Shotlist for AS filming.

Treatment 2

Title of the film: Click

Duration: 2 minutes

Audience: This film is primarily aimed at people over the age of 18 and above. This is because it contains violence, gore, horror and some disturbing scenes.

Certificate: This film will be an 18.

Distributor: Warp films

Synopsis: Three friends meet up and begin to walk home. Charlie, Gemma and Tom. It begins to get later and darker. The three carry on walking their way home when they come across a body. While trying to work out if it is dead, they decide to move the body to eliminate any suspicion but to also make it easier for the police to find them. However, little did they know this would change their lives forever...

Suggested elements:

• The lighter
• Dark tones
• The flame from the lighter
• The click of the train and the lighter
• Emphasis of the fact we don't see Charlie's face .

 

Risk Assessment

Target Audience

Our target audience is primarily young adults aged 18 and over, our main focus is producing a product of interest for people with a preference for psychological aspects of films, thrillers and realistic dramas.The film we have produced aims to, in one sense, have a relatable side as the characters involved are portrayed as ordinary teenagers. However, this film allows the ability to get into a darker and deeper side of life, with the unlikeness of such events being commonly known in the real world, people interested in psychological issues or who have an intrigue for the thriller genre will ultimately enjoy the films unique features. Furthermore, we are targeting the 'outcasts' of the younger demographic as they're the most likely of audiences to have a larger interest in British Independent films because of they're reliability(through regional identity, common nationality or solely due to theme ). 

Possible Distributor

Warp Films

• Independent UK film production company based in Sheffield and London with a division in Melbourne , Australia.
• Established by Warp Records founding partners Rob Mitchell and Steve Beckett. 
• Involved in numerous famous British works such as This is England and Submarine.
• Films and TV shows under Warp Films have gained numerous awards such as This is England winning Best Film at the British Independent Film Awards and Dead Man's Shoes winning the South-bank award for Best Film.
• Independent film companies attract a smaller demographic, which is appropriate for our film , as psychological thrillers (especially British) are not as popular as mainstream action or comedy films.
• Warp films has worked with many different genres and is one of the main independent British production companies useful to our film. 
• Filming on location (Sheffield and London )means it's less time consuming and spends less money for production, convenient for an independent film such as ours.
• Previous warp film produced films have been successful to some extent , for example '71 which grossed £2.9 million in the UK alongside gaining some popularity in the USA. 

Iconography in a psychological thriller - Joe Sheldon

Iconography in a psychological thriller from joebsmedia

Similar film research - Joe Sheldon

Research into films similar to my plot summary.

My movie idea revolves around the actions of a serial killer, following him from his teenage years to the eventual killing of his two best friends; his mental illness and prison friends drive him to the conclusion that he is envious of them for their success, despite one having as failing a life as him. Despite there being no films explicitly similar to this plot, films focused on serial killers have become a sub-genre of their own in recent times, developing since the 60s. The following are three films that are similar to mine and what I can draw from them.

Psycho:

Horror/Thriller film Psycho (Dir. Hitchcock, 1960) is often heralded as one of the greatest serial killer movies of all time, going down as the movie that made Hitchcock's career. The film depicts a crazed
motel owner, Norman Bates, murdering a woman who's car breaks down outside. The film's use of score is iconic, with the high pitched string noises during the infamous shower murder scene being immediately recognisable as connoting danger. 

Psycho teaches that shape match editing and the use of hidden identity can be effective in creating a feeling of tension. During the shower scene, there is an edit that cuts from Marion's eyes to blood washing down a plughole, which shows a figure cleaning the scene of the crime; this helps the audience draw a relation. Furthermore, the anonymity of the figure cleaning the scene builds tension as to who the murderer is, which has become a trope of the slasher genre. Certain characters remaining unnamed is crucial to the mystery of any thriller film.

The Silence of the Lambs:

The Silence of the Lambs (Dir. Demme, 1991) is a movie that is exemplary in displaying the importance of dialogue and interaction between traditionally 'creepy' character and the protagonist. The film has various interrogation scenes between Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling, in which she asks him about the manner in which he committed his crimes. Without a doubt one of the greatest assets and lessons from this movie for mine is how to construct a scary character.

Hannibal has various idiosyncrasies, including his constant speak of human remains and his tongue on his teeth, which adds to his aura of fear and danger. This is important when developing my character Charlie as I intend for him to have the same aura, connoting to the audience that he is responsible for the further killings in the movie early on. Moreover, Hopkins' portrayal of the Lecter character is so scary because it is believable. He even elicits sympathy from the audience at points, acting caring toward Clarice. To script my character as equally scary, I must recreate the feat of a believable character who is also unnerving.

American psycho:

American Psycho (Dir. Harron, 1997) is a film that revolves around Patrick Bateman, an investment banker who begins to delve into his violent fantasies while hiding his alter ego from his co-workers. The film, much like mine, delves into the world of a man that wants to begin to explore his constant thoughts of murder. 

American Psycho can teach us how to adapt the slasher genre for a more modern audience, as well as display both the sane and insane side of a serial killer's life. Patrick is shown as speaking and being good friends with various other office workers during the daytime, while also being a mass murderer in the evenings. While making my film, I will have to be conscious of showing the human side of Charlie, especially as he feels remorse for his killings upon his suicide. One way in which American Psycho shows this is by showing Patrick unable to kill his colleague in a bathroom when given the chance. In stage directions in the script, I should direct slight remorse on the expression of Charlie.

Characters in Thriller Movies - Joe Sheldon

Characters in thriller movies from joebsmedia

Editing (within psychological thrillers)

Montage -
A montage is selecting, editing, and piecing together separate sections of film to form a continuous whole.A montage can be used in psychological thrillers in order to highlight key scenes which bring out tension and suspense and potentially create an overview of whats about to happen.

Match Cut
This editing technique is used between two unrelated scenes and in fact shows a relationship between them, this can be used in thrillers to create a deeper understanding for the audience of why everything is in relation to itself.

Flashback - 
A flash back cuts to scene set in the past , giving the audience an insight to what previously happened, this can show to audience why a character behaves a particular way or why something has happened.

Straight Cut - 
A straight cut is an editing technique which allows one shot to suddenly end and the next shot to abruptly come onto the screen as well as allowing unnecessary footage to be removed or shortened. Straight cuts are used in thriller films to focus on fast paced scenes and lead us to the source of tension.

Production Logo

Titles (Psychological Thrillers)

Titles within Psychological Thrillers usually consist of monotone colours and give of an eerie vibe. Because of the monotonous tone, titles can be quite eye catching as it's more basic to usual film title's, it's simplicity works enough to instil a sense of fear and alert the audience the film will be indeed psychologically thrilling.

Settings/Locations (Psychological Thrillers/Horror)

Forests/Woods - 
The surrounding darkness, the shadows of the trees, sounds heard in the background give a feel of isolation, mystery, tension and fear.



Dark Alleyways - 
Also instil a feeling of fear and isolation, due to a smaller spacing(confined) making you feel trapped in the darkness. Not knowing what lurks in the shadows creates and unsettling and edge feeling.




Mental Institutes
Places full of emotion, insanity and problematic occurrences. Screams of patients,the smell of medicine and drugs, the whole atmosphere is unpleasant and make a sane person go insane.












                                                                      Abandoned Houses/Cabins
Unfamiliar environments creates and unnerving feeling, dark, quiet and isolated. Places in the middle of nowhere also give a sense of isolation and fear. 

Iconography (within psychological thrillers)

Knives -
Knives are commonly used within the thriller genre as the hold connotations of danger,violence,pain and death. A typical representation of this would be in the famous knife scene from Hitchcock's film 'Psycho' , in this scene a knife is used to suggest an element of danger and violence. Knives are a common device to keep the audience engaged.



Shadows - 
Shadows give off an 'on edge' feeling, the sense of anonymity creating suspense. Shadows are used in particular films to build up tension and create a mysterious feel to intrigue the audience. Often shadows are used to hide behind, for example a killer would use a shadow in his favour to mask his identity as well as create tension.



Confined Spaces - 
Confined spaces are used to play on the audiences fears. It creates a sense of being confined, in others works trapped, therefore making the audience uncomfortable and uneasy when watching a film. In a sense the audience can relate to the feeling of being confined when watching characters on screen as this makes them feel a sense of sympathy or insecurity seeing someone else trapped.



Street Lamps - 
Street lights are used within thriller films to act as a sort of spotlight for the protagonist/main character, the dark surroundings of the character can represent struggle or isolation. Further being alone in the dark can create fear within the audience as they do not know what may be hiding in the darkness therefore building a tense atmosphere.



Running Water - 
Running water can represent draining of life or blood dripping creating a sense of danger. This can make the audience feel on edge as they can sense something is about to happen, breaking the audiences comfort and emphasising a sinister feel. 

Questionnaire results

Questionnaire results from ashleighlovitt

Character Profiles (NF)

Script Images

Script Link

Click here for script

Film Classification

Film Classification           

Suitable only for 15 years and over

Language

There may be strong language. Very strong language may be permitted, depending on the manner in which it is used, who is using the language, its frequency within the work as a whole and any special contextual justification.

Threat

There may be strong threat and horror. A sustained focus on sadistic or sexual threat is unlikely to be acceptable.

Imitable behaviour

Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on detail which could be copied. Whether the depiction of easily accessible weapons is acceptable will depend on factors such as realism, context and setting.

 

Language – Occasional minor swearing (e.g. f*ck, sh*t)

Threat – main character is a psychopath/ threat to society, horror involved (dead body)

Imitable Behaviour – dead body, unsettling behaviour

 

 

JNJA Films Questionnaire

Simular Films to my film idea

My film involves the progession of somebody making something special when they had little hope. Against the odds, Theo Donovan becomes a professional footballer despite little success in academy trails as well as his parents splitting up, causing him to not see his dad. The following films also involve the big storyline showing the progression of someone, with little hope, making it to their big dream.

The first film, like my film idea, that demonstrates progression is Billy Elliot, this film is about a boy named Billy, who lives with his widowed dad, who is a miner and his older brother who live in the city of Newcastle. As this is based in the 1980s, his family represent the victims of Thatcherism and how money is very scarce, due to the lack of funding into the mining industry. As a result of this, Billy has very little going for him in terms of making something out of his life due to this. This is especially demonstrated when his family have to resort to burning the family piano to stay warm during the winter, whilst his dad was one of thousands to strike for better pay, giving up his pay in the progress. One day, when Billy was making his way to a boxing class, he was distracted by a nearby class teaching ballet. He begins to attend them to later reveal his hidden talent, as a result, creating a big ambition to go somewhere with his amazing technique. With a lot of drama and hard work he convinced his dad and brother that he could go far with ballet, they eventually agreed to travel to London for auditions this made his family overwhelmed by his talent, therefore giving them 100% commitment in Billy's dream which he later achieved in the future after successfully joining a professional ballet school.

This relates to my story because of the odds that go against both Theo and Billy but their negative past gives them an additional drive to work hard in what they do. Examples include in the death of Billy's mother or in my story, the splitting up of Theo's mother and father, resulting him in never seeing his dad again.

The next film i feel has a similar story line to mine is Bend it Like Beckham. This is about an 18 year old Punjabi Sikh, called Jess, who lives in the city of London. She is good friends with Juliette "Jules" Paxton, who is the same age and is part of a native English family.Jess,from the start, demonstrates her passion for football and how she looks up to David Beckham. But, because she is a woman, her family wont let her play but occasionally, she would sneak out to go and play with boys at the local park. One day, Jules sees Jess playing and befriends her, encouraging her to go to a local women's football team's trial. Jess meets Joe, the football team coach, who is impressed by her skills and lets her in, despite his displays of being sceptical towards adding another player to the team. Although Jess does lie about her parents being fine with her playing football.

Later on in the story, after playing and winning a few games, Jess' parents find out about her playing and become even more strict than they were previously and forbid her from playing any more games. By this point, Jess and her team had reached the final of a tournament,so it was crucial for her to play. Unfortunately, Jess' family are distracted by the wedding of her sister, Pinky, who gets married on the same day as the big final. Initially, Joe fails to convince Jess' father about letting her go to play in the game. He reveals how he doesn't want Jess to go through the same her did when he played Cricket, as he was kicked out of the team due to him being Indian. Jess attends the wedding for her friend, Tony, to convince her father to let her go. Jess comes on to score the winner of the game in a David Beckham-style free kick. Jess and Jules were later offered a scholarship.

This is very similar to my story because it demonstrates that her family didn't support Jess' passion for football. This is similar to my story because Theo's father showed no belief in his ability and eventually left his mother. Both of the plots show luck and fate was a factor. In Bend It Like Beckham, it was by chance that Jules would notice her skills just like how the Manchester United scout noticed Theo but both of them went on to do great things as a result

Camerawork and cinematography in thriller movies - Joe Sheldon

Camerawork and cinematography in thriller movies from joebsmedia


 A powerpoint presentation on camerawork and cinematography in the genre of thriller movies.

Camerawork / Cinematography

Bird Eye/ High Angle Shot
This shot involves a figure or object being looked down on and make them seem more powerless, vulnerable or smaller.



Low Angle Shot
This camera angle looks up at someone making the person look more powerful and intimidating and making us as an audience or the actor/actress looking up at the person feel inferior, weak or insignificant.



Over the Shoulder Shot
Camera shot used over a persons shoulder , usually during conversations to see the other character talking or their  reaction. This can also be used to portray the character as a victim.


Close Up
Close ups are used to show a characters reaction in order to catch the emotion of the scene.


Extreme Long Shot/ Long Shot
This shot can be used to show location of the scene , for example showing a shot of a building or it can be used to show a full body shot of a character.

Sport/Sport Drama History Research

The History of Sport/Sport Drama Films

A Sport Film revolves around a sport setting, event, or an athlete. These films will centre on a single sporting event, in my case, football that carries significant importance. Sports films traditionally have a simple plot that builds up to the significant moment of the sport. This genre is known for using film techniques to build anticipation intensity and show the progression that of a person who aspires to be a star in the game. Sport films have a large range of sub-genres, from comedies to dramas, and are more likely than other genres to be based true-life events. My particular film would be labelled as a Sports Drama, this will use dramatic elements into a sports storyline. These films tend to examine the more intense aspects of the sporting world. With more dramatic elements, Sports Drama tends to appeal to a more mature audiences as it takes more looking into to, to fully understand the events occurring. Sports Drama will often examine not only the rise, but the fall of the particular subject as well.

1920-1950

The first ever film based on football was called The Winning Goal, made in 1920, was based on an important football games between two fictional teams. This was filmed at the Brentford Stadium, Griffin Park. Although it was the first know football film to exist, there is little information on this specific film.

There were significantly large gaps between films that followed on. This could be due to the lack of popularity for Sport films or more generally, films were not as common during this time period. A film, The Arsenal Stadium Mystery, released in 1939, was, as the film suggests, set in Arsenal's stadium. At this point, Arsenal were the dominate side in the old first division so logically, basing a film on the top side was the most logical decision to make for Director Thorold Dickinson. This specific film was filmed with a game between Arsenal playing against a fictional, amateur team, The Trojans, played by Brentford players. A Trojan player dies on the pitch of poisoning and it is up to Detective Inspector Slade to solve the problem. This was the first crime-comedy in a sport film of its time.

1951-1980

The scarcity of sport films continued until 1971, where there were only 3 football films within 1951-1971 but after this time between 1976-1980, 4 films were released, at this point, this was the most films released based on football ever in a given time period. One film released in
1953 was called The Great Game which was one of the first ever Comedy-dramas based on football. It involved the chairman of a British club being penalized for approaching a player from a rival team illegally. Again, this was shot at Griffin Park, Brentford, which appears to be a popular venue to film football-based films.

During a short period where football films were being released quite rapidly, the film Yesterday's Hero was released in 1979. This film was based on an ex-footballer attempting make a football comeback despite his alcoholic addiction. He is signed by the Saints (Southampton) when a first team striker gets injured by the wealthy pop star owner. Turner, the main character, is signed by the third division team and helps to get them to Wembley where they play 'Leicester Forest' in the final. His is trying to overcome his alcohol addiction by this point to be able to make the final. The cup final at Wembley uses footage from the Southampton v Nottingham Forest league Cup Final. The film is currently being shown by TalkingPictures TV, which is on freeview.
cup final at Wembley uses footage from the Southampton v Nottingham Forest league Cup Final.

1981-2016

By this point, the football genre films were making a huge break through and during the time 1981 to 2016, 78 football films had been successfully released in the film industry for people to view. One example, released in 1981 was Escape to Victory, this was the first war based sport film.
This is about allied prisoners of war who are interned in a German prison camp during the Second World War who play an exhibition match of football against a German team. The film was directed by John Huston and starred Michael Caine, Sylvester Stallone, Max von Sydrow, Daneil Massey and Pelé
. Also many Ipswich Town players featured in the making of the film. They find that the match is an opportunity to escape to Paris as this match was only being played for Propaganda to emphasis on German strength and capability.
 She is infatuated with football but her parents have forbidden her to play because she is a girl. She joins a local women's team, which makes its way to the top of the league.She is infatuated with football but her parents have forbidden her to play because she is a girl. She joins a local women's team, which makes its way to the top of the league.Another film, which I have seen personally, was Bend it Like Beckham, released in 2002. This is a comedy-drama based on two teenaged girls in England who try out for football. This shows the ethical issues concerning both the lifestyle that one of the women is part of as well as women joining sports that are stereotypically for men. The film's title refers to the football player David Beckham, and his skill at scoring from free kicks by curling the ball past a wall of defenders. It follows the 18-year-old daughter of Punjabi Sikhs in London. She is loves football but her parents have forbidden her to play because she is a girl. She joins a local women's team in secret, which makes its way to the top of the league. 


Another film called Becoming Zlatan is a 2016 Swedish independent coming-of age sports documentary about Swedish international player Zlatan Ibrahimović. The film was directed by brothers Fredrik and Magnus Gertten and follows Ibrahimović through his former years with football clubs Malmo FF and  Ajax all the way to his break through with Juventus in 2005. Zlatan then becomes arguably one of the best players in the world at the peak of his career. This, by this point, Is one of many reasons as to why this film had significant hype due to the achievements Zlatan Ibrahimovic  has had in his career.