Extra Storyboards.

After hearing the feedback from my teacher and target audience I have made some extra storyboards for some additional shots to be added into my second edit. I have also made a rough storyboard for the titles, showing the text I have chosen to use.

One of the points that came up to be improved was the use of props. These three extra shots include Daisy, with a stylish backpack containing some daily items that would be associated with a teenage girl, including, nail varnish, perfume, a phone, headphones and also a book ironically entitled 'Girl, Missing'. 

               

Secondly, more close-ups were needed so once again, I have draw some shots of Daisy in close-up but also of the abductor. 

      

Finally I have drawn some shots that include the abductor more, to make sure that it is clear what and who Daisy is running from. 

Improving my first draft.

After making my first draft of my thriller opening sequence, my teacher and target audience have given me some feedback on ways to improve.

1. Shorten the running scene. At the present time the running clip is 1:21. Both my teacher and target group agreed that it was a bit too long and could be cut down.

2. I need to add in titles. My first draft did not include any titles using genre specific fonts and names for a production company and the name of the film.

3. The running scene would be more effective with some extreme close up shots to create a sense of mystery and also tension.

4. The running scene needs some props so that the audience can build a bigger picture about Heather's character, personality and vulnerability.

These are the ways in which I will take the comments into account and improve my thriller.

1. One of the reasons I think the running scene appears to be so long is partially due to the fact that there are quite a lot of long shots, so I will add in extreme close-ups in to quicked the pace of the scene and therefore giving it the illusion that it is not lasting as long.

2. For my titles, I have decided that it would not look very good to place them over the current scenes, so I am going to shoot some establishing shots of the woods which I can place titles over the top, without distracting the audience away from the main action.

3. I am also going to shoot some extra shots in which Heather is carrying a bag which when she attempts to get her phone out she drops the contents everywhere. The will show her innocence through the 'girly' props I will choose and will also give me a chance to add in more extreme close-ups. I will add this into the beginning of the sequence so that most of the running sequence will stay the same as overall I was happy with how it was edited together.

Location Choice

Since deciding on the plot of my opening sequence it was clear to me exactly where I wanted to film the majority of it. I live right next to a small quiet woods that was perfect for my chase and abduction sequence. Before shooting I have gone round and taken some photos of places which fit in with my final storyboards. 

This shot shows the tree where Daisy will pause to catch her breath. 

 This next shot is the 180° shot of the previous, potentially to use when Daisy starts to run away again.

This shows the view from the tree, potentially a use for a POV shot as Daisy walks round the tree.

This shot and the next shot so a slight hill with potential for a high angle shot to show indicate Daisy's role as the victim. 

 Here is where I will shoot Daisy running from behind and also for the camera facing up at her face as she runs. 

This is another place where I can film Daisy running away from the camera.

The next two shots are for a part that I am adding into my second edit, where the abductor is taking a short cut whilst chasing Daisy. This shot on the left will show him running away. And on the right will be a close-up of his foot climbing over the tree.

Costume & Props Choice

The costume decisions were very simple, each costume represents the role of the character in my opening sequence and also relates heavily to the social group that they are representing. 

The character of Daisy will be wearing a white top, as the colour white has typical connotations of innocence and purity which it is essential in the portrayal as the victim. For trousers, I have decided that she should wear skinny jeans (as pictured below), this helps to represent the social group of teenagers as it is a typical item of clothing that they would wear, it also shows the normality of Daisy and suggests that it could happen to anyone. 

For the abductor, I have chosen a plain black hoodie, which of course carries the connotations of danger and mystery. Once again, he is wearing everyday normal jeans, to once again to indicate that anyone has the potential to be this character and no-one really knows anything people that you might encounter in day to day life. He is also unshaven, indicating a careless and on the edge lifestyle. 

Finally, for the newsreader I have chosen a simple suit that he would traditionally wear for reading the news. This will contrast the costume of the abductor representing to completely different styles of life - the high repectable end of society to the low end criminals of society. 

Scripts.

Below is the simple script for my preliminary task, it's about an unknown problem. 

Katherine: How did we get into this mess?

Tony: I don’t know… what are we gonna do.

Katherine: I don’t know I honestly don’t know.

TonyWhat can we do.

Katherine: Wait...

Tony: We can’t wait forever.

Katherine: I suppose you’re right.

Tony: We’ve just gotta do something. 

The only dialogue in my main artifact is the news story on Daisy's disappearance. Below is the script which I wrote after watching a couple of items on Look East to make sure that I got the correct register and also wrote it in the way that Stewart naturally speaks. 

Stewart: Our top story tonight. Police investigating the disappearance of a teenage girl from Norfolk have made a public appeal for information. The girl was last seen entering the woods near her home at around 2 o’clock on Tuesday afternoon. Police patrols are currently searching the appear nearby following reports a local man heard screaming shortly after she was last seen. Tonight at a police press conference, the girl’s family spoke publically for the first time.

Initial Storyboards

Before doing any shooting and after deciding on the plot of my opening sequence, I have made some rough storyboards of the shots I will need to film, for my first edit. After editing the whole thing, I will show it to my teacher and target audience for feedback where I may have to add in or take away some shots. I will then do single drawings of the extra shots to add in.

Below are all the storyboards for my first edit of my main task.

Potential Plots

List of potential plots:

-Discovering an abandoned house. 
-Someone seeing ghosts
-Murder at school
-Abduction from the woods
-Police investigation on a serial killer

I have decided to do my thriller opening sequence on an abduction from the woods. I feel that I have the perfect setting for it, as well as actors and also a clear idea of what to put in the opening sequence. From my research into existing thriller films, I feel I can efficiently transfer the use of codes and conventions into my own opening sequence. 

Preliminary Storyboards.

For my preliminary task I have decided to shoot at my sister's university flat. The plot is a simple conversation between two people over an unknown topic. The storyboards below show the process of walking through the door and the required 180° shot.