Planning Thriller Film, "Snatched"

Camera Angles and Movement:
Shot 1: Long shot of two girls, Grace and Mary. Audience isn’t sure what the action taking place is, have an idea that it may be something sinister.

Shot 2: Cut to an Extra Close Up shot of Grace's hand, audience now knows what was happening in previous shot.

Shot 3: Close up of Grace taking the pills, camera tracks up from her hand to her mouth as she is taking the pills.

Shot 4: Close up of Grace and Mary facing each other can see their expressions, Grace is looking faint, and Mary looks worried.

Shot 5: Medium Close up of Grace starting to collapse, follows on from the previous shot, camera tracks Grace falling.

Shot 6: Cross dissolves to Medium Long Shot of Grace unconscious and Mary kneeling next to her. Camera has tracked Grace fainting from shot 4.

Shot 7: Extra close up of Mary shouting for help can clearly see her expression, which is shocked.

Shot 8: Long shot of Tom, audience can't see any detail because of this he looks sinister.

Shot 9: Long shot of Mary and Tom carrying Grace, Tom and Mary's relationship is still unknown to the audience.

Shot 10: Long Tilt shot of Grace in the boot of Tom's car, tilt shot mirrors audience confusion about what's going on. The Long shot establishes Grace's surroundings.

Shot 11: Point of view shot from Grace's point of view. Audience realises that she was drugged, and now that she is trapped in the claustrophobic car boot and that she has no means of escape.

Shot 12: Medium Close up of Mary and Tom talking, shot of car boot in the background; linking Mary and Tom to Grace inside. Audience realises that Mary and Tom are in this together.

Shot 13: Extra close up of the car boot. Camera follows Tom's eyes down to the car boot, links him to the situation.

Shot 14: Medium Long shot of Mary and Tom's conversation as it's ending, walking across each other, as if parting of the ways.

Shot 15: Medium Long shot of Tom getting into his car, can't see the back of the car, so audience don't know that Mary is sitting in the back, they assume she has left.

Shot 16: Point of view shot, in Tom's point of view, can see Mary in the rear view mirror, Tom looks shocked-similar feeling to the audience.

Shot 17: Extra Long shot of the car in the distance, audience don't know where the car is headed. Audience left wondering what happens to Grace.

Lighting:
The lighting in all of the shots is non-ambient. The street lights provided enough light for the action to be seen clearly, so there was no need to use extra lighting-from torches etc. We decided that the street lights gave our film the right atmosphere, as it gave an unglamorous and sinister feel because the street lights didn't give a bright white glow which would have been too harsh-another reason we didn't use extra lighting. The only shot that we didn't use the street lights was in shot 11, when Grace is trapped in the car boot. We used the light in the car boot to show the audience where Grace was trapped, but also to show the audience the car boot from Grace's perspective.

Casting:

Man- Andy Drane
First Girl- Lauren Jordan
Second Girl- Emily Mullender

Names of Characters:
Man- Thomas (Tom)
First Girl- Mary
Second Girl- Grace

We decided on these names because they are biblical names (Mary and Thomas) or they are link with religion in some way (Grace), and it is ironic that the characters are involved in crime yet are linked to religion in which you are supposed to be good.

Characters with a back story:
*Mary and Grace are friends; They are both involved in drugs; Grace is more heavily involved in drugs that Mary, this is due partly to Mary's encouragement.
*Mary and Tom are partners in crime, although this isn't obvious to begin with (because Mary screams for help); Grace has no idea about Tom, therefore doesn't know about Mary and Tom. *Mary and Tom are old friends; Mary and Grace are more recent friends, only because of drugs. *Mary and Tom work for a drug lord; Grace owes him money.
Man, Thomas:
*Long dark coat
*Jeans
*Dark shoes
First Girl, Mary:
*Jeans
*Grey Hoody
*Green striped t-shirt
*White pumps
Second Girl, Grace:
*Jeans
*Light Grey Hoody
*White shoes

Brief synopsis of the plot:
Mary and Grace are in a unglamorous car park at night. Grace thinks they are there just to take their next fix, however Mary is waiting for Tom, in order to get Grace for the drug lord she owes money. Mary encourages Grace to take her drugs first; Grace collapses, and at first Mary screams for help, however this is just a show. Tom shows up (the audience think it is in order to help) and both Tom and Mary carry Grace to the car, however instead of putting Grace into the back of the car, they place her in the boot, then an exchange of conversation goes on between them, this is when you fully realise that they are together in this. They then drive off with Grace still in the boot.

Location:
Hollywood car park:
*unglamorous.
*people take drugs round that area; fits with plot.
*Generic due to unglamorous location.
*Lonely, threatening, empty.

Props:
*Car

Soundtrack:
*Basehop
*Nu Piano Project, Grime Unearthed.

We also looked on www.last.fm and other music sites that consisted of copy right free/unsigned bands.

We decided to use Nu Piano Project as the music for our thriller because it fitted well with the feel of the film, also the artist was unsigned and this piece of music was copy right free; the music is used throughout the majority of the film, however during a section where Grace is in the trunk there is diegetic sound of her breathing to give the sense of entrapment and confusion.


Title of the Film:
* Taken
* Abducted
* Snatched
* Kidnapped

In the end we decided on Snatched, because of it didn't sound as random and insignificant, or as though a small child was involved; as words such as abducted, kidnapped or taken normally are.

Storyboards:

Comparing the Title Sequences for Holby City and Hollyoaks:

The title sequences of Holby City and Hollyoaks both give the audience a different feel, and both suggest the difference between the two programs. These differences are shown through the opening music, the mise-en-scene, the camera angles/movement/composition and the editing techniques.

In Hollyoaks the music is fast-paced rock styled suggesting to the audience that this show is a modern, upbeat, youthful TV program, whereas in Holby City the first sound the audience hears is a heartbeat this gives an initial sense of seriousness; also the use of keyboards, gives an eerie clinical feel to the show. The audience can also hear breathing, which is similar to the heartbeat-a natural sound to hear in a hospital; the medical objects and sounds link to, and give the audience an idea of, what the show is about.

The mise-en-scene from both the title sequences are in some ways similar, and in others completely different. The similarities are that the audience are introduced to the characters because the characters are shown, however the difference here is that the characters shown in Holby City are subtler compared with the "in your face" introduction of the Hollyoaks characters; the characters from Holby City are shown through a collage and only the bigger main characters, whereas in the Hollyoaks alot of the characters are shown even if they aren't important to the particular episode that is being shown. Also the background in Hollyoaks is lighter, brighter and more youthful, there isn't much of a setting, it is just a white background, this brings the audiences focus more towards the characters and their personalities rather than the setting; whereas the background for Holby City is blue and orange therefore a dark background, this again gives the show a serious edge. In Holby City the close up of the medical equipment again links to what the show is about, and the close up of the heart monitor links to the sound of the heartbeat at the beginning of the title sequence; however in Hollyoaks only the characters are shown close up, which is a theme throughout the sequence, and the feel of the show is suggested throughout as the female characters are shown as barely clothed and seductively pose, and all the men and women are young, sexy and good looking; there is no older characters.

In the opening sequence of Holby City there are close ups of medical instruments and there are shots from episodes where the characters are moving, whereas in Hollyoaks the characters are shown separately, outside of the setting of Hollyoaks. The movement in Hollyoaks is fast moving and fast paced, whereas in Holby City the sequence is always moving but smoother and tracks across the title, this suggests the race for life; which as said before links with the seriousness of the show, compared with the youthfulness of Hollyoaks. In Holby City the characters are shown through the medical equipment and in the title, this links them to the show; however in Hollyoaks the characters aren't as obviously linked to the show, although the audience are better introduced to the characters personalities rather than what the show is about, compared with Holby City where the audience are introduced more to what the show is about and what the characters do, rather than the characters themselves.

The editing techniques of Hollyoaks is slick, jumpy and there are fast cuts between each shot. The transitions are slick, for example: a red ribbon pulled by one character lead to the introduction of another character, and a zoom in to one characters eye zooms out and leads to another character; this suggests that the sequence isn't boringly filmed, and links with the youthful, upbeat feel of the show. However in Holby City the cuts are slower, giving a somber feel to the show. Also the title moves across the sequence, close up and zooms out at the end to show the whole title, whereas in Hollyoaks the title is shown three times during the sequence, mainly clearly at the beginning and the end, the title at the end is the only part in the sequence that gives the audience an idea what the show is about; the gender signs in the title, and the blue and pink suggest that the show could include relationships. The transitions in Holby City move with the heartbeat sound, and everything (the title, medical instruments, characters, background, colours) is layered over each other, this gives the impression of busyness and confusion, this ties in with the shows medical edge.

Thriller Planning: Costume, "Snatched"

Baggy/Boyfriendfit Jeans
For both of the girls, we decided to have them wearing baggy/boyfriendfit jeans, because they don't look overdone and can be made to look scruffy and dirty, which would fit in with the location in which the film is being shot and with the theme and the action that happens in the film.

Plain T-shirt

The other girl will be wearing a plain black t-shirt, for two reasons.

1.) Convenience; it will be easier to film the close ups of the track marks with her arms exposed.

2.) The black signifies her fall into a desperate situation which is about to get worse. It shows that she is despairing and that her life has taken a turn for the worst all because of one mistake.



White Plimsolls

We decided on white plimsolls for Grace because plimsolls are something you wear in infant/junior school and this suggest that Grace is childlike, and also easily manipulated. Also the colour white, suggests that even though what she is doing is wrong, she still has a certain amount of innocence in her, and that it isn't completely her fault she's in this situation.



Grey Hoody
Both of the girls are wearing grey hoodies, because this gives the impression of a tie between them, some sort of bond. The grey colour suggests the normality of the situation, the fact that drug taking is a normal part of our society and because people accept that it's almost dull-similar to the colour grey.





Black Coat (male):
We decided on having the male character wearing dark clothes, as this gives him a more sinister and menacing appearance; they also make it harder to see him when a long distance away or near his car, t his again gives him a sinister and mysterious feel about him.






Black Trousers (male):

The character Tom will be wearing tailored black trousers, to give the impression that he is a genuine helper and not involved in the situation; well presented, well mannered etc. However the black trousers also fit in with the sinister, mysterious and menacing feel that you get from the character when he is near his car or at a distance, difficult to see.





Black Shoes (male):
Tom will also be wearing smart black shoes to give the impression of a well dressed stranger rather than the audience linking him to Mary, because if he was dressed scruffy, unglamourous and average the audience could link him to Mary and Grace as they were averagely dressed; to keep the idea that Tom is in fact a stranger rather than with Mary we dressed him almost business like; he could be a business man going back to his car after work.

Analysis of Max's Death

In our British TV Drama media lesson, we watched Max's death scene, during this we wrote down some of the micro aspects of the scene, such as camera angles, composition, camera movement. We then wrote down what this implied about the macro (the bigger picture).

The mise-en-scenes highlight gender and the way that the genders deal with issues, such as death, differently; for instance Steph's reaction to seeing Max dead is very melodramatic and uncontrolled, she is wearing her wedding dress and cries "Max!" whereas OB jokes around even though he is holding his dying friend, and says to him "don't be gay" this difference between genders give the impression that men are more likely to joke and be controlled about situations such as death, however women are portrayed to be less controlled and more dramatic and need to have male support during times of crisis; Steph looks to OB for support and guidance. As well as being portrayed as weak, they are also seen as feminine and this is shown through the arrangement of Steph's wedding dress, which is perfect and in a semi-circle around her; your wedding day is supposed to be the one day where you outshine everyone else, by looking perfect in everything you do, and Steph does. Her dress, hair and make-up are all perfect and the attention is on her reaction as well as Max's death. The mise-en-scene also shows contrasts between different people of the same gender; for example Max and Nile. Max's head is against Steph's white wedding dress, this suggest a slightly angelic look about him, and that he is free from the troubles of the world, as white is perceived as a colour of innocence; however Nile is wearing all black which suggests that he is still trapped by the torment of the world and has to live with his crime against Max until he dies.

Some other micro aspects that are used in the scene are camera movement, the use of these give the audience a chance to look at the bigger picture, and ask themselves questions; what/who is this movement representing? During one particular shot the camera spins, in a bird's eye view, as Nile gets out of the car, this could suggest Nile's experience of just hitting someone, or this could show Max's disorientation of just getting hit, and the movement and type of shot could imply an out of body experience for Max. The assumption, Max's out of body experience, that the audience get from this camera movements and shots is strengthened by the transitions and the mise-en-scenes; the transitions that are used suggest Heaven and death, for instance: white light fade, and fade to black; also in the mise-en-scene Tom's action man falls and hits his head on the kerb, the action man represents Max, he is the fallen hero, Tom's fallen hero. The action man hitting his head, is a direct link to what happened to Max when he was hit by the car. Although the sense of Heaven and out of body experiences are strengthened by transitions and things that happen in the mise-en-scene, it is predominately camera movement, shots and angles that give these impressions; in one part of sequence the camera is upward tracking from Max's body to the sky, this implies that Max is traveling up towards Heaven, this scene involves a transition-white light fade-which also suggests Heaven, follow the light.

The different use of shot types involves the audience and builds up the tension and atmosphere of the scene. In the start of the sequence there is a collage of shots that is made up of 9 different shots, the speed of the shots is very quick this indicates confusion and as the audience may not understand initially what is happening they get the impression of tension and fear. The last shot of the sequence is a point of view shot using a hand held camera, this adds a personal touch to the characters and involves the audience with their emotions, also as it is at the end of the sequence, the audience can look back on the events and feel more emotionally attached as they know what will happen to Max after that recording.

The rule of thirds is used in one shot, just after Max has been hit, and there is Max, OB and Tom with Max being held by OB this shows Max's weak, vulnerable position compared with OB; having Tom slightly further away from OB and Max this suggests that Tom is trying to detach himself from Max in order to make the situation less real, like a dream. As Max is dying he is surrounded by his three most important people, Steph, OB and Tom; however Steph is similar to Tom, she finds it difficult to attach herself to Max, she wants it to be a dream; this gives the impression that women act similar to children involving issues such as death, because they can't cope with the grief and aren't as stable as men-as OB is holding Max's head-and fall to pieces without them.

During Max's death scene the micro aspects are all very different: shot types, mise-en-scene, transitions etc. Even though there are all these different aspects in the micro section, they all link to a similar bigger picture (macro), which generally links to an ongoing theme that is running throughout the sequence, in this case it is death and Heaven. The use of different shot types, transitions, and camera movements all add to the atmosphere of the scene and all involve the audience and their emotions, by using techniques such as the Point of View shot using the hand held camera.