Poster Idea

We changes the title of the film from 'Witness' to 'X' because we dramatically changed the nature of our thriller plot. We did this because we realised we didn't have the time to film someone filming and film in a public place such as Cambridge high street, and so the witness idea went out the window. 'X' has many connotations; being that maybe an ex is the kidnapper; the film is extraordinary or 'X' rated or the kidnapped girl could be named as a subject 'X' and the thriller could take a turn towards kidnapping in the name of some psychotic mad scientist.

Even though we binned the idea of filming through a hand held camera, we kept the lens idea for the poster because we used a developing dark room, in which cameras are associated and we could reveal that cameras become a key theme introduced later in the film.

We changed the venue to being the back end of the college and inside the photography departments' dark room, and decided to keep the idea of parallel editing, between the kidnapping and the main character being held captive in a deep dark red and sinister room. 

Poster Idea

Map of the location.

This is a map of the centre of town. In this picture you can see different points in which different camera angles are going to occur. Refer to the shot list to see which shot type is at each location.

1. This is where the filming will start, it will be an establishing shot where the audience will be able to see the location and its surroundings.

(vic will finish off this)

Alfred Hitchcock - Why "Thrillers" Thrive

In Alfred Hitchcock's Why Thrillers Thrive, he explains his theory of why they survive and are popular in the film business. He highlights that most people go to the cinema to see thrillers due to feeling safe and content watching the film knowing that they are safe where they are but while they watch the safety of others being contradicted on the screen.

He also points out that our subconscious plays a great deal in the emotion we go through during thrillers as it makes us aware that we are safe in the place we are but from watching the screen we also experience emotions in the film.

Furthermore, he talks about how when you watch stunts etc on screen you have no real realization of how the scene actually looks in real life. Hitchcock continues on and explains how many of us watching perceive the danger the hero is in and that we presume that it must be grave danger and this is another way a thriller thrives as the events taking place in them are realistic.

Class Feedback

> differentiate with shots between the street scenes and the Dance studio scenes e.g close ups + silhouettes
> Think of name for film
> idea is similar to 1980/90's Film Witness

evaluation on alfred hitchcocks essay ''why thrillers thrive''



alfred hitchcock trys to explain why people go to the cinema he says it is to reflect life but not always lives like our own as we would never experience them ourselves but the differences in the lives of the charaters like the emotional disterbances or thrills. so these thrills would be in thrillers hence the name and this is why we like to see these films for the thrills maybe because our own lives are more boring than these of the charaters on the thrillers.

he also goes on to say how we need ''shake ups'' basically to be scared of worried other wise we get bored and lazyand that the environment we live inhas made our lives so sheltered that we are not able to get the thrills first hand which is quite sad really saying the only way that we would get thrills in life is through cinema because our lives are so boring.

the only way to experience this thrill is through the cinema as it is the best way.it must be the best way because you have the images to add on to your own imagineation.

he mentions how the things that happen on stage are detached from ourselves like the termoil and struggles which could be a good thing because if somethings happened in our lives that happen in thrillers it could ruin our lives for ever and he says that we just look at it through a window like it is not our own life because it is not.

he also says how to feel what the characters a going through on stage or screen we make try to make ourselevs feel what they feel in there consciousness but we unconscisley feel it and this is the most effective way for us to get our thrills without us actually experiencing it ourselves which could be a good thing as i dont think people would want to feel what the charaters feel.

he also says how we participate we participate in the scence we feel see and hear all what the charaters do and it helps us to understand and want to watch the film.

he describes a film that he knows and says how you feel for the main character and that all the pain he goes through you feel and that makes good cinema for the viewers as it is exciting and interesting.

he then goes on to a story of a side show that promises thrills it is a memory of his so people went in to a room and expected one thing to happen but the complete opposite happened a pillar started to fall on top of them this may have supplied a thrill to the public but not a thrill that they certianly enjoyed in fact i imagien it would have made them uncomrfortable as it is not something you would experience also it is actually happening to you and not on the screen unlike the films.

the thrills that we get from thrillers at the cinema are secondary types of thrill as we dont actually endure them but we do participate in them as in we feel exactly every little detail that the characters feels we find that enjoyable but if it was first hand we do not enjoy that even though it is also a thrill but we feel the effect more so and it is harder for us to accept this form of thrill as it scares us more.

he says how horror and thrillers are entierly different from each other thrillers are ment to add suprise and suspence and have you on the edge and not knowing whhat is going to happen and not having all the answers where as horrors give every answer and are just there to scare you not to have any sort of suspence or questions.

 

Location Recce.

We will be filming in town/petty cury.
Facts about the location -
  - fairly busy during the week but busiest in the afternoons.
  - wednesday evenings are a busy time because of late night shopping (need to take into account the problems     with lighting)
  -need to think about other people around us whilst filming (any people that may be protesting/advertising/handing out leaflets etc in the area).

Weather -
  -look up the weather forecast for the day (think about alternatives if the weather is bad).
  - if the weather is unexpectedly bad on the day, we will need an alternative indoor location to film.

Lighting -
  -we will be filming during the day or at night?
  -think about the lighting - make sure that if we want shots where it is bright, allow time it film this when there is light).
  -the shadows from the building either side of the street will create a good effect and make it look more dramatic.

Sun -
  -we will need to look into where the sun rises and sets because this will affect the way the lighting looks on camera.

Other things that will affect our filming -
  -we will need to think about the amount of people that will be around as too many will be too noisy.
  -traffic - look into roughly how many cars drive round the road that runs around the market and down beside yo-sushi - too many and this could disrupt the sound on our film.
  -other peoples well-being - we will need to think about the public whilst filming because filming a kidnapping could cause a scene and therefore we need to make it clear that we are filming and try and get the public to act normal around us.
  -our well-being - this location is a good place to film as there is facilities nearby in the shopping centre for anything that we may need on the day of filming eg. toilets, food and drink shops, source of electricity, car parking etc.

Summary of the articles.

Why thriller thrive
- Why do people go to the cinema? To get 'thrills' hence the name thrillers. Our 'nature is such that we must have these 'shakeu-ups', these can be experienced in thrillers. As we don't experience these thrills in real life anymore because civilization has sheltered and screened us from having these thrills, going to the cinema to see a thriller is the best way of experiencing them artificially.
-In a thriller we see things happening that wouldn't usually happen to us in real life and therefore seeing a thriller is us experiencing something new but were in a safe and secure environment while we watch the turmoil and struggle that occurs around us.
-When your watching a thriller your putting yourself into the characters position. 'We don't sit by as spectators; we participate'.
-Thrillers are meant to capture the audiences emotions and get them involved in the film. Whether it's through tension, sadness, happiness or sympathy. By making the audience interested in the film, the audience begin to feel part of the action and react in specific ways that relate to what's going on.

Let 'em play god
- Directors want the audience to be on the edge of their seats, therefore they create films so that the audience get involved in the action and want to break the suspense. The audience wants to get involved in the action and also they want to find out what's going to happen and become very interested in the action.

By Victoria Pryor