Poster Analysis

 

This is a screen shot taken from Google images as the most popular results when searching for 'Thriller film posters.' I have watched the majority of the films depicted here which is useful in helping me understand the posters more and the relevance they have in targeting an audience and showing off the film to its full potential without revealing too much of the plot.
Black is very overpowering and predominant at first glance here. Many of the posters have pictures edited onto all black backdrops, I find that is is useful in proving the film casts darkness and is not for the light hearted, it is also useful in emphasising what is on top of the background (a face or a number of characters) as this will now stand out of the contrasting dark back drop.
This research has also emphasised the popularity of using close ups of the main characters face portraying serious emotionless expressions, keeping eye contact with the audience this form of advertising makes good use of a direct mode of address. This is a highly useful selling point when advertising any product, from magazines and leaflets to film and CD album covers.
This serious staring expression will massively single out a target audience of age 15-18 or older and those who enjoy dramatic, emotive, thrilling performances. As from this it is already clear this is not a film of comedy, romance or child like fiction.
Every one of the pictures used above are flawlessly photographed and highly edited to give the best impacting shot they can create.  

Storyboarding

Narration/Speech


I feel that no narration or speech of any kind is best to fit with the effect I am going for within my storyline. Although this is an important feature of a film I feel that silence speaks more emotion in these circumstances than any words could and this will be a large aid in building mystery, tension and emotion. Because this film will only be minutes long I feel there is not a real need of in depth explanation in to a story by a character/narrator, its aim is to impact and give a message/ moral or thrill for a shot space of time.

Props

Clothes - I will supply Lucy with dark casual clothes I see most suitable to wear in the film, this will help reflect the mood she is in. Hooded tops so she can wear her hood up whenever outside. This will show how she wishes to exclude herself from the rest of the world, and show how enclosed her personality is by walking with her head down and back hunched.
When inside I will supply Lucy with black loose fitting clothes

Phone and Earphones- I will give Lucy my Iphone and earphones to use in the appropriate scenes, it is necessary to use an I phone as the large surface area on the touch screen allows whatever is on the screen to be easily viewed on camera. I plan to use the phone in scenes where she may text someone and have no reply to emphasise how lonely she is, and perhaps scroll through photos depicting happy memories that she once had also emphasising the loss of happiness in contrast with the life she once had. I may use the earphones in scenes where she is walking alone and later edit sad slow music to reflect her mood.


Location

The story will take place within home settings, mainly the bathroom and bedroom. As well as fields, country parks and forests where I will have scenes of Lucy walking, collecting her thoughts and having alone time. As well as showing Lucy's emotion and isolation it will be useful to have beautiful scenery shots of sunshine and birds singing to cast contrast over Lucy's sadness in comparison with the peaceful beauty in the world around her.

Actors

My film is totally based around the breakdown in a persons life and how loneliness, mental health issues and stress can eat someone up. Because this is so personal I want to restrict the film to 1 actor so all attention is hers and there is no distraction. Adding another character could take the attention away from Lucy's struggle and this is the whole focus of the film.
Although other people will be seen on photos or on her phone these only pose as memories and signify important memories that make her who she was and what she has become. These people only pose as pieces in the puzzle of why she now is so alone and depressed, and it is up to the vivid imaginations of the audience to put together what they believe to be her story.

Sound

I hope to edit music on top of certain scenes where the character will have headphones in and walk listening to her songs. I have found music to be incredibly powerful for creating emotion or reflecting someone's mood, in and out of film. The genre of song will usually fit the emotions of the listener as a source of comfort, and similarly to film it gives a sense of release or escapism and this is very important. I have always had a large interest in soundtracks and songs used in films and I feel that without them our most loved scenes in classic films would not be the same.
For Lucy's character this is essential as she is so uncomfortable with who she is, slow/meaningful songs that have lyrics she can relate to played only to her will draw her away from reality even more so than she already is.
I have songs in mind when envisioning the film, examples such as slow typical wreckless youth songs that are often used in teenage films from 80's to present day. These can vary from slow unique eerie sounds to contrasting upbeat passes with emotive lyrics.  

Example







https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_eUyo8aWTQ





In the opening scenes of Donnie Darko, it begins with the camera following a road overlooking a remote urban area and someone yet unknown lying in the middle of the road. The lightening would suggest it is in the early hours of the morning as there is little light, only casting from the distance. There is silence now, only for a constant calm ringing sound creating an echo to suggest remoteness, loneliness and some tension.As the camera creeps closer we see the character start to rise from the ground. Just as this occurs a soft majestic piano sequence begins, to me this automatically gives importance of the life of this character as he moves letting the audience know that he is alive as some may have assumed it is a body on a road from the earlier silence and stillness and tense music.
The camera is constantly moving getting closer to and surrounding the character slowly circling him until we come to know his face and identify him.
Just as the title of the film is viewed the scenes jumps cuts to Donnie riding a bike, this now takes the audience into another mood and is put at ease as a tune starts to play. This is 'The killing moon' by Echo and the Bunnymen, as the scene and with it the song progresses, the haunting singing and low tuned sounds of the song give a alternative post punk vibe, fitting with teen culture of the early 90's.
Although the song is fast passed the emotive lyrics change the vibe. I find that this is a clever use of music in film and take it as inspiration as a feature I wish to ad to my final product.
However I may struggle to settle on one as most of the songs I would contemplate are copyright and this creates an issue for editing.