Isabella Millington

Isabella Millington I will be answering my questions about our Thriller film;

‘Iniquitous’ is the name of our thriller film for which we are creating an opening sequence. I feel that our opening sequence shows a thorough understanding of the thriller genre as we have encapsulated many of the forms and conventions of the thriller genre, with specific attention to convention of the sub-genres psychological and crime thriller. Films of the psychological and crime thriller genre that our film is based upon It is through our incorporation of two subgenres, quite different in their creative styles, that we have challenged convention. We have made this creative choice as we felt our plot covered both elements- predominantly the ‘cop duo’ and murder mystery element of a crime thriller, but also the intense character focus; their changes and psychological issues of psychological thrillers. Another reason we chose to incorporate the psychological elements into a crime thriller plot is that we were inspired by the filming styles- the creative freedom and editing skill involved with producing a visually stimulating psychological thriller film.

InspirationMany films inspired the creation of ‘Iniquitous’- visually and creatively as well as in their plot and genre. The main film I personally was inspired by was ‘Fight Club’. I took inspiration in both the development of the plot, with their character twists and crime element, and in the editing. The jump cuts and splicing techniques give the film a real edge that contributes to the fast paced storyline. For this same reason we took inspiration from the film ‘Se7en’- specifically its opening sequence. It uses the same style of editing techniques as ‘fight club’ and has an incredibly strong and powerful montage accompanying the opening credits. Similarly, we took plot inspiration from ‘The Butterfly Effect’. Since the plot was predominantly crime thriller and only the filming style psychological, we needed to find a way of incorporating a more psychological element into the plot. ‘The Butterfly Effect’ conforms to the sub-genre psychological thriller through its plot more than filming style, so we used it in developing the revelation part of the plot. The dramatic way in which discovering the twist is not merely a single moment of realisation but a gradual discovery and unveiling to the audience. www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEZK7mJoPLY

Finally, when it came to sound we were inspired by the film ‘Deliverance’ not for the specific sounds it used nor for the visual aspects, but purely for the way it used contrapuntal sound in the opening scene. The slow, serene, panning mountains are in contrast with the lively, loud voices on the radio and the sounds of a destruction site. The faintly unnerving music in the background changes the whole tone of the scene, making the sound contrapuntal. We aren’t looking for the opening sequence of our film to be contrapuntal exactly; we want it to compliment the action on screen in the same way pleasonic sound would, but we wish to use a similar style as ‘Deliverance’ - many sounds overlaying to create a busy, hectic audio in contrast to the serener images (creating a similar effect to that of contrapuntal sound), but fitting with the storyline and action. We have chosen to use many sound elements over both the main crime scene and The montage of crime scenes, Press conferences and close-ups. Sound http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QL_8FosjtKA&feature=related For our theme music we have decided to use pleasonic sound rather than contrapuntal, with a strong beat to lead all the sound elements, as inspired by the theme music from the ‘Bourne Identity’. Other sound effects we intend to use are the sound of cars passing in the distance, to set the scene and because in one of our shots a road is visible through the trees. We will also use a police car siren, to enhance the feeling of danger and urgency and to reiterate the role of the police. We will use the soft sound of wind to contribute, and that of crunching leaves. We will have the voice of a press release, read by a reporter, overlaying the sound, to illustrate what is happening. Snippets of this will be played over the crime sequences.

One convention of the psychological thriller that we have firmly stuck to is the plot pattern as we felt it is a strong one that continuously bring is audiences. The storyline follows the mental and emotional conflict between the main characters right up until the violent resolution in which Burke kills Miller. This is a convention of this sub-genre as thrillers are not as gory as horrors- especially not psychological thrillers which use mental games and twists rather than blood to frighten audiences. the violent resolution is the climax, and is used to indicate the end of the mental and emotional conflict, and therefore brings closure to the plot. Crime thrillers often focus on the criminals rather than the policemen- a convention which we have twisted, as one detective is both ‘cop’ and criminal, meaning both roles are followed closely throughout our film. This may prove to be a confusing aspect were we to make the whole film as no sides are fully established and it may become hard to find a common fear in the film. As it is, I would say that fear isn’t necessary a primary theme within our film- the aim is to frighten audiences, but the characters themselves aren’t preoccupied or battling any sort of fear. The main themes of this film are mental illness, as our main character has severe mental problems and schizophrenia; obsession, because, along with his mental issues, Burke has extreme Obsessive Compulsive Disorder; the ‘flip side’ is also a strong theme within our film, and we use coins as symbolism for this. Abstract shots show the coins falling, being turned over, lying next to a dead body. The purpose of this is to hint at Burke’s split personality long before it is revealed. The inspiration for using the symbolism of one object as a narrative tool came from ‘Inception’- his spinning top. A lesser theme would be murder- I don’t consider this a primary theme despite murders laying the foundation for the plot; there is no emotional connection to any of the victims nor to the act itself. The film focuses on the characters investigation the murders and the effects of those murders. Prop inspiration

Challenging Form We have challenged form when it comes to narrative structure- our film doesn’t start of in a state of equilibrium, but begins In Medias Res, in the midst of the disequilibrium. After the opening sequence, the narrative will lull audiences into a brief, false state of equilibrium, when the characters lives seem normal, when the narrative calms and slows down. However there is always a sense of something bubbling under the surface. Characters and Costume The two main characters are unremarkable in profile, young male detectives in their early thirties, Charlie Miller slightly older than Tom Burke. We are using white actors but ethnicity wasn’t a factor we found to be relevant- they could have been any ethnicity or colour. They are of lower middle class/middle class and we never delve too far into the characters back story or history. In our film it is solely the characters and the present that matters, the personality changes they go through as the events of the film unfold. The costumes are a simple suit and jacket in Burke’s case and suit and jumper in Millers. The difference is to show Millers more cheerful, laid back personality and Burkes desperation to look the part of a detective. We have stayed away from the traditional trench coat and trilby as we feel this is clichéd and we wanted to set it in the present day rather than the 1930s. no make-up is required.

Locations The locations we are filming in are Stanmer Park, Varndean College, Preston Park Station, and Brighton Lanes. We are using very simple, minimalistic props; hazard tape to indicate a crime scene, and arranging our bags under a white sheet to look like a dead body. Burke also uses as notebook and pen for ‘taking notes’ and surveying the scene. For two crime scenes Miller uses a digital SLR camera to take pictures of the scene for evidence, and in the press conference scene two digital SLR cameras are used, as well as two microphones. Coins are another key prop, as they encapsulate the entire symbolism of our film. ‘Iniquitous’ is a unique thriller film that both encapsulates and challenges form and convention, as well as bringing its own unique mixture of sub-genres to the world of film. Stanmer Park

When it comes to representing particular social groups, I feel that our media product is fairly limited. In filming the entire movie, we would represent a more diverse number of social groups, however, in the section of film we are actually making – the opening sequence- only features two (living) characters; Detective Tom Burke and Detective Charlie Miller. Basing those characters around the actors we had available, they both represent the same social group. We are using two males in their late teens, playing young, white males in their twenties. We have decided that they are both from lower middle class families, although class is not a strong feature in our film. We do not consider their race to be particularly relevant either, we feel that the status of the characters, nor their role in the play would change if they were of different ethnicity.

Stereotypes I feel that we may be supporting the gender stereotypes by casting males as detectives; that we are portraying a detectives job as a ‘man’s job’. However, this wasn’t our intention and we made the choice to have two males as we felt it was most fitting for our storyline and for the character relationships we wanted to build and depict in the film. Having chosen two male leads, there was no escaping the second stereotype I feel we are depicting- that white adult males are always the murderers. Not only that but the victim- briefly shown in one scene- is a teenage girl, only reinforcing the stereotypes seen not only in films but in the media. However, considering the twist at the end of the film, we feel that the perceived ‘good guy’-Detective Burke- turning out to be the murderer is enough to counterbalance our use of stereotype. I feel that in using the social groups we have chosen to represent, we have inadvertently appealed to our target audience more profoundly. The use of younger actors is appealing to younger audiences- our target population being 15- 25, and that younger audiences will also be comfortable in some use of stereotype as they are often secure in what they know.

Having taken inspiration for our film ‘Iniquitous’ from films such as ‘Fight Club’, ‘Seven’ and ‘The Butterfly Effect’, I have decided that, although not specialising in thriller films, New Line Cinema would be an appropriate choice for an institution to distribute our film. Both ‘Seven’ and ‘The Butterfly Effect (I and II)’ were produced by New Line Cinema, and, favouring the style of these films above others we have taken inspiration from, I feel they would be an effective choice. New line cinema is not only a film distributor, but an independent studio, meaning it would assist with the funding of the film. Now merged with Warner Bros, gives it international rights. Having seen the trailers for ‘Seven’ and ‘The Butterfly Effect’, along with their other thriller productions- ‘Blade’, ‘The Cell’, and ‘The number 23’, to name a few- I am confident that in using this company we would get an effective trailer which would help in box office and DVD sales. The trailers are all very fast-paced, dark, mysterious and alluding, without giving too much away. They stick to many conventions of trailer such as long clips followed by fast-cut montages, but are longer than many film trailers, and I think that spending money on advertising is a successful plan in making a hit film

I think that our film would suit both art house and major cinemas- perhaps not a summer blockbuster, but I think it has a wide target audience and is similar to many previous smash hits such as the previously mentioned ‘Fight Club’ and ‘Seven’. Therefore I think would be profitable enough for larger cinemas to wish to show it. I feel it fits the criteria for an Art House film for its indie film undertones and slightly unconventional elements. New Line Cinema might distribute our film by setting up interviews with the actors and directors over radio, television, and magazines, as this is a free form of advertising. This would be very important as a lot of the budget would have gone into making a successful advert, so we would need to exploit other, free or cheap, forms of advertising. The internet would play a huge role in free advertising. I doubt we would use billboard advertising or bus advertising, as this is an expensive way of getting the word out to just a limited number of people. As word of mouth can make or break a film, we would use the technique of showing a small number of people the film in advance for free to generate word of mouth. 2010 has been a successful year for thrillers box-office wise, which makes me confident that a film release in early 2011 would be successful. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5dVQfzjDS4 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_film

Our target audience is 16-30 year-olds, a slightly more modernised plot and themes so as to appeal to this younger age range. We are targeting our film at both males and females as we feel the plot isn’t stereotypically male or female. This could be a potential problem- not targeting it exclusively at one gender could mean we lose audiences from both, however I think that with the success of recent thrillers, our film will hold its own in the box office. Our narrative is complex in terms of the twist, and the lead up to this, however we have steered away from narrative techniques used in films such as ‘Inception’, keeping it in chronological order, one time zone and one plot line (rather than several plot threads following different characters)- I feel this simplifies it, making it easier to follow and overcoming the problem of all thrillers; that the plot is often too complex to appeal to a broader audience.

Our broader interest audience would be the main income for this film; as the film isn’t based on a book or game (in the case of ‘Lara Croft’) to attract a niche audience. The broader interest would come from word of mouth and advertising- primarily generated through interviews with the cast and director. Films such as ‘Fight Club’ and ‘Se7en’; which have inspired our film and choices, attracted their target audiences by featuring Brad Pitt, a famous actor known for attracting female audiences, and in the case of ‘Se7en’, Morgan Freeman, a respected actor. Both actors represent characters that audiences may want to be; providing escapism for males as well as females. Supporting actresses such as Helena Bonham-Carter in ‘Fight Club’ or Gwyneth Paltrow in ‘Se7en’ provide this same escapism for female audiences, and attract male audiences in the same way as Brad Pitt does. Not able to employ such famous actors, we would try to appeal to the same audiences of these two films by using David Fincher, director of both, as director. This would also attract our niche audience- fans of ‘Fight Club’, ‘Se7en’ and thriller fanatics would be drawn to our film by the use of this director.

It is not the job solely of the advertising to attract your audience, but the opening sequence must entice your audience into seeing the rest of it. In thriller films, this enticement is generated mostly through suspense, even in the very first scenes, there must be an air of mystery and must not give anything away, so as to tap into audiences’ curiosity to make them want to watch on. In our film we have created suspense through tension in fast cuts and close ups; the audience never gets to see the ‘full picture’, mounting their curiosity. Our opening sequence is from the point of view of detective Burke, and to further enhance this we have used point of view shots – his reflection in the mirror as he gets ready, the dead body lying on the floor from the detectives’ view point. To exploit this invasion of privacy we have used voyeurism, turning it on the audience to make them feel like a voyeur. They are watching Burke get ready in the morning, behaving as you do only in private- emphasising the fact he is unaware he is being watched. This is supposed to instil an uncomfortable sensation in the audience – already unconsciously questioning the role of Burke as a protagonist.

No specific parts of our opening sequence are especially tailored to appeal to any gender or age, other than the 16-30year gap the film is aimed at. The specific type of person that our sequence would most probably appeal to is a fanatical thriller fan. The mystery and suspense elements are generic aspects of a thriller, and would appeal to fans of any other thriller film. We have never intended to tailor particular aspects of our film to a minority because, as a low budget film, we need to appeal to as wide an audience as possible. http://creativity.netslova.ru/niche_audience.html We have decided that the classification for this film would be a 15, to stretch the target audience to younger than just 18+, and yet to keep older audiences interested. We don’t feel that the level of violence or fear justify and 18 classification, yet there are some more adult aspects in terms of the fear level and slight gore.

From the process of constructing our product I have learnt a lot about technologies. Research www.imdb.com is an amazing helpful source for getting information on films that inspired us. I used it frequently for looking at our three main inspirations- The Butterfly Effect, Fight Club, and Se7en. I looked at the actors they used, the directors, studios and producers they used for ideas on who might be appropriateto use in our film. www.rottentomatoes.com is a great site for reading reviews on films similar to ours. This was helpful in planning aspects of our film- what audiences do or don’t want to see. Audience opinion is crucial as they are the most important aspects of any movie; the money source. Use of programmes MediaPlayer was a useful device for testing the many royalty free music and sounds to find the one we were looking for; the one we wanted to download.

During the preliminary exercise I learnt how to use the camera properly- all the many settings and functions. I learnt how to control white balance, exposure, colour, focus and I also learnt how effectively control the tripod to make panning shots, raise shots, get it balanced, manoeuvre it. I feel that this exercise really prepared me for the actual project. During the edit process my group and I used effects and techniques that in my previous experience I had not used, which was exciting and educational. In particular I learnt to pay attention to tiny details- match on action, cutting on a hardly audible beat in the music, cutting clips at a certain second, all so that the sequence flows better. The details aren’t noticeable individually but without paying attention to them in the edit you end up with a far rougher edit where something always seems ‘off’. One valuable lesson I learnt was shooting mode. We shot in 4:3 when we should have shot in 16:9. We didn’t know this when we went out to film, but it was obvious when we came to edit that it was the wrong aspect ratio. As all of our sound was non-diegetic we didn’t have to use boom mikes or sound techniques.

From the Preliminary exercise to completing our final product i feel i have learnt quite a lot about filming styles, representation and conventions. I have learnt about the importance of shooting to edit; to think about the aesthetics of the scenes as a whole when it comes together as opposed to shot to shot. I have learnt a lot about sound during the editing process- from the simplicity of the preliminary exercise- merely music- to the many levels and mixes of sound that we used on our final product. Techniques I have learnt about are the importance of the 360 degree rule and the 180 degree rule. Other camera techniques that I have learnt to be aware of during filming are shot reverse shot and match on action. Without adhering to these simple filming conventions the film lacks continuity and quality. After my group and I had reviewed our initial rushes we decided to re-film the majority of the footage. Our initial actors were untrained and appeared far too young, and we had far too little scenes and shots to create and effective sequence. We called in two trained amateur actors that one of the group knew, set a new filming date and made new storyboards, shooting schedules and shot lists. We were far more prepared on out second filming day and came out of it with a wide range of shots, and far more effective scenes.

We tried to create mise-en-scene with our use of props- police tape around the crime scene to simply and clearly indicate the situation to the audience. The use of a real house rather than set for Burke’s ‘getting ready’ scene to create a naturalistic and realistic environment. It was not necessary for us to use make up as our actors embodied the characters without it, and we didn’t need to artificially change any aspects of their appearance. I have learnt that teamwork is crucial to effective production of a product- clash of creative ideas can slow down production and cause unhelpful and unprofessional difficulties and tension. Overall, however, I felt we worked well together as a group and that our individual skills merged together to produce an effective final piece. From the preliminary exercise to our final product, I feel that we have learnt the importance of the actor. A film revolves around the character; if an actor does not portray them accurately then the film will be unsuccessful. Therefore we decided to use trained actors, rather than classmates as we did for the preliminary exercise, in our opening sequence. Overall I feel our end product is effective and successful and I am proud of our use of filming techniques and style and our adherence to convention.

Isabella Millington