Consolidation of Research

My chosen idea• My chosen idea is a found footage thriller film,

where a protagonist films a home invasion taking place.

• The film will start with characters entering the house after the events have taken place. This will be shot in a generic fashion. The characters find the camera and start viewing the previously shot footage.

• The aim of the film is to build suspense whilst keeping a realistic feel to the action. By showing two separate time frames within the film will help direct the narrative without making it too complex

The Genre

• The aim of thriller films is to “thrill” the audience, this is usually achieved with high suspense, mystery and intellectual puzzles for the audience to solve.

• I have chosen the genre of thriller for several reasons. One reason is that given the limited time and budget I have, this genre will deliver the best results, due to the filming technique and lack of effects.

Camera• For the film I will use mostly hand held camera work to

establish the found footage effect, a steadicam may be needed to improve the steadiness of some of the shots.

• The other shots will not be handheld and will be shot on a tripod, and with use of a dolly for tracking shots.

• Also included in the film will be CCTV footage from in around the house, this will be filmed at a high angle and will be edited in After Effects to increase authenticity of the film.

• The found footage shots will be effective as the audience will have the same information as the character of screen, this will allow for higher tension moments.

Editing• My film will include discontinuity editing as it will be start

at the end of the story. The main act of the film will not having many cuts as this is not a common convention of found footage films. However the first act of the film will have cuts.

• The speed of the cuts will vary in the first act. The first act will have longer takes as there will be an investigation by a character. However in the final act there will be faster cuts as the film reaches it’s climax

• There will be darker lighting and filters of the found footage element of the film to help distinguish it from the other act of the film.

Sound• In the film there will be mostly diegetic sound. The

protagonist will speak to the camera as they are documenting the event occurring.

• Examples of sounds used will be diegetic sounds such as crashing and smashing. Doors opening and closing, footsteps, movement and breathing. All these will be used to add suspense to the film, as these are conventions that audiences will expect

• There will be none or limited music in the film to create a more realistic take on the situation.

Characters

• There will be four characters in my film.

• The protagonist

• Two antagonists

• The friend who discovers the ‘scene of the crime’

Costumes

• The antagonists of the film will be wearing mostly black, this is a typical convention of the thriller genre as it adds ambiguity and a dark tone to the film.

• Both the friend at the beginning and the main protagonist will be wearing costumes that represent their age and area.

Location

• The film will be shot in an empty house that I have access to in Middleton Cheney. The house is in a residential area. Therefor this adds extra tension and suspense for the audience as it adds a sense of realism and realistic danger to the audience.

Props • Props in my film will include domestic weapons

such as golf clubs, knifes and bats.

• A prop of a computer will be used so the protagonist can view the CCTV footage.

• The camera will be used as prop due to the nature of the filming style. This will include shots in a mirror where the camera can be seen, as well as in act 1 where the camera will be seen as a gateway into the middle of the film.

Distribution

• The distribution of my film will very likely be small.

• Unlike some thriller films that are distributed on a larger scale my film will only be distributed online on websites such as Vimeo, Shortoftheweek and blogger.

Target Audience• The target audience for my film

will be young adults aged from 16-30.

• Fans of this genre are usually males as they stereotypically have interests around crime, action and suspense.

• My research shows that audiences under the age of 18 rated David Finchers Panic Room higher than viewers over 18