Sounds

Here is an example of the sounds that I have picked to use in my thriller from the site, Freesound. I have used this site instead of Youtube, because it is specifically for sound so it is easier to find sounds that I want. It also allows me to download files easily and with good quality.

Thriller Script

 Opening shot of car, lane, trees etc.

 Close-up of car and driver inside.

 Cut to driver making a phone call (Jo)

 Jo: looks around nervously hesitating with mobile to ear.

 Cut to call centre office, close-up on David and headset, computer etc.

 David: 'Hello, City Breakdown Services, how can I help?'

 Cut to Jo in the car looking around.

 Jo: Speaks fast 'Hi, hi, yeah, my car's broken down. I'm stuck, I think it's a flat battery.'

 David: 'Can I have your registration number sir?'

 Jo: Gives registration (says)

 David: 'Thankyou, I'm just looking up your details-so you say you're stuck; not moving?'

 Jo: 'Yeah, I stopped for a rest, but I'm not sure, the lights were off when I woke up, so I can't have  been them            
 that caused it.'

 David: 'Okay, sir, I can see your details. Can you tell me your whereabouts?' 

 Jo: 'Somewhere on the edge of Carnford Wood I think, No, Man's Lane, a layby off B6042' (looking  around
 nervously,tapping dashboard)

 Jo: Sighs impatiently.

 David: 'Okay sir, try to calm down, someone will be with you in the next couple of hours'.

 Jo: Looking around, agitated and nervous.

 David: 'Are you okay sir?'

 Jo: 'Yeah, yeah, thanks.'

 David: 'We'll call you again when our guys are 10 minutes away.'

 Shots of the lane, trees, car etc. Panoramic.

 Jo: Steps outside, looks around, goes for a pee up a tree. Gets back in car, closes the door. Sighs  relief. Glances  
 at the side mirror, sees a strange (familiar person Ian). Looks horrified.  

 Phone begins to ring again on mobile

 Jo: struggles to get hold of the ringing phone, drops it, looks back at figure.

 Jo: Hands shaking trying to press phone buttons.

 On inside window, figure stares in at drivers side. Face of strange person obscured, steamed by  breath.

 Jo: Presses phone button to answer.

 Don't see David, just hear his voice; 'hello, Mr. Andrews?'

 Close up shot of phone Close up on Jo's face. Really scared. Breathing heavily.

 Camera shot of trees. Gunshot 'Bang!' in distance. Close-up of hand

New Actors

So I have had responses from people who are available from my email.
I'm so 'thrilled' these are my actors:

David Butler

Acting: ***
Appearance: ****
Reliability: ***
Experience: ****
Age: 18
Role: Office Emergency break down Caller

Ian Maweu
Acting: ****
Appearance: ***
Reliability: ****
Experience: ***
Age: 18
Role: Murderer

Jo Ingram
Acting: ****
Appearance: ****
Reliability: *****
Experiance: ***
Age: 19
Role: Driver

Improved Storyboard

A Change of Plan

Sooooo...I've had a change of plan due to people (actors who can't make it)
Sounds silly, but my reliability ratings have been not much use. I have decided on other people. Once they've been confirmed. I will put them up.
I sent an email round to friends who I want to be in my thriller.
I also changed the location from Wollaton Park to Stanton by Dale which is more remote and less busy over half term.

''So you three are people I have now asked to act on thursday or friday 21st and 22nd Feb next week. I'd love it if you could. Perhaps if you're at church working in the afternoon for Destiny etc you could do it before for a few hours in Stanton by Dale. Possibly I could get the bus to Christian Centre and if Jordan Burrows is willing to drive take us to Stanton by Dale and get set up.

Probably one of you doesn't have to come to wollaton, because I could do filming at church possibly.

Let me know if U can DO this! :) ASAP''

Character/Actor Tips

I did some research into the importance of actors character types which are vital for a thriller. I have looked through as a way of noting down important factors involving where, when, who, what and why. The following notes are what I found on the internet:

After reading the script and working through the script structure and scene analysis, it’s time to figure out the development and objectives of the characters.

1. Character Functions

Each character has at least one function (or role) in any story, such as:

a) protagonist
b) antagonist
c) best friend
d) love interest
e) confidante
f) partner
g) catalyst
h) mentor
i) comic relief

There are many more, but this is a basic list for you to start with.

2. Character Emotions

Here are the three main character emotions:

a) Sympathy – the audience IDENTIFIES with the character’s problems and triumphs
b) Empathy – the audience UNDERSTANDS the emotions that drive the character
c) Antipathy – the audience wants the character to “GET WHAT THEY DESERVE”

3. Character Components

These are the Internal and External factors that shape each character:

a) Interior – form character
b) Exterior – reveal character

4. Character Background

a) where is the character from (background)
b) what was he doing just before this scene
c) what does the writer say about this character
d) what do others say about this character
e) what does the character say about himself

5. Character Objectives (Most Important!)

These are the main needs and wants of a character (what people want out of life)

a) SUPER OBJECTIVE (example: “Power over People”)
- what is the primal motivation of the character
- what are the main needs of the character

b) OBJECTIVES (example: “Wants to Dominate Character A”)
- what does the character want (motives)
- what are the active choices to achieve the Super Objective

c) MAIN ACTIONS (example: “What they DO to Character A”)
- what the character DOES…
- to get what he WANTS…
- to fulfill his NEEDS

NOTES ON OBJECTIVES:

a) there can only be one objective per character – per scene
b) the simpler the objective, the easier it is for an actor to play it
c) objectives rise out of the character’s needs and feelings
d) objectives help actors react to each other – rather than just “say the lines”
e) an objective should be an active choice for an actor
f) an actor should always play their objective in every scene

When coming up with character objectives, ask yourself: what does each Character want in this story – in this scene?

Filming Schedule (Half Term)

Thursday Morning:
Location: Office block (Christian Centre Church)
Props: Telephone, desk, chair
Costume: Suit and tie
Actors: Aaron Rilley
Camera Equipment: Tripod (For all Locations)

Thursday Afternoon:
Location: Car Park (Wollaton Park)
Props: Car, mobile phone
Costume: Casual clothing, baggy clothing
Actors: Solomon Rummy-Scriven, Jordan Burrows

Friday Morning:
Location: Home (Home)
Props: Telephone
Costume: Casual clothing
Actors: Amelia Stapleton

Risk Assessment

In order to do my thriller, I need to assess:
Location
The locations I hae chosen are; country lane, offce block, home.
The countryside should be easy because it is quieter (few cars) which means I hae more freedom for where I want to place my characters and my camera. The main difficulty might be weather (rain and wind) which would cause the camera to be unstable or even get damaged.
An office block would be difficult, because I would need somewhere extremely quiet unless I was to record sound elsewhere. Could I find a room that looks anything like a call centre? Maybe just a chair and a desk?
A scene at home. Sounds easy, but is it? I would need a tidy room, which I don't have at home. Maybe I could ask a friend?
Props
The props I would need; car, phone.
Whose car could I use? My parents? Can my chosen actors drive their car?
A phone is easy to get (no problemo!)
Costume
I want a formal costume for my call reciever at the the break down serice. Bit expensive? Or is there one that I can get hold of?
Scruffy clothes are pretty easy to find. The actors hae clothes like that.
Actors e.g. reliability
Chosen actors:
Aaron Rilley, been in front of the camera many times, can keep a straight face. Looks mature and would therefore play the call centre role well.
Solomon Rummy-Srciven, filmed before, been in front of the camera before, mature, would play the murderer well.
Jordan Burrows, friendly, been in front of camera before, can keep a straight face, looks young enough to play the young driver.

Actors

Aaron Reilley

Acting: ***
Appearance: *****
Reliability: ***
Experience: ***
Age: 19
Role: Office Emergency break down Caller









Solomon Rummy-Scriven
Acting: ***
Appearance: ****
Reliability: ***
Experience: ****
Age: 18
Role: Murderer











Jordan Burrows
Acting: ***
Appearance: ****
Reliability: ***
Experience: ***
Age: 21
Role: Driver










Amelia Stapleton
Acting: **
Appearance: ****
Reliability: ***
Experience: ***
Age: 18
Role: Driver's Wife



These are my chosen actors. I have picked these friends, because they all have unique aspects when it comes to filming, e.g. Jordan is more 'laid back' in his personality so he appears much friendlier and therefore would be good as an innocent character. Aaron is calm but also stern and confident, and it's that assertiveness that would be ideal for his role as an office worker. Solomon is more energetic so his physicality could benefit the part he plays as the 'baddie'. Amelia (who also worked with the camera for our prelim task) would play her part well, because she not shy of throwing herself into the emotion of the acting.

Props

The only props that I used in filming were the telephone and the mobile phone, both important props for the entire conversation and relation between the driver and the call receiver for the breakdown services.
The prop used for the call centre of breakdown services:
A typical telephone of the 20th century was what I was aiming for, rather than a headset, because I wanted something that my actor could pick up that was really substantial so that it was made clear that it was him answering the phone call and something more familiar. Not having a headset also meant that the actor's (David) emotions could been seen more easily in close-ups.
I used the mobile phone for the driver, because of it's typical practicality in the fact that most drivers would have a phone that was portable and easy to bring in a car.

Costumes and Location

Costumes
Villain:
Baggy geans/trowsers
Black woolen hat
Leather jacket/grey cotten jumper.
Victim:
Brighter clothes
Light cotten jumper/fashionable
Hair showing.
The costumes represent the type of person, e.g. light clothing appears inosent/vulnerable.
Dark heay clothes appear tough/strong/aggressive.

Location
Office block-Christian Centre
Church Offices/rooms, in
Nottingham centre.

Countryside around Stanton by Dale, Derbyshire. (Now an initial idea; I have decided to go to Wollaton Park, Nottingham, because it is easier for friends/actors.)
Home (home.)

Thriller Storyboard

Story:
An establishing shot of a break down call centre then in the office taking a call 'how can I help, sir?'
Cut to the scene with a car that's broken down. 'I've broken down in such and such car and such and such location...blar blar blar...' Shot of the young man in the car (over the shoulder shot) on the phone. Next shot looking beyond the driver through the window-mysterious character creeps up (face hidden.)
Main focus is now on the mysterious man who bangs on the window (close-up.)
Shot/Reverse shot; driver looks horrified.
Camera looks away to an establishing shot of the location: characters out of shot- hear a gun noise (suspense.)
Close-up on dead body, hanging out of the car door. Shadow of mysterious person moves over. Hand picks up the victim's phone.
Villain drives away in the car.
Establishing shot of a house (home of the victim)
Cuts to a woman (wife of the victim) on the phone walking worried round the house 'where are you Robert?' says to herself. (Robert being the victim husband.)
Murderer driving in shot: phone of the wife rings. Villain picks up the phone in close-up (face still hidden.)
'Hello?'
Clip fades...

Thriller Planning and Things to Think About

In class I took some notes on important factors I needed in order to plan my thriller filming well.

Brainstorm

In class, I did a brainstorm to help find ideas for my thriller story
I included:
Mise en Scene; lcation, props, costumes.
Theme; car crash, detective, murder.
Music; mysterious, sad, intense, suspense.
I underlined the ideas I thought were good. Music-I wasn't sure.

Things I thought about:
'Am I able to fake a real car crash? How would I do that? Sounds too hard.'
'Murder? Seems easy. Some scenes can be hidden so that it appears real.'
'Should I use a knife or gun? A gun might be easier if it is only heard and not seen.
'In order to use a car, I would need someone who can drive.'
'Fields as a location and country lane. There are rural areas not far.'