Auditions evaluation

The first audition- This actor has an unusual accent, this does not fit the role of the character of Tim. In addition his characteristics and image did not fit the creepy visage of Tim. He appeared to be more of an action character, this is partly due to the script. 

The second audition- This character was more masculine but appeared to be too masculine for the role. In addition, he was too tall for the character as we want the character of Tim to be taller. Also the accent restricted his chance for taking this role. 

The fourth (on the tape) audition- The character of Rachel does not need to talk so needs to through her emotion into her actions and staging in the scene. This actress lacked stage movement. However, she does fit the stereotype of a girl that we want for this character. 

Auditions

Location recce

The film will have a lot of low level lighting and have a pale colouring, to build a sense of fear. 
Sound:
When Tim is in the bedroom there will be diegetic sounds like a door creaking and heavy breathing. In the park the swings will creak giving a sense of danger but also the idea of being old and neglected. In the cafe there will be lots of murmuring but it will fade out into silence to make the audience feel like they are in Tim's shoes, overcome with emotion causing him not focus.  When Tim walks down the street, you will be able to hear the wind as well as creepy non-diegetic  music. This will build up the tension and perhaps the fear with have of Tim and what he is capable of doing. 

Costume/props/makeup

Costumes: In the past Tim will wear orange, it has connotations of imprisonment. His clothing implies that he is insecure with his sexuality because he is very hidden, as in the film he gets jealous over his best friend having a girlfriend. Its suggested that he likes the girl but in actuality he is in love with his best friend. In the present day he will wear all black to signify his secrecy and dull emotions. The long black coat will highlight his creepy nature and imply insecurities. He is hiding more than just his appearance but his sexuality and personality too. The orange top will suggest or foreshadow that he may do something he will regret in which he will end up in prison. 
Ben will wear a blue t shirt to signify normality and happiness. It implies he is a very trustworthy character who is stable with who he is and appreciates those around him. The tshirt is a usual everyday top which means this characters just thinks he is going along with his everyday routine. Ben will follow the stereotype of a typical man.
Rachel will be seen in stereotypical pink dress/clothing witch is a delicate colour and implies tenderness, sweet and playful attitude which is what we want our character to portray. The colour pink is the colour of universal love of oneself and of others. The character Rachel needs to be seen as this character so when the audience see her she is seen as a contrasting character which is useful as this may leave a sense of mystery within the opening. Rachel will be the typical girly girl, a teenage girl only interested in getting a boyfriend. 
Props: Timothy- Glasses (intellectual) 
           Timothy- Phone with password (secretive) 
           Ben- Phone without a password. This shows how he is not as secretive in   comparison with Tim. Perhaps, he will have a bag with a laptop in to show his business like character. 
           Rachel- Lipstick. This shows she is very feminine and girly. 
There will be minimal props, the props that we have included in our film are incredibly significant. 
Makeup: Tim- Will look more pale and unwell, to give the impression that he stays inside and doesn't go out very often. We might draw on some spots to make him appear greasy and unclean. He does not have a lot of care for his appearance. 
Rachel- She will wear a lot of makeup and appear very girly. The makeup will make her appear older and more mature. She will have eyeliner and perhaps eyeshadow. 
Ben- Will have a rather bronzed and appear very well and healthy. It will give the impression that he has been on holiday abroad implying he is rather wealthy. This will contrast with Tim and his very dull and unhealthy appearance. 

Location

Our film will be shot in three main locations: the park in Middleton Cheney, the cafe and Timothy's bedroom. There will be a significant shot however, of Timothy walking down a dark street (Church Lane, Middleton Cheney) where it will reveal Timothy's emotions. This scene will be shot at night where there will only be street lamps for the lighting, perhaps other lights if needed. 
The shot in the cafe will be over the shoulder shots from both of the characters and also perhaps an establishing shot from the inside. There will be an establishing shot/wide shot from outside of the cafe as well, this will be a time lapse; showing how time has progressed. The finishing shot of the cafe will be at night. The camera will follow Timothy face on, coming out of the cafe. This will reveal a lot of the characters in-emotions and create a sinister feel. 
The shot of the street will be quick, an establishing shot to create a mysterious effect, there will be a sense of horror with the church and grave yard being next to the street. The next shot will be a dolly shot following Timothy walking down the street. There will be a shot of his feet and face. This street is very small, appearing quite creepy as the church makes it appear even smaller. The light will be limited because there are not many street lamps, this will make Timothy appear to be very sinister.
The shot in the park will be a flashback, the swings will be very significant as in many horrors or thrillers there is a shot, creating a creepy feel. We will recreate this shot, but it will be done during the day so the audience are left guessing on what might happen. The park will be empty, this connotes loneliness and that no one has much care for it. This will confuse the audience when they see two/three children playing in it, implies maybe something dangerous may occur to one of the children as there are no adults around. 

The bedroom shot will have dark interior, which connotes secrecy and dullness. The bedroom will be relatively empty looking, rather messy and generally very plain. This will give the audience an immediate impression of the character of Timothy. It will have low level lighting to further emphasize his lack of emotion.  

Casting

The mind map shows the ideas for each character and the potentially people we have in line for the role. It is the simple requirements we have for the characters. 

Call for actors

The character of Timothy will be required to be sinister and creepy. He will need to have dark hair that will be parted in the middle. A dominant character who is secretive and mysterious. You must be willing to hold a creepy act throughout the film. Be ready to act as a young teenager for part of the film, but keep the characteristics. A 17-19 year old is required to play this role, perhaps younger if you an older/mature appearance. You will need to have your hair greased into a middle parting and perhaps be asked to wear makeup (please be clean and shaven) also must be quite tall. A secretive character willing to interpret murderous traits into their characterisation. The image below is the kind of person we are looking for; tall, dark with relatively long hair. 

The character of Benjamin (Ben) needs to be average height, looking smart and business like. You will be required to do a stage kiss with a girl. Also, you will be required to act as a young teenager, this is where the stage kiss will occur. An average 17-19 year old is needed to play this role, keeping up with style trends and have a hard stereotypical manly exterior. You will need to have a smart hairstyle and clean/shaven appearance. In the image to the right, the character will have blonde hair or a light brown and strong facial features. 

The character of Rachel will be a typical girly girl, she will only be seen in the past (flashbacks) therefore you must be willing to act childish and young. A stereotypical girl wearing pink clothing or very childish clothing. Also, you will be required to do a stage kiss with a boy. A girl between the age of 15-17, minimal makeup and braided hair. You will have a relatively small role in the film but it will be very important in the conclusion. The character of Phoebe is the kind of character you will require to play. A young ditsy girl, willing to be extravagant and girly. 

Audience

We have decided that our thriller film will be for age rating of 15+ because there is a various selection of mature themes and reality footage of  graphic images. We are going to make our movie appeal to our audience as we have incorporated young characters throughout the different events of the film which then is easier for the audience to connect to the scenarios making the film more relatable. However, there are some scenes that are very graphic and would not usually be seen in someones everyday life which creates a sense of excitement for the audience. The ABC demographic is a system of classification in social classes used in the United Kingdom. They were originally developed by the National Readership Survey to classify readers.
BBFC- We rate our film at a 15. This is due to the threat and violence the audience will experience through the rest of the film. During the film opening there may not be as much violence or a sense or danger. It simply sets the scene and implies what is going to happen. The rest of the film is more graphic and visually upsetting. 
Demographic profile
Letter coding:
A

• Higher management
• Business people
• Bankers
• Lawyers
• Doctors

B

• Middle management
• Teachers
• Creative/media people
• Graphic designers

C1

• Office supervisors 
• Junior managers
• Nurses
• Specialist clerical staff
• White collar jobs 

C2

• Skilled manual workers
• Plumbers
• Builders
• Blue collar jobs

D

• Semi skilled and unskilled workers

E

• Unemployed
• Students
• Pensioners
• Casual workers

In our film, we think that our audience will fit into B,C1 and E profiles. Perhaps not pensioners but students would definitely be a large quantity of the audience. Our audience will be interested in the creative aspect of the film and how it does not fit in to society or its not expected to happen in todays society. 

Narrative

At the beginning/equilibrium of the film there will be a lot of flashbacks of the two boys when they were younger this is showing their old friendship and how it broke down. Their friendship breaks down due to jealousy over a girl, for Timothy the jealousy gets too much and spends his teenage years plotting to kill his friend. The audience will understand this by showing scenes of a wall with information, showing how he is plotting to kill him.


The disequilibrium is where it skips to present day, Timothy is planning on meeting his old friend. They end up spending the day catching up at a café, we follow Timothy out of the café in a dark alley. This shows mystery, he will have no emotion on his face. The audience will recognise not everything is as it seems and as the night ends, its mysterious foreshadowing something may occur. 
The resolution of Timothy's hate towards Ben and the ending of the film opening, is when Timothy's mum calls him late at night explaining that Ben (his old best friend) has been murdered. He stumbles to the bathroom with a diegetic sound of breathing. As he enters the bathroom, it pans around revealing a bloody hand print and a pile of clothing in the corner. The blood will be splattered everywhere. The screen goes black with a voice over of a news report describing the the murder. The rest of the film will then clarify to the audience what has happened and will go back in time. 
The Todorov theory is where everything balances out in the end, the audience will understand the reasoning behind the killing and how it actually happened late on in the film. The audience will have an idea of what will happen in the film because in the flashbacks, it will foreshadow what is to come. However, the audience will have lots of questions concerning Timothy's motive and how he actually committed the murder. It allows the audience to make assumptions and all will be revealed at the end. The opening to the film will hopefully be quite misleading and want the audience to continue watching to find out everything. The rest of the film will clarify everything and will show what will happen to timothy as a result of his actions. 
The equilibrium of the film ending is where Timothy has admitted to everything. It takes place in an interrogation room, there will be graphic scenes showing the murder. It will essentially go back in time, go back in 24 hours. There will be a voice over from Timothy, like a narration, describing the events. It will be very revealing to the audience but a sense of confusion because he is admitting everything. This however, emphasises Timothy's struggle and how he is mentally unstable. It will be done in such a way, keeping the audience guessing and they should be surprised for the result. It is not the same as the beginning equilibrium as there he has different motives and ideas. There will be a flashback to how it all started. Timothy will end up in a confined prison where he will get mental help. 

Representation

Costumes: The characters will wear significant items of clothing to determine who's who. The character Timothy, will wear an orange top in the flashbacks to connote being in prison in America. Whereas Benjamin will wear ordinary everyday clothing for example, he will wear a blue shirt and black trouser/jeans. The female character, Rachel, will wear a pink top to signify her femininity and black jeans. She will be very in fashion. Any other characters will just be in ordinary clothing. 
Setting: It will be set in a bedroom, a café, a street and a park. The flashbacks will be shot in the park, parks and playgrounds connote childhood. The cafè is where they meet and rekindle their friendship. The shot of his bedroom is where it all will be revealed. 
Camera: there will be many POV shots to keep the audience involved and make them feel as if they are there. There will also be over the shoulder shot to ask create the same impression. There will be a track shot following Timothy, this emphasises he is the main character and also allows the audience in to his life. 


Mise-en-scène: The character, Timothy, will be in orange when he is younger. This has connotations of prison, this will therefore foreshadow what is to come. the other character will be wearing casual clothing, blue top. The girl (Rachel) will be in pink, stereotypical girly girl. When we go to present day, Timothy only wears black. The colour black connotes being dull and having no emotion. There will be little props, however, it ill be set in a dark street at one point. The props that Timothy will have is his phone, a very private character. We won't see a gun but there will be a sound affect of a gun being fired. 
Lighting: There will be low level lighting to create mystery and exaggerates the emotion of the film. The dark lighting will also promote a sense of fear and keep the audience intrigued and focused on the film. 

Pitch peer feedback

You have clearly outlined the genre, style and plot within the first couple of sentences which is great because the viewer can immediately understand the type of film you are going to make. In addition to this, you have included and discussed the type of shots you are planning to use.

Suggestions I Have:
Your pitch could be even better if you could have filmed somewhere where there was better lighting, but apart from that, I think that you have included everything necessary in your pitch.

Questions to Think About:
Why will you be using these camera shots and angles in your movie? How do they help convey your genre?

PRESENTATION SKILLS
What Works Well:
The pitch was well paced and it sounded as if you had really thought about what you were going to say in your pitch. As your video was un-edited, it flowed well.

Suggestions I Have:
It could be even better if you had edited out the start, where you turn the camera on.

Production planning

Genre specific film opening analysis- The girl on the train

As the film begins the idents appear, it plays sinister music in the background as well as a diegetic sound of a train. There is an immediate reaction as its not what the audience would expect when seeing the well known ident. An atmosphere is created. The harsh and sharp sound of the train almost sounds like a woman screaming, its high pitch is disturbing but also sparks thought within the audience. As a visual appears, the train noise increases and a horn sound occurs. It grabs the audiences attention as well as being quite alarming. The credits are displayed in front of a rural area, the shot is moving fast making the audience feel as if they are on the train. The diegetic sound increases and you can now therefore hear the sound of the wheels turning. The shot is obstructed by a tree and cuts to an outside view of the train, the film title is then displayed. Its jumpy editing builds tension and suspense, it keeps the audience engaged. 

The next shot is very unusual. We are introduced to a woman, the woman we see we assume is the narrator who is taking. Her face can only be seen partially as the window is steamed up. In addition, we see her from outside of the train, its rather distant and suggests that there is more to know about this woman than what we can see. Moreover, the character draws a cross with her fingers on the window. The 'x' can symbolize evil, it creates confusion as the audience wonder who is evil. It can maybe be a symbol of death. It suggests that there maybe a death or murder in the film. However, it can also be a symbol of a kiss or showing affection. But because of the sound we consider this more to be based off of evil. Perhaps love is involved. In addition, X in Roman numeral terms is the number 10, maybes this number has some significance to her. X can be used as a symbol in maths in replace of a number you are trying to work out. In linking with the film, it suggests there is mystery this female character is trying work out.

As she continues with the voice over, it goes to a point of view shot. It makes the audience feel as though they are there. The narration builds a rapport with the audience as it appears more personal. The shot of houses, show families and it suggests this women doesn't have such a thing. It makes her appear envious of the people in these situations and perhaps suggests that this may causes or be a disruption in the equilibrium.

The shots now vary to a montage of this female character from a number of different positions in the train. It goes to a close up of the female character, it is very focused on her allowing the audience to assume that she is the main character. 

An ellipsis occurs again, she is drawing in her book at night time, the camera follows her head and pans up as she moves, it is daylight again. The fact so far shes always been on a train is odd and once again provokes thought. It suggests that maybe she inst living a normal life. Furthermore, the fact she is drawing shows she is creative but sparks more questions in the audience. The beginning of the film, little information is given. The woman looks very tired but also sad, we know she likes to draw and that maybe her life has changed but not in the way she hoped by the way in which she talks and what she is saying. Its as if the scene is repeated but with different shots, it informs that this is the characters everyday life.

The character eventually leaves the train and an over the shoulder shot is used to establish where she is but also maintain the relationship with her and the audience. Despite leaving the train, she stays in the train station and continues to draw. We still have not heard her speak, its non-diegetic sound of what we assume is her voice. On the contrary, it is implied that she has a serious job, she is dressed smartly and is getting her shoes cleaned. The fact that she upkeep's her appearance shows that she cares about what she looks like but also makes her seem as though her life is together and running as normal.   

The final shot we see is a wide shot in a restaurant. The restaurant looks very high standard implying that she has wealth and perhaps status. Once again we see her drawing. Its a track shot, the camera is on a rail and enters the room. At first the shot is obstructing and it stops the audience from seeing her, then she is almost revealed to the audience before reverting to an extreme close up. I notice that the camera often follows her movement or her in general. This certainly builds a rapport but also establishes her importance. It emphasizes the fact that she is the main character and that this film is based around her. 

Mood board

We will use over the shoulder shots because this will create a more intimate view of the characters, but also to create a sinister look. It will give a different perspective and further develop the rapport between the character and the audience. This will allow the audience see how the character Timothy feels towards Benjamin, the sinister effect it will create will further enforce the thriller genre. 
The point of view shot will be used to also allow the audience to see from Timothy's perspective. By using a POV shot, the audience can determine the emotion. A close up shot will be used often to show the emotion in the characters face. This may reveal ideas to the audience. 
A track shot will be used to follow the character Timothy as he leaves the cafe, this shows his importance but also the audience does not know what is going to be shown next. We will also consider low angle shots to show dominance and to emphasize how scary this character (Timothy)  is but also show how weak another character is (Benjamin).

There will be minimal dialogue to build up the suspense and tension in the film. The less dialogue there is from the main character gives the impression of secrecy but develops suspicion. As the suspense develops, it will perhaps foreshadow what is to come. The only dialogue said by characters will be informative, like when the news reporter speaks. It will reveal things to the audience. 

Low level lighting will be used to create a sense of mystery, this will occur throughout the film.  This will create shadows which is seen as scary and mysterious. 
 Timothy will be in all black clothing which connotes no emotion, it implies mystery. It also implies emptiness, which fits well with the character of Timothy as he keeps himself to himself. As seen in the flashbacks, he only has one friend and gets extremely jealous when a girl gets into the equation. The colour black is linked to unseen and unknown, this is what we want the audience to think and feel, it shows that there is potential in this character. All the other characters we see in the film will have more colourful clothing to highlight how different Timothy is from everyone else. 
There will be a close up on the bloody hand print on the wall to reveal to the audience what Timothy is capable of, this will make the audience feel scared. 
The music will keep mystery running all the way through, when the music stops it will imply danger or a significant part is about to occur. There will diegetic sounds of heavy breathing.

Non-genre specific film opening analysis of Titanic.

The film Titanic begins with flashback footage showing the actual Titanic ship sailing, it is not in colour to give a sense of history and the past. It sets the scene by showing how it was such a happy time for people but also brings a sense of sorrow because it was such a tragic time in history. The music emphasizes this emotion as it is calm and slow. As one flashback fades into the other, the audience get a real idea to how big the ship was and how many lives were lost at that time. Also by seeing people so happy and the fact that these were also the people who sadly lost their lives to this tragic event, is heartbreaking. These flashback videos are occurring during the credits to set the scene and base of the film. In the screen shot to the left, the sepia colouring shows that the footage is from the actual event, the fact that the music is in replace of the sound from the actual footage develops the sympathetic feel that the film wants to achieve. 

It then reverts to present day by going into colour, it begins deep down in the sea in which men are in a submarine looking at the Titanic ship. There is slow, mysterious music playing with a women's voice harmonizing over the top. It gives an impression of a romantic feel because the music is slow and calming.This implies that this will be a romance. As the music continues the shot of the submarine becomes smaller and smaller and less visible. The music fades out at the same time. The sonar noise of the submarine starts, this creates the feeling of actually being there. The music begins to build again as they find the Titanic, this builds up the suspense and atmosphere of finding the ship that sunk and to which many lost their lives to. There is a point of view shot which also makes the audience feel as if they are there, allowing the audience to understand how amazing this discovery is. The sonar noises and mechanical noises continue to build up the suspense.There are many shots from the outside of the submarine to provoke thought on to how scary it must have been, being in the ocean, alone. The darkness of the shot makes the audience feel cold and as if they are experiencing what those people experienced. The music builds suspense and mystery further creating this atmosphere. 

The machines used in this scene shows how much time has moved on and how things have developed. It emphasizes how long ago this event was but also how quickly things change. As time goes on from them trying to find things in the ship wreck, it begins to focus on an old lady, suggesting she was involved with the Titanic. This is because she reacts solemnly to a news report being given. The atmosphere increases with the change n music, it becomes cheerful and almost magical as it is revealed that the old lady is also the lady who is in the drawing that was recovered from the ship. There are many close up shots to show the emotion of the characters, the bright lighting imply that this is going to enlighten these people who are discovering the ship. The warmness of the light give the feeling of being warm, which contrasts with the beginning with the deep blue colours. 

The extreme close up really emphasizes the emotion the character feels to seeing a drawing from such a long time ago. The slow and sad music that is being played in the background exaggerates the emotion further and gives the impression that this drawing holds a big place in her heart and perhaps a does the person who drew it. The fact it is of her makes the audience presume that the person who drew it was her significant other (a loved one) that perhaps was lost, the music suggests that sadness and sorrow. 

It immediately jumps to a flashback of that drawing being done, it is also shown with an extreme close up to show the passion in the mans eyes. The closeness implies love. The fact that the flashback is in normal colour and is jumped straight into, shows how vivid these memories are and also that they hold such a big space in her heart. There is magical music being played in the background, it is light and easy to listen to. The music develops the emotion further. Throughout the scene, there are many close ups of the main character,Rose, to her grief. The close ups give an impression of intimacy and a love she once had for someone. 

As Rose begins to remember the events, it flashes back to the past of her being on that ship. it goes from the dark colours to bright colour, perhaps implying that her time on the ship was enjoyable. The scene continues and as she begins to recall her time on the ship the magical music begins to play and invites you in to hear what happened. It goes off her and onto the shot of the Titanic wreck, where the story begins. 

Script for film Dazed

Story board for Film Dazed.