BBFC Classification

We have decided to classify our film as a 15 Certificate. This is because although our film is a thriller, there is no blood and gore, and very little swearing.

The BBFC classification page for a 15 film can be found here.

Alice Humphries

Problems with filming

Since the 26th November we have been ready to film but there has been a few problems getting in our way. On the 1st December it snowed, which meant we couldn't start filming. One of the ideas we had was to try and get all of the filming done in the snow. Because of the continuity for the film and it wouldn't have worked. We were also not sure how long it would be snowing for and how long the snow would be around for which is why we didn't start filming. Also because we are filming in two different woods, no doubt the amount of snow would be different.

Another problem that we are having is finding a day that we are all free to start filming. Our back up plan is going to be to film in smaller groups if we are not all free on the same day because otherwise we will not get it done in time for the deadline. We are making a timetable for when we are free for filming over the christmas holidays. We are going to try and get all of the filming done in the christmas holidays so we have plenty of time to edit.

The last problem our group is having is deciding on which time of day to film. We are torn between filming as the sun sets which will be between 3.30pm and 4.30pm. This will give a good affect as the light throws shapes onto the floor, but it will make the continuity a lot harder between locations and with the last shot of Willows shoes hanging on a tree it will be nearly dark. The other option is filming as the sun rises which will between 6.30am and 7.30am. This will also make good lighting and the last shot of the shoes will be in the light. Filming in the morning seems to be the more logical idea because it will make it look more realistic, people don't tend to go running as its getting dark whereas they do go running in the early morning.

Sunrise Vs. Sunset?

Laura Jolley

Title Sequence - Inspiration

For our title sequence, we wanted to use silhouettes. The images below are examples of sillhouettes from Cheryl Cole's music video for "Promise This". Altough they are not exactly what we want to use ourselves, as they are of people and not of a willow tree, they still give a rough idea.

However, we decided white on black would be more striking, like this;

After watching "The Crazies", we thought the idea of just white text on a black background also looked quite striking. In the movie, the text is in the bottom right corner, which is what we want to do too.



Because our film is called "Weeping Willow", we wanted to put a weeping willow picture in the bottom right corner of the title sequence as well as the title. In the final title sequence, there will be a white weeping willow in the corner, next to the title.

Alice Humphries 

Font ideas

All the fonts come from Dafont.com

Apple Garamond

Technoid

Quilted Butterfly

All Over Again

Alice Humphries

Storyboard

Alice Humphries, Elizabeth Neal, Laura Jolley.

Final Idea.

For our final idea, we have decided to shoot a girl jogging through a forest at dusk. To start with, the girl (Willow), puts her iPod headphones in her ears, and starts to run along a path in the forest. In the background the audience sees hooded figures dotted around the forest, all dressed the same and holding lit red candles (the "Undead"). She has many close encounters with the hooded figure but does not realize. At some point she sees a masked figure at a quick glance, looks back and it is gone, like a trick of the imagination. She falls over a wire they have placed as a trap and hurts her ankle, so she can't get up; as she falls a masked figure is seen standing behind her. As she looks up in pain, to her horror a group of the hooded figures are standing in front of her staring. Then inbetween a series of black flashes, you see quick glimpses of her being bound and crying. The last shot is when she blinks, it goes back to a black screen and her shoes are tied, hanging from a tree.

Alice Humphries, Laura Jolley, Elizabeth Neal

Preliminary Task

Location Photos - Parks Farm

We went to one of our locations for the thriller film and took some photos. The weather was really sunny which doesn't make the forest look mysterious but you can still see how much space we have to use and what there is there. 

This is the road that Willow will start running down. 

This is located at the entrance to the road. This sets the scene.

This shows the light coming through the trees, as the sun goes down it will put light shapes onto the floor.

Inside the Forest there are tall tree's and piles of branches. 

The floor is covered on orange, yellow and brown leaves. 

There's a verge with tree's on which could be used for the undead to hide behind. 

At the end of the woods there's another track that we could use for Willow to run down. 

Laura Jolley 

Research

Thriller characters

• Convicts
• Criminals
• Stalkers
• Assassins
• Losers( Can't get a break)
• Innocent Victims
• Psychotic individuals
• Terrorists
• Escaped mental patients/Criminals
• Private investigators
• Couples in twisted relationships
• Hitchcock blonde
• Femme Fetal
• Hero's
• Corrupt law abider

Costumes

Costumes from thriller movies have a wide range. There are dark/sexual costumes such as those on Sin City, their are the average Joe's wearing common clothing to fit in to the crowds, there are combat styles. I find that the majority of clothing in thriller movies is tight fitting vest tops for the hunk or lead lady in the movies, i also find that there is always a slut...a woman who likes to show their sex appeal with their skin showing.

Setting and location

• Dark
• Usually night
• Usually a deserted area
• sometimes black and white
• Somewhere with little hiding places
• Usually somewhere dangerous such as a mine

Sound and music

• Fast when intense
• Slow when hiding
• Usually an Orchestra 
• Low pitch
• Creepy

Situations

• Chase scene
• Hiding scene
• Torture scene/KIlling
• Escape scene
• Hero mets villain
• Sometimes kill of the hero/villain

Elizabeth Neal

Costume & Props

WILLOW EMERSON --

Costume:

For our entire film the colour red is highlighted. We have red candles for the "Undead", and Willow's costume has red in it.

Willow Emerson is going to be wearing a red jumper with a hood and black leggings. This will make her stand out from the 'un-dead' because her outfit is colourful unlike theirs. The red jumper is to tie in her costume with the colour scheme. This costume is a typical running outfit as she is expecting to just go on a normal run.

THE UN-DEAD --

PROPS -- Each of our 'un-dead' people are going to be holding red candles up to their faces to light them up. This will make them look more mysterious and the flickers will add to the atmosphere. There are a few problems that could occur with this, such as if its windy they wont stay alight and also they could be dangerous near peoples faces or if they are dropped in a forest.

Willow is going to be holding an iPod which she will start the film by turning it on and putting the head phones in. When she is running she's going to drop the ipod and the camera will close up on it on the floor covered in leaves. At the end of your film Willow will drop a bottle full of water, which the camera will zoom in on.

Costume:

All the "Undead" will be dressed the same. This costume consists of a black hoodie, black tracksuit trousers, black plimpsoles and a white mask. We chose to dress all of them the same so the viewer would not know if they were male or female, or how many of them there were.

The black clothing contrasted with the white masks will make the masks stand out more and add to the tension. The group did consider dressing the un-dead in all white but this will take the emphasis away from the masks and this is the main prop.

Elizabeth Neal, Laura Jolley & Alice Humphries

Location - initial ideas

When it came to thinking of ideas for our location of the thriller we came up with a few initial thoughts. We are basing it on the movie 'Shrooms'. This made us think that it would be better being set in a forest or woody area. One of the the two main ideas we had were a footpath in Lt Maplestead called Parks Farm. This is a woody area which has fallen down trees and is quite dark no matter of what time of day it is. The sun shines through the gaps in the trees in different places which will help create the eerie atmosphere we are wanting. Another good point about this that there is a quite country lane leading to it (that our actress can run down) and a field when you come out at the other end.

Our second idea is Bluebell Woods in Sible Hedingham. It's a large secluded forest which we believe will be good for our filming as it gives a "middle of nowhere" appeal. Inside the woods there are big craters which would be good for our plot as we intend to use them in our filming as part of the last scene. This woods is open to the public which means we could go there at anytime, but it could mean we could have interference with the other people which we will try our best to avoid.

Laura Jolley & Lizzie Neal

Sub Genres of Thriller Movies

Crime Thriller: Offers a suspenceful account of a successful or failed crime or crimes. Often focus on the criminal rather than a policeman. Usually include; murders, robberies, shootouts or heists. Eg - "The Silence of the Lambs"

Disaster Thriller: The main conflict is due to a natural or atrificial disaster, such as floods, earthquakes, hurricanes or volcanoes. Eg - "The Day After Tomorrow"

Medical Thriller: The hero/heroine are doctors/medical personell working to solve an expanding medical problem. Eg - "Coma"

Mystery Thriller: Suspence films where characters attempt to solve or are involoved in a mystery. Eg- "Shutter Island"

Psychological Thriller: The conflict between main characters is mental and emotional, rather than physical. Eg - "Red Eye"

Religious Thriller: The plot is closely connected to religious objects, institutions and questions. Eg - "The Sin Eater"

Supernatural Thriller: The film brings in an otherworldly element mixed with tension, suspence and plot twists. The hero/villian may have some phsycic ability. Eg - "Unbreakable"

Alice Humphries

Inspiration

We got the idea of using white masks on the clan members from a couple of different movies. Michael Myers in the original "Halloween" wears a white mask, as do the people in "The Strangers". Unlike in "The Strangers" we chose to use plain white masks instead of ones with faces painted onto them, we though this would make the gender of the clan members more ambiguous.

[Michael Myers]

[The Strangers]



This clip from the movie "Shrooms" inspired part of our film. We thought the girl running through the forest would be very effective and easy to film, as all members of the group can easily get to various forests to film.

Alice Humphries

Camera Angles

Close-up: A certain feature or part of the subject takes up the whole frame.

Extreme close-up: Shows extreme detail.

Medium close-up: Half-way between a close up and a medium shot.

Medium shot: Shows some part of the subject in more detail while still giving an impression of the whole subject.

Long shot: Shows the image as approximately "lifesize".

Pan: A movement which scans a scene horizontally.

Tracking: Camera moves alongside the action.

High angle shot: Camera is elevated above the action.

Low angle shot: Often used to increase height. Camera is positioned below the eye line, looking up.

Bird's eye view: Shows a scene from directly overhead.

Worm's eye view: Camera is close to the ground, tilted up.

Tilt up: A movement which scans the scene vertically.

Tilt down: A movement which scans the scene vertically.

Shot-reverse-shot: One character is shown looking at another character (often off screen), and then the other character is shown looking back at the first character. Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the viewer assumes they are looking at eachother.

POV shot: Camera is positioned as though it is a human actually observing a scene.
Over the shoulder shot: A shot of someone or something taken over the shoulder of another person. The back of the shoulder and head of this person is used to frame the image of whatever the camera is pointing toward.

180º rule: The 180º rule is a basic guideline in film making that states that two characters (or other elements) in the same scene should always have the same left/right relationship with eachother. if the camera passes over the imaginary axis connecting the two subjects, it is called crossing the line.

Alice Humphries