the verge of death and when this is combined with the jump cuts it really does surprise the audience and throws another curveball in to prevent the audience switching off and the film becoming predictable.

Camerawork

Camerawork is used throughout the film effectively within different situations. During the scene at the end of the film where Beatrix and Bill are sat opposite each other at a table exchanging dialogue and they end up fighting and Beatrix causes Bill to effectively have an extremely slow heart attack. The extreme close up shot of Beatrix during this scene shows the sadness and emotion on her face over her regret at killing Bill, and shocks the audience as its a complete contrast to the pleasure she had been getting out of killing all the other members of the assassination squad.

Sound

One of the prominent sound effects that is used within the film are sonically exaggerated sounds. We see these used to emphasise the gun shot that is fired from Buck into Beatrix and we also see it during the scene which Beatrix fights Elle and pulls out her eye. The sonically enhanced sounds are effective as they make the combat feel more dramatic and intense but also allow it to feel more realistic for the audience as they feel like they are involved.

Audience Research- 5 outcomes we want to achieve

1. We want the film to be relatable for the target audience, which will be experimented through test screening.
2. We want it to also have mass audience appeal which we will research via a handout questionarre or on social media.
3. Another outcome we hope to gain from the research is feedback on sound we can use in our film, specifically the opening and ending, we plan to carry this out through test screening and possibly a poll on our blog.
4. Through the use of an interview vwe also hope to find out whether or not we should include a character death at the end of our film.
5. We also want to get feedback on the types of costumes and characteristics our protagonists and villains should have, this will be carried out through a questionarre.

Christopher Nolan analysis

Storyboard Draft

Director from frenchie987

Alfred Hitchcock - Charlie

Quentin Tarantino from freddie310598

david fincher analysis

Possible Film Names

Possible Film Names

Separation

Departure

Close Call

Removal

Captive

Getaway

Abandonment

Destruction

Disorientation

Death at First Sight

Twist

Deception

Clarity

Untold Truth

Betrayal 

Untold Lies

--------------------------------------------------------

We decided upon Deception as we feel it fits to the narrative of our film very well since the twist at the end shows the protagonists friend turn against him.

Shutter Island - Charlie

Shutter Island

1.   On the boat in the opening scene you can see handcuffs and chains hanging from the ceiling which shows that it is not a normal boat for transportation, this makes the audience start to wonder where they are going and where they have come from. It causes a strange atmosphere to make us wonder what is going on. The lighting on the boat is very dark which also creates a dark and dreary atmosphere and keeps the audience questioning what is happening. The dark lighting connotes bad/negative thoughts. The island they arrive at is completely isolated with a large wall surrounding it, this makes us wonder what it is and what they are doing there.

2.     Teddy is presented as a very mysterious character as he doesn’t like water and gets confused about misplacing his cigarettes. This makes the audience wonder what is wrong with him as he can’t seem to remember much except that he has seen the island before. The way he speaks of his wife’s death is also very mysterious as he passes her death off as a house fire. As he speaks about his wife, it shows a flashback to them, and then cuts to the water, then back to her. This links to the rest of the film as we find out that he drowned her, which explains his hatred for water and why he quickly said she died in a fire.

3.     The set up reveals to the audience that the two protagonists have a rather awkward relationship. We can see that Teddy doesn’t seem to trust the other man as he doesn’t reveal much information to him. Also, when his partner struggles to remove his gun Teddy stares in disbelief at him because as a trained detective, he should be able to do that pretty quickly. On the other hand, the other man seems to know Teddy better than somebody should if they’ve never met. He asks him questions but seems to know the answer, this foreshadows the rest of the film where we later find out that this man is in on the operation to try to get Teddy to remember killing his wife.

4.     From the opening sequence of ‘Shutter Island’ you can clearly see that this ‘world’ is no happy place where everyone wants to be, it’s quite the opposite. This is evident because the lighting throughout the extract is very dull and depressing. Also, the characters voice tones are very dull and boring, making the audience feel down and depressed which is how the characters feel in the ‘world’. The fact that everybody is carrying guns, and the prisoners are wearing handcuffs shows that it is a very dangerous place to be.

5.     In the extract, you can see that all the guards are on edge, this confuses us as we don’t know what they have to worry about because we see the protagonists as the good guys. However, we later find out that he actually murdered his wife for killing the kids, so they are on edge with guns ready because he is unpredictable. All the prisoners wave or smile at Teddy as he walks passed, this also confuses us as they act like they know him. Later we understand that he is actually a prisoner in the mental asylum and they are trying to get him to remember what he did.

6.     The opening has many typical thriller conventions, such as the mystery with Teddy. Thriller films are usually very confusing, and the story behind Teddy fits this perfectly as we have no idea what has happened to him previous to the boat.

Thriller Opening Analysis- Inception

Mise en Scene- Location of a beach creates confusion within the audience straight away as we associate beaches with calmness and positivity which is a complete contrast to the typical dark and run down setting that we expect to see in a Thriller film. We also instantly see guns used during the opening scene on the beach which shows the audience that crime will be ever present throughout the film. One other typical miss en scene feature that is shown to us during the opening is the use of dark lighting, the use of dark lighting during the dialogue scene makes the plot a lot more mysterious to the audience as we feel that they are having a very dark and deceptive conversation. The costumes used are also typical of a thriller film as they are dressed as spys which shows that they are used to combat which is a typical theme in a thriller film.
Sound- One example of effective use of sound is the clock ticking during the scene in which we see the main characters dreaming whilst there asleep on the train, this is effective as it emphasises the importance of the clock as they are running out of time.
Editing- The editing in the opening is fast paced during the escape scene where the building is collapsing to not only build suspense and excitement but also so the audience are able to keep up with the film. Slow motion is also used to capture the explosion of a car, it helps to show the scale of the damage caused, whilst also giving the film more drama and a wow factor which is necessary in small doses within thriller films. Slow motion is also used during the scene in which the main protagonist is waking from his dream after falling in the bath. This use of slow motion helps to show a change of state and the transition going from the dream world back to reality, there is also some parallel editing used between the dream world and reality.
Camerawork- We see an over the shoulder shot used during the meeting around the table which makes the audience feel like they are there. We also see an extreme close up shot of the spinner on the clock emphasises its significance and the high angled shot of the extremely tall buildings during the scene where the protagonist climbs down whilst holding a rope help to portray that he is fearless and isn't afraid of heights. 

Steven Spielburg

Steven Spielberg from Chaziedaa

Final Idea - Development

Final Idea

The theme of the film is crime based.

Messages- be careful who you trust. 

Target audience- adults. This is because the complex story line will get them thinking, but also all the action will keep them entertained. 

Practical details- our opening in our film, in real time, would occur last. However, we will show the last event first to create mystery. The audience will be confused at first as they do not understand why the characters are being targeted but as the film unravels, more and more is explained. After this opening scene it would cut to earlier events in order to explain it more. we have used certain elements from different films to develop our ideas and understanding of thrillers; such as the character being drip fed poison. 

There is at least five thriller conventions that we will use.

Unknown

Powerpoint on the opening of UNKNOWN


One key element that we took from this film as a whole was the scene during which the protagonist was being drip fed poison which we will be using in our film after the protagonist wakes up locked in a car boot. We decided to use this scenario as we thought it would be the best way to display the protagonist in danger and for the film to be able to build suspense suddenly, therefore scenes like this will help to keep the audience engaged.

shutter island analysis

Shutter Island

Set up: how is it used in the film?

1.     What does the setup reveal to the audience about setting? Where is this place? What gives you information?

2.     What does the set up reveal to the audience about characters? Choose one character and explain how the set up reveals this information.

3.     What does the set up reveal to the audience about interrelationship between characters? About their goals? Are there any things you learn here that become important later on?

4.     What is this ‘world’ like? Safe? Happy? Dangerous? How do you know?

5.     What possible conflicts or strains is there that will become part of the story later on?

6.     How does this film opening fit with the codes and conventions of the thriller films?

Throughout the film there are constant clues that tell us about Teddy. In the first scene we find out that teddy doesn’t like water; only later on do we know that it’s because of past experience. Also when teddy is talking about the death of his wife he has the flashback then it has a clip of the water and then it goes back to the flashback; this seems like nothing to the audience at the moment but it will soon come to their attention that it has some meaning. In the film they are constantly teasing you by referring to water and giving clues off Teddy’s life.

On the boat the captain comes out to speak to them and tells them that there is only one way out of the island this gives us a sense of fear that they will be trapped. As well as this we see guards on the island and this makes the characters feel insecure. When they arrive on the island it has come to their attention that the guards are on edge; the audience thinks they are because of the missing woman when actually they are because of Teddy. Also as detectives they have a high authority and these guards overpower them; so we know who’s in charge from the very start. Later on in the opening sequence when the sergeant asks them to give in their guns Chuck does not know how to get his gun out this seems weird for a “so called” experienced detective.

One thing that becomes very important later on is the mental people waving at him. We find later on in the film that they are not waving at him because they are but that they know him.

The island seems to be a very dark and gloomy place. It also seems very dangerous as there is a guard with a gun around every corner. The lighting in the film is always very dim and gloomy. Also the weather is always cloudy and stormy and this describes the mood of the island (pathetic fallacy).

The setup seems to reveal that Teddy has seen this before, for example when he says to chuck that it has an electrified perimeter and that he has seen something like this before. This is just another little observation that can be interpreted by the audience as a sign that he has been here before.

From the start there was always suspicion of what Chucks and Teddy’s goals actually were. At first we all think they have come here to find the missing women but eventually we find out that chuck is trying to play out a scenario to trigger Teddy’s memory back. Whereas Teddy’s thinks he has come here to find the missing women but really just wants to find the “murderer” of his wife. In the film there is a lot of strain between Teddy and the Doctor as Teddy believes something bad is going on that he is not being told about, for example he thinks them performing brain surgeries on their prisoners. There is conflict between them through the whole film and we soon realize why. It was because this was all a setup to bring him back to reality and trigger is memory of why he is there.

This thriller film has typical lighting and clothing as it is always dark. However the patience wear white as this shows plain, empty which resembles insanity. It is a typical thriller as it has a lot of mystery and gives us a handful of clues. The most important thriller convention in Shutter Island is that it has a massive plot twist that explains a lot of what has been happening at the beginning of the film.

class notes

Background music reseach

Background Music

This is one of our favourite Music opening as it is very as at the start it is very sad and depressing which goes well with the flashback. After this it gets very dramatic; this would go very well with the kidnapping and chase scene. What i like the most about this music is that at the end of it there is a lot of crescendos.

Final Idea

Final Idea

Plot:

Starts off with a short normality scene with bright colours, two friends smiling and laughing. Then it cuts to one of the two guys walking alone looking unhappy, dull colours, dirty clothing. (All throughout the beginning there are flashbacks to the normality scene.) He looks down and notices a note face down on the floor, he crouches down to pick it up and it reads "He's gone, You're next". Cuts to black. He wakes up in the boot of a car, tied up being drip fed poison. Escapes, see's somebody on a chair tied up. It's his friend!  He starts shouting 'JAMES JAMES!!!'. Over the shoulder shot shows man behind him. Our protagonist doesn't turn around and see him, he merely turns his head slightly to see him in his periferal vision. He starts walking to act as though he hasn't seen the man but can hear the man moving too. He starts to speed up. So does the man. They both brake out in to a sprint and start a chase scene. The protagonist sprints into a nearby factory, with the villain still close behind. They run though the factory knocking boxes and other items off the shelves, tripping occasionally. They reach the roof and have another small chase on there. Eventually they reach the edge of the roof to find our protagonists friend from the normality scene standing pointing a gun at them. The protagonist says "JAMES! SHOOT HIM!". The villain then starts to laugh and walks around to stand next to the 'best friend'  then raises his own gun, points it at the protagonist and says "Yes James... Shoot him."   Hear a bang and the screen instantly fades to black, then there is one final shot showing the protagonist knocked out on the floor.

Camera Shots:

Normality Scene - Long shots show them walking, Close ups on happy expressions, Midshots to show them both and emphasise their friendship

Beginning when he walks alone - Long shots to show his loneliness, Close ups show his unhappiness.  Long shot from the side to create the effect he is being watched. 

When he notices the note - Close up on the note, long shots and mid shots of him bending down, Extreme close up on his hand picking it up.

Note - close up on the writing, cuts to close up of face, shot from the side showing him look up, Over the shoulder shot shows the man behind him and protagonist turns his head slightly. POV shot from the villains perspective.

Car - Shots from inside the car, escaping.   Shots from outside the care showing the car boot, shut, to show that he is in a car boot

Chase - Close up on feet, Shot showing the villain doing a few two step hops when trying to catch up,  Point of View shots from protagonists perspective (Using GoPro). Shots from the roof of the factory showing them from above. Camera on the floor and have the actors run and jump over it.

Face-off at the end - Over the shoulder shot from behind 'best friend' showing the protagonist and villain. Over the should shot from in front of the protagonist showing the villain laugh. Shots looking down the gun at the protagonist. Wide angle from the side with the characters dead in the centre of the frame to show the face off. See the chair in the corner to show it was all fake.

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Idea 2 - Max

Idea 2

A gang is busy working in an abandoned factory creating possible new drugs. Whilst this gang is working an innocent boy is walking up the path heading towards the factory. This boy doesn't know what's going on at this place and is merely exploring the place. The gang leader spots the boy down the path. The boy enters the factory and explores the interior for a while before being ambushed and taken hostage. The boy is then tied to a chair and forced to inhale this new drug they have developed as a test of its effects. At first the boy blacks out and the gang assume he's dead, however he suddenly awakes and breaks free of his bindings easily. A fight scene takes place where the boy seems outnumbered and out-strengthed, however the drug seems to have given him added strength, speed and intelligence making him near unstoppable. 3 of the gang members stay to fight while others run for it. The fight is executed quickly and the excess drugs which caused his powers are destroyed making the boy unique. After the fight, the protagonist takes a moment to comprehend what has happened to him, this is interrupted when he hears the leader in the distance making a run for it. He then follows up and a chase follows occurs leading towards the roof of the factory. Again, due to the powers, the boy catches up to the antagonist quickly. The protagonist is angry and asks the gang leader what they have done to him, to which the gang leader replies with ''please...please, let me go. My..my brother...very powerful man...let me go''. The scene ends with the boy pushing the gang leader over the building where the screen blacks out. 

Props

Guns (fake), glass bottles, torn blanket, chair, rope.

Characters

Gang members - Around 3 - Wearing dark, 'asbo'/'chav' clothing. 

Gang leader - Main antagonist - Wearing dark clothing but clothes slightly smarter than other gang members.

Innocent boy - Protagonist - Wearing light coloured clothes, casual, not 'asbo'/'chav' clothing

This film will require more people that are in the group, for this film to work we will need to et others to act. 

Setting Photos

SETTING PHOTOS- These are photos of a possible setting that were considering for our Thriller film. The main reasons as to why we are considering it is due to it fitting many of the typical conventions seen in thriller settings such as a large, spacious, slightly run down factory and warehouse.

BRAINSTORMING IDEAS

SHUTTER ISLAND OPENING SCENE/ SET UP

1.      The setting in Shutter Island is presented to us as a dark, dangerous and an almost abandoned location. The fact that the island is shown to be surrounded by endless miles of ocean shows to us that perhaps it has purposely been put in the middle of nowhere as it hosts potential dangers to society and civilisation. The use of the thick and dark clouds surrounding the island is also effective as it helps to instantly create a very creepy and eary atmosphere and gives the impression that evil lurks on the island and there is no hope for the protagonists, this point is further backed up by the non harmonious music which gets more dramatic the closer they get to the island, possibly hinting that with every step closer they get to the island, tension in the film is increasing dramatically.

2.      One character which the set up reveals a huge amount of information about is Teddy. Teddy is shown to have this huge fear of water, which not only immediately gets the audience on his side as he is portrayed as a victim, but also raises questions in the audience’s heads about his mental sanity. The metal chains which are shown in a mid framed shot with Teddy also posses negative connotations towards Teddy and foreshadows later events which will take place and effect Teddy negatively. Overall, the set up presents Teddy as a very complex character, as he isn’t presented as your typical hero and has lots of negative connotations such as the fear of water which raises the question to the audience as to whether or not this man has something to hide.

3.      One relationship between characters shown is that between Teddy and his former wife. We see this through parallel editing crossovers from Teddy’s life now (which is shown as being very grey and bleak) and life with his wife which is presented as being very colourful and bright, making the audience question what happened to her which ended up putting Teddy in the situation that he is in now. We are also informed that Teddy is Chucks boss and Chuck is his assistant but the validity of this relationship is questioned when Chuck does not know how to hand over his gun properly raising the question that he could be an imposter with an unknown motive which creates confusion within the audience.

4.      The world is instantly presented to us as bleak and dangerous. We can see the bleakness expressed through the dark and gloomy weather and the danger is shown to us on the island with the close up shots of the barbed wire and the long shots of some large half demolished buildings which appear to have been deserted, and the fact that they are forced to hand over their weapons as soon as they enter the mental institution. All of these features have strong connotations of danger and conflict and make it appear as almost an inevitability that Teddy will encounter danger during his stay on the island.

5.      One obvious strain shown to us in the set up is Teddy’s huge fear of water. This is a hugely important factor in the film as it’s the only thing that Teddy remembers about killing his wife, but he doesn’t know why he has such a feeling of dread around water at this stage in the film whilst everyone around him does. Another strain shown in the set up is a lot more subtle and that strain is between Teddy and the officers on the island, Teddy asks the head officer that his men seem on edge and he replies that ‘we all our’, which is significant as unknown to Teddy and the audience at this stage Teddy murdered his wife by drowning her and now whilst Teddy is still armed they have to drive him to the institution knowing of his mental insanity, therefore presenting us with a strain that remains unknown to the audience at this stage of the film.

6.      The film opening seen within Shutter Island is very typical of a thriller film as it instantly starts with non harmonious music creating tension and showing us it’s a thriller and also leaves many complex questions in the audience’s heads which remain unanswered such as why is Teddy’s fear of water so great? Or how come Chuck is a detective but doesn’t know how to handle a gun? There is also the use of the red herring involving a woman on the island who has gone missing which is also typical of a thriller film as it creates confusion within the audience. One final thriller convention used in the set up is that of a deadline, a storm is coming so they have to rush of the boat quickly, deadlines help to create excitement and build up suspense.