Preliminary Task

Below is the first chance we had at getting used to the equipment used in our opening sequence. we had to get to grips with;

1. The Hd camera (Sony HDVS)
2. The editing software ( Final cut 7, Apple i movie)
3. The time frames needed to film and edit.

Equipment List

Software;

Adobe Photoshop

Blogger

Apple I movie

Final Cut Pro

• 
  

  
  

Hardware;

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  Apple Mac

  
  

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  Tripod

  

  HDV Video Camera 
  

Location Recce

This is where the stalker will follow the students out of college while           making his selection of girls.

This is where the stalker will kill the girl

This is where the body is dumped

Shot List

Program: Secured       

Director: Sam     

Date: 5/3/2012

Camera Person: Kyle

Location: Havering

Shot                               Angle Movement                          Notes
1.  Establishing shot	Dolly	Of the college to show the setting
2. Medium long shot	Downwards tilt	In the classroom shows location of characters
3. POV shot	Left to right pan	Of teacher and board, main characters POV
4. Long shot	No movement	Students leaving the class
5. Medium shot	Right to left pan	Teacher rushing
6. Mid shot/POV shot	Upwards tilt	Teacher watching student walking down the corridor
7.  Two shot	No movement	Character walking down corridor
8.  Long Shot	Right to left pan	Leaving college
9.  POV Close up	High angle shot	Characters POV watching surroundings
10. Medium shot	Tracking	Following character
11. Over the shoulder shot	Eye level	Character checking behind
12. Medium shot	Tracking	Watching girl
13. Close up shot	Tilt downwards	Stalker watching the girl
14. Extreme close up	Pan right to left	Enhance characters emotions, scared
15. Medium shot	Tilt	Stalkers POV
16. Extreme close up shot	High Angle	Girl on the floor

Storyboard - SECURED

Story Ideas

Story Ideas - Thriller on Prezi

Script

"SECURED"

FADE IN

Starts with classroom scene, of students and the teacher/stalker.

Grant Clarke

“Ok guys, your free to leave.”

“Enjoy your weekend”

 CUTS TO 

girls leaving the classroom.(Calming music is played here.)

CUTS TO

the girl leaving the college premises.

CUTS TO

 the girl nearing the college exit.

CUT TO

The next scene is the girl being grabbed by Grant (teacher)

Grant Clarke 

"Stop moving, or i'll kill you." 

CUT TO

The girl is then dragged to the pond, where she is killed.(Here is where high tempo, thriller music shall be installed.)

FADE TO

The last scene shows a newspaper with the missing girl onit. (slow dramatic music)  

CUT TO

film title "secured"

Treatment - Secured

Audience Research
Questionnaire

What would you prefer to watch?
Horror Thriller
What’s your favorite horror movie?
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What scares you the most?
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If a new film was to be made what would u like it to be based on?
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Your favorite character from your favorite film and why?
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Do you watch horror films in high volume?
Yes No

Do you keep the light on or off?
On Off

If a film had a bad review , would you watch it?(if no why)
Yes No
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Do you watch the trailer before the film and does it make you want to watch the full film?
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Most memorable moment of a Horror/Thriller?
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How would you expect death to occur?
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Would it put you off the film if the main character died before the plot happens?
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For our audience research we set a quiz, as previously posted. We asked 15 people to fill the quiz out and here are some of the results.


What would you prefer to watch?
Horror      Thriller


 Out of the 15 people we asked, 9 said that their preferred genre of film was horror to the 6 people who chose thriller.


Do you watch horror films in high volume?
Yes       No

Do you keep the light on or off?
On      Off
The answers to these two questions were less varied. With all people asked saying both yes to the first question and no to the second. This assumes most people in general watch scary films in low light with high volume. This meant not only does a horror film have to comply with low lighting, but also have good input when it comes to sound as this will play a big part in setting the right mood.

If a film had a bad review , would you watch it?(if no why)
Yes       No


Of the multiple choice questions, the last asked was whether someone would see a film if it had bad reviews. This gave a very mixed outcome with results nearly 50/50. 8 saying yes and 7 saying no. the biggest reason for not watching the movie was “me and my friends/family have the same taste in movies and therefore I probably wouldn’t like it either.” And critics get paid to review films, so if they say something isn’t good they’re normally right”


Of the non-multiple choice questions many films kept being referenced to. These included Saw, Scream, Hostel and Freddy Krueger movies.
This shows that depending on what happens in the film, this can appeal and stick to the audience as considering how many horror films are out their many of the responses revolved around the same films.

Research Into Generic Codes & Conventions

Thriller movies create response through provoking the audience through the psychological experiences of the protagonist.

The first initial thing which creates an atmosphere is usually the credits which are also enhanced with sound, they are usually appropriate to the genre by being a particular colour or scary style. However some are normal but have a suggestive background.

The setting of the scenes enable the audience to sometimes b aware when something will happen and provokes a response to be more significant as they are already scared by the setting.

Sound is a huge factor for thriller films as it can be daunting which creates an atmosphere which is appropriate and enhances the terror within the audience. Loud sudden sounds are usually used to provoke response along with the mysterious/creepy soft sounds which indicates a lurking nature.

Characters are usually young teenagers who are vulnerable and somewhat considered less wise. Many teenagers are interested in thrillers and enjoy watching them for the thrills, this makes the films more scary as they can identify themselves within the characters.

Cinematography is used intelligently and usually creates lots of background space to enable room for unexpected happenings. However, extreme close ups are also used to limit the audiences view and allow a sense of an unknown surrounding. Establishing shots are also advantageous as they identify isolation in many thrillers.

We are going to focus on the teenage girls and the terror they face whilst being followed instead of the teacher for our opening sequence. This will make it a thriller and enhance the effect of it onto the audience because the victims emotions and reactions will be centralised through extreme close ups whilst intimidating non-diegetic music is playing. The characters will be casually dressed to show they are normal and makes the audience feel endangered as it could be them. Camera shots from both the girls and the teacher will give the audience a heads up for all situations and make them feel more involved but also create more suspense as they know what may happen. This is used in Final Destination (2000) where the director (James Wong) focuses on the victims and there deaths are centralised throughout. This creates tension within the audience and puts them in suspense as they are waiting for something to do but not sure who, what, where or when it will happen.

Group Roles & Responsibilities

• Sam Rahman - Director; 

• Kyle Fontenelle - Cinematographer

• I am going to be the editor within the group. My main task includes assembling the camera footage, dialogue, sound effects, graphics and special effects into a presentable film opening and making sure it is to a high standard. I will work closely with the director in order to produce the preferred finishing results which satisfy the whole group whilst using the cinematographers camera footage.

Opening Sequence Analysis - TITLES

0.08 Twentieth Century Fox      (fades in)

0.10 In Association With       (fades in below above title)

((0.12 Both titles fade out))

0.13 Cross Creek Pictures       (fades in)

0.15 Presents          (fades in below above title)

((0.16 Both titles fade out))

0.18  A Darren Aronofsky Film       (slides in from left to right, from red split in black screen)

((0.20 Title flies to the right of the screen, onto white blank page))

0.21 Starring Natalie Portman       (fades in)

((0.22 Black feathers start falling from top of the screen))

0.26  Vincent Cassel       (fades in as previous name fades out)

0.30 AND Mila Kunis       (fades in as previous name fades out)

0.36 Music By Clint Mansell         (fades in after last name has faded out)

((0.45 Black feathers cover the screen totally))

((0.46 White feathers fade in to whole screen to be background))

0.47 BLACK SWAN      (fades in)

((0.51 Screen blacks out))

0.54 Idea Original

Eduardo Sandoval

Araceli Gomez

(All names quickly fade in one below the other)

0.56 Animacion

Eduardo Sandoval

( All names quickly fade in one below the other)

0.58 Graficos

Araceli Gomez

 ((0.58 First titles of ‘idea original’ begin to fade out, followed by the one directly below until all titles gone))



Opening Sequence Analysis

The opening sequence to 'Ghost Ship' misleads the audience by drawing them into a cheerful calm atmosphere and then dramatically impacts the viewers at the end, identifying the genre. 
The clip begins under water which instantly identifies the setting which is in the ocean and then a crane shot pans anticlockwise to establish the pacific location which is on a cruise ship. The isolation of the cruise ship suggests danger within itself as it is set apart from anything else apart from the water beneath it.
We are shown the title ‘Ghost Ship’ which suggests a thriller genre. The title fades into the ship which is the background which looks as if the ship has been branded with that name and informs the audience that this ship is the one.
No elements of mise-en-scene suggest the genre at the start of the clip, passengers are shown dancing to a slow but happy diegetic music which portrays a cheerful atmosphere. The fonts of the title and credits are pretty and pink which supports the happy cheerful atmosphere created by the music. From the costume of characters we assume they are wealthy, they are in ball gowns and suits with servers.
Characters within the scene do not seem to have any significance and all have short time on camera with straight cuts to other passengers.
Continuity editing is used throughout which indicated it’s all happening as we watch and only reveals things to the audience as they evolve which means that they know as much as the characters themselves. This editing has a greater impact as the audience are shocked when the metal wire cuts through the passengers, just like the complete shock of the characters themselves.
Throughout the scene, the diegetic music of the lady singing is the dominant sound but when there is a close up of somebody pulling the lever the singing dims into the background. The dominant sound becomes the actions of; pulling the lever, clicks and the release of the wire. The extreme close ups of the process of the wire being released highlights the event and makes it the focus point which suggests the narrative is going to centralise what the metal wire does. During these moments the lighting becomes more shadowed which gives a colder feel and indicated the thriller side of the film, reflecting the genre which is about to be revealed. This creates possible enigmas associated with the title, 'ghost ship'. The narrative could be about the person who set the winch was not a human but a ghost and alternatively the narrative could be that all the passengers that was on the boat become ghosts which makes it the ghost ship.

Logo

Our production logo was designed by a member of our group and represents the initials of all group members forenames. This enables a joint involvement within the production and makes the production unique.