SOUND

Sounds are used in thrillers to aid the audience in understanding what is either going to happen in the next scene or what is happening in the current scene. It adds more meaning to what the characters are doing in certain scenes or help the audience to get emotionally attached to the characters. Other times as well sound is effective at creating a reaction out of the audience, such as the a long bang sound will alert the audience or shock the audience to jump out of their seat. However there are different types of sounds used to achieve these different types of effects. It's essential in thriller movies as they build up mood and atmosphere in thriller movies, they build up tension and leads the scene to a point of intense suspense.

TYPES OF SOUND

Diegetic sound:  A diegetic sound is sound which is part of the film such as a dialogue in a conversation,  music from a radio, or any other music device that plays sound. This sound can either part of the action happeing in the foreground or it can be playing in the background. Diegetic sound is usually tends to be be the conversations the chracters are having.

Non-diegetic sound: This usually sound that has been added a s part of post-production, it's sound that is not part of the film such as voiceovers by actors or narrators, soundtracks and sound effects.

on-screen sound: With this sound the audience knows the direction in which the sound is coming from and what is producing it such as a radio, music player, or in-car speakers.

off screen sound: This is sound that the audience can hear but aren't aware of where it's coming from,but it makes sense to the audience this types of sounds include people shouting in a crowd or children crying.

Pararell sound: This is sound that the audience expect to hear in a certain scene or sequence of scene, such as a scene when people are talking at an exhibition hall.

contrapuntal sound: This is sound that the audience doesn't expect it to happen in any scene in the film, such as in a horror story, there will be a kid's birthday party, with kids playing happily and then a horror theme tune starts playing in the background.

Conclusion:
 The research for sound has given me an idea on what sound i need to include in my thriller production. The different types of sound i use should reflect whats actually going on in the scene, unless i want to use off-screen sound to shock the audience. Sound will be a critical aspect in my productor if i want it to impact on the audience. Therefore the type of sound and how i use it will be the key in building suspense in my thriller.

Storyboard

WHATS A STORYBOARD?
A story board is typically a sequence of drawing that shows and represents the shots in a film. Story boards are drawn in the order which the film will be shot in, it's like a series of still image from the film. Shot by shot it shows how the video will unfold. it contains little squares filled with graphic illustrations or pictures showing how the shot will show in the film.

EXAMPLE OF A STORYBOARD

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT IN THE PLANNING OF THE FILM?
Generally the storyboard organises the different elements and micro elements of the film or production.

It makes filming much easier or smoother as the storyboard shows exactly what will happen in the film at any given point in time, shot by shot it's the break down of the whole film.

It's the best way to plan for the film as it serves as a map of how the overall outcome of the production or film will be like, because gives very quick precise information on how the any scene of the film will be like.

It's a quick summary of the whole film in square sequences, therefore it contains every element of the film, it gives the director, his casts and his crew an idea of the overall outcome of the film or production.

ELEMENTS OF A STORYBOARD
 Every storyboard has to be detailed in order for it to effective and informative, however it has to be relatively easy for every member of the film crew and cast to understand. Apart from illustrations,images or photographs it also has to have information for it to make any type of sense. These little bits of information are known as the elements of storyboarding.
These include:
 
THE SHOT NUMBER:
The shot number is the number which is given to each square of illustration and information. This allows the viewer to be aware of the order in which that shot comes in the film or production.

DURATION:
The duration simply means how long the particular shot will last for. This is really important for the camera man as it informs them how long they should record that particular shot for.

CINEMATOGRAPHY:
This information on the storyboard shows which type of shot such as close-up, medium shot or long shot will be used for that shot. This piece of information is very important for the camera operator as they are they people shooting or recording the film.

LOCATION:
The location simply shows the setting, or area in which any given shoot will be filmed in or filmed at,
the location is usually a one word piece of information, it simply states the name of the location.

ICONOGRAPHY:
It's a list of all the key items that will be used in a shot. this can also include the props the actors will be using as part of portraying their character.

LIGHTING:
This shows the lighting that will be utilised in each shot to convey a certain mood, atmosphere or feeling in a the shot. this includes coloured lighting such as sepia. This information simply states the type of light involved in the shot.

ACTORS:
This little section of information shows the name and character name of the actors that will be in the shot.

SOUND/DIALOGUE:
This element of the storyboard states  the sound whether diegetic or non-diegetic that will be used in a certain shot to heighten or build up the atmosphere in that scene.

NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION:
It's a little, detailed, quick summary of what will occur in any given shot in the storyboard. This piece of information is straight to the point about what will happen exactly within the shot duration of any shot. This is probably one of the most important information on the storyboard as it makes everything else make sense, it brings together all the other sections of information.

WHAT MAKES A THRILLER SPECIFIC STORYBOARD?

In a thriller specific storyboard the props are much terrifying such as knives with blood, a tap with running water to represent the loss of life, and also a flickering light to represent hope of surviving of a victim being much shorter. The shot durations are also a mixture of longer ones and shorter ones. longer one's to show the antagonist approaching the victim slowly and intimidatingly. 

 

 

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED ABOUT STORYBOARDING AND HOW IT HAS HELPED MY PLANNING

The post for storyboarding has helped me to understand the importance of storyboard in planning the thriller. It's made me aware of how storyboarding sums of up most of the planning of the planning for the thriller to make it easy for filming. Before we film we will make sure our storyboard we be higly detailed and informative in order to make filming easier and smoother.
 

 

 

 

 

Production Roles

In any film production there are variety of people that take care of and do different roles and tasks that makes filming successful and much more organised. These roles range from the people that play the roles of the characters in the film to the people that handle the equipment to film the production.

These production roles include:
camera operator
Actors
Sound Technician
Editors
Film director
Location Manager
Storyboard organiser

What roles do these people play:

Camera Operator:
This is the person that physically operates the camera, whiles maintaining composition and camera angles during any given scene. The camera operator usually works with the storyboard organiser and director to take instructions on what type of camera angles or how to frame a shot in order to fulfil the creative aims.

Actors:
These people interpret a dramatic character and act as the desired characters in order to play a convincing role to the audience The actors are the people getting film by the camera operators and usually tend to work with the director in order to get an idea of the feeling they need to portray in the thriller production.

Sound Technician:
Sound technicians assemble,operate and use technical equipments to produce any sound that is required for any particular scene. The sound technician works with the storyboard organiser in order to know what type of sound to use for scenes and also they are responsible for making sure the sounds used are suitable and effective to the thriller genre.

Editors:
These people manipulate raw footage and combine and mix them into motion sequences that forms films. They tend to work with the camera operator and storyboard organisers to decide on what points of the footage the will cut, merge and mix in order to form a certain sequence of shots that achieve their aims.They work with digital video editing software to create cuts that are effective for thrillers.

Film Director:
A film director guides and directs the whole entire film crew. They control everything during filming but mainly works with the actors and actresses, simultaneously making sure everything in the film is effective to the genre of the film and also reflects his creative vision. The director is heavily involved with the misc-en-scene and works with whole filming crew in order to make the dream of the director come true.

Location Manager:
This person selects appropriate location for the scenes, they make sure the locations are effective for the thriller genre and also the location is relevant and connects with the situation happening in that particular location in order to make it more engaging and interesting for the audience. The location manager works with the director in order to decide on time of day they should film and the correct time to film to maximise the affect it has on the audience.

Storyboard organiser:
This person produces the whole film on a storyboard that demonstrates to the other works what will happen in a particular scene at a certain time. The storyboard they create states the dialogue,shot number,narrative,cinematography,edit style, actors involved, soundtrack and duration of the scene, this acts like a really detailed guideline of what they are expected to create. When the storyboard organisers makes the storyboard very detailed it eases the workload on the day of filming.

The production roles we assigned in our group:

Camera operator: Adam
He has experience of filming with a camera as he films music videos for people, meaning he is capable of operating a camera. He has a vast knowledge of interesting and creative camera angles and cinematography in which he can apply whiles filming in order for the filming to reflect the genre of thrillers. He also has a steady hand that can hold a camera very still, and place it in effective positions that can impact the audience.

Actors: Others
They have the necessary abilities to play a very convincing convincing characters, and they will really portray well the feelings the director wants the characters to. The physical appearance of all the actors and actresses also resemble the desired characters the director wants to get across.

Sound technician:  Tre
He well aware of the different types of non-diegetic sounds that are effective for thrillers, therefore we made him in charge of sound as he can produce and decide on the types of sounds to use for various scenes in order to shock and engage the audience into the film. Tre is also very familiar with musical instruments such as drums in which he can combine using the sound software to create soundtracks that match the mood in the scenes of the film.

Editors: Dwayne and Tre
They are aware of hoe to use the required software needed to edit the raw footages. They know exactly where to cut, mix and montage the footage in order to form a sequence that had an impact on the audience.

Film director:  Tre
It was mainly his idea that we are pursing for the thriller, therefore he is the best person to direct the team in creating his aspiration and making his idea come to life. He has a much more in-depth knowledge about the other production roles due to his research meaning he would be much better at controlling the other stages of production such as misc-en-scene in to create a suitable mood that reflects the genre of a thriller.

Location manager: Nicholas
Out of the group I travel the most, therefore I have seen a lot of locations and have carefully analysed and identified the locations that I think will be effective for the thriller genre. For example I picked out Adam's house to be used for the scene where one of the victims will be killed, I have been to his house i identified that the comfy, welcoming, friendly feel of his house will contradict with the dreadful act that will take place therefore it will heighten the atmosphere of shock in our thriller.

Storyboard organiser: All of us
Since we all discussed the ,dialogue,shot number,narrative,cinematography,edit style, actors involved, soundtrack and duration of the scenes so therefore we are pleased with the idea of the film. Discussing the storyboard together helped us to solidify the idea of the film, which meant we created the story board together meaning everyone was clear about the idea.

Mise en scene- iconography

Mise en scene means everything that is 'placed on a stage' which describes everything that is design to create a convincing world to the viewer. There are 5 elements of mise-en-scene include setting, iconography,lighting and colour, body language and facial expressions and costume. All these are arranged in  a particular way in a scene in order to portray a setting mood or feeling also they can also indicate to the audience the genre of the film.

Iconography is a term used to describe any object we see in any  particular scene in a film. These items can range from the props that the characters use to any object or item that is within a building, however these items have a close connection and  adds a meaning to what goes on in a scene.

EXAMPLES OF ICONOGRAPHY THAT IS TYPICAL IN A THRILLER

Knives relate to the thriller genre because it's a key
weapon that the antagonist or suspect uses to harm or kill victims. In thrillers there are some scenes whereby the antagonists stabs the victim and thrusts the knife back and forth, this is very chilling as it sends chills down your spine which makes it fitting to the thriller genre as it really heightens the feeling of terror,uncertainty and suspense that is associated with thrillers. A close-up shot of a bloody knife laying on the ground is an example of how knives can be introduced into a scene.Knives are associated with thrillers as they represent  blood, death, pain and brutality.

Shadows used in thrillers show the antagonist slowly heading towards his or her unsuspecting victim.They are also a great way to mask the identity of the antagonist, as it builds up the mood of anticipation in a scene as the audience is made unaware of who the antagonists is or what he or she is going to do. Shadows present in thrillers symbolize mystery and uncertainty that's the reason why they work so well in thrillers as they it really doesn't give away clues to the audience. In the thriller film scenes, shadows are mostly associated with a really unpleasant isolated locations such as a scene of the shadow of the villain                    raising a knife above his head about to make a kill in gloomy, dirty alleyway or a scene where a bold, shadow of the antagonist walking up the staircase, slowly creeping his way closer to his victim as it builds up fear in the audience.

Running water is an effective iconography utilised as it symbolizes  death because it suggests time running out for the victim to live or escape from danger or the life draining from the body of the victim.Running water usually is associated with the dripping of  blood which hints at the fact the victim is in grave danger of dying.
The running of water also has close connections with the idea of time ticking this suggest the antagonist may be getting closer to his victim or the victim gradually drawing closer to the brink of death.

Woods are locations often used for thrillers as they show a large area of land occupied by only trees with no sign of  civilization usually where the characters are prone to getting lost or being forced to isolate themselves from people by by the villain. Woods often   themselves trying to figure out how to escape. Woods strongly symbolize loneliness and isolation  which makes associated to thrillers as they create the sense of vulnerability and it seems inevitable that the characters will ever find any help or escape from the hands of the antagonist who sometimes hides in the only   in the woods. 

The use of confined spaces in thrillers makes the audience feels as though they are also trapped because they show a really small area which allows very limited  movements. Confined spaces usually symbolize the feeling of deterioration hope for the victim as it leads to  the protagonist to breathing heavily and panting to inform how us as to how they are trapped and cannot escape. Furthermore it signifies the start of their pursuit of freedom from the antagonist or their  struggle as they try to escape.

Bars on windows are used to show confinement, isolation and imprisonment it really gives the audience a real sense of how lonely the character within these places are thus linking it  to the conventional thriller.  It suggests the character has no way of getting out which shows how they are detached from the outside world and therefore makes it relate to the convention of isolation in thrillers. Bars on windows can also mark the start of a spree killing by the antagonist as he escapes from a building of confinement such as a prison by cutting the bars on a window.

Pre-Production Paperwork

There are a variety of paper works involved in order to produce pre-production paperwork.
Theses include Client release form, Location Reece form, Location Release, Production Schedule, and Risk Assessment Template.

These paperworks are relevant in planning because it makes easier to film as everything for filming has been pre-planned. Also it serves as a step by step guide in which it makes filming much smoother because the pre planning guides you every step of the way. Pre-planning paperwork takes care of any issues that will arise from health and safety.

PAPERWORK CREATED

Production Schedule:
This paper work summaries and makes a quick brief of exactly will happen when we are filming, from the times we film to the days we film.
We gave this document to everyone in order for them to have the information on what dates and times we are filming our thriller.
However we made sure it was easy to follow and easily to understand by everyone.

Production schedule produced:

 

Location Recce:
This paperwork summaries all the locations we are going to use in our thriller, it aslo shows the where the chosen location is located and how to get there. This was also given to to everyone in our filming team so they all have the information they need to know about the location.
We used images of maps clearly identify and show the area of the location and discussed why we chooce the location.

Location Recce produced:

 

Risk Assessment
 This paperwork is produced to criticaly analize our choosen locations and clearly identify any hazard or danger or risks that may occur and explain how we can solve them and overcome them.
The Risk Assessment form calculates the risks on a scale, states how severe it is and what can be done to avoid it.

Risk Assessment produced:

Client Release Form:
Client Release Form is a legal document that explains the agreements and terms for the actors  and actressess involved in our thriller production.  This was given to every member of the cast as it outlines the risks and dangers involved in the production. It  gives an analysis of the locations and conditions the talents will be working in.

Client Release Form produced:

Location release form:
This legal document explains and discuses the agreements for the people that are allowing us to film in their location. It outlines the manner in which their location will be used and how it will be used.
This location release form was given to the owners of the locations and it was made easy in order for every member in the crew and location owners to understand the  agreements of the location release form.

location release form produced:

The pre-planning paperwork made it easier for us to film as it outlines when we were filming, the location and the times in which me film in. It aslo took care of any health and safety issues that may arise in which it wont be an inconvinence for us.