Risk Assessment- Miss Georgiou

Risk Assessment


A risk assessment is essential to carry out when making a film because it identifies what could potentially go wrong and how to prevent it. This means that the filming will be a lot quicker/easier because there will be less delays.

Potential Hazards	Prevention Of Hazard
Wet surface could cause someone to slip.	Wear correct footwear or wait until the pavement dries.
Climbing on roofs to film could cause someone to fall through it or fall off.	Don’t climb on roofs to film, just use a chair or something to stand on to get a high angle or birds eye view shot.
The tripod could fall which could cause the camera to fall and break.	Make sure the tripod legs are spread evenly to avoid it from falling.
Could be hit by vehicles when crossing the road.	Watch both sides of the road before filming and crossing.
Objects in the house could cause someone to step on them.	Remove them from the room to avoid someone from stepping on them.
The rain could cause the camera to stop working.	Stop filming and wait till the rain stops.
The charging cable for the camera could cause someone to trip over it.	Put duck tape over the cable to stop the cable from sticking out.

Overall, this risk assessment will contribute towards how successful our filming will be and therefore how successful our overall film will be.

Production Roles- Miss Georgiou

Production Roles

Roles within our group

Camera Operator- Alex because I have previous experience with cameras.

Actors- Daniel and Liam because they have experience from Drama lessons.

Film Directors- Alex and Liam because Daniel is in the the whole film.

Sound Technicians- Alex, Daniel and Liam because we all have similar sound editing abilities.

Editors- Alex, Daniel and Liam because we all have equally good editing skills.

Location Manager- Daniel because he is a good organsior.

Storyboard Organiser- Alex because I am good at drawing.

Definitions

A Camera Operator is responsible for  operating the camera and maintaining camera angles throughout a shot or a scene.

An Actor is someone who portrays a character in a film or a T.V series. Actors are essential in the making of a film beacuse they are the people that the audience sees

A Film Director is someone that directs actors to play certain characters in a film or a T.V series. They also direct the rest of the film crew meaning that they have a vital role within the film.

A Sound Technician is responsible for everything sound related in a film. They often use sound effects.

A Film Editor works with raw footage and puts shots together to make sequences. A Film Editor uses images, dialogue, music and pacing to make the film run smoothly and create realism for the audience.

A Location Manager is responsable for finding suitable, safe, secure and realisitc locations to successfully film.

A Storyboard Organiser uses the script or narrative to design stroyboards. Storyboards show what happens in each shot, which characters are in it, where it is and what type of shot it is. Storyboards are essential when making a film as they help the director visualise what each shot will look like.

Questionnaire Results- Miss Hartt

Results for Questionnaire

Questionnaire Results

I gave the questionnaire to 32 people in my school and here are the results.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Through carrying out this questionnaire, we learnt that the age range '15' was the most preferred age range for a thriller film. For this reason we made our thriller a '15'. We also found out that an expected feature of a thriller film is a murder. This helped us decide that we were going to have a murder scene in our production. Through carrying out this questionnaire we also learnt that an audience would expect to be scared when watching a thriller film.

Group Narrative- Miss Georgiou

Group Narrative

My Individual Narrative:

My main ideas for my thriller film:


Characters:

Antagonist: The killer would have a hidden identity to puzzle the audience, he would have a large body build.

Protagonist/Witness: Someone who will see the first murder happen which will make them a main character throughout the rest of the film. They will be hunted by the killer because they have witnessed the original murder. The witness will be confused and scared throughout the rest of the film.

Victim: The victim would be an innocent female and not much would be known about her to increase the audience's appeal for the rest of the film.

Themes:

Murder- At the end of the opening sequence, the woman is murdered by the killer.
Chase- A woman is being chased throughout the opening sequence for ,what seems to be, an unknown reason.

Narrative:

The first thing to happen in my thriller film would be a woman running away from someone. As the film continues, it will be clear that the woman is the innocent victim and that the man chasing her is intent on killing her. Eventually, the man will catch up to her in an empty car park and murder her. Shortly after she is murdered, the camera will show someone walk towards the killer but then quickly backtrack once they realise that he has killed someone. For the rest of the film the person that witnessed the original murder will be chased by the murderer because they witnessed the murder.

Conventions:

Time: Night time around 22:00 (Around the time a car park would be empty but still open).

Murder in the opening scene (Common in many thriller films).

A victim and a killer (The two essential characters in a thriller film).

A chase scene (Comon in many thriller films).

The opening scene is set in a car park because it is a lonely dark place.

Helpless Victim (Victim would be female and small).
An enigma (Why did the killer kill the victim ,and why?

Target Audience:

My film would be aimed at the age group 15-50. this is because young adults tend to enjoy thrillers more than the elderly because young adults enjoy being thrilled a lot more than the elderly. My film would also contain scenes of violence throughout. There would also be a fair amount of strong language. Therefore, my film would be rated as a 15.

Advantages: All the characters seem realisitc/conventional. There are a lot of conventions of the thriller genre in the film. The target audience is about right, as is the rating of the film.

Disadvantages: There is a murder in the opening which could mean that the rest of the film would have little purpose. The narrative would not be enough for a good length thriller film.



Liam's Individual Narrative:

Narrative:

Film starts with a person on their computer doing some online gaming when suddenly a chat box pops up in the screen. At first the person ignores it thinking its just another pop-up, soon the killer typing to the person starts revealing personal information that no one else could know. The person is now scared and getting abusive to the killer, the killer then shows a live feed of the room the persons in, the person tries to run and escape, noises and footsteps can be heard throughout the house. Just when the person believes to be free and thinks he has evaded the killer but is cornered in a room, he appears behind him and swiftly stabs the person.

Characters:

Killer (antagonist) - I.T specialist. For some reason seeks revenge on group of people who ruined his life; maybe worked at an I.T company or helped create it e.g (microsoft, apple) and kills or ruins the lives of his previous business partners who screwed him over and stole his ideas.

Protagonist - Computer hacker finds out a way to track him and predict who is going to be killed next and catch the killer.

Victim - A previous business partner of the killer.


Theme:
Revenge - The killer is seeking revenge for being cut out of the loop from the company he created.


Codes and Conventions:

• Low key lighting
• Handheld camera
• Hidden Identity - Killer's identity is unknown
• An Enigma - who's the killer?
• Iconography - weapon/knife

Target Audience:

The target audience for this particular film teenagers fifteen and over for this reason the film would be rate a '15'. This is because is meets most of the specifications of a '15' film according to the British Board of Film Classification website. It has moderate violence and language throughout the film, showing some quite gory scenes very occasional which is justified by the context of the film.

Advantages: The opening is an enigma because the audience would not understand how the killer got the victim's details, how he could show a live feed of the room and why he killed him. The characters seem like realistic ones.

Disadvantages: The narrative may not be long enough for a full film.

Daniel's Narrative

Narrative:

A psychopathic serial killer wonders the dark streets in search to kill his father. The father neglected the boy since he was a young because he cared more about money and his job, and so the boy was left to do everything himself. The boy ran away from home at the age of 8, hoping his father would come looking for him, but he didn't. Now at the age of 16 he is known as the most dangerous serial killer in the UK. His father knows something is wrong as his memories of his son reappear, but is it too late to regret what he has done.

Characters:

Killer-antagonist
Victim-Protagonist

Theme:

-Greed
-Jealously

Target Audience:

12+ because strong language is used, dangerous behaviour and a moderate physical threat.

Codes and Conventions:

-Setting- House, street
-Weapons- Rope, Knife
-Low key lighting
-Chase
-Enigma
-Fast timing of shots
-High pace music

Advantages: The film has a good storyline. A lot of codes and conventions of the genre are used.

Disadvantages: The age rating may be too low to show some of the key generic conventions such as a murder.

Group Narrative:


Characters:

Victim- Average height. Good with technology. Lives on his own.

Antagonist- Killer (Hidden identity). Tall and strong. Overpowers victim with strength.

Theme:

-Revenge- Although the audience is unaware of it, the victim and the killer have met before and the killer was betrayed by the victim.

-Technology- Technology is used to scare the victim. There is a hidden camera in the room which is filming him. The victim becomes aware of this when an unknown caller rings him via Skype.

Narrative:

Film starts with a person on their computer doing some gaming when suddenly a chat box pops up in the screen. At first the person ignores the chat box thinking its just another pop-up, soon the killer typing to the person starts revealing personal information that no one else could know. The person is now scared and getting abusive to the killer, the killer then shows a live feed of a room, the person is very confused and suddenly realises that its a live feed of the room he's in. The person turns away from the computer monitor slowly and walks over to the corner of his room where he is being recorded from. He picks up a small object and breaks it apart and finds a tiny camera wireless. The person tries to run and escape, noises and footsteps can be heard throughout the house. He runs out of the front door a down a dark road. Just when the person believes to be free and thinks he has evaded the killer, he appears behind him...

Questionnaire- Miss Hartt

Questionnaire- Thriller Films

Please circle your answer

1. Are you male or female?

Male, Female

2. How old are you?
0-15, 16-21, 22-40, 41+

3.What thriller certificates do you prefer in a thriller film?
12 and 12A,15, 18, 18R

4. What gets you to watch a thriller film?
Word of mouth, TV, Adverts, Nothing, Other

5. What do you expect to see in a thriller film?
Women, Chase, Iconography, Murder, Other

6. What types of sounds do you like when watching a thriller?
Tension sounds, Suspense sounds, Sound effects, Natural, Other

7. What settings do you expect to see in typical thriller film?
Industrial bathroom, Forest, Motel/House, Abandoned places, Other

8. What kind of characters do you enjoy watching the most?
Men, Women, Children, Groups, Solo

9. What type of actors to you expect to see in a thriller film?
Amateur, Semi-pro, Professional

10. How do you feel when watching a thriller film?
Scared, Excited, Bored, Other 

Narrative Theory- Miss Georgiou

Narrative Theory

 Vladimir Propp:

Characters:

The Hero- A character that seeks something e.g. to rescue or to defeat someone.
The Villain- A character that opposes/ actively blocks the hero's quest.The Donor- The character that provides an object with magical properties.The Dispatcher- Who sends the hero on their quest via a message.The False Hero- Who disrupts the hero's success by making false claims.The Helper- Who aids the hero.The Princess- Who acts as the reward for the hero and the object of the villain's plot.The Princess's Father- Who rewards the hero for his effort.

Actions:A community/ family is in a normal state of being.A member of the community/ family leaves home.A warning is given to the leaders of the community or a rule is imposed on the hero.The warning is ignored or the rule is broken.The villain attempts to discover something about the victim of the broken rule.The villain tries to deceive the victim in order to gain advantage.The victim unwillingly helps the villain.

Complications:
A state of disorder.
The villain harms a member of the family/ community.
One of the members of the family/ community desires something.
The hero is sent to get what is desired.
The hero plans action against the villain.

Transference:
The hero leaves home.
The hero is tested or attacked/ they meet the test and is given a magical gift or helper.
The hero reacts to the donor.
The hero arrives at the place that he can fulfill his quest.

Struggle:
There is a struggle between the hero and the villain.
The hero is branded.
The villain is overcome.
The state of disorder is settled.

Return:
The hero returns.
The hero is pursued.
The hero escapes or is rescued.
A false hero claims rewards.
A task is set for the hero.
The hero accomplishes the task.

Recognition:
The hero is recognised.
The false hero or villain is is unmasked.
The false hero is punished.
The hero attains the reward.

Criticisms:
Propp's theory of narrative seems to be based in a male orientated environment. However, it may still be applied because the function of characters is the basis of the theory. For example, the hero could be female and the reward could be male. Some people claim that there are more character types than those identified by Propp. Some people also argue that Propp's strict order of events and characters are restrictive and that the functions and events should be applied randomly as new narratives are met.

It applies to Fairy Stories and to other similar narratives based around quests. It doesn't apply to all narratives.

 Todorov's Theory:

Todorov simplified the idea of narrative theory whilst allowing a more complex interpretation of film texts with his theory of Equilibrium and Disequilibrium.

The fictional environment begins with a state of equilibrium (everything normal) but it then suffers some disruption (disequilibrium) and new equilibrium is produced at the end of the narrative.

There are 5 stages that the narrative can pass through:
A state of equilibrium (all as it should be).
A disruption of that order by an event.
A recognition that the disorder has occurred.
An attempt to repair the damage caused by the disruption.
A return of restoration (how things should be) of a new equilibrium.

Narrative is seen as a circular structure, something will continue to disrupt the equilibrium which drives the narrative. But the equilibrium obtained is not the same as the equilibrium at the start. Todorov argues that narrative involves a transformation. The characters or the situations are transformed through the progress of disruption. The disruption itself normally takes place outside of normal social events.

Aristotle:

Headings used by some producers/ screenwriters include:
Inciting Incident.
Dramatic Question.
Character Goal.
Antagonist/ Protagonist.
Stakes.
Resolution.
Sympathy/ Empathy.

These headings are close to those suggested by the father of narrative theory, Aristotle. Aristotle's literary criticism is probably most famous for unities: time, place and action. Aristotle's most complete analysis is of tragedy, which is arguably the basis of most serious drama.

My Narrative:

The narrative theory that my film would follow is Todorov's theory because my film is based on equilibrium being disrupted and restored. For example, the beginning of my film would be the equilibrium being disrupted and the rest of the film would be an attempt to restore the equilibrium.

Individual Narrative- Miss Georgiou

Individual Narrative

My main ideas for my thriller film:

Characters:

Antagonist: The killer would have a hidden identity to puzzle the audience, he would have a large body build.

Protagonist/Witness: Someone who will see the first murder happen which will make them a main character throughout the rest of the film. They will be hunted by the killer because they have witnessed the original murder. The witness will be confused and scared throughout the rest of the film.

Victim: The victim would be an innocent female and not much would be known about her to increase the audience's appeal for the rest of the film.

Themes:

Murder- At the end of the opening sequence, the woman is murdered by the killer.
Chase- A woman is being chased throughout the opening sequence for ,what seems to be, an unknown reason.

Narrative:

The first thing to happen in my thriller film would be a woman running away from someone. As the film continues, it will be clear that the woman is the innocent victim and that the man chasing her is intent on killing her. Eventually, the man will catch up to her in an empty car park and murder her. Shortly after she is murdered, the camera will show someone walk towards the killer but then quickly backtrack once they realise that he has killed someone. For the rest of the film the person that witnessed the original murder will be chased by the murderer because they witnessed the murder.

Conventions:

Time: Night time around 22:00 (Around the time a car park would be empty but still open).

Murder in the opening scene (Common in many thriller films).

A victim and a killer (The two essential characters in a thriller film).

A chase scene (Comon in many thriller films).

The opening scene is set in a car park because it is a lonely dark place.

Helpless Victim (Victim would be female and small).
An enigma (Why did the killer kill the victim ,and why?

Target Audience:

My film would be aimed at the age group 15-50. this is because young adults tend to enjoy thrillers more than the elderly because young adults enjoy being thrilled a lot more than the elderly. My film would also contain scenes of violence throughout. There would also be a fair amount of strong language. Therefore, my film would be rated as a 15.