Thriller Opening (Rough Cut)

Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths: - I believe that a strength of this 'Rough Cut' is the variety of shots used throughout the piece, allowing us to smoothly edit the sequence to accurate representation of the situations.

               - Another strength, I believe, is the sound used. It allows the piece to build up tension in parallel to what is shown in the shot also.

Weaknesses: - I believe this 'Rough Cut' to have a few obvious weaknesses, which was bound to surface with inexperienced film creators, which is present throughout with the story line. With the limit of 2 minutes, the establishing opening isn't created to the highest standard needed.

                   - I also believe another weakness is the Mise en Scene of this piece, the character (George) is supposed to be homeless to begin with- but that isn't shown with the clothing worn. Furthermore, the other character (Charles) is supposed to be the right hand man of an illegal drug firm- which isn't obvious.

What needs to be refined for the 'Final Cut'?

I believe that for the final cut I will need to refine the change from shot to shot, with both sound and visuals being smoother to allow the piece to look as professional as possible. In addition, I believe that looking into alternative shots could improve the professionalism and logic behind the sequence- allowing the audience to understand the plot of the opening. Alternatively, our opening could be a metaphor for the rest of the film- being misleading and confusing but not ineligible.

How does the director of Se7en use Lighting, Sound and Mise en Scene to establish character in the opening sequence?

How does Essex Boys use metaphorical spaces in the opening sequence?

In the movie 'Essex Boys', directed by Terry Winsor, the director uses metaphorical space to foreshadow the rest of the movie- whether that be plot or a character's personality trait. This is accomplished with many different techniques, with each frames' composition, light source and prop placement being thoroughly thought out- including the mise en scene and lighting.

First of all, in this shot the narrator is currently describing the character which we can see standing in front on the car. We come to learn that he has been out of prison for a measly 24 hours, with the context you can therefore come to the conclusion that this framework of the shot has not been stumbled upon, in fact it as been specifically set up like so. It is set up like this to make this character look physically and metaphorically imposing, with the single light source behind him possibly signifying that he has been in the dark for sometime (prison): and is now ready to be in the limelight to reap his revenge. To further this point, all we can see around the character is darkness, with all the focus being homed in on him: this could connote ideas to the audience that he is a dangerous and unforgiving character. Finally, the colour pallet used, although difficult to depict with the darkness, the character is wearing a bright yellow shirt and a purple leather jacket- the director could have seen this as an opportunity to express the characters lighter side, who will appeal more to the audience. On the other hand, this choice of outfit could be seen as attention seeking, that the character has a knack for getting under peoples skin.

Furthermore, in this shot we can see the two driving the car into a tunnel and when they arise from the other side they're greeted by the 'Welcome to Essex' sign post. At first thought this can be seen as the director giving the audience some context of what the car journey's destination is, but it could have a deeper meaning. For example, the sign post could resemble the divide of Essex from the rest of England- in a way that the place and people are so different to the rest of society that a big deal needs to be made when visiting there. Different in a way that they need to be segregated by a long, dark and meaningful tunnel from everybody else. In addition, the way in which the director has used vanishing lines to give the effect of a never ending doom for these characters gives the still foreboding tension. Finally, the choice of time and weather gives the overall shot another great layer: because of the wet on the road and dark/gloomy sky, in parallel to no one else driving, gives the whole sequence of shots an aura that something dangerous is about to occur.

However, in the final shot of the opening the director uses a variety of metaphorical points that offer different viewpoints. To begin with, the director uses vanishing lines when framing this scene with the road that cuts straight through the middle of the shot. This effect gives an ideology that this character is stuck on this land for a very long time, coincided with the fact that there doesn't seem to be any form of civilisation for miles, and that the boggy landscape doesn't look earth like. To add, the path that has been travelled by the characters reflects the age of the location- with its green mossy appearance and worn down muddy tracks all works with the metaphor for loneliness and baron. Furthermore, the way in which the director has composed the frame to have the character brushed aside from the middle of the screen also backs the idea that he is lonely, defenceless and in danger. The way in which he falls to the ground could be a metaphor for his downfall in society- from what looked like a director of a company, to a man having to fend for his life in the middle of nowhere.

What do directors seek to establish in the opening of thrillers?

In the openings of thrillers, the director can aim to target different aspects: above shows which aspects the movies, which I have studied, have invested heavily in, which include either; character, theme, location, tone/mood, plot and genre. The amount a movie focuses on these different aspects depends on the director primarily, what they believe would best suit the cast/tone of the movie being created. This graph gives clear indication as to which films use the aspects to the best ability, allowing me to compare differences and similarities- to ultimately see which movies I can take 'inspiration' from, for my thriller opening.

Location

Location in a thriller opening is a key factor for the director to establish the direction the movie is going in; especially creates a foreshadowing of the tone it will undertake. Looking deeper into the location used can also reveal hidden metaphors that the director is trying to envisage, for example in Essex Boys (directed by Terry Winsor) this character is shown to be roughened up by the main character and thrown down to the ground, but overall it is a metaphor for how isolated he is from society and that no one can help. The road shown in the image here resembles that the character has a long way to walk before he is resumed back to normality. The Director has used this 'vanishing point' to great effect as it creates connotations that this is the long road ahead for the character. The colour pallet of this shot compared to the other shots in 'Essex Boys', which I will examine further on in this post, varies in that it is very bland with nothing going on as far as the eye can see, adding to the tension that the director has set out to accomplish with this shot of isolation.

This shot of 'Essex Boys' uses location to create an idea that the car has gone through a change of setting/area. With the light coming through the centre of the shot it could be a metaphor for this location being heaven like, but with further knowledge of Essex this would be a juxtaposition on the director’s behalf: adding to the assumed danger in the area- increasing the tension in the opening. The colour pallet also adds to this foreshadowing of bleakness, by using greys and blacks which is evident throughout the opening of this thriller. The colour pallet used also does not give away the plot, only that there is danger and trouble ahead, but in a hopeful way that maybe there is a hopeful light at the end for the ex-convict. This way of only establishing one aspect of a thriller is of great use for the audience, as it keeps them guessing on what the further detail could be- ultimately keeping them more interested in the piece for longer.

Tone

In the movie 'The Disappearance of Alice Creed' (directed by J Blakeson) the tone was established from the start with the characters on the lookout for witnesses to them stealing a van, and preparing a flat for what looks like a kidnapping. This assumption can be made in correlation to the title as well, but for the director to establish tone from the start means that they can focus on other aspects of the film straight away. As shown in 'Alice Creed' when the sound and actions of the characters connotes that this is a well thought out procedure, in that the crime they're committing doesn't faze them, nor should it to the audience. The camerawork and the production of this opening effectively creates tension, as the audience are thrown in the deep end with the menace and acts of crime taking place. The colour pallet also adds to the focused madness- with the director only using simple and calm colours to not attract attention to them criminals.

In addition, in this shot it is more evidence that 'Tone' is what the director set out to establish in the opening. With obvious connotations of violence and kidnapping it allows the audience to understand the intentions of the characters on display. The order of the 'instruments' also is an insight into the mindset of these characters, resembling a set way in which they want their things in- an extreme power hungry monster that is set in their ways.

Ultimately, for a director to establish tone from the opening of a movie there must be an extreme that is taking place, for example in 'Alice Creed' the plot is a kidnapping which isn't an everyday occurrence, for another thriller that follows suit of a predominantly used plot like 'Third Man' it wouldn't be to the same effect.

Character

In 'Se7en' (directed by David Fincher) the director has used many ways for us to understand the characters and their relationship with each other, these include the position of where the main character’s clothes and necessities for the day are ordered and placed. This creates a persona for the character as one of their traits is that they are very neat and organised. Also, to note, the director has created an enigma with the piece of 'flower wall paper' - the director has purposefully placed this here to give purpose to what this characters aspirations are, something to strive towards. For a director to concentrate on establishing character from the opening of a thriller it allows the audience to connect with the characters, whether that be idolising them or a fear of their capability.

In addition, the director of 'Se7en' made a great job of getting across a lot of information to the audience in a very short space of time. 4 minutes in fact. In this space of time we had learnt the character’s names, background and relationship with each other. This gave the movie great depth from an early point as it allowed the two characters to establish a hierarchy in which their statuses placed them in. The director has created an imbalance of power from the start with these two characters, as they both start the inquest from different points in their carer. To effectively represent character in an opening a lot of CLEAR information should be exchanged between characters or writings that are clearly visible, otherwise the audience could fall back and not understand the background if the characters.

Sound and Music

Our thriller opening is focusing on the 'British Gangster' scene: but we will use the song 'Desperation' by Julian Calor to contradict this genre by adding tension through Music. The track allows us to complete the idea of engulfing the audience with what they see on the screen as well as the sound to go hand in hand with that. The music has a slow build up, allowing the establishing shots to have their effect without being overshadowed by the music. Throughout the track, it intensifies and speeds-up which will be parallel to the action on the screen keeping our audience ever guessing. 

This clip includes a busy cross section of a road, the reason I chose this sound clip over others is because there is constant sound of cars going past - this is essential as the place we are filming is underneath a roundabout, which is subject to many passing vehicles. Unlike other sound clips where there is a car every now and again. So when editing this clip could be used very quietly to add effect of background noise- overlapping the actual sound as it could be hindered with speech/sirens or directions.

This clip includes a very short sound of a 'malfunctioning light bulb' which could be used in our hostage scene to create further connotations of ruthlessness as it isn't a very welcoming sound. To add to the point of it not being a very welcoming clip, it will not be used for the duration at it could hinder the effect of the piece- annoying the audience in a sense.

This clip will most likely not be used, but could offer great help if we so decide to chose a prop gun, in our hostage scene. Simply put, its a long drawn out gunshot- compared to a quick explosive shot, adding effect of the unknown as it would be the last sound heard in our piece.

Other Thrillers

Thriller openings can include sound and/or music to add effect to their piece, but even the effect of silence can be the source of tension. In the opening of 'Se7en' a metronome is used by a character who is clearly trying to get some rest: but ultimately can't due to the outside noise of the busy American city streets. The overlapping of both sounds creates a nuisance for the audience, as it allows them to understand the man's suffering. When compared to 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' where the director uses music to acknowledge a change in time- mostly jump cuts. The music starts towards the end of the street corner sales, signifying to the audience that the characters fortune is about to change. The music then intensifies when the two men run away from the police- only slowing down and quietening when a narration starts. Finally, 'Layer Cake'offers a different approach to the last two openings. A narration throughout allows the audience to understand the characters, and almost want to be  part of their 'gang'. This kind of insight into the characters of a movie will only work if the that's what the director is trying to establish- which ultimately can't be copied for my thriller.

To sum up, these three thrillers offer me a variety of different pathways when editing sound and recording sound in my thriller- which I can use and take inspiration from if I so choose to. From narration, music and diegetic sound all three possibilities can be explored in my piece.

Fonts

This font is very uniformed and precise, creating connotations that the 'gang' in our thriller opening all believe in the same cause, also the production name is rather long- which suggests that the 'gang' have large numbers/ dangerous group. It can also create connotations of an intimidating nature, with the danger being shown in the straight, to the point, lines.

This font offers a different style to the previous, as it contrasts in its appearance. It isn't consistent, in a way that the lines for each letter look different to the letter before, creating connotations that the 'gang' come from differing/rough backgrounds. Another way in which this idea is shown, is that the fonts lines look like they have been etched into a surface- like graffiti almost: further representations of rough street lifestyles.

This font represents our thriller opening best in my opinion. It's gives connotations of street warfare with the rugged exterior looking like its been drawn/spray-painted on a wall. The backwards 'E' represents the backwards ideology and intelligence of the group of people being exploited by our thriller opening.

Other Thrillers
These are the fonts used in three other 'British gangster' movies that we have taken inspiration from. To start with, 'Essex Boys' offers quite a simple font but has a unique twist with the cut through the middle of the words- this could be a metaphor for the divide in society (especially in Essex) from the weak to the powerful. This font contrasts when compared to 'Layer Cake' which quite blatantly tries to reproduce a car registration plate, this works well as it intertwines with the movie. It does this as cars are used to focus on to resemble  change in time- foreshadowing a change in time/setting and society. Finally, 'Lock, Stock' offers a simple block capital font , in a disorganised formation- this is a potent metaphor for the group of people the movie follows, who are disorganised- ordinary people: but have got themselves in a lot of danger.

Overall, these fonts have a clear metaphor for the movie they are representing- which will have to be taken into consideration when choosing my thriller font- to give the choice deeper meaning.

Location

StoryBoards

Pub/Boss Scene

Drug Deal Scene

Hostage Scene

Homeless Scene

Café Scene

Characters