Research for question 1

Research:

For question 1 off the ccr it is "How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?" To break down this question is basically asking to explain what makes my opening a thriller and what does it say about real people. For the part where is says "how does your product use or challenge conventions?" That means how did i follow the rules of a thriller and also what did I do different.

So in most thrillers they keep the lighting very low like in the movie called drive with Ryan gosling where the shadows kinda hit his face and it looks very secretive. I researched how directors use shadows to also hide a character's eyes which makes the audience feel like you cant trust them. I found that in car scenes filmmakers often use passing streetlights to show that the car is actively moving. It follows the convention that darkness equals secrets.

I looked into how thrillers use diegetic sounds which is sounds that happen inside the movie world instead of just loud scary music which is usually see in horror movies. I read that a repetitive sound like a clock ticking or in my case a phone vibrating makes the audience feel like a countdown is happening and it keeps them on edge preparing for something to happen. This is why I decided to make the phone vibration and the blinker so loud in my opening. It is perfect to make a ordinary thing sound creepy.

For the social representation part of the question I researched how teenagers are usually shown in media. Most of the time they are shown as bubbly or just rebelling but I wanted to challenge that. My research into psychological thrillers showed me that showing a character’s internal stress through small movements like the gripping of the steering wheel is way more effective than a big dramatic scene. My opening shows the hidden stress of modern relationships and how technology creates a barrier between people.

I looked at close up and extreme close up shots in car movies. Using tight shots in a small car makes the audience feel claustrophobic like they are trapped in the argument with the characters. By keeping the camera inside the car for most of the opening I am following the thriller convention of confinement.

Lighting in thriller- https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-practical-lighting-in-film/

Sound- https://www.thefilmfund.co/the-art-of-suspense-crafting-soundtracks-that-keep-audiences-on-edge/

CCR question 1- https://prezi.com/p/dqcgeaf8of1p/aice-media-studies-ccr/

Shots- https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/camera-shots-and-angles-for-a-horror-and-thriller-film/28991975

Prop creation

So for my film opening  I realized that I don't need a lot of crazy special effects to make a thriller feel real. Which is good since hard editing is not my place to be an expert at.  But instead im focusing on props that make the audience ask questions. Since the car is a small space everything matters.

The most important prop is definitely the phone. But I did not want it to just be like a random prop I want it to feel like it's ruining the vibe in the car. Im planning on having it face up at first so the light from the screen hits Emilys face but then Luis is going to flip it over aggressively. This shows that he is hiding something without him having to say it. The bright screen against the dark car interior is going to look good and create a contrast.

The paper and pen are the climax of my opening. im going to use a messy like torn piece of paper instead of a clean sheet because it makes Luis look more stressed and rushed. Im going to use a marker that looks like a pen so the audience can really hear it writing. It makes the message feel more permanent and serious.

production company logo

For this production task I created my own production company called EP Films. I chose this name because it uses my initials so it feels personal to me but still sounds professional. I wanted something simple and realistic because most real film companies have short names that are easy to remember. Since my film opening is a thriller I also thought EP Films sounds serious and fits the dark mood I am going for.

When I started designing the logo I focused a lot on the vibe. I knew I definitely did not want bright happy colors because that would not match my story. Instead I want to use dark colors like black to create a more suspenseful feeling. And for the font I want something bold and clean so it looks more like a real production company and not childish. 

I am creating this project by myself so making my own production company was actually really helpful for making the opening feel more professional. It makes the film look more complete and put together. 

Foley Sound creation

 At this point I have the first scene recored for my flim opening which is the high angle wide shot of the cheer gym. This was a kind of hard shot to shoot since it had to be filmed by my coach from so high up to be able to capture my whole team. For the car scenes I am focusing on foley sounds because I realized that silence isn't just no noise. I can use foley sounds to make the inside of the car feel claustrophobic and tense.

So sense I want it to feel like that I figured I would use sounds that are like small detailed but immediately have a meaning that as soon as the audience hears it their brain assumes what's gonna happen next. For example the blinker noise immediately tells the audience that something is about to happen because the car is pulling over and the sound of the seatbelt un clicking after the car is pulled over can tell the audience that someone is about to move or get out of the car but instead its gonna be a calm act. Then I want the writing of the pen to sound aggressive and loud and this draws the audience in making them focus intensely on the mystery of the note before the cut to black.

Im going to record the foley sounds separately using my phone or a mic held really close to the objects. For the note writing part I am going to use a thick marker on a piece of cardstock right next to the mic so you can hear the scratch it will make the silence feel way more intense. For the phone buzzing I’m going to place the phone on a hard plastic surface instead of the car seat because that thump sound is way more annoying and stressful for the audience. I’m basically trying to make every little noise sound louder than it actually is to show how much tension is in the car.

https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1343&context=srhonorsprog

Shot list

Shot List

1.  High angle wide shot of the cheer gym at night from the side showing the whole gym, mat, and team.

2. Medium shot of Emily waving to her teammates as she walks off the mat.

3. Close up of Emily smiling and saying, “Bye guys, love you!”

4. Wide shot of the parking lot at night as she walks toward the car.

5. Interior wide shot from inside Luis’s car as Emily opens the door and gets in.

6. Medium two shot of both of them in the car as she says, “Hi babe, I missed you.”

7. Close up of Emily reaching for his hand.

8. Close up of Luis pulling his hand away and gripping the steering wheel.

9. Close up of Emily asking, “What’s wrong?”

10. Close up of Luis saying, “Nothing,” while avoiding eye contact.

11. Over the shoulder shot from behind Luis showing Emily when she says, “So you’re not gonna even ask me how practice was?”

12. Close up of Emily saying “Okay…” looking confused.

13. Insert shot of Luis starting the car. Engine turns on.

14. Close up of his hand shifting the car into drive.

15. Exterior wide shot of the car pulling out of the parking lot.

16. Exterior shot of the car driving down the road at night.

17. Interior side shot of streetlights flashing across their faces.

18. Close up of Emily staring at him instead of looking ahead.

19. Close up of his hands gripping the steering wheel tighter.

20. Medium two shot inside the car with silence building.

21. Insert shot of the phone in the center console before it starts buzzing.

22. Phone begins buzzing.

23. Close up of Emily noticing the phone.

24. Medium shot of Emily saying, “Someone is calling you.”

25. Insert shot of the phone buzzing again.

26. Close up of Emily reaching toward the phone.

27. Medium shot of Luis shoving her hand away sharply.

28. Close up of Luis saying defensively, “No, Emily.”

29. Insert shot of the phone buzzing a third time.

30. Close up of Emily getting frustrated when she talks about secrets.

31. Close up of the blinker turning on. The clicking sound is clear.

32. Wide interior shot as Luis pulls the car over to the side of the road.

33. Close up of Luis reaching into his pocket.

34. Insert shot of scrap paper and pen from the cup holder.

35. Close up of him writing. The sound of the pen is loud in the quiet car.

36. Over the shoulder shot as he holds the note out.

37. Close up of Emily snatching the note.

38. Dashboard POV low angle of Emily unfolding the paper.

39. Extreme close up of her eyes scanning the note.

40. Close up of her expression changing from anger to shock.

41. Cut to black before the audience sees what is written.

42. Title appears on screen.

Audio

Audio is really important in my film opening because most of the tension comes from quiet moments and not a lot of talking. Since the scene is set in a car at night I want to use natural sounds like the car engine the road noise and the turn signal clicking. These sounds help make the scene feel more real and not staged. I also plan to use silence a lot. The pauses between talking are supposed to feel awkward and uncomfortable on purpose. When the phone vibrates it will stand out more because everything else is quiet so the audience knows that moment matters.  I might add soft background music later in the scene but it won’t be loud or dramatic. The music would slowly come in to build emotion and make the scene feel more serious I don’t want the audio to distract from the characters or what’s happening.

Mise-en-scene 2

Lighting is definitly one of the most important elements in my film opening because it takes place during a night drive im going to use natural streetlights and the car’s interior lighting to create shadows across the characters faces this will make the mood feel tense and slightly mysterious but  without being horror. When the car passes under streetlights the light will quickly move across their faces and this will create a dramatic effect and shows emotional distance between the girl and boy I also will be avoiding bright lighting because that would make the scene feel casual instead of serious. The darkness represents secrecy and hidden emotions. Since the story is about trust and doubt the lighting will support those ideas the limited light will make the audience focus more on facial expressions and small movements. By planning the lighting carefully i can make the scene feel mature and realistic while still keeping it simple.

Mise-en-scene 1

For my film opening I planned the mise-en-scene to match the triller genre and create emotional tension. And the setting is mostly inside a car at night the space is small which helps make the scene feel more intense and uncomfortable.

For costumes both characters will wear simple everyday clothes like hoodies or neutral outfits I do not want bright colors because that would take away from the serious mood that im trying to create. Dark or dull colors like black, gray, or navy will make the tone feel more serious  the boyfriend’s outfit will look slightly messy to suggest stress while the girlfriend’s outfit will look more put together to show she is observant and aware.

Props are very important in my opening the main prop is the phone because it creates tension when it vibrates and gets turned face down and ignored another small detail is a bandage or scratch on the boyfriend’s hand its not meant to be violent but it makes the audience question what happened these props help tell the story without explaining what's actually happening.

Character development

For my film opening the character development is important because the story is very emotional and based on tension in a relationship. The flim opening is only two minutes long so I have to show who the characters are through small details instead of long explanations.

The main character is the girlfriend. She is very observant and emotionally aware. She notices when something feels off and doesn't  ignore it. Even though she stays calm her facial expressions and body language show that she is starting to question the relationship and what is going on. I plan to show this through close-up shots of her reactions and scenes where she looks at him but does not speak right away.

The second character is the boyfriend. He is more closed off and defensive he also avoids eye contact and gives short answers. Instead of explaining himself he just shuts down emotionally. This makes the tension stronger because the audience can tell he is hiding something without it actually being shown or said.

I want both characters to feel realistic and not dramatic in an exaggerated way. Their development will come from subtle actions like turning a phone face down, pulling a hand away, or pausing before answering a question. These small choices will help the audience understand their personalities and the problems in their relationship.

-https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/character-development-for-writers-76109/

Script

 

Flim opening script:

AT CHEER GYM , NIGHT:

EMILY: waves to her teammates as she heads toward the parking lot.

EMILY Bye guys, love you!

INSIDE LUIS’S CAR:

Emily gets into the passenger seat. She leans in with a smile.

EMILY Hi babe, I missed you.

She reaches for his hand. Luis pulls away, gripping the steering wheel.

LUIS Yeah, me too.

EMILY: What’s wrong?

LUIS: Nothing.

EMILY: Okay... so you’re not gonna even ask me how practice was?

Silence. Emily gives him a long, confused look. 

His phone starts buzzing in the center console.

EMILY: Someone is calling you.

LUIS: It’s fine.

It buzzes again immediately.

EMILY: Do you want me to like, get it for you?

She reaches for the phone. Luis shoves her hand away sharply.

LUIS :(defensive) No, Emily.

The phone buzzes a third time.

EMILY: Oh my God, this is insane. Who is calling you?

LUIS: No one. Don't worry about it.

EMILY: No, you know what? I am gonna worry about it, Luis. This is the third time your phone has rung in two minutes! Remember the conversation we had about secrets?

LUIS: I know.

The sound of the blinker turns on. Luis pulls over toward the side of the road.

EMILY What are you doing?

Luis doesn't look at her. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a piece of scrap paper. He grabs a pen from the cup holder and writes something down the sound of the pen on the paper loud in the silent car.

He holds the note out. Emily snatches it from his hand.

DASHBOARD POV: Emily’s face from a low angle. She unfolds the paper. Her eyes scan the words quickly. Her face changes from anger to shock.

We cannot see what is written on the note.

Summarize project idea

My main inspirations for this film opening is Euphoria because however it is a different genre and a different situation I liked how they used lighting a lot to show the feelings of the main character to the audience. Like in my film opening the cheer gym will be very bright and saturated while the car will be dim and dull this creates a contrast. Another inspiration is pretty little liars I watched this and fell in love with it because it was always a big mystery but had some scary and thriller elements to it that always had me thinking about what was gonna happen next and that's why I chose the ending that I did for my film opening. 

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   1. Black screen with just a cheer coaches voice counting and Emily’s cheer team counting.

2. 2. Scene with our routine starting from the side, baskets going and tumbling going music blasting.

3. 3.  Emily walking out of cheer tired and sweaty saying bye to her friends.

4. 4. Emily walking up to car looking and fixing her hair in the reflection before she gets in. Emily opening the car door outside cheer gym and getting into the car.

5. 5. Emily saying Hi babe I missed you and reaching for male character Luis's hand he pulls away and coldly says Yeah, me too 

7. 6. Emily says, "What's wrong?” Luis says nothing. 

8. 7. Emily then asks “so your not even gonna ask me about practice?” *Slience* emily gives a weird look 

9. 8. Shot of dashboard with outside lights 

10. 9. Shot of emily on her phone 

11. 10. Shot of car driving from outside 

12. 11. Shot of hands on steering wheel 

13. 12. Phone rings for first time Emily says someone is calling you Luis says Its fine 

14. 13. Phone rings for second time emily says do you want me to get it for you? *Reaches for phone* (Luis says in a defensive tone and push's her hand away) No Emily. 

15. Phone rings for a third time Emily says  Oh my God this is insane who is calling you? Luis says No one don't worry about it Emily says no, you know what I am gonna worry about it Luis. This is the third time your phone has rang within the last 2 minutes! Remember the conversation we had about secrets Luis says know. 

16. 14. Scene of car pulling over with blinker sound 

17. 15. Luis pulls out a note out of his pocket grabs a pen and writes something down 

18. 16. He passes it to emily and she snatches out of his hand and reads it while the camera is at the dashboards point of view and cannot see the note. 

    
    

Media Theory

One media theory I want to include in my film opening project is diegetic off-screen, in the begging of my flim opening I want it to be a black screen with sound in the background but the audience can not see it yet, I feel like this is perfect for my genre because since thrillers have mystery elements in it, and later on in the film opening there is gonna be more mystery I think its a good idea to start with something the audience can't see but they can hear.

Another media theory I want to include is by Roland Barthes and it is called Enigma code which is when information is being withheld to develop mystery. This applies to my film opening because at the end there will be a note passed to the main character that she reads and has a dramatic reaction to, however the audience can not see it quite yet. This leads to the media theory of Action code because it is causing the audience to wonder what comes next. Hence why it will be at the very end of the film opening.

Another one is Todorv's theory-Equilibrium, I want to use this because I want my character to be introduced in the very beginning to show good vibes and how the main character is a naturally bubbly person and then the contrast of the mood when it gets set off after getting in to the car and secrets begin to creep up.