Creative Journey - The 5th day

December the 3rd- during this initial editing process I watched through all of my first shots, selecting which ones would be used. I then re-watched the selected clips, and placed them into an initial order, from this point I clipped the shots in certain places to create a  rough version of a film that flowed.

During this initial process I discovered that I would have to re-film certain shots as some where too dark in paces, I also decided to re-film other shots to ensure I had variety in my camera shots and angles.

December 8th - After re-filming the needed shots over the weekend I re-ordered my clips, putting them in an order hat flowed in a way which I liked. I then began my editing process,  which initially was really just clipping and cutting shots to make sure they flowed easily. It was also during this session that I added my first audio clip over the top of my film, it was a clip to show detective Grey suffering from war PTSD in his dreams.

12th December- During this session I continued to edit my film, importing more audio clips to add to the tension in the clips. I added transitions between both video clips and audio files. This allowed for more continuity in my film, making it easier to follow the action on screen. 

 This shows the editing process involved when working on an audio file, it was during this lesson that i first started editing the audio files in order to build tension fitting with the codes and conventions of a thriller. 

15th December- after I finished editing the sound in my opening sequence in the previous lesson, I decided to try and edit the colour in some of my shots. The shots during the bedroom scene are too dark, even for a thriller which is supposed to have dark lighting. This didn't work out too well but in the end but overall colour and lighting for the rest of the sequence is good. 

 

During this session I also decided to take another look at the audio and tweaked it once again to make sure it was good enough. I used the pen tool in premier pro to do this.

 

Character & Cast List- The 5th day

Amelia Smith played by Laura Constantine
The victim character in my thriller opening sequence isn't a classic female victim. The character is shown to be innocent, wearing a pale blue jumper and in no way is sexualised in the film, which is unusual as it s usually women who are sexualised that are victimised in film. By showing the victim to be undeserving of the harsh fate the character is challenging the classic representation conventions of a victim.
challenging the classic convention by making a character who is innocent yet still targeted by the killer creates a darker tone for the film. The victim is picked to die simply because of poor circumstances, her car breaks down on an isolate woodland road. This selection process would create tension in the audience as it shows how easily tragedy can strike. It also makes her audience feel even ore empathetic towards the victim.  
The character is shown to be a young woman, by making the character young the audience watching would create an emotional bond with the character. They would feel empathy towards her, she would represent to the young adult audience their friends, sisters and girlfriends. By creating a character that is relatable to the audience hopefully they will remain engaged throughout the film in order to solve the mystery about what happened to her, who killed her.
 
Detective Grey played by James Constantine
In my thriller opening sequence I'm using a modern day detective. The character who suffers from PTSD has a self destructive personality, as a result of the PTSD he drinks and abuses prescription drugs. This is subtly revealed through the use of sound effects in editing, the sounds are supposed to represent the characters internal struggle both whilst sleeping and whilst awake. His addiction is shown in the opening sequence through shots showing vodka bottles and him reaching for a packet of pills. These elements give the audience an idea of a troubled past. It challenges the physical ability aspect of the detective role as PTSD is a serious disorder, and a challenge for anybody to live with. The substance abuse fits to the 'classic' detective conventions, and gives the detective a self destructive and darker personality.
Detective Grey's character being shown as is a former solider who retired from the army and suffers from PTSD as a result of his service, would engage the audience as many people know somebody who has a one point served in the military. This familiarity would help the audience feel empathetic towards him as a character. He uses substance abuse to try and drown his demons, his addiction is an element of his personality that if the film was created fully he would eventually overcome to represent good overcoming evil. He is a gifted detective often able to put himself into the villains mind-set, leading him to become well known within the police force as a serial killer hunter. This aspect of his personality has left him isolated at work as he is considered too good at thinking like a killer, building to his self inflicted loneliness. He is often dismissed because of his younger age, having joined the police force after 4 years service in the armed forces at the age of 22. This adds to his jaded personality, making him defensive. The characters younger age also goes against classical conventions, detectives are usually middle aged, not in their twenties. By using a younger detective who may not have lived as long but who has lived through more it shows that its not always the length of the characters life but the life one leads that make them world weary. It also help the audience which is often young adults relate more to the character as they would be around the same age.

Shot Types- the 5th day

This close up shot is used to give the audience an insight into the personality of the character, it shows two clear conventional aspects of a thriller movie and gives a hint into the characters identity. The bottle of vodka indicates a darker aspect to the character, hinting to the audience that Detective Grey has a problem with alcohol. The trilby hat also adds to the characters image as this is an iconic part of both thriller and film of mise-en-scene.

This close up shot adds to the characters development as it is used to show him clearing his head from both his bad dreams about war, which is indicated with the addition of  a non-diegtic soundtrack being played over the top of the shot and to help with the characters hinted hangover. This shot type also helps challenge the classic representation of detective as it gives a hint into the characters struggles with PTSD.

The over the shoulder shot showing the characters reflection is an important shot as the reflection represents the characters reflection on himself and his life. This shot type is an easy way to meet the codes and conventions of a thriller.

This close up shot adds another layer to the characters development as it shows the depth of his addictive personality. It also indicates to the importance of this moment.

The dark lighting in this midshot is good for a thriller as this type of lighting meets the codes and conventions. its dark, but not enough so that the audience is unable to see the action on screen. This adds a mysterious element to the genre keeping with the tone of the film. 

 The close up shot of the shop whilst ringing gives the audience insight into thee narrative, hinting towards the characters identity before the dialogue in this scene starts. 

 This tilt shot from above was used to indicate that the character being shown- detective Grey, at this point is somebody to be looked down on. It gives the audience subtle indication that he is somehow inferior to them. Although not shown as the task was to film only the first 2 minutes if able to continue the camera angles as the narrative moves on would subtly change to tilt shots from the ground to indicate the characters redemption and heroism as somebody to look up to eventually. 

 This type of close up shot is usefully to the the audience a characters thoughts and feeling. It clearly shows fear and indicates that the character is seeing something frightening. This ambiguity creates a hook for the audience, acting as an enigma fitting with the codes and conventions of a thriller. 

 Having a midshot that also shows some of the rural background is good as it sets the scene, meeting the codes of a thriller. It builds tension as the audience watching will have all at one point been in rural woodland areas, this makes them feel empathy towards the character. It also allows for the audience to get an indication of the characters emotions as they can seen them, though not as clearly as they would with a close up shit. 

 A tilt shot from the floor up indicates to the audience that the character is somehow good, in this case it was used to show the characters innocence adding the the suspence and drama of the opening scene. 

 Having a close up shot of the characters feet adds tension to the film as it highlights the characters movement away from the 'safety' of the camera making her seem more vulnerable.

  This pan wide shot is a good way to indicate towards the characters venerability, it also helps establish the scene. This adds tension to the scene and indicates that something bad will happen to the character. It shows the audience the isolated location, which most of them will relate to a similar location they've been in, making them empathetic towards the character.

 The wide shot here is used as a way to show the characters movement, not just physically but from relative safety into danger.

 Having a close up shot of the phone showing that there is no signal adds to the tension of the film as it shows that the character is now quintessentially cut off from the rest of the world. This adds tension as it shows venerability, and how isolated the character now is.  This tension and isolation of a character fits to the codes as conventions of a thriller.

 The over the shoulder shot used here is the initial tension builder as it indicates that there is somebody behind the character, this builds tension and adds an element of mystery to the scene. this type of shots also gives the audience a chance to experience what the character is seeing, without using a point of view shot.

Collective identities & My target audience- the 5th day

Collective identities

Metro sexual; a man who likes to take care of himself. They take an interest into the latest fashions, physical enhancement remedies, health and fitness. They look for products to improve fitness, as well as colognes, exfoliating treatments and moisturisers. These types of products are therefore usually aimed at this collective group. Christian bales portrayal of the narcissistic metro sexual Patrick Bateman in American psycho, his portrayal shows how completely self-absorbed a person can become, he devolved so far that he could no longer identify as human. “There is no real me, I am simply not there”

Nathan Barley, a parody television show showing a certain collective identity- hipsters, young adults. This show is a comedy, but is also has a deeper message it is supposed to show people how society should not actually aspire to behave like hipsters. It talks about how this collective group is disrespectful, and that society is entering an age of idiots with this group leading them. Things aimed towards this collective group would be the latest music from the charts, and latest comic films- nothing too intellectually straining.

Trustafarians are the quintessential trust fund babies who have their lives funded for them by their parents. They are usually unemployed or have creative, extrinsic jobs such as artists. They tend to act as though they’re not wealthy, often taking their disposable income for granted. They wear a mixture of vintage charity clothing and expensive designer clothing. They have the latest in technology such as I-Phones. These types of products are usually aimed towards this demographic group.

Geo-demographic profiling 

Corporate chieftains- Samantha & Andrew

To me corporate chieftains would be living in the centre of London, multi-store houses that would most likely be older, more upper class. 

They would most likely be working in modern high rise buildings, with city views. They would have fancy offices, on the highest floors. 

They would take their holidays to exotic locations, remote islands.

They would drive foreign cars, or perhaps be chauffeured around. 

Corporate chieftains would only be drinking the highest quality whisky, brandy, and old imported wines, and perhaps indulging in finer luxuries such as Cuban cigars.

For leisure activities they would enjoy things such as visiting operas, attending charity auctions and balls, going to the races, watching tennis and cricket.

They would dress in expensive Italian suits, leather shoes, and silk ties. Designer dresses, and high heels. 

They would most likely read media texts aimed towards the right wing side of politics, as well as more business and economic based papers such as The Guardian, The Times, and The Wall Street Journal.

My target audience

Both males and females enjoy thrillers; therefore there is no specific gender that I’m targeting. However from looking online and asking peers, teachers and family members I have come to the conclusion that thrillers are predominantly watched by young adults. However there are many sub-genres within thrillers that should be noted- for example neo-noir thrillers. Thrillers tend to be watched more by working and middle class people as these people are able to identify more with the characters- both protagonists and antagonists. Therefore I’m aiming my film towards everyday people. It should also me noted that because thrillers usually involve more modern day technology, that people watching should also have an interest in technology. The very nature of thrillers is mystery, therefore the viewers I’m targeting should also be inquisitive by nature, and love mysteries. 

December feedback

You are making excellent progress toward the deadline and have filmed shots again where necessary.  I am expecting you to reach the higher grades so aspire to these.

Planning needs to be documented thoroughly on the web-log. You have done this with the script and the storyboards so now add production schedules and any other documentation. Use the Foundation portfolio booklet as a guide.

Once an edit is complete begin to evaluate your opening sequence.

Codes and conventions of a thriller

A thriller is a genre for film created to build suspense and excitement in an audience, the aim is to create mystery and make the audience ask questions. 

In thrillers the characters, especially the main character, the protagonist should appear isolated, and vulnerable especially compared to the antagonist. There should also be a subtle shift of power over the course of the film, power should initially lie with the antagonist, the protagonist should only gain the upper hand half way through after struggling. The two characters represent the struggle of good Vs evil, light Vs dark. Eventually good must win though, the protagonist must dominate the antagonist.    

An important element in thriller films is Camera Movement and Angles. This convention helps to give a film its thriller genre, as different camera angles can create different senses of body language and emotions. Camera Angles such as over the shoulder shots, facial close ups and mid shots are the most commonly used in thrillers. Close up shots are also used to show emotions when needed, adding to the suspense build up. Whereas over the shoulder shots give the audience a look into what the characters are seeing, showing clearly what it is the they're afraid off. it shows the problems the protagonist must overcome. They also give the audience chance to relate to characters, and build a relationship with them, it can help the audience to see the reasoning behind certain actions. The important thing to remember about thriller's is that there should be variety in the camera movement, and the overall product should cause a build up in suspense in the audience. A shot usually included in most thrillers is a shot showing characters looking into a mirror, as this shot represents personal reflection. Reflection on a characters life and actions. 

Editing in thrillers is a great way to add suspense- quick cuts showing lots of different angles allows for a fast pace to build as and gives the audience an idea of the action to come. Another editing technique that is used in thrillers is fade to black, this adds suspense as it makes the audience question what is about to come, or what it is they didn't see. It's these questions that add mystery and suspense. 

Mise-en-Scene in thrillers is important as its these elements which help to add suspense, mystery and drama. Lighting in a thriller is important, therefore low-key lighting should be used. Thrillers need to be dark to give the film a dark, gloomy mood and help to make the audience feel more suspense in regards to the film. as they are unable to clearly see all of the surrounding area around the characters. Another thing which also makes the opening off a thriller stick to its codes and conventions are the props used, in thriller films there should be sharp objects, like glass, knifes but also objects of addiction such as alcohol, caffeine, and drugs. These types of props show the audience what type of personality characters have, they indicate future events and hint towards characters natures. 

Ambient music is a great way for tense scenes to be created, building suspense suitable for thrillers. It creates panic and tension in the audience as they automatically associate ambient music with tension. 

The set and location also helps add to the genre of the film, as locations such as dark woods make the audience wary, it's isolated and anything could happen. It makes the audience fearful as these type of locations can easily be accessed by everyday people. These type of locations that build suspense and tension in the audience.

Risk assessment

Risk assessment for my opening sequence- The 5th Day

• Filming near a road: This can be potentially dangerous for numerous reasons, the most obvious is that cars will be passing meaning there is a threat of being struck. To avoid this, a quite or rarely used road should be picked to film on. This minimalizes the threat. Both actors and camera workers should be wary and also keep a constant look out to avoid an incident. Another reason this could be hazardous is because of the type of isolated road that will be used there will be poor lighting, meaning both actors and camera workers will have to be careful to avoid falling if their vision is impaired due to poor light. To make sure this isn’t an issue the scenes outside near the road should be filmed in the morning or day when the sun is out.
• Walking in the woods/woodland areas: Due to the uneven ground actors and camera workers will have to be careful to avoid falling- especially when holding the camera as it can easily be broken. 

 

Identifying an audience

Uses and gratification theory- 

What needs do certain media texts fulfill, for example people could watch EastEnders for reasons such as Escapism into characters lives, surveillance to know what is going on and to keep up to date, and most obviously for the entertainment value of the show. 

Why watch a horror film?

·       There are many reasons a person may decide to watch a certain genre of film for example a person may choose to watch a horror film for the Thrill, giving them an adrenalin rush and releasing endorphin's making them feel excited. Another reason to watch this genre of film would be escapism, exploring the characters and relating and emphasizing with them, almost acting like their super ego- what should the character do to survive? Socialization with friends is another aspect of the horror genre, it is often in groups that horror movies are watched, especially groups of teenagers who have a certain vulnerability. They’re just exploring their boundaries, what is safe? how far they can push without consequence? Horror movies are also watched simple because people like to relate to certain situations characters are in, it gives them a thrill to think they're like the characters. For example a lot of horror films are set Somewhere safe, the white picket fence suburban house. It’s this that’s under fret, its symbolic of a teenagers world and hem becoming disillusioned. Horror films also link into people xenophobia and their fear of the other- anybody different from them this can include sci-fi movies which include aliens and monsters.

Audience’s reception

Audiences read things differently, depending on their race, gender, age, sexuality and education. Not everybody is going to view something to same. 

Stewart halls encoding theory: 

Preferred reading- what the director wants the audience to get from their media text

Opposite reading- opposite from what director wants the audience to get from the media text. 

Negotiated reading- When the audience understands the directors wish for the media text but think that is is either bad or doesn't really send the message across clearly.  

Aberrant reading- when the audience get the meaning completely wrong.

An example of an Aberrant reading is War of the worlds by Orson Wells-

In 1938 a reading of War Of The Worlds aired over American radio, it caused mass panic across America as some viewers believed that an actual alien invasion was occurring. They thought the play reading was a news broadcast. This mass panic is less likely to happen today as we have many more forms of media to verify stories, and unlike past audiences we are active in comparison to how passive as an audience they were. They believe the media, thinking that the were being told the truth. In today's society we view the media with more distrust making it less likely for mass panic to occur.  

Spaghetti grows on trees is an example of preferred reading. In 1957 a documentary broadcast on panorama by the BBC aired, it showed people how spaghetti grows on tree's. This is obviously not true but due to the limited information people had at the time the audience believe it to be fact. It also links in to how at the time audiences were more likely to believe the media without fault, trusting it to be fact. Today people are less likely to believe such stories as they have more assess to information, and more education about such things. We are an active audience, that interacts with the media. 

Hypodermic needle theory 

Theory that what the media puts out you believe- it’s like brainwashing on a passive audience, it was easy in the 50’s as the audiences were more passive, the message that directors what to put across is like a drug, its pumped in to the audience. Audiences are now more active, they're not likely to believe all that the media tells them. They’re very sophisticated, with access to social media making the sharing and finding of media more easy, as well as increasing interaction with media.

Viral advertising such as Facebook, and twitter sharing also adds to the modern day audiences sophistication. This type of advertising the brand for free works well for people, as when the audience find an advert they like they can share it with friends on Facebook for free. Which is good for the brands. 

A modern day look at how different people react can be used when watching the T-Mobile advert which shows royal family lookalikes dancing around in a sketch that is supposed to be the royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton. The preferred reading of this advert is that it is funny, its a celebration of life and the royal wedding. It was relating to the current events in the news at the time it was first released. The Opposite reading for this advert was that it is not funny, they don't understand it. Some people may also find it offensive as it may be seen as mocking marriage and the royal family. The negotiated reading funny but what has it got to do with T-Mobile? The Aberrant reading which did happen was that the global audience many not understand or mistake the advert as the real royal wedding. This particularly applies if the audience didn’t know about the royal wedding therefore the advert would be confusing.

Representation of a detective

Detective are good to analyse in the terms of gender in film noir as they all show an aspect of male personality which is jaded and darker, they're the unwilling heroes of film. Typically Detectives are males with destructive quirks or habits, such as smoking and drinking. An emphasis is usually put on how their self destructive quirk affects their work, for example Jack Vincennes from LA confidential is a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, who's addiction caused him to shot 2 innocent people. Similar to this example detectives usually have a dark past which haunts them. Whether its from working too long and seeing the worst in humanity or from simply living a hard life, all detectives are usually represented as world weary. 
In original early 1920's to 40's film noir male detectives where always shown as being male chauvinistic and patronizing towards women, referring to them as pet names such as 'sweetheart' and 'darling'. Although modern day detectives are not shown to be sexist to this extend they are sometimes shown to be more dominating towards female's, especially if the character is supposed to be an 'old school' detective. In the early films the patronizing language wouldn't have been considered sexist like it is today as that type of language was socially acceptable as women were less socially equal to men, therefore objectifying language wasn't seen as negative. 
Detectives are also shown to be more willing to be amoral as long as they don't do anything to bad they are willing to do more to get their final results. They're sly, and willing to deal with shady characters. They appear to be one step ahead of the villains. They may have questionable morals but they usually always choose to to the right thing in the end, for example Sam spade from Maltese falcon. 
Although the detective is shown to be worldly and have an air or having done everything once they are usually quite naive when it comes to love, they always fall for the femme fatal. Giving them a vulnerability which the audience can usually relate to. IT also adds to their dark personality and inner turmoil when in the end the femme fatales true nature is revealed.  
In my thriller, neo-noir opening sequence i'm using a modern day detective, who suffers from PTSD and as a result drinks and abuses prescription drugs. This is subtly revealed in the opening sequence and gives the audience an idea of a troubled past. It challenges the physical ability aspect of the detective role as PTSD is a serious disorder, and a challenge for anybody to live with. The substance abuse fits to the detective conventions, and gives the detective a self destructive darker personality. The detective Greg Grey is a war veteran who retired from the army and suffers from PTSD as a result of his years of service. He works under his female boss Captain Reid, who's authority he doesn't respect. He uses substance abuse to try and drown his demons. He is a gifted detective often able to put himself into the villains mindset, leading him to become well known within the police force as a serial killer hunter. This aspect of his personality has left him isolated at work as he is considered too good at thinking like a killer, building to his self inflicted loneliness. He is often dismissed because of his younger age, having joined the police force after 4 years service at 18. This adds to his jaded personality, making him defensive. His younger age also goes against classical conventions as detectives are usually middle aged, not young. However by using a younger detective who may not have lived as long but who has lived through more it shows that its not always the length of the characters life but the life one leads that make them world weary. 

Femme Fatale Representation in Film Noir

The femme fatal character in film noir is an interesting character to analyse in the terms of representation of gender, as it showed a side of women not commonly found in films during the early 1920 to 50's. They represent female empowerment, and strength but also with a darker twist of them being manipulative, black widows. Prior to film nor femme fatal characters didn't exist, instead women would be shown as homemakers, wives- limited not very rounded characters. But this new unconventional character was something new, but simultaneously linked with old legends, classical sirens who lured sailors to their deaths, biblical characters such as jezebel and Lilith-a side of women not usually considered by the male population let alone seen by them on film.

Showing females to be empowered in the films made in the 1920's could be linked to the social change that swept through America during and after the war when women went to work while the men were at war, and continues after the war ended. Everyday American females became like a femme fatal in their strength, independence and determination to succeed. This social change could also be the reason why the femme fatal character is also seen as dangerous, manipulative, and cunning. men returning from war would have wanted life to return to 'normalcy' but instead they realise that while at war the women had gained independence from them, this would have caused tensions so as a way of getting back at females man film director started to show them as being like black widows, spinning webs of lies to men to trap and kill them. Therefore showing that femme fatale characters have both positive and negative characteristics.

Femme fatales are first introduced to males as being the classic beauty, naïve to the world and in need of a 'hero' this is part of their allure that reels in the detective in the film. They are usually beautiful, wearing the latest high fashion clothing and quite often speak with a upper crust English accent. These attributes all add to the audiences opinion of the femme fatale, they make her appear intelligent, classy and almost too good for the detective. They're often spoken to in a patronising way, being referred to as 'sweet heart' or 'darling' by the detective in the film, which was language considered acceptable at the time. This innocent persona is usually seen through quite easily, revealing the femme fatale to be dangerous, selfish, cunning and manipulative.   

The original femme fatale from films such as 'the Maltese falcon' and 'Jigsaw' isn't often seen in everyday films as they often portray women as being sexually objectified by men. They're too outdated for modern women who have such better social rights, equal to men in comparison to women in the 1920's. In modern film noir, the femme fatale is usually seen to be stronger, not being dependant on males. An example of a strong modern day femme fatale would be Selina Kyle from Batman. These changes to a femme fatale came about with changes in society, he growth of feminism and gender equality. As members of feminist groups found the attributes of a femme fatale to be sexist, they also had problems with the stereotypical doomed ending that the femme fatale always faced. They never have a happy ending, they either get caught or die.

In my opening sequence I don't have a femme fatale, as I'm not making a classic film noir sequence My opening sequence is a thriller, with a neo-noir flare. I do however have a female character who is the victim of my serial killer. This doomed lifespan mirrors that of a femme fatale as in film noir they are always doomed to either die or go to jail. The reason in classic film noir that the femme fatale where doomed was to make the audience see that crime isn't the right answer, and that good always conquers evil. The reason I decided to not have a femme fatale in my opening sequence was that although a modern day femme fatale character can be created I dislike the main focus and role one has to play- the deceptive and manipulative woman who uses sex and beauty as a way to distract and get along in life. The character also does not easily fit into my genre of a thriller. Instead I have a male serial killer as the protagonist, although this part of my narrative isn't seen in my opening sequence. 

My Opening Sequence Script & Story Board - The 5th Day

Neo-noir thriller movie script- The 5^th Day   by Hannah Constantine

[Establishing shot] A range of exterior shots of country lanes from a moving car, dark gloomy weather matches the non-diegetic soundtrack. Quick cuts between the cameras angles help fit the conventions of a thriller, building a mysterious atmosphere. The car slows down before coming to a stop. The soundtrack fades but does not go silent.

[INT. Car] Pan shot from the establishing shot to an over the shoulder shot of the female victim character- Amelia Smith. She is on the phone to a break down car service but is having difficulty with signal.

Amelia [in regards to the phone] Hello… Yes… Yes, I’m still here. No Wait! What... No. I can’t here you, you’re breaking up… Hello! [Takes phone away from her ear with a sigh of frustration]

[Close up shot of phone showing no signal]

Amelia [Sarcasm] Oh this is perfect, just great.

[Mid-shot side view of Amelia reaching for the car door]

[EXT. The road]

[Long shot showing Amelia walking away from the car towards the camera]

[tracking Close up shot of Amelia’s legs through the grass]

Amelia [grumbling] just great, I had better find signal out here…

[Diegetic snapping sound, most likely a twig]

[Close up shot of victim’s feet]

Amelia [afraid] hello, is somebody out there?

[Slow tilt shot from the victim’s feet to face]

This isn’t funny, who’s out here?

[Quick black screen]

Non-diegetic soundtrack stops

[Int. Detective Greg Grey’s Bed room] shot showing Grey sleeping uneasily, non-diegetic sounds of war, guns firing.


Sound of phone ringing

[Close up of mobile phone showing Captain Reid Calling, Greg reaches for the phone]

[Mid shot of answering the phone]

Greg [Sleep weary] you’ve got Detective Grey… uh huh, wait what? When was the body found? [Waking up slightly- sounds more alert]

[Pan shot of room whilst on the phone ending on wide shot of Greg]

 You’ve got to be kidding me, is it the same guy? Uh huh, yes. Give me half an hour

[Close up shot of his feet as he goes to step up from bed] shows empty bottle of vodka and a trilby hat.

[Int. bathroom]

[Close up of water tap as hands turn them on] diegetic sound of a shower running in the background.

[Over the shoulder mid shot of Grey whist looking through a medicine cabinet] he reaches for a bottle of pills

[close up of the pills showing them to be aspirin and Xanax]

  

Feedback November

 

You are working at level 3/4 for research and planning

To reach level 4 you must pitch your idea, film and edit.

Produce a production schedule

Manage your time effectively

Think about representation and how gender roles are outlined in your script. It is something that you will need to pick up on in your evaluation.

Your storyboard and script show an understanding of the codes and conventions of the genre.

Very promising with some thorough analysis that suggests you are capable of gaining the higher grades

Film Noir Story board with Script

Film Noir screen play – The Sweetest Death

 

Establishing shot Tamworth View from castle and castle grounds

EXT. DETECTIVE AGENCY – NEAL’S OFFICE – EARLY MORNING

 

INT. DETECTIVE AGENCY – NEAL’S OFFICE – EARLY MORNING

 

Wide shot from above showing the entire office from overhead: Detective Jonah Neal standing looking out towards the city through venetian blinds. The showing effect of the blinds leaves him squinting in the early morning light. His suit is crumpled giving him a look as though he has spent the night in his office and he is smoking from a hand rolled cigarette.

 

Jonah (V.O) Debauchery, Deprivation, and impropriety this city is built on it. 40 years and I thought I’d seen it all (Takes a drag of the cigarette OS) But like always the world just loves to prove me wrong.  

 

[Knocking at the office door]

 

Camera slowly descends towards Jonah’s face as he turns his body away from the office door.

 

Jonah (re: the office door) [audibly irate] we’re closed! Come back tomorrow – or better yet come next week, by then your problems will have magically disappeared.

 

[Sound of the door opening]

Jonah turns towards the door

 

Jonah (V.O) I should have known no dame walking into my office would be walking in without a past, a story but damn! This dame was enough to make even me lose my mind.

 

Camera angle changes giving a view of a woman’s lower legs as she appears to be waking into the office- the camera tilts until the woman’s whole body has been shows from feet to head. Wearing red high heeled shoes, and a knee length coat her clothing is fine in comparison to the surrounding office. She is classically beautiful with fair hair and big blue eyes. The woman is Estelle Eveleigh. 

 

Jonah [audibly irate] what part of we’re clo-

(Speech is cut off as he turns and takes in the appearance of woman before him)

 

Estelle [Imploring] please! Mr Neal, I NEED you, you’re the best of the best, and I need the best for this. I have nowhere else to go.

 

Jonah appears to be appraising Estelle’s words

 

Jonah [Audibly sighing in defeat] Alright, fine! Come on in and take a seat doll. Tell me what has gotten you all up in a tizzy.

 

Estelle takes a seat in the far right chair at the desk leaving the chair closest for the window free for Jonah to sit

Estelle (Afraid) Please Detective, this is serious. I’m afraid, deadly afraid. I’m not just some silly little woman who’s overreacting. I think somebody is trying to kill me.

 

Estelle reaches into her bag and removes some tissue paper with a written warning on it- the words are at first unclear in the shot but the camera focus clears up making them clear to read ‘room 201 18:00)

 

Jonah sweetheart, I doubt you’re in any danger-this is just an appointment slip, nothing scary or dangerous here but poor calligraphy. 

 

Estelle (Afraid) Please Detective you don’t understand, I was supposed to be in room 201 at six o’clock when it exploded last night. I’m supposed to be dead

 

Jonah (intrigued but clear scepticism) Dead huh? Well little lady I don’t know if I believe that but I’ll tell you what I’ll look into the explosion for you- for a small fee of course

 

Estelle (relieved) Thank you, money will be no problem

 

EXT. HOTEL - EXPLOSION SITE – NIGHT OR EARLY HOURS

 

Wide shot showing the building, detective Neal walks into the shot reading a fire report. The camera angle changes to a mid-shot showing clearly the nature of the report and the shock on Neal’s face.

 

Jonah Well I’ll be dammed, the explosion really was a set up.