Planning Session 3

Here is the final draft of the script for our final production.

Script

The film opens with our main character, Scott, walking down a street. Scott is wearing smart but casual clothing, and should be wearing a backpack with a few items inside. The opening titles play over the top, with text appearing in a green, computerised font (similar to http://www.dafont.com/ds-digital.font), before the title of the film appears over the top of the footage.

Scott eventually comes to stop at a bench, and begins to remove items from his backpack; a newspaper, a cluster of papers (CVs) and a laptop/netbook of some sort. He opens the newspaper and studies the front page for a second - “Hackers Access Local Police Security Database”.

Scott: Again?

Scherbius: *suddenly appearing beside Scott* Nasty things, hackers.

Scott: Uh, yeah, I guess- sorry, who are you?

Scherbius: They have no direction, no cause and no effect. It’s amazing they get as far as they do. *slight pause* And then there are those who do have direction, those with a moral to what they do.

Scott: You mean like... white hats?

Scherbius: *smirking* Something like that. *pauses* You know, I used to have this idea - it’s kinda silly, really - what if people could hack in real life? Twist reality to their whim? Y’know, like, just a press of a button and all their problems are gone *laughing slightly, then pauses* I guess it’s just another impossible dream of mine.

Scott: *sighs* Yeah... That sounds great and all but I don’t see-

Camera changes angle, shows Scott from the side. Scherbius is suddenly sitting on the other side of Scott.

Scherbius: Who says people can’t? *Scott jumps*

Scott: How did you-? *Scott starts quickly putting things back into his bag, leaving the CVs, and begins to walk away. Scherbius follows* I need to go, something...weird is going on here.

*Scherbius begins to fall behind Scott, who hurries away. Suddenly, Scherbius comes round the corner in front of him. Scott stops*

Scott: *startled* Okay, I don’t know how you’re doing that, but you need to stop. I don’t know what you want from me-

Scherbius: What I want, Scott, is your co-operation.

Scott: Look... whoever you are? I-

Scherbius: Please call me Scherbius. I represent a group of, you could say, hackers known as the Phantoms-

Scott: *slightly angry* -and you want me for what, exactly?

Scherbius: We want you to come work for us. *pause* As you may have gathered, we’re not any ordinary group of hackers, but with your background-

Scott: Scherbius... I think you have the wrong guy, I don’t know anything about hackers-

Scherbius: But what about your papers? *holds out CV*

Scott: What papers- How did you-?

Scherbius: Experience with computers, Graduate of the top percent, made your first breakthrough at sixteen with the Police-

Scott: Yeah, and look how that worked out *sigh* I don’t want your job.

Scherbius: Shame, I thought you had potential and we have so much to offer you.

Scott: Oh really? What can you “Phantoms” do?

Scherbius: Time manipulation.

Scott: Yeah right *Scherbius snaps his fingers* Oh really? What can... *stops, looks confused*

Scherbius: Time manipulation. Deja vu?

*They pause. Scott sighs*

Scott: So what happens if I say no?

Scherbius: Not much - You walk away, you never see me again and you never find out what happens next.

Scott: And if I say yes?

Scherbius: Your training begins tomorrow, but know this - there are those who will work against you - and there is no turning back.

Scott: *sighs, pauses* Alright, sign me up, I guess.

Scherbius: Perfect, I will meet you tomorrow morning. Until then, you may prepare yourself for the upcoming hardships.

Scott: *turning* But what if- *sees Scherbius is gone*

*Scott pauses, before turning and walking back the way he came. Suddenly, his phone buzzes. He pulls it out to see a single text, reading “S: I’ll be in touch” cuts to black*

END

Here is also are character profiles for the two characters featured in our production.

Characters

Scott Chase - The main protagonist. A young adult (late teens), dressed in smart but casual wear. A trainee computer technician, Scott is looking for work when he is confronted by Scherbius.

Scherbius (subject to change)- The head of the “Phantoms” group. A mysterious figure - not a lot is actually given about his character, apart from his role as the leader of the Phantoms and his distaste for street magicians.

Planning Session 2

In today's session we have managed to finally agree on a finalized plot line and have begun writing the script. 

Here is the plot below:

Plot [draft]

The film opens with Scott Chase walking down the street - he should be rushing a bit, and his expression should look quite down. While this is happening, the opening theme should play, with titles appearing on top of the footage as if it is being typed in over the text. Scott eventually comes to a stop at a bench, and begins to read a newspaper article about hackers. Suddenly, Scherbius appears sitting beside the main character and starts talking about hackers, joking about the subject about “hacking reality”. The camera changes angle to show that suddenly Scherbius is sitting on the other side of Scott, as if he suddenly teleported, and talking about it as if it’s a real thing. As Scott tries to walk away, Scherbius follows him, telling him about a league of people who can hack real life, known as “Phantoms”, and starts demonstrating different abilities, which Scott shrugs off as “street magic”. Finally, Scott confronts Scherbius about his intentions, who then reveals he is looking to recruit Scott as a Phantom. Scott, slightly reluctant at first, eventually agrees to join Scherbius. Scherbius welcomes Scott, before the scene cuts back to Scott sitting on the bench, as he was earlier in the film.

Planning Session 1

• The genre of our short movie is a psychological thriller with sci-fi themes.
• Our themes will be exploring technology, like computers and the internet. We will also be exploring the people known as hackers and themes of insanity, conspiracy and secret organizations.
• Our main protagonist will be someone you can empathize with but also has flaws of his own. He will have a dead-end career/education and will most likely have a interest or occupation in technology.
• The hacker character, who will be a sort of g-man, will be a mysterious character who will be offering a job for our main protagonist which won't be clearly outlined but will become more apparent as the plot develops.
• The costume of our main character will be casual wear to make him more appealing and relatable to our audience.
• The costume of our hacker character needs to be unsuspecting in a crowd but also has to have a iconic look so that people recognize him within the context of the movie.
• A load of our props will consist of technological advances like computers, laptops and smart phones. 

Horror/Thriller Research

The crime-thriller pulp fiction is the 3rd highest rated movie of all time on IMDB. This leads me to believe that the average movie-goer  to see a engaging thriller with a unique feature, in Pulp Fiction's case is non-chronological plot-line  So when I am creating my movie, I need to think about how I am going to set my movie so it sticks out from the rest.

The highest-grossing thriller of all time, according to Wikipedia is Inception, which was directed by Christopher Nolan and is the 35th highest grossing film of all time. This tells me that for my thriller to be successful that it has to have a good and interesting central plot to appeal to the mainstream audience.

A Infograph about Horror movie sales

This infograph tells what is popular in terms of horror in different times and some of the highest-grossing films of each year. This gives me an idea of what movies I should research so I have some inspiration and knowledge of what scares the populace.

Questionnaire Analysis

How old are you?

From the results of my questionnaire, It looks like the target audience that I will most likely to appeal to 17-21 year olds, with 12-16 year olds as the second audience I will most likely appeal to. This means that I should research some popular horrors and thrillers that appeal most to this audience and that I should look at my questionnaire as mostly a representation of an audience aged 12-21. However I should also consider that a good chunk of my interviewees are also 42+ so I should also research my other audience on the side.

 

What is your gender?

My interviewees are mostly half male half female so I should interpret the data as a good representation of all of the genders so that it can appeal to all audiences. However, the fact that there are 2 more female interviews then male interviews is a fact I should consider since this could have changed the results drastically.

 

Which of these genres do you prefer?

The most popular genre that I presented for the interviewees was the crime-thriller, with psychological thriller in a close second. This suggests that my audience wants a more action-filled movie or at least one set in real-life. The fact that Body Horror was the least popular suggests that when I am making my Horror/Thriller that I don't need to focus on gruesome special effects to thrill and scare my audience which will make costs less expensive.

 

Which of these Horror icons do you recognise?

The most recognised character from the selection availible is Hannibal Lecter from The Silence of the Lambs. This may not be a big of a shock since the movie that he starred in has become so popular but it gives us an idea about how we should design our antagonist. If we give him a unsuspecting look to him, like hes a normal person, people seem to identify him better since he looks so human.

 

Which of these Horror icons would you be most afraid of?

The character that scared the majority of the audience the most was Samara from The Ring. This icon might have scared people because of the fact she is just a child and the fact she has features that disturb or confuse the viewer. This means that our antagonist must have an iconic unique appearance and a feature about them that rubs the audience the wrong way so that I can appeal to my audience. The fact that Jason Voorhees was the least popular leads me to believe that old-fashioned giant brutes are not what my audience is afraid of and are afraid of the unsuspecting and the disturbed.

 

What do you believe to be the most important elements of Horror?

The most important thing that my audience looks for in a horror movie is suspense. This tells me that my movie must have atmosphere and tension-building moments to be successful and popular with my audience. The two other most popular elements is death and darkness which means my movie should have some dark undertones and my mise en scene should incorporate a lot of darkess or at least shadow.

 

Which of situations would you be most afraid of?

From the situations that I have presented, the most scariest situation in the eyes of 12-21 year olds is being chased by a serial killer or at least a malevolent force. This means that my movie should have scenes where characters are being chased or at least running to build up tension for the viewers. The other two most frightening appear to be insanity and the super-natural so including some psychological aspects to it might make it more interesting for my audience.

 

Select three aspects that make a Horror protagonist

The three aspects that people seem to think make a horror protagonist is that they have to be strong, courageous and intelligent. This means my character needs to brave to face whatever adversary is in his/her way, but she must also be intelligent so he/she can outsmart and better the villian but must have some sort of mental/physical strength. What I thought was strange though was that people didn't think he needed good morals which means I should create a more morally questionable character otherwise known as a anti-hero to make the story more interesting. 

 

Which setting is best for a Horror movie?

The most popular setting that people considered to be appropriate for a horror/thriller was an abandoned location. This is quite interseting since I now have to search for abandoned or rundown areas for my horror movie to be the most popular or I could choose the second most popular one and set it in a Wooded area which would be much easier. It seems populated areas, like suburbs were the least popular among my target audience, suggesting i should find more places where I can film in isolation.

 

Which type of music is more suited for Horror?

The type of music that my target audience though would be more suited for horror was orchestral music. This means I must find a way of obtaining big music scores in easy and, if possible, a cheap way. There was almost a tie between orchestral and ambience so I think I should search for ambient music as well as orchcestral so I can please both sides of the argument.

 

What should be the power balance between hero and villian?

The majority of the vote was on the protagonist and anyagonist have equal shares of power so that they equals. However some people commented that they would like to see shifts in power so that it would make the plot more interesting. If I do have shifts in power, I need to make sure the villian is not overpowered by the hero too much since that was the least popular set-up from the selections availible.

 

Notting Hill Analysis

Plot

The plot to Notting Hill is very typical romance premise of boy meets girl and they form a relationship, and most of the plot points in film follow the development of their relationship through time and the obstacles that they have to overcome. There is a difference in this story though as instead of just the romance between two people, they have created a unique premise of when a ordinary English man and a extraordinary American actress meet and fall in love. This is unique because these two have contrasting backgrounds which can generate interesting and funny situations since it takes time for the two to understand each other and the lives that they live. The setting is also different from most rom-com's being set in a London setting rather then something like New York or any other American cities.

Characters

For a rom-com to succeed, they need to create unique, interesting and lovable characters for the audience to watch and relate with. For starters, our main protagonist, Will, is written to be a typical likable and ordinary every man that is both cool-headed but passionate so that we would as a audience wish for the character to succeed in his endeavours and get the girl at the end of the movie. Anna, who is our leading lady. is written at first to be a bit of a diva but also shy and reclusive to prevent herself being discovered in the public eye but as the movie goes on she develops and evolves within the story to become a better person, just like Will who is encouraged to be more adventurous and to take a chance once in a while.

Mise en Scene

A lot of comedies sometimes use props in their movies to bring comedy without the use of a verbal joke. For example, we see in the beginning where Will is talking with his friend Spike about what to where for this date he has with a woman. The first two shirts are in poor taste and usually have a funny phrase on them. The last shirt looks like its appropriate to the situation, because it says "Your the most beautiful woman in the world", but it throws a curve-ball at us by having the back of the shirt say "Fancy a F**k" which is funny because it contrasts the sophistication of the the phrase on the front and it has a expletive profanity which makes inappropriate but funny because of it's bluntness.

Camera
Two shots are heavily used in rom-com's for certain reasons but the most important one is so that the movie can establish character relations and show the meaningful conversations that the characters have. For example in one scene we get a conversation between Will and his fellow colleague about their coffee habits which to all respect doesn't serve much to the plot but it shows an understanding of character and that the little conversations between people do matter and should be acknowledged by the main characters. It is also used in kissing scenes because we can directly see two characters connect in a fit of passion and the build up towards to when they actually kiss. 

Editing
One of the most used editing techniques used in rom-com's is seamless editing since your trying to portray a realistic setting in a real-life situation. Its mostly used when there is banter between multiple characters in different positions. This used in the segment at the beginning where Will, Anna and an attempted thief talk at the desk. They use multiple medium shots of the different characters to show their different reactions to each other and the situation; an example being where Anna ans Will exchange looks about the appearance and the manner of the their as their acknowledged his overall demeanor. Fades are used in the opening to portray how famous Anna is and how much of an elegant woman she is.

Sound
Music is important in rom-com since it is used to establish the mood and themes presented within the movie. The opening song is used to portray Anna's career as an actress, where she is a like a modern day princess and is shown to be elegant and refined. The music presented throughout the movie is minimal and is only played during emotional or funny scenes, for example, piano music is played when they first kiss and show a immediate affection and connection between the two. It is also used when a comedic situation happens and usually consist of clarinets and plucked violins to give a feel of oddity and humor. 

The Dark Knight Rises Analysis

Plot

The plot of TDKR is about the hardships of being a superhero and the consequences of a large  cover-up. We see this through the portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman who has become physically impaired thanks to his continuous physical harm he has been put through under the Batman persona. He has also been mentally damaged, becoming reclusive and refusing to partake in social interactions. We can see the consequences of a large cover-up through the Harvey Dent conspiracy which has been revealed to the public causing mass hysteria among the Gotham populace. But another plot theme (which is in the title) is the concept of rising, seen through the revival of Batman, Bruce Wayne climbing out of the supposed inescapable prison, and the rise of the working-class against the upper class when the Gotham prisoners are released.

Characters

Even though the Christopher Nolan Batman franchise does a more realistic and gritty approach to the Batman mythos, it still has the two most essential archetypes that make a super hero fiction; a hero and a villain. Our hero, of course, is the titular Batman/Dark Knight who is played by Christian Bale. The hero is usually our moral compass when watching these movies but Christopher Nolan tries to do something different by questioning Batman's morality such as posing the question of "If he doesn't kill, is he actually doing more harm letting villains live?" and sometimes questioning his sanity as a person through the tearful departure of his Butler, Alfred, who departs because he feels that he failed to keep him from harm. Our main villain is Bane who is strong, intelligent and merciless who will do anything to achieve his goal. This makes him a good villain because he matches Batman physical skills and even brutally beats him in combat and breaks his spine which incapacitates him for most of the movie.

Mise en Scene

Since not much is known about Bane's past in TDKR in the beginning of the movie, they need to introduce the character through his appearance and they do this through his costume. Bane's  mask is supposed to reflect his physical impairment and shows he has weaknesses but its appearance reflects his beastly and wild behavior by looking like a beasts mouth with sharp teeth. His coat reflects his military training because it commands authority and is quite intimidating but its rough handling and making reflects his survivor aspect of his personality and his class among his fellow man. They use a similar technique with Catwoman who has a sleek body suit to show she likes to show off but is also stealthy with her approach to certain situations. Her goggles/ear-piece shows her technical prowess but also pays homage to the original character.

Camera

The heavy use of medium shots of people when they giving speeches to a large crowd reflects their state of power in the current situation. This is used in the opening where we get a shot of Commissioner Gordon giving a speech about Harvey Dent, which lies about his involvement in police murders, this shows his current authority but also foreshadows a downfall since we know that the new Dent act is a conspiracy against crime. We also get another speech later on from Bane about people's freedom but ironically he has just trapped the city with no means of escape. This shows that there has been a shift in power where the lower-class have rised above the upper-class and actually reflects the first speech made in the opening because its two people in power lying to the Gotham populace.

Editing

Super-imposing is heavily used in TDKR to tell character back-stories and to recap on events in the earlier films. This is used in the opening where we see Commissioner Gordon making a speech about Harvey Dent and how great he is but then he pauses for a second and we get a flashback to the previous movie where we see Dent threatening his son by gunpoint and Batman tackling him. We also see it used in the reveal of Talia al ghul where we see her as a child escaping from the prison and how Bane came to wearing the mask. Narration is used to describe the images presented but the clips themselves are mostly silent to show that its just her describing the events back to the characters.

Sound

Music is important in superhero movies since most of the pieces are used for characters and are used to introduce and reveal characters when they enter and exit a scene. Batman has his own theme which is played when he appears in scenes or when hes doing something heroic. The theme itself has a main melody which is big, epic but also action-packed and tense to show both his presence and his handling of situations. Bane also has his own theme where it consists of booming drums to show his raw power and ruthlessness but also has violins to keep up tension and to show his intelligence. Catwoman also has her own theme  where hers a lot more quiet and unsuspecting to show her stealthiness but also has a classical style which shows her sophistication ans wealth.