Similar Media Products

There are media products (other films) that use similar conventions to what we will use when we film our thriller. 

The plot to 'The Silence of the Lambs' (1991 directed by Jonathan Demme) has some similar themes to our thrillers, it follows a psychopath that abducts women and skins them so that he can wear their skin and behave as a woman. Just like in our thriller, the psychopath tries to manipulate someones appearance so that they can be in the version they most like. 

One shot that was very similar was the when Buffalo Bill (The Silence of the Lambs) is putting on make-up and there is a shot of lipstick being applied on the lips, which is very similar to the images I drew on the storyboard.

In addition, the film 'Psycho' (1960 directed by Alfred Hitchcock) has a similar plot-line to our thriller. In 'Psycho' the psychopathic man keeps the presence of his mother alive bu dressing up as her and keeping her dead body in the basement. Throughout the film, the audience believes the mother is alive and committing the murders, however the plot twist at the end, reveals that the mother is dead and her son the 'Psycho' has been dressing up as her and killing people. 

Whilst our thriller is about how a psychopath, tries to keep the corpse of his sister alive, by putting make-up on her and preserving her innocence.

• Love Object (2003 directed by Robert Parigi)

The plot revolves around a man who buys a doll, and falls in love with it and believes it to be alive and tries to bring it to life, this is very similar to our thriller where the man tries to bring his sister back to life because he misses her.

LIST OF OTHER FILMS / TV SHOWS THAT HAVE SIMILAR THEMES/CONVENTIONS AND MISE-EN-SCENE:

• Dexter

• Un Chien Andalou 

Characters

• Norman Bates (actor is Anthony Perkins) from the film 'Psycho'

The character Norman Bates is very similar to our character of the grown man, because they both want to preserve and keep their loved ones alive even if they are dead.

• Buffalo Bill (actor is Ted Levine) from the film 'The Silence of the Lambs'. He is psychopathic and kidnaps women, killing them and then skinning them, so that he can wear their skin. This inspired our thriller because both are highly knowledgeable on make-up and how to use it; and in the film are both manipulating a girl(s) whether they are dead or alive.

• Kenneth Winslow (actor is Desmond Harrington) from the film 'Love Object'. He is a very shy man, who purchases a doll, that he begins a relationship with, after getting into an argument with the doll, he kills it and begins to have a relationship with a woman. He begins to try to mold and change the woman to resemble the doll. In the same case as the other characters, he tries to bring back the presence of a girl/doll that is not living. 

• Extras

• Pretty Little Liars (2010-present developed by I. Marlene King)

The shots in the opening sequence of applying the make-up (mise-en-scene) are very similar to how we have planned them in our storyboard. We want to show close-up shots, of nail polish being applied, lipstick and mascara applied)

• Sin City (2005 directed by Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez)

The costume we selected also appeared to look similar to costumes form other film particularly from the film-noir genre. 

The costume from above is from the film 'Sin City' (2005 directed by Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez)

The stark contrast between light and dark, makes the costume and man visually captivating. 

The black silhouette makes the figure look intimidating, mysterious and menacing. And that is the type of look we want to go for on the day of our shoot.

• The Silence of the Lambs (1991 directed by Jonathan Demme) 

One shot that was very similar was the when Buffalo Bill (The Silence of the Lambs) is putting on make-up and there is a shot of lipstick being applied on the lips, which is very similar to the images I drew on the storyboard.

Our Shot List

What is a shot list:

A shot list is a checklist of all the shots in the scene. It shows all the shots in a scene and the order in which they will be filmed on the day of the shoot. It is basically a deconstruction of the storyboard and then re-arranging the shots in the chronological order you will film on the day; this means the shots do not have to be in the order you will have in the final edited piece. 

Why do we need it:

A shot list allows you to plan and film the shots you will take. A shot list organizes the shots and prevents wasting time on set, for example: if an actor is in hair and make-up to save time you would shoot the shots that do not require the actor first, so that you save time and money. The list including the detail of each shot, such as: shot number, actor, camera needed, costume, shot type etc.This allows the cast and crew on the day of shooting to know what is being filmed, the order and what is needed for each shot.

How will it help:

A shot list will be helpful in facilitating the shoot and keeping the entire cast and crew informed of the order of the shots, so that everyone is prepared.Most importantly the camera crew, who need to be keep changing lenses and re-positioning the camera. It also will help because Mia the actress playing 'The dead girl' needs to arrive on set and go into costume and make-up. Meanwhile, we will shoot the shots which she is not in, for example: shot of sink, shot of dressing table. Whilst we shoot these scenes, it will give our actor Mike, time to get into costume; we will then go and shoot his shots (putting gloves on etc.). By the time the shots of Mike and the room are complete Mia would be finished with costume and make-up and ready to shoot her scenes. 

Overall, shot list allows us to know which shots we have filmed and to help us carry out the shoot with efficiency. 

Our shot list:

Role of Director

In our thriller, I will work with Natasha to direct the opening scene. I have researched the role of the director to give me a better understanding of my role on set.

Director

A director visualises the films structure and style of the film, his aim is to bring his artistic vision to life. A directors responsibility is to take the words on the script and transform them into images/shots and scenes. Directors may write the script to the film or work on it later after the writing team has developed a draft, he then has to conceptualise the finished film and work on accomplishing it. 

In pre-production the director will be involved in casting, hiring crew, and scouting locations for the film. They also work alongside storyboard makers to achieve their vision on paper, before production. They work with the crew: lighting, sound, camera etc... to create a unique look to the film and to inform them on the way he wants it to be filmed. 

During production the director then directs the actors to capture a specific intention/moment on camera. He assists them in their performance and gives them an understanding of how to perform the characters. 

In post-production, the director will work alongside the editor, so that the shot order, transitions, cuts and special effects meet with the directors vision.

 (Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock)

(Orson Welles writing script on typewriter)

(Chritospher Nolan directing Batman)

 

(Alfred Hitchcock directing a Lion)

Colour Palette

Colour Palette

In our thriller I wanted to have various colours on set that complimented each other and conjured a macabre and intense feeling. To help me with this I researched different directors that use colour palettes in their films.

One director that stood out for me was Wes Anderson, his use of pastel tones creates a retro feel to his films. Below are a few examples of scenes from his films. 

Above (The Life Aquatic of Steve Zissou) As you can see the colours in the palette are used in the scene, by using different elements. The red is used for the apple and hat; the beige is used for the wall behind him and the blues form the ocean and majestic killer whale in the background.

(Hotel Chevalier)

(The Grand Budapest Hotel) 

(Fantastic Mr. Fox)

If i had to make my own colour palette for the thriller I would use dark brown tones and dark olive tones, contrasted by a pale pastel blue hues and a striking light pinks.

Collected Props and Costume

After confirming with Elizabeth and Alastair we went to the theatre department to collect our costume and props which are now with Naomi for safe-keeping before shooting the thriller.

Confirming Costume - Part 2

We received a reply from Elizabeth confirming that she has some items for us to look at and choose from.

Confirming Costume - Part 1

We E-mailed Elizabeth to ask for any costumes that we could use for the thriller. The school has a very large wardrobe selection, therefore we asked Elizabeth because she could find a dress perfect for our Thriller. In addition some of the costumes are from older school productions therefore they might be slightly more worn out, which fits with our idea of the girl being dug up from the grave.

Confirming Props

We E-mailed Al to ask if he had any brushes or props in the department that he could loan us. We asked Al because due to the schools many musical productions, he may have a wide range of props available and also they might be slightly more used and antique which ties in with the atmosphere we want to                                     create in our thriller. 

Confirming Back-up Actors

We sent E-mails to each Back-up Actor to attain their agreement for the role and swell to inform them of details 


Mike T. would play the role of the Psychopath if Mike Niland is unavailable. 

Mike T. has already committed to other groups and due to schedule constraints it would be difficult for him to commit to our shoot, below is his e-mail explaining this

Eduarda would play the role of the dead girl if Mia is not available. 

Confirming with Actor (Mike) - Part 3

We responded to Mike's E-mail and filled him in with all the details of the role and any costumes or props he should bring. We told him to bring his own costume because of two reasons:

• The clothes can fit him perfectly if it is his own
• It saves a lot of money for us, allowing us to spend more of our budget on props and other finer details, for the shoot.

Confirming with Actor (Mike) - Part 2

This was Mike's response to the E-mail. He agreed to partake in our thriller.

Confirming with Actor (Mike) - Part 1

This is our E-mail to Mike to Confirm is Role as the Psychopath. We sent the e-mail in order for Mike to know that he would be needed for our shoot.

Confirming Actor's Role as Dead Girl - Mia

 We sent an E-mail to Mia to confirm her participation for the role    of the dead girl. She agreed and will be on shoot with us on the day.

Confirming our Location

This is an e-mail sent to Sophie, Housemistress of Hurtwood House. We sent an e-mail to ask for permission to shoot our thriller in one of the rooms. 

Photos of Location

These are photos of the location we will shoot our thriller, it is a dorm room.

Looking for Location Part 2

We have been searching for rooms to be the location of our thriller. Naomi, found a hotel, which it's room could be used to film. The pictures below show what the room looks like and it fits with our plan and vision we are looking for. We will call the hotel and check if they would allow us to film and the cost of renting the room. If we cannot use the hotel room we will use a room in one of the boarding houses. 

Looking for Location Part 1

After researching online for suitable locations, we have found that Airbnb is a very good site to use, because we have found a few possibilities near us which also would fit with our budget. However, if we choose a room on Airbnb we need to rent it for a maximum of one night, and any cancellation would cost a £100 fine. 

We found this room which could be suitable to film and it does not cost that much (£40). Additionally, we could add our own props to make it unique for our thriller