25.11.16

PRODUCTION: Storyboard feedback

After giving in a draft for the storyboard for my thriller film trailer, I received some useful feedback that I'll use to further improve my storyboard to get the best mark possible. I mixed up the definitions of diegetic and non-diegetic a few times, so I'll need to fix that. There was also one over-the-shoulder shot that I incorrectly labelled as a close-up. Two of the shots towards the end were too similar which means I'll need to retake one of those shots.

The most important piece of feedback that I got what that I just need to increase the amount of detail that I put into the descriptions of the shots and the audio. I have a lot of knowledge of terminology already, I just need to show that to the examiners so I can get the highest grade I can. This includes explaining what the reason for certain shots are, and what effect the shots have on the audience. 

21.11.16

Music videos & album cover analysis

I'll be analysing the music videos "Running Away From God" by Astronautalis, and "Here It Goes Again" by OK Go. I'll also be looking at the album covers for "Plastic Beach" by Gorillaz and "Carrie & Lowell" by Sufjan Stevens.

1.11.16

My Thriller Film

The format I've chosen for my coursework is a trailer.

Title
The Quiet Ones (working title)

Tagline
Welcome to Belfax, Population 6,371

Genre
Supernatural psychological thriller with a romantic subplot.

Brief Synopsis
Two girls happen upon a strange event in their otherwise uneventful town which leads to the uncovering of a major conspiracy.

Characters
Protagonist - Annie Fincher
Annie is an 18-year-old girl with a reserved yet friendly personality. Her grandfather had schizophrenia, so she experiences symptoms of psychosis. Because of this, the people around her are used to taking everything she says with a pinch of salt. This is especially frustrating when she tries to warn people about the strange happenings in her town.
Secondary protagonist - Regan Brown
Regan is an 18-year-old girl who was orphaned at a young age and lives with her grandma. Her bubbly and outspoken personality hides her struggles with mental illness and abandonment. Someone who acts before thinking and looks for the fun in everything. Frequently gets in trouble with her grandma for staying out too late drinking and smoking.
Antagonist - Hooded figures/shadows and the twins
The hooded figures are first spotted near the oddly illuminated barn house in the beginning and continue to appear throughout the plot, putting the main characters and the audience on edge.
The twins begin to follow the protagonists after they come across the strange event ("ritual"). Since they only ever see one at a time, Annie and Regan assume that there is only one.
Secondary antagonist - The general population of the town
Everyone in the town is either actively trying to stop the protagonists from finding out about the town's secret, or they refuse to answer questions on the subject. This makes them antagonists because they are preventing the main characters from achieving their goals.

Themes and settings
The trailer will be set in the fictional town of Belfax, but filmed in the actual town of Wallington. I'll be using a modern time frame and more of a rural setting than an urban one. The themes that I'll use the most will be mystery, suspense, deception, the experience of an average teenager, and mental illness.

How will it appeal to a teenage audience?
I think this film will appeal to a teenage audience because it's a plot that a lot of young people can relate to (disregarding the supernatural elements, obviously). Many teens find that adults tend to not take them seriously or undermine their opinions because of their age. The adults in this trailer are disconnected from the teenage protagonists and refuse to give them straight answers to difficult questions. I think this feeling of frustration will be relatable to adolescents.
Another theme in my trailer will be of teenage rebellion. The ages of 13 to about 19 is when the average person starts to realise that the world is a lot bigger outside their home and their school. As their parents give them more freedom, so many new possibilities open up - whether they be good or bad. They also begin to understand that their parents are not all-knowing and that they, like all people, get things wrong. As well as all of this, teenagers are discovering new things about themselves. This is a crucial period in their lives for reinventing themselves and figuring out who they are. My protagonists will experience a bit of all of these throughout the trailer.

Inspiration
I'll be taking inspiration from the TV shows The X Files and Twin Peaks, along with the children's cartoon Gravity Falls. All of these programs feature themes I'd like to portray within my trailer.