Costumes

We wanted to discuss the costumes of our two main characters:

1. First of all, we wanted to make the killer unique and perverse. We thought if the male killer wore a dress it would be strange and engrossing for the audience. Also thrillers succeed when the killer have originality and stand out. Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960) for example has Norman Bates wearing a dress as he murders. Also we knew we were only creating the opening to the film which gave us the advantage in not having to explain the strange attributes the killer contains.

2. Our second idea for the killers costume was a unique, gritty style suit. We felt like the dress idea maybe to cliché and we were aiming for something more original. So we thought white shirt, waistcoat, skinny green jeans and classic brown shoes. The make-up was going to be the key for making our killer look strange and perverse. His nails would be painted red and brown make-up to make his face look drained and dirty. Also his hair would be messed up and long and red lipstick would be smudged in a frown. This was an influence from Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight (2008), where the Joker character has bizarre, overdone lipstick although we would swap modify this to change his smile to a frown as we wanted the killer character to be  more aggressive and creepy. This gave our character a look that would persuade audiences to connote a psychotic and mental background.




















We wanted the boy to stand out in the opposite of how someone would usually. The idea of having everyone wear costume made us think that if the boy did not he would stand out from the crowd. He also needed to appear isolated and confined so we imagined him wearing a hoodie to express his solitary personality. The fact that the lonely boy character does not dress up in costume separates him from his peers who he is ignoring.

Film Plot

A boy is sick in a toilet and re-enters a Halloween party. As the party progresses he becomes more and more isolated as he is rejected from his peers, yet he also ignores everyone around him. The dark iconography (Shots of bizarre paintings and frontal images of guests masks) of the house creates a feeling of tension and eeriness. A close up shot of a knife in the kitchen triggers the pace of the action, short shot duration aiding the rise of tension. We then cut to a mysterious figure wearing a dress rushing through an alley from behind. Then simultaneously we are cutting between the boy at the party and the figure in the alley. A shot of the knifes location shows the knife missing and we do not return to the figure in the alley for some time. Shortly after the boy dissapears from the party. A short shot of the boy dead leads to the party residents rushing outside. The people stand above, bewildered at the site of the dead body. Then a white cloud brushes of the screen and shows a shot of the people shouting extremely aggressively at the body. It then cuts to the boys looking directly at the screen, breaking the fourth wall, and cuts back to the aggressive party residents. The white cloud comes again and the people stand shocked once more. A close up of the dead boys face reveals a smudged kiss on his cheek, the sick motif of the killer in dress.

Cast and Crew Positions

So we had to decide what characters the film will consist of and who will play, here as follows:

Cast

Lonely Teen : Jake Hipwell (Me)

Killer: Alex Hyden

We considered using external actors outside our group yet we felt it would be more reliable if we played the roles, as we know the characters we were portraying and could depend on being there when needed.

We then had to decide who would be taking the major roles in crew to shoot our film as effectively as possible. Here as follows:

Crew

Director: Ben Hume

Camera: Ben Hume/Sam Askey

Lighting: Sam Askey/Alex Hyden

Editing: Jake Hipwell (Me)

Ben was chosen director by the group as he was not going to be starring in the film. I was appointed editor as I have had experience with software, Adobe Premiere Pro, that was on my laptop.

Although we appointed positions, this was just to guideline who was taking main control over the major roles. We were all going to input on each role in turn.

AS Film X Narrative Plans

We have started plans for our thriller film opening and came up with two ideas:

1.) A lonely, crippled man is being watched at every corner and glimpse by his suspiciously looking son. We wanted to convey a distressed relationship between the father and son and maybe add a dramatic twist involving flashbacks.

2.) A Halloween party where one boy is the outcast. He feels isolated from his peers, making audiences feel something dark is gong to happen to the character, we introduce a killer walking rapidly through an alleyway. Cutting simultaneously from the party and the killers location, we see a shot of a knife in the kitchen. Then we do not see the killer for a period of time and another shot of the knifes location where it appears to be gone. A scream rushes the party residents outside to see the boy dead from a lower angle, with a kiss mark smudged across his cheek to present the killers sick motif.

Obviously we decided the second option seemed more likely as we had much more ideas for it.

We then decided on the setting, as this was going to be a house party we had to arrange where we would be filming the project.

I suggested my house, so we went to take some location shots. We decided the setting was the right choice and it was also easy to get to and from school as it's located in the local area.

Thriller Essay

With reference to Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) and at least two other thrillers you have studied, as well as wider research, discuss the thriller genre and its forms and conventions.

Mystery, tension and excitement are but a few of the words used to define the thriller genre. They include a substantial state of disequilibrium with plots that hold intelligence and puzzle. Thrillers provide a sense of insecurity yet excitement and mystery. We are hidden from information that is finally uncovered through the large awaiting climax the films build gradually through their typically dark, twisted narratives. Thrillers are almost boundless with their integration with many other genres including sci-fi, action, horror and drama. Several aspects that designate a thriller include its wide range of subgenres, unique complex narratives, genre defining techniques and using the art of suspense to create shocking impacts on audiences.

AS Continuity Piece X Russian Roulette

This was our first practical assignment which really gave us some practice in using camera equipment, testing out some skills and techniques we had learned and give us some creative freedom to see what we can do in a short amount of time.

We planned a short sequence about a Russian roulette scene where four unique characters take it in turns to shoot the bullet. By their reaction and dealing with the game, we see our characters personalities differ from one another. We went with the thriller genre and it's clear film noire has heavily influenced the look and feel of the sequence. 

To achieve this look we used heavy shadow and high contrasting light. We filmed in a pitch black room with spot lights from above. This was really effective in giving the film a dramatic yet classy look.

This was one of the first films I have been part of making and it gave me an insight in the way cameras are used and the effectiveness of using a range of cinematography.

We, as a group, also discovered the future positions of each of us as a crew. I became the main character as I was confident in my acting skills and also editor as I was experienced with video editing software. Ben Hume took over as director as he controlled the group more than others. Sam Askey and Alex Hyden were actors and helped with artistic influences and direction.