Research and Planning Research and Planning Media AS CourseworkMedia AS Coursework

By Akam FarajBy Akam Faraj

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Blake Claridge Blake Claridge

Mood BoardMood Board

Payback

Righteous Kill

Law Abiding Citizen

Carlito’s Way

Man on Fire

Sin City

Crime Thriller

Mood Board Analysis Mood Board Analysis

• The mood board shows us a lot about the chosen genre. Each character is independent in their photos and always have a cold, black look to them. The names of the movies explains what the movie will be about even before the audience go to watch, e.g. Payback, the audience will get the impression that the movie will be about revenge and “Payback”. The photos show what the characters are capable of and their expressions, which tell us that they are dangerous and would kill anyone if they are ticked off.

• They all look very important and stand out from everyone else took make them seem like they are the better, more stronger, violent person. Overall we think the photo’s say a lot about each character and shows how they react to certain situations and how they cope with there feelings.

Our Target AudienceOur Target Audience

• Out target audience is going to be people who mostly enjoy crime thriller, with some action. Mostly ages between 15-35 and targeted towards both male and female. The reason for this is because looking back at our questionnaire’s, many students and also adults do enjoy crime thriller and would go watch this movie because the film involves killing, blood, revenge, kidnapping etc.

• Our target audiences include females because they would go and watch the film, if they enjoy crime thriller, but also because of the story plot, the drama and sad scenes, which can make them emotional. E.g. “Man on Fire” and young girl gets kidnapped and females would feel very sad and upset because of this. Males enjoy mostly the blood, the violence and the killing in the movies. They want to see this because of the excitement and the adrenaline.

• So overall, males and females aged between 15-35 are our target audience.

Primary Research - Questionnaire

•Older people prefer thriller films that have an interesting plot right from the beginning.

•People choose to watch thriller mainly for violence.

•Adults (specifically those in their forties) Establishment of the plot and characters seems most important in a film opening.

•Almost every person who filled in this questionnaire had a favorite thriller film which is filmed from the criminals perspective.

•It seems that the younger the audience is the more action and violence they prefer because of the adrenaline rush.

•Females would enjoy a thriller which has good quality acting and plot rather than explosions and special effects.

•One interpretation could be that a thriller film opening is made better by actors performance and a plot that leaves the audience in suspense•However, we can draw the conclusion that people between the age of 25-44 have similar pleasures to the younger and older audiences.

Audience Analysis – Audience Analysis – (Questionnaires)(Questionnaires)

• Overall the questionnaire has shown us the most people would go and watch a film because of the story plot and the violence in the movie. Most people had chosen more shooting and bloody films as their favorite, such as “Law biding Citizen” and “Shooter”, because these films have a lot of violence, blood scenes and killing scenes. Many of the students prefer immediate action and explosion’s because this is what grabs their attention and makes them want to see more, and the plot of the movie especially is important to them. The adults prefer more of the characters and what they are capable of and what they would do to get their own way. They also prefer the story plot but also the actors in the movie, how good of the actor play’s the role as the character really good.

• We took this into consideration and decided to use the information we gathered from the questionnaire to help us with our film opening.

Secondary Research – Secondary Research – Notes on film openings Notes on film openings

• Man on Fire:• Factual text. • Soft dramatic music to start – church bells, children

laughing/ becomes faster when criminals appear. • Editing – flashing white lights, very quick camera

movements. • No main character established. • sets the story straight away – kidnapping of children • Crowded – confusing subjects/face paced coincided

with music. • wide/long shot of the public, cars, kidnappers.• Quick Black and white colour of kidnappers driving

away fast. • Pictures of children. • Dark colours, rooms, clothing.

• Law Abiding Citizen:• Music starts calm – radio (soft indie/rock)• POV shot – main character looks at daughter

making bracelet• Dramatic music ongoing, • POV – main character looking/editing black screen

(Blinking)• Gets to the point straight away.

Carlito’s Way: • Shows ending first we are aware that his attempt

to stay straight is doomed from the start – audience doesn’t know.

• Soft calm music to start• Black and white colour throughout intro• POV – looking at doctor, police• Camera tilts/goes upwards – leaving the body• Painting only object in colour – “Escape to

paradise”.

Conclusion – Film Openings• We have come to a conclusion that all the films start differently with

all different stories. “Man on Fire” starts with factual writing on the screen and people getting kidnapped in Italy, the audience doesn’t see the main character yet until the introduction, we think the intro is very good because of the effects they use, the shaking screen, black and out etc, and it also sets the story straight away.

• “Law Abiding Citizen” gets to the story plot straight away and gets to the point. There isn’t much special effects in the introduction, it is simple, which we liked about the intro. Its sad because a young girl dies in front of his father who has been stabbed. Overall we think the introduction of the movie is very engaging and grabs the audiences attention straight away.

• “Carlito’s Way” starts off at the end of the movie, this is where he gets shot and take him to the hospital. It shows the camera float up from his body and tilts upside down which creates the impression that he is leaving his body. We think this wasn't a good opening to the movie because it’s not engaging, but the audience want to know why he got shot and who shot him.

• Man on fire:Man on fire:• At the heart of Tony Scott's rip-roaring rampage of revenge is an

astonishing feat of cinematic alchemy. It's the fact that, for the first time in any movie, Scott will make you bemoan the absence of Dakota Fanning, the loathsome little moppet from Uptown Girls and The Cat In The Hat.

• Verdict: Verdict: • “If the kidnap/revenge plot is over-familiar, Scott's filmmaking

fireworks, the interplay between Washington and Fanning and some great action make this supremely entertaining. Denzel's Creasy may be morally greasy, but his exploits are explosive and exhilarating.”. "Creasy's art is death. Hes about to paint his masterpiece.”

(http://www.empireonline.com)

Movie ReviewsMovie Reviews

• Law abiding citizen: Law abiding citizen: • Revenge thrillers never appeal to our better natures. They pander to lust

for retribution, and get away with murder by appearing to offset wrong with right. But this is the kind of film that leaves you so disappointed in humanity, the planet would be better left to the cockroaches.

• Verdict:Verdict: “Relentlessly ugly, preposterous and hackneyed of dialogue: guilty on all counts. It will do well, then.”

(http://www.empireonline.com)

Film ReviewsFilm Reviews

• Carlito’s WayCarlito’s Way • Code gangster movie plot of the former hoodlum desperately trying to

stay straight, allowing the hero to be as tough a mother as he used to be, but also enough of a good guy to be sympathetic

• Pacino's Carlito is a wonderfully haggard, desperately reformed man. Quietly ashamed of his former excess and flawed by his lack of cold-hearted viciousness

• VerdictVerdictUtterly compelling - Sean Penn is a powerhouse in support - and with a railway station set - piece in which De Palma actually betters what was his previously Untouchable effort.

(http://www.empireonline.com)

Film – Film – ConclusionConclusion

• Overall all the film got very good reviews and “Carlito’s Way” got the most with five stars. The reason for this is because it has a very good story plot with a lot of violence and shooting. “Law Abiding Citizen” didn’t get a good review and this is because the story is too simple and hasn’t got much story behind the characters. The introduction didn’t really explain much and throughout the story, many people didn’t understand why this was happening the reason for this. “Man on Fire” was one of the best reviews as well which tells us the movie is a great thriller because its based on a novel but also true events and shows what life is like in Italy. It has a great story plot and great violence and the story is very good.

• In conclusion they hade good reviews and this is because of the story plot and the audiences reaction.

Films that have influenced us!Films that have influenced us!

• The two main films that has influenced ours are “Man on Fire” and “Law Abiding Citizen”.

• The reason for this are because “Law Abiding Citizen”, gets to the story straight away as it shows in the beginning of the movie, the main character’s family all get killed and the main character gets stabbed but survives and seeks revenge throughout the movie. The second film is “Man on Fire”, the reason for this is because this film is about kidnapping. A young girl get kidnapped and a bodyguard goes and tries to find her and will kill anyone who gets in his way.

• We decided to merge the ideas of these two films with our own ideas. We will be using some ideas of “Law Abiding Citizen” as the family man, who has a wife and young daughter, and “Man on Fire”, as the young girl getting kidnapped and the father trying to find her and will kill who ever gets in his way.

Planning: Planning: 2 minute opening sequence2 minute opening sequence

Blake Claridge

&

Akam Faraj

Ideas for Opening FilmIdeas for Opening Film• We had many ideas for our opening and a lot of different story plot’s

but came to a conclusion. We decided that the story will be about an everyday family man named Greg who has been married for 15 years and has a young daughter aged 7. He had a different life in the past but changed his ways. One day he goes to work and while his wife and daughter is at home, they get terrorized by and murderer who kills Greg’s wife but kidnaps his daughter. While this is going on Greg is still at work, as he comes home he realises the door is opened and straight away sees his wife has been murdered and killed and that his daughter is missing. He looks around to try and find out why this has happened and finds a note that says “Now we are even” with a smiley face at the end of the note which has been written with his daughter crayons. The phone rings and as he answers it, he says “Where is she”. This is when it goes to a blank screen and comes up with the title.

Schedule Schedule Date Date

(Start/Finish)(Start/Finish)What we will doWhat we will do

15/02/10

-

19/03/10

Filming will start during half term and continue through to after half term and during school days. We started to film some of the shots from the storyboard. The scene we will do are scene 4 and 9. He aim to finish the filming by the 19th march at the latest, so it will leave us plenty of time for editing.

04/03/10 We will be shooting the office scenes in school during lunch time and after school. We will be using one of 6th form managers office as Greg’s office.

06/03/10

-

09/03/10

We will be filming the rest of the scenes of the wife and child on Saturday morning, and then continue onto Tuesday afternoon.

22/03/10 Editing will begin once all the filming is finished so that we are able to use the Apple Mac computers to upload all the filming and then start editing.

Shooting ScriptShooting ScriptScene 1: • black screen. • Alarm clock going off. • Camera - Alarm clock covers screen whole screen (close up)• Lighting – bright morning• Weather – cold misty, windy

Scene 2: • Camera - close up of Greg’s face lying on bed. • Talks – “its that the time”• Wearing vest and pajama trousers. • Lighting – bright morning• Weather – cold misty, windy

Scene 3: • Gets up from bed• Camera – wide shot of Greg and his bedroom• Messy hair• Turns alarm clock off• Lighting - bright morning• Children’s noise downstairs• Cooking noise.

Scene 4: • Runs down the stairs putting tie on• Camera – wide shot of Greg walking down stairs• Talks – “Ahh! I’m going to be late”• Lighting – bright morning• Weather – cold misty, windy

Scene 5:• Greg walks into kitchen. • Camera – two shot of Greg and his daughter Lucy• Lucy drawing pictures on paper• His daughter and wife are their. • Breakfast being made, cereal and toast.• Talks – “good morning”• Lighting – bright morning. • Daughter wearing pyjamas• Wife wearing pyjamas

Scene 6: • Camera – wide shot of Greg, Lucy, and Sheila. • Lighting – bright• Sheila hands a mug a coffee to Greg. • Greg rushing breakfast, eating toast quickly. • Sheila – “remember you’re taking Lucy to the park after work today”• Greg - “I know. I know!”

Scene 7: • Walking away, leaving. • Camera – over the shoulder shot. • Lighting – bright• Sheila and Lucy at the back having breakfast• Greg turns around – “love you both, bye”.

• Scene 8: • Greg leaving, goes to open the front door. • Camera – close up of the door handle and Greg’s hand going to

open it. • Lighting – bright but misty and cold (weather).

Scene 9: • Camera – over the shoulder shot of suspected killer• Camera – follows Greg, but then goes back to house as if the

suspect if looking at the house. • Greg leaving his house for work. • Weather – cold and windy• Lighting – bright but misty. • Greg – long black coat, black bag• Suspected killer – black hat, black coat.

Scene 10:

Camera - Medium shot of Greg at work.

Greg – white shirt, grey tie

Lighting – bright, office lighting.

Colleague walks into Greg’s – “here are the papers you wanted”

Greg – “ahh thanks”

Scene 11: • Camera – POV shot of suspected killer looking at Lucy and Shelia

screaming. • Lighting – dark afternoon. • Sheila/Lucy – screaming, “No!No!Noo!”• Sheila – ripped shirt

Scene 12:• Sheila – long scream “AHHHHHHHHHH”• Camera – shot of wall, blood splattered on wall. • Lucy – “please noo, mummy”

Scene 13: • Camera – close up of Greg• Greg walks in and sees was has happened – “oh my God, Sheila”• Throws his bag onto the floor and quickly takes his coat off. • Lighting – dark afternoon

Scene 14: • Camera – zooms out from scene 13. • Greg looking very angry and upset, sweating and crying.• Runs around to find his daughter. Finds a note saying, “Now Were

even”• Door is opened before Greg gets home.

• Scene 15:• Phone rings• Camera – close up of phone ringing. • Lighting – dark

• Scene 16: • Camera – extreme close up Greg’s mouth• Greg – “Where is she”.

TitleTitle

• Title of our film is “Kidnapped”. • The title of the movie will appear after the last scene where it will go

to a black screen and the title will appear in grey colour’s but the writing will be in the font of word art. It will appear 2 sec after it’s a black screen then stay there for 3 sec and then fade away slowly.

SoundSound

• We will be using sound in our film opening to set the genre and the mood of the story.

• Scene 1: diegetic sound of the alarm clock. • Scene 3: children’s sound and cooking (Diegetic) • Scene 9: slow sound as you see the suspected killer (non-diegetic) • Scene 10: office noises, people talking at the background (diegetic)• Scene 11: loud scary sound to set the mood (non-diegetic)• Scene 13: slow sad sound as Greg walks in (non-diegetic)• Scene 15: phone rings (diegetic)

LocationLocation• Akam’s house will be used as the main characters home (Greg and

his family). The street outside will also be used when the main character is leaving for work and where you will see the suspect for the first time.

• We will use a small office in our school sixth form centre as the main characters office while he is away at work. We will make this office look like its Greg’s office where he will have photos of his family.

• This is a good location because Akam’s house is in a normal family street, with parks, roads, and also clean. This is an everyday house which tell a lot about the character and his lifestyle.

• Photos of Location:

• This is the intro of Akam’s home where we will be filming the scene of the wife being killed by the murderer and the daughter being kidnapped. This is also the scene where Greg (Akam’s character) will see his dead wife and the blood on the wall and finds the note.

• This is the scene where Lucy and Sheila are having breakfast and Greg rushing to go to work and says goodbye.

• We will be using Akam’s neighbours outside house only for the scenes where Greg is leaving. The reason for this is because Akam’s house has a big lamppost right in the middle if the house which cuts the shot, so we asked permission to use the house.

Participants Participants

• -Blake and Akam makers (Directors, Producers, Camera men). • -Main character (Greg): Acted out by Akam Faraj • -Main characters wife (Sheila): Acted out by Kayleigh• -Main characters child (Lucy): Acted out by Sara Faraj (Akam’s

sister)• -Suspected murderer and kidnapper: (Name Unknown) Acted out by

Akar Faraj (Akam’s Brother)

Health and Safety Health and Safety

• We are filming in secure locations because the school is person friendly and Akam’s house is child friendly with no hazards which might harm any participants or damage the equipment.

• There are no dangerous props being used in any scenes. Knives will be very carefully used.

• We will be signing equipment in and out when using it with teachers permission.

ScriptScript

Scene 1:• None

Scene 2:• Greg: “Jesus Christ, is that the time?”

Scene 3: • Greg: (grunts, takes one big breath)

Scene 4: • Greg: “I’m gonna’ be late”

Scene 5: • Greg: “Good morning”• Lucy: “Hi daddy”• Sheila: “Morning”

Scene 6:• Sheila: “remember you’re taking Lucy to the park after work today”• Greg: “I know. I know!”

Scene 7: • Greg: “love you both, bye”• Lucy: “bye daddy”

Scene 8: • None

Scene 9: • None

Scene 10: • Tom: “Here are the papers you wanted”• Greg: “Ahh, thanks”

Scene 11: • Sheila: “Please No! No! Noooo”

Scene 12: • Sheila: “Ahhhhhhhhhh”

Scene 13: • Greg: “oh my god, Sheila, NOOO, Sheila”• Scene 14:• Greg: “Lucy, Lucy” Breathes very heavily (Very angry)• Scene 15: • None• Scene 16:• Greg: “Where is she?”

Storyboard:Storyboard:

• Brief description of action: Alarm clock ringing. (Camera shot is flashing in time with alarm)

• Dialogue: -

• Fade in 4 sec

• Brief description of action: Cut to Greg (main character) turning off alarm laying in bed

• Dialogue: “(grunting) – Jesus Christ is that the time?”

• Cut 5 sec

• Setting: bedroom• Props: Alarm clock• Costume:

Vest/pajamas trousers

• Music: -• Sound FX: alarm

(diegetic)

• Setting: bedroom• Props: Alarm clock• Costume:-• Music: -• Sound FX: alarm

(diegetic)

• Shot size: CU of alarm clock.

• Camera movement: static

• lighting: Only the alarm clock digits can be seen.

• Shot size: CU of Greg

• Camera movement: static

• lighting: faint daylight through window (morning)

Storyboard:

• Brief description of action: Greg waking up in the morning and getting out of bed.

• Dialogue: - (takes one big breath)

• Cut 5 sec

• Brief description of action: Greg rushing down stairs clothed for work. (putting tie on)

• Dialogue: “I’m gonna’ be late.” to himself

• Fade 6 sec

• Setting: Stairs• Props: Costume:

smart suit• Music: -• Sound FX: washing

up sound and sounds of speech from kitchen. Becomes louder

• Setting: bedroom• Props: - alarm clock• Costume:

vest/pajama trousers• Music: -• Sound FX: washing

up sound and sounds of speech from kitchen.

• Shot size: medium shot of Greg Camera movement: following Gregg

• lighting: not too bright, morning but misty and cold.

• Shot size: low angle shot of Greg running downstairs.

• Camera movement: panning down

• lighting: not too bright

Storyboard:

• Brief description of action: Greg walks in the kitchen and up to the table taking a piece of toast. His daughter and wife are at the table having breakfast.

• Dialogue: Greg:“good morning”

• Lucy: “Hi daddy”• Sheila: “Morning” • Dissolve 8 sec

• Brief description of action: walks over to wife and takes mug of coffee she is holding.

• Dialogue: wife : “remember you’re taking Lucy to the park after work today”

• Greg: “I know. I know!”

• Cut 12 sec

• Setting: Kitchen• Props: • Costume: smart

suit/casual clothed wife/ daughter wearing pajamas.

• Music: -• Sound FX: wife and

child speaking.

• Setting: Kitchen• Props: -• Costume: Greg:

smart suit• Lucy: pajamas • Sheila: casual• Music: -• Sound FX: wife and

child speaking.

• Shot size: medium shot of Greg

• Camera movement: backing up as Greg moves forward in to kitchen.

• lighting: daylight, kitchen lights but also sun from outside.

• Shot size: wide shot

• Camera movement: static

• lighting: Daylight

Storyboard:

• Brief description of action: Greg walks away.

• Dialogue: Greg: “Love you both, bye”.

• Lucy: “Bye daddy”

• Fade 5 sec

• Brief description of action: Shutting front door.

• Dialogue:

• Fade 2 sec

• Setting: outside house in street

• Props: • Costume: Music: -• Sound FX: door

closing

• Setting: kitchen• Props: -• Costume: Smart suit• Music: • Sound FX:

• Shot size: OTS behind Greg looking at wife and child

• Camera movement: static

• lighting: daylight

• Shot size: CU of door handle and hand

• Camera movement: Static

• lighting: morning daylight (bright)

Storyboard:

• Brief description of action: Greg is walking to work. Camera pans across and dark figure appears in shot. Suspicious man looks at house.

• Dialogue:

• Fade 8 sec

• Brief description of action: Greg at work working

• Dialogue:• Tom: “Here are the

papers you wanted”• Greg: “Ahh thanks”

• Cut 8 sec

• Setting: office• Props:

paper/computer• Costume: smart suit• Music: -• Sound FX: phones

ringing, people speaking. (busy office sounds)

• Shot size: medium shot

• Camera movement: static

• lighting: artificial lighting

• Setting: outside house in street

• Props: -• Costume: Smart suit• Music: heavy music

fades in as suspicious man appears. Non diegetic

• Sound FX: -

• Shot size: LS• Camera

movement: pan across following Greg.

• lighting: morning daylight (bright)

Storyboard:

• Brief description of action: Greg’s wife and daughter curled up in a corner of the room screaming.

• Dialogue: Sheila, “No! No! Noooo!”

• Fade 6 sec

• Brief description of action: Blood on wall

• Dialogue: Wife screams.

• Cut 2 sec

• Shot size: High angle shot POV from killers eyes

• Camera movement: moving towards wife and child.

• Lighting: Dim lighting (afternoon).

• Setting: house hallway (wall)

• Props: • Costume: • Music: dark music• Sound FX:

• Setting: house hallway

• Props: -• Costume:• Music: dark music• Sound FX:

• Shot size: extreme close up.

• Camera movement: static

• lighting: dim lighting (afternoon).

Storyboard:

• Brief description of action: Greg walks in, sees what has happened

• Dialogue: (shocked) “oh my god, Sheila, NOOO, Sheila”

• Cut 4 sec

• Brief description of action: standing and staring, in shock .

• Dialogue: Greg “Lucy, Lucy” Breathes very heavily (Very angry)

• Cut 8 sec

• Setting: house• Props: -• Costume: smart suit• Music: dark music

continues playing• Sound FX: -

• Setting: house• Props: -• Costume: smart suit• Music: dark music• Sound FX: -

• Shot size: Close up• Camera

movement: Shaky • lighting: Dark

(night)

• Shot size: medium shot

• Camera movement: static

• lighting: dim lighting

Storyboard:

• Brief description of action: Phone suddenly rings.

• Dialogue:

• Cut 5 sec

• Brief description of action: Greg picks up phone and speaks heavily.

• Dialogue: “where is she?”

• Cut to black 6 sec

• Setting: house• Props: telephone• Costume: smart suit• Music: dark music

quite at this point.• Sound FX: -

• Setting: house• Props: telephone• Costume: smart suit• Music: dark music

continues playing but becomes quite

• Sound FX: loud phone ringing

• Shot size: close up• Camera

movement: static• lighting: dim

lighting

• Shot size: extreme close up

• Camera movement: static

• lighting: on face

Which Film Company Would Which Film Company Would Produce our Film?Produce our Film?

• The company that would produce our films are “Paramount Pictures”. The reason for this is because they are well known and are a very big company. They have produced many crime thriller films such as Payback, Mission Impossible, Four Brothers. Collateral etc.This is a great company to produce with because many people recognize the production company and all the major films that have had good hits have been produced by “Paramount Pictures”.