'The Open Window' Screenplay
The very first task we had was to read a short story given to us called 'The Open Window'. We were then told to create our own version of the story which could be adapted into a 12 shot storyboard. We had to keep the general idea of the story, the open window, and look at other screenplays in order to get ideas.
The Open Window
by
Jack Gray
Int. scene - description
The nervous Mr. Nuttel is being led through the castle of Lady and Lord Sappleton by their young niece Vera. Vera is only 8 years old and is simply skipping through the castle without a care in the world. After a long silence that Mr. Nuttel finds quite unnerving, he attempts to begin a conversation with Vera.
Mr. Nuttel
(Nervous)I must say Miss Vera your Aunt and Uncles castle is most beautiful.
Description
Vera stops skipping and turns to the fidgeting Mr. Nuttel.
Vera
Auntie and Uncle love this castle, they say its very ardistic.
DESCRIPTION
Mr. Nuttel afraid of the ramifications of upsetting the niece of a lord, decides not to correct her grammar.
Vera
I always like this place because of the princess’s who lived in the castle.
Mr.Nuttel
Uh, yes I’m sure there were many beautiful princesses here Miss Vera
Description
Mr. Nuttel begins to wonder whether or not an 8 year old girl is the best guide for him. Mr. Nuttel is shown multiple rooms each with old wooden medieval doors and stain glass windows. As Mr. Nuttel is shown more of the house, he notices one room that appears to be different from the rest. It had a big red door with the names “Samuel and Max” painted on it.
Mr.nuttel
I say Miss Vera, what is this room, and who might i ask are “Samuel and Max”?
DESCRIPTION
Vera turns to Mr. Nuttel with a look of fear in her eyes.
Vera
(Fearful)You don’t want to go in there Mr. Nuttel, Aunties in there.
DESCRIPTION
Mr. Nuttel acts very confused, he came to the castle to see Lady Sappleton, and now this child was telling him to avoid her.
MR. NUTTEL
Miss Vera? Are you alright? i told you earlier did i not? The reason that i came here is to see your Auntie.
Vera
(Fearful)I didn’t forget Mr. But if you don’t wont to be hurt you should stay away from Auntie.
DESCRIPTION
With a puzzled look on his face, Mr. Nuttel begins to wonder what could be wrong with Lady Sappleton.
MR. NUTTEL
Is your Aunt ill Miss Vera? Is something wrong?
DESCRIPTION
Vera looks over her shoulder as if the devil himself stood in the shadows. She turns back to Mr. Nuttel.
VERA
(Fearful)
That room used to belong to my cousins. They were called Samuel and Max. My Uncle used to take the two of them out into the wood,they would always go through the window in the boys room they used to shoot loads of animals and we used to eat them all. But a little while ago my cousins and Uncle went out on another hunt, but this time they never came back. Auntie never accepted it though, and keeps the window open for the boys every night in the hope that they’ll return.
DESCRIPTION
Mr. Nuttel is not impressed with what Vera has just said, thinking it to simply be Vera lying to him as a sort of joke.
MR. NUTTEL
(Mockingly)Very amusing Miss Vera, but I am here to se Lady Sappleton and so i shall.
VERA
Ok Mr. But I did warn you.
DESCRIPTION
Vera skips off into the shadows leaving Mr. Nuttel alone. Mr. Nuttel then opens the door. Inside the room was full of children’s toys like rocking horses and a cricket set. To the far right of the room was the window that Vera had mentioned. In the centre of the room there was a leather arm chair, with someone sitting in it.
MR. NUTTEL
Lady Sappleton? Is that you?
DESCRIPTION
The person in the chair releases a whisper that Mr. Nuttel is unable to hear.
MR. NUTTEL
I’m sorry milady i couldn’t hear you. My name is Mr. Nuttel, i am hear about the job opening you were advertising.
DESCRIPTION
The person whispers once again. Mr. Nuttel is still unable to hear, he approaches the chair.
MR. NUTTEL
Are you alright mila-?
DESCRIPTION
Mr. Nuttel looks into the chair and his face is gripped with horror. The person in the chair was Lady Sappleton, but she was in a horrific state, her hair was as grey as steel, she was covered in wrinkles, and she was nothing but skins and bones. Mr. Nuttel id frightened.
MR. NUTTEL
Dear God, milady what on Earth happened to you?
DESCRIPTION
Lady Sappleton slowly lifts her wrinkled bony finger and points to outside the window. Mr. Nuttel turns to the window and looks out of it. A thick mist had covered the land outside and it was almost impossible to see. Then there was a flash and three glowing figures could be seen walking through the grounds of the castle, two were the height and shape of children while the third looked like a fully grown man.
MR. NUTTEL
What on Earth is that?
DESCRIPTION
The figures suddenly begin to get closer and closer, doing so in the blink of an eye. Mr. Nuttel feels someone tap him, he turns around to see Vera standing before him.
MR. NUTTEL
I warned you Mr. Know Uncle is gonna get you
DESCRIPTION
Vera then disappears leaving Mr. Nuttel panicking and afraid. Mr. NuttelNuttel
MR. NUTTEL
(crying in fear)
NO PLEASE DONT HURT ME! PLEASE NO! NO!
DESCRIPTION
The ghosts ignore the desperate pleas of the terrified Mr. Nuttel and drag him away into the darkness of the night.
Analyzing Opening Scenes
Our second task was to analyze the openings to 5 films, 4 were given to us which were 'Children Of Men', 'Se7en', 'Panic Room', and 'Jaws'. The final film opening was our choice, I chose the opening to 'No Country For Old Men'.
Children Of Men
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWJV_EhvYT4
Children Of Men
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWJV_EhvYT4
The location being represented is Britain, specifically London. The way in which you know that the country is Britain is firstly because of the accent people within the opening are speaking with. There is also an advert which mentions Britain as well as text which pops up actually saying the films is set in London. London is clearly being represented in a very negative way due to the dull set of colours used, heavy pollution, rubbish simply being left on the street, violent youths and police officers, all these things give the impression that this is a dying world with not much time left.
There is one particular character in the scene who stands out from the rest of the people. This man is assumed to be the hero as the camera focuses on him and follows him around the entire opening, however, he does not seem like the sort of white knight heroes we usually see in films, this becomes evident when he seems almost unaffected when the tv announces the death of “the worlds youngest person”, he even uses the death of that person in order to get of work. He is also shown pouring alcohol into a cup of coffee which suggests that he may be an alcoholic definitely not what usually associate with our typical ‘boy scout’ heroes.Women are clearly being represented as the emotional people within this scene, since they are shown crying in most parts of the opening, also they are seen being hugged. Women are also being represented as victims of this decaying world, as they seen in cages begging to be released and even shown as victims of a bomb attack.
The future shown in the opening scene is a really dark one, we get this feeling mostly from the colour pallet used as there only seem to be dark and dingy colours used such as black, gray and dark blue. There is also a part of the opening where a TV can be seen showing propaganda which says clearly “the world has collapsed.....only Britain soldiers on” this enforces the idea that this is a decaying world. There is also a scene where the main character is shown on a train covered in graffiti, during this ride the train is attacked by a gang of teenagers, this shows that there is a lack of discipline in this future society. Lastly there is a part where a group of illegal immigrants are shown in cages like animals, this gives us the idea that the country has become overpopulated and so has to deport some people.
Teenagers are shown very briefly in the clip as both revered by society because of their youth, but at the same time they are also seen as troublemakers, for example when they attack the train the main character is on. Immigrants are also shown to be victims of this society as they are locked up in cages and guarded by armed men.
The lighting for this entire scene, even the extracts shot outside, have very dark lighting with very many shadows. Most of the light within the scene is natural. This lack of light enforces the idea that this future world is a bleak one with very few rays of hope.
The camera mainly focuses on the main character by tracking him through the entire opening scene. However, the camera does occasionally turn in order to show something about this society for example, the heavy police presence, immigrants in cages, rubbish and violent youths.
Cuts are used to create match on action when the main character enters his office and leaves a train station. Jump cuts are also used to change the setting, for example from an office to a train.
The non-diegetic sound of the TV announcer talking about the death of the worlds youngest person, this has clearly been chosen to show the state the world is in as it is impossible to be the worlds youngest person. Diegetic sound of a violin playing is used to set a sad tone for this scene make the audience see how sad this world is, this sound fades away, but comes back suddenly after the bomb explodes to show the sudden rise in tension and shock.
I first thought the genre for this film was was a thriller mixed with a drama, due to the explosion and the people who were upset and depressed. The sound of the violin in the background also gave me the idea that this film was a drama, since the music was so sad and gentle.
The way in which the film tells its narrative is rather complex, rather than outright telling you the majority of the plot is told via TV broadcasts which the mention immigration issues, the collapse of world order, and even the death of the “youngest person on the planet”. This form of storytelling relies on the audiences ability to pay attention to the small things being mentioned, it allows you to become more involved in the story than just thinking of this as a film.
The film appears to deal with some very heavy issues such as the collapse of society and illegal immigration, things which will only be fully understood by a mature mind so the target audience is most likely a young adult. The film suggest infertility so women are more likely to go since they will understand it more. These target audience will most likely be well educated middle class people with steady jobs, the type of people this film appears to follow. From the opening people would most likely find it interesting to find out how the world became the way it is, how did women become infertile? why is the British army occupying mosques? what has happened to this world? The unanswered questions will spark interest among audiences, coupled with the appearance of famous actor Clive Owen will bring a wide fan base.
Its highly doubtful that the message in this opening is about infertility, but it could possibly be suggesting current issues such as when it speaks of immigration, army occupation of mosques, and the fall of world order. The message from these issues could be that how little it would take to send the world into utter chaos, and how problems such as the deportation of illegal immigrants and the “war on terror” could escalate to uncontrollable levels.
Universal are not to likely to change any of the graphic content since they have made graphic films before such as ‘Shaun Of The Dead’ and ‘Doom’. As for the issues mentioned within the film it is unlikely they will be removed either since Universal has made similar films such as ‘The Interpreter’. This may effect some audiences who believe that too much violence/graphic content distract you from the main film. The level of complicated issues may also have an effect as it will dictate whether or not the audience understand the message being presented.
Se7en
The camera mainly makes use of extreme close-ups on the hands of this character showing the actions that they are performing, such as shaving of the characters finger tips with a razor blade and the character developing photos of dead bodies. This heightens the mystery of the scene as it makes the audience wonder why this person is doing such strange things, it also shows the audience that there
will be blood in this film.
The only sound within this opening is the non-diegetic music playing in the background, however, the music is used in synchronization with cuts such as when the scene cuts to a piece of the opening credits or maybe one of the strange actions the character is doing, at these points the music picks up and goes very high pitch, almost like a screech, as if to scare the audience and heighten the tension.
The editing consists of cuts from one action that this person is doing to the next, often cutting to a pitch black screen in order to show some of the opening credits. Some of the edits are purposely made to look unstable and blurry in order to reflect the theme of this film and the mind of the character in the opening scene. The end of the opening scene cuts out in a series of flashes similar to that of grind house films which are commonly associated with violence.
There are clearly plenty of objects and actions within this scene enforcing the feeling of suspense and even fear towards this character. The character is shown performing some very abnormal actions such as peeling his fingers with a razor blade, developing photos of corpses and collecting sample of hair. This strongly enforces the idea that this person is not normal or even sane.
The very first shot used is an establishing shot to set the location for this movie. The camera then goes on to show a series of shots all showing different parts of New York city, some of these are from a low angle while others are from a high angle, the majority of the shots are pan shots. All of these are used to establish the setting for the movie as well as show the audience the sheer size of this city.
The setting of the film is a city, and so because of this the diegetic sounds of car horns, moving cars and other sounds associated with a busy city can be heard. However, most of the sound heard is from the non-diegetic music playing in the background which is used to set a feeling of tension and suspense. The music does this by starting with a calm violin tune, but after the films title appears the violin makes a series of sharp high notes to heighten the tension.
The editing only consists of cuts from one shot of the city to the next as well as the opening credits, they are not too quick taking around three seconds before it cuts. Only at the very end does the editing change when the overhead view of the city jump cuts to the busy city streets, this is in order to show the end of the credits and beginning of the movie since the credits were shown in the sky.
There are no props shown within this scene, only the city is shown. Two people are shown at the very end of the scene in smart black clothes showing seriousness making them look professional.
The characters are shown very briefly at the end of the scene, from the small amount of time that shows the main characters we can tell that they are most likely office workers or have some kind of professional job since they are wearing smart clothes which are black.
The location for this film is obviously New York, easily recognizable due to shots of iconic Manhattan buildings such as the Chrysler Building and Times Square.
No specifics are revealed about the plot, the only thing which hints at what the film could be centered around is its title “Panic Room” which appears during the opening. Anyone familiar with what a panic room is used for will start to think that the plot will involve some sort of crime most likely a breaking and entering and that the protagonist will make use of a panic room.
The theme is not obvious as nothing is shown clearly telling you what it is. However, since the opening does’t reveal anything then it gives the audience a feeling of mystery surrounding it, the opening is also shot outside in broad daylight which could mean that this film is not going to involve themes which are too dark such as the over use of violence.
The visual style of the opening makes use of typography which looks like steel a possible reference to the steel door of a panic room. The film has been shot in daylight symbolizing that the film will most likely not be to heavy in its dark themes.
Thriller conventions such as no clear plot explanation and tense music are definitely shown within this opening, it seems that apart from that no other conventions are shown.
Se7en And Panic Room Comparison
After analyzing the opening to both 'Se7en' and 'Panic Room' we had to compare the two films and show their similarities and differences between each other.
Camera work in Se7en is all about showing the strange actions of the anonymous character, making use of extreme close ups to show his actions without giving away his identity. Panic Room on the other hand uses its camera work to establish the setting for the film in a huge open city, this is done by using pans and birds eye view shots.
Both films use non-diegetic music to heighten the tension and the suspense of the scene. However, Panic Room is the only one to use diegetic sounds within its opening, such as a busy city street.
Panic Room and Se7en both use cuts as their most frequent form of editing, but Panic Room uses normal cuts and does not cut away from the city once, while Se7en on the other hand makes its cuts look unstable and shaky linking to the character in its opening. Se7en also occasionally cuts to a black screen to show the opening credits.
There is a major difference in mise-en-scene between Panic Room and Se7en, as Panic Rooms opening footage takes place solely in a city meaning that no props are shown, there is a brief shot of two women dressed in black suits but that is about it. Se7en on the other hand shows little to none about its setting but does show plenty of props in order to give us an insight into the films themes.
Neither opening shows the characters very clearly, either only showing them for a brief few seconds or in the case of Se7en only showing certain parts of that characters body. However, the camera work and mise-en-scene within Se7en suggest a lot more about the characters personality than Panic Room.
The location of Panic Room is much more obvious than that of Se7en, as from the very beginning you can recognize the iconic Manhattan Island. Se7en on the other hand does not focus as much on the films location in stead centering its work on the character.
Se7en’s use of dark visuals and sketchy soundtrack in its opening clearly suggest a feeling of suspense and fear giving the audience the idea that the film will most likely be about crime. Panic Room on the other hand also uses tense music but that alone does not suggest much about the plot, however this in itself could be a way of explaining the plot as since not much is revealed then it could make the film seem like its about a mystery or something which people will want to find out.
Se7en is the more obvious of the two openings when it comes to conveying its themes. This is due to Se7en’s use of dark lighting, strange actions performed by the character, and the sketchy music clearly show off a dark theme. Panic Room is the opposite to Se7en in that it does not clearly reveal everything about its themes, but it does reveal some, for example the films is shot in broad daylight and so this could suggest that the films theme will not be very dark possibly having a happy/fulfilling ending.
The visual style of Se7en is dark and the footage itself has a grind house effect which is normally associated with violence and blood. Panic Room does not alter its visuals in any way, unlike Se7en. Panic Room uses the text in the opening credits that suggests the idea of a steel panic room door as the text has a grey metal look to it, while the opening credits in Se7en are there to convey the broken mind of this mysterious character.
Panic Room definitely does not use many thriller conventions apart from lack of plot explanation and tense music. Se7en also has little to no plot explanation and tense music, but makes clear use of other thriller conventions as well such as a mysterious character and dark lighting.
Jaws
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8SnZmUjhAA
No Country For Old Men
The beginning of the opening scene has a compilation of establishing shots so as to show the location of the film. It then uses a pan to show the deputy arresting someone, this shows the idea of crime straight away and makes the audience wonder why this man has been arrested. The camera then has a two shot of the deputy and the criminal in the back, criminals face is not clearly shown and so this adds to the mystery. While at the sheriffs station the camera slowly zooms in on the face of the deputy but starts at a certain distance back from him, this is so that the audience can clearly see the criminal in the back ground who appears to be standing up and slowly approaching the deputy from behind. The zoom is used here in order to build up tension as the criminal gets closer and closer to the deputy making you fear for the deputy’s life. A high angle zoom is also used when the criminal is strangling the deputy in order to show the face of the criminal, who appears to be smiling and enjoying the strangulation of his victim, this shows that the criminal is clearly psychotic and has possibly killed before adding mystery as well as fear to his persona, that is also the first time you can see the criminals face clearly.
There are not many non-diegetic sounds within the opening except for the monologue you hear from what sounds like an old man, the voice over is used to set the mood of the film as the old man in the voice over talks with a sad tone like he has been defeated somehow and that this film will be the story of his defeat. Both the deputy and the man doing the voice over talk in a Texan accent showing that the film is set in America. There are plenty of diegetic sounds when the deputy and the criminal are struggling on the ground such as the sound of the deputy’s feet thrashing around and the choking noise he makes while being strangled both of these noises are used to show how terrible this struggle is how desperately the deputy is fighting for his life.
Cuts and jump cuts are the only form of edits used within this scene however the frequency of them differs a lot. When the opening first begins the cuts used are spaced reasonably far apart as this gives the establishing shot time to show the setting of the scene. A jump cut is used to leap from the scene where the criminal is being arrested to the scene at the sheriffs station easily establishing a change of setting. The cuts speed up rapidly when the criminal begins strangling the deputy to show the violent struggle these two men are in and to make the audience feel fear not only for the deputy’s life, but fear of this criminal as well.
The mise-en-scene is quite clear in this opening, for example the deputy is dressed in a uniform with the badge of a deputy and a gun clearly showing that he is an officer of the law and most likely American as police in America are able to carry weapons, this also gets across that this films will involve crime in some way. Something else which also shows the films may be set in America is the scenery which is a desert like area with weedy grass and and large patches of dry dirt. Mise-en-scene is also used when the criminal is shown in the deputy’s car, as the criminals face is covered by a shadow emphasizing the mystery behind him. There is also a brief shot of an oxygen tank and a nozzle attached to it, the audience will not know what the object is and begin to question who this criminal really is. During the struggle between the deputy and the criminal, the deputy begins to bleed on the floor symbolizing that this film will be very violent. The struggle itself is also a symbol violence. The struggle also shows the personality of the criminal as the criminal begins to smile while strangling the deputy as if he is enjoying it.
The only two characters shown within this opening are the deputy and the criminal. The deputy is presented as a straight forward officer of the law, wearing a uniform and arresting the criminal. The criminal on the other hand is a lot more mysterious, he has an unusual haircut, he strangles the deputy and smiles while doing it. Overall the criminal is represented as the more important character in this scene as he raises questions about himself that the audience want answered, in a way he could be seen as an anti-hero.
The location of the film is clear right from the start, the desert and golden fields shown are associated with places like Texas in America, this is confirmed when we hear the accent with which the deputy speaks.
The plot appears to be something to do with crime as the criminal and the deputy arresting him are obviously symbols of this. The main character focused on in this opening is the criminal, which makes it seem as if the film will be following this criminal and eventually reveal what he is there to do.
The theme of this film is clearly a mixture of mystery and violence. The mystery being from the anti-hero we are introduced to, as little is shown or explained about him, even the criminals face is not revealed until the last few moments of the opening. Violence is an obvious theme in this film shown when the criminal begins to strangle the deputy and blood spills onto the floor establishing the level of violence that will be in this film.
The visual style of this opening has some very light and very dark areas that have been strategically made. For example, when the criminal is shown in the car his face is covered by a shadow in order to make him seem mysterious and possibly dangerous.
The genre is definitely thriller, as the opening raises many questions about the anti-hero and his motives other than that he is a violent individual, possibly a murderer/hitman. Also since not much is revealed about the story other than that it is most likely about crime there is a desire for the audience to find out more.
Preliminary Task
In order to prove my knowledge of certain editing techniques I had to shoot a preliminary task in a group of three. I had to shoot someone walking down a hallway, entering a room, sitting at a table and talking to someone at the table. I had to use three editing techniques which were match on action, the 180 degree rule and shot reverse shot.
Screenplay
Storyboard
I created a storyboard for my preliminary task which included the three types of shot needed, and allowed me to construct the video easier.
Final Task
Screenplay
medium shot - protagonist in chair - zoom out to see the box
Titles
I will create the titles using Live Type, the titles will be played over the video so they will show up while the scene is going on. Like the film children of men my titles will not go into to much detail, and will simply include the name of the production company and the name of the Director. This allows the audience to focus on what is going on in the scene.
Costumes
I found the website Pearl and Dean and IMBD was very useful for me when it came to finding films that were similar to the one i am making, this allowed me to analyse them and see what kind of audience i should be targeting.
Taken was the first movie that I compared to my video as it has a similar theme to my video and camera shots such as close ups and medium shots which increase suspense by showing the expressions on characters faces of anger, fear and sadness. The results from Pearl and Dean suggest that the target audience for my movie will be mostly males aged from 15-34, this is likely due to the levels of violence within the film and references to crime.
Another film that I have chosen to compare my opening to is The Deer Hunter for its dramatic and suspense filled russian roulette scenes which I myself am trying to create in my opening. The camera work during those particular scenes also helps to show the pain the characters are felling mentally and physically, something which I also wish to incorporate into my opening. The Deer Hunters audience was also likely for middle-aged males due to its mature content.
The plot in Saw is similar to my opening in that the characters wake up in an unknown location and are forced to make horrifying decisions. The film had a mostly male audience aging from 15-24 years old, likely due to the graphic content.
Age Certificate
Based on the information gathered about similar films then it would be safe to say that my film should be certified as an 18.
Sound
For sound in my opening there will be some diegetic sound from the phone and obviously the man. There will also be some non-diagetic sound in the form of the music I construct using GarageBand, a piece of music creating software. In order to get the sounds I need I will be using the website www.hark.com, a site known for downloading sound effects and movie clips. In order to make the gun look more realistic I will also be using sound effects for the gun when it clicks after being fired.
Comparison Of My Opening And A Thriller Film
The Deer Hunter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPi2AetitZc
The Russian roulette scene in The Deer Hunter is a perfect example of how to increase the tension greatly in a film, as throughout the scene, like the characters, the audience themselves have no idea when or if the gun will fire or which of the two men it will kill. I plan to incorporate a similar idea into my opening where the main character will play Russian roulette with the camera focusing on his face to show the fear in his eyes and his terrified expression.
Saw
Saw is very similar to my thriller opening in terms of plot, and has plenty of typical symbols of thriller. One of these typical thriller symbols is that the antagonist is a serial killer, however, the killer remains anonymous throughout the film adding another layer of mystery and fear to his/her character, humans fear most what they cant see and so the unknown identity of the killer is a pivotal convention in the film. Just like the killer in Saw, the antagonist in my opening will not be seen only heard through a phone so as to add mystery and suspense to the scene. The main character will be similar to the characters in Saw as he is just a regular man who was dragged into a horrible situation, to show this he will be dressed in a simple and common white shirt with jeans.
Taken
In Taken the camera rarely ever cuts away from the main character so as to keep the viewers focused on him and his journey. This also allows the audience to form a connection with character which makes them feel something when he is hurt or when other bad things happen to him.
Problems And Solutions
There were some problems encountered while both filming and editing the movie. The first of these was that during some of the recorded scenes background noises of chirping birds could be heard, however, I managed to fix this by using the sound editing software in Soundtrack Pro and Final Cut Pro. I also used Soundtrack Pro to fix a problem with the antagonists voice. The anatgonist speaks through a phone and so the lines were not very clear, so i used Sounstrack Pro to remove the antagonists lines and replace them with recorded versions I made using a microphone.
The length of the video also became a problem as it was too long, to fix this I had to cut out some scenes completely and shorten others. However, despite extensive editing I was unable to make the video lower than two minutes, but the edited version is still quite short. So I have created two separate videos, one is the edited version and the other is the un-edited version.
The only sound within this opening is the non-diegetic music playing in the background, however, the music is used in synchronization with cuts such as when the scene cuts to a piece of the opening credits or maybe one of the strange actions the character is doing, at these points the music picks up and goes very high pitch, almost like a screech, as if to scare the audience and heighten the tension.
The editing consists of cuts from one action that this person is doing to the next, often cutting to a pitch black screen in order to show some of the opening credits. Some of the edits are purposely made to look unstable and blurry in order to reflect the theme of this film and the mind of the character in the opening scene. The end of the opening scene cuts out in a series of flashes similar to that of grind house films which are commonly associated with violence.
There are clearly plenty of objects and actions within this scene enforcing the feeling of suspense and even fear towards this character. The character is shown performing some very abnormal actions such as peeling his fingers with a razor blade, developing photos of corpses and collecting sample of hair. This strongly enforces the idea that this person is not normal or even sane.
There is only one person within this scene but it is not shown who it is, all that is shown is that the character is white and most likely male. The character is also suggested to be mentally unstable as he is seen shaving his fingers and doing other abnormal actions. The characters hand writing is also very messy and sketchy, this could be reflecting his mental state.
The specific location of the scene is not shown, however, the location seems to have no man-made light, only natural light coming from a window, this could give the idea of the location being some sort of abandoned building/warehouse.
Like the location, there are no obvious mentions of what the plot is. But it is hinted to be a story of mystery and possible violence due to the strange actions made by the character within this scene and images of corpses.
The theme is clearly a very dark one, you can tell from the low lighting, mixture of very high and very low music that create tension, and the images of dead bodies showing violence.
The visual style of this scene are reminiscent of a typical grind house movie, such as “Planet Terror” or “Death Proof”. Grind house films are always associated with violence in some way, revealing that this films story with contain violence. The opening credits are very sketchy and the scene has very little light giving you a feeling of tension.
Obviously the film is a thriller, all the typical conventions of a thriller are used such as an anonymous character, tense music, low lighting and little to no information on the plot.
Panic Room
The setting of the film is a city, and so because of this the diegetic sounds of car horns, moving cars and other sounds associated with a busy city can be heard. However, most of the sound heard is from the non-diegetic music playing in the background which is used to set a feeling of tension and suspense. The music does this by starting with a calm violin tune, but after the films title appears the violin makes a series of sharp high notes to heighten the tension.
The editing only consists of cuts from one shot of the city to the next as well as the opening credits, they are not too quick taking around three seconds before it cuts. Only at the very end does the editing change when the overhead view of the city jump cuts to the busy city streets, this is in order to show the end of the credits and beginning of the movie since the credits were shown in the sky.
There are no props shown within this scene, only the city is shown. Two people are shown at the very end of the scene in smart black clothes showing seriousness making them look professional.
The characters are shown very briefly at the end of the scene, from the small amount of time that shows the main characters we can tell that they are most likely office workers or have some kind of professional job since they are wearing smart clothes which are black.
The location for this film is obviously New York, easily recognizable due to shots of iconic Manhattan buildings such as the Chrysler Building and Times Square.
The theme is not obvious as nothing is shown clearly telling you what it is. However, since the opening does’t reveal anything then it gives the audience a feeling of mystery surrounding it, the opening is also shot outside in broad daylight which could mean that this film is not going to involve themes which are too dark such as the over use of violence.
The visual style of the opening makes use of typography which looks like steel a possible reference to the steel door of a panic room. The film has been shot in daylight symbolizing that the film will most likely not be to heavy in its dark themes.
Thriller conventions such as no clear plot explanation and tense music are definitely shown within this opening, it seems that apart from that no other conventions are shown.
Se7en And Panic Room Comparison
After analyzing the opening to both 'Se7en' and 'Panic Room' we had to compare the two films and show their similarities and differences between each other.
Camera work in Se7en is all about showing the strange actions of the anonymous character, making use of extreme close ups to show his actions without giving away his identity. Panic Room on the other hand uses its camera work to establish the setting for the film in a huge open city, this is done by using pans and birds eye view shots.
Both films use non-diegetic music to heighten the tension and the suspense of the scene. However, Panic Room is the only one to use diegetic sounds within its opening, such as a busy city street.
Panic Room and Se7en both use cuts as their most frequent form of editing, but Panic Room uses normal cuts and does not cut away from the city once, while Se7en on the other hand makes its cuts look unstable and shaky linking to the character in its opening. Se7en also occasionally cuts to a black screen to show the opening credits.
There is a major difference in mise-en-scene between Panic Room and Se7en, as Panic Rooms opening footage takes place solely in a city meaning that no props are shown, there is a brief shot of two women dressed in black suits but that is about it. Se7en on the other hand shows little to none about its setting but does show plenty of props in order to give us an insight into the films themes.
Neither opening shows the characters very clearly, either only showing them for a brief few seconds or in the case of Se7en only showing certain parts of that characters body. However, the camera work and mise-en-scene within Se7en suggest a lot more about the characters personality than Panic Room.
The location of Panic Room is much more obvious than that of Se7en, as from the very beginning you can recognize the iconic Manhattan Island. Se7en on the other hand does not focus as much on the films location in stead centering its work on the character.
Se7en’s use of dark visuals and sketchy soundtrack in its opening clearly suggest a feeling of suspense and fear giving the audience the idea that the film will most likely be about crime. Panic Room on the other hand also uses tense music but that alone does not suggest much about the plot, however this in itself could be a way of explaining the plot as since not much is revealed then it could make the film seem like its about a mystery or something which people will want to find out.
Se7en is the more obvious of the two openings when it comes to conveying its themes. This is due to Se7en’s use of dark lighting, strange actions performed by the character, and the sketchy music clearly show off a dark theme. Panic Room is the opposite to Se7en in that it does not clearly reveal everything about its themes, but it does reveal some, for example the films is shot in broad daylight and so this could suggest that the films theme will not be very dark possibly having a happy/fulfilling ending.
The visual style of Se7en is dark and the footage itself has a grind house effect which is normally associated with violence and blood. Panic Room does not alter its visuals in any way, unlike Se7en. Panic Room uses the text in the opening credits that suggests the idea of a steel panic room door as the text has a grey metal look to it, while the opening credits in Se7en are there to convey the broken mind of this mysterious character.
Panic Room definitely does not use many thriller conventions apart from lack of plot explanation and tense music. Se7en also has little to no plot explanation and tense music, but makes clear use of other thriller conventions as well such as a mysterious character and dark lighting.
Jaws
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8SnZmUjhAA
Description | Analysis |
Title Sequence | |
Music begins very quiet and slow. | Music begins this way to give the audience a false sense of security so they are unprepared for the horror they will witness. |
The camera shows the point of view of the shark moving through the weeds. | You begin to wonder what is moving through the weeds, what is this thing that you are looking through the eye’s of? The fact that you don’t know heightens the mystery. |
The music builds up and gets louder and faster. | The music here involves the use of sharp violin cords, this could be a reference to classic thriller “Psycho” which involved heavy violence. |
Opening Scene | |
There is the sound of a mouth organ being played at the beach party. | The mouth organ is used to show contrast between the menace of what is in the water, and the harmony of these people on land |
There is a large bonfire on the beach. | The fire shows warmth and safety making you think that this place is safe from the evil in the water. |
The camera pulls back to show a wide shot of the sea. We can hear the noise of the sea in the background. | This is used to show just how close these people on the beach are to danger same with the sound. |
Description | Analysis |
Whilst the girl is swimming there is no music. | This is used to show how the shark is in the vicinity but it has yet to notice the girl, giving her a very brief moment of safety. |
The camera shows the shark’s point of view and the music starts. | This shows the audience that something bad is going to happen. |
The camera switches between the top and bottom of the water. | Does this to show the contrast between the calm surface of the water and the evil depths of the sea. |
There is a shot of her legs kicking and the camera slowly zooms in. | Used to emphasize how the shark has detected its prey and is closing in making you fear for the girls safety. |
We do not see the shark. | People fear most what they cant see, the fact that we cant see the shark makes us feel helpless and afraid as it forces us to imagine the worst possible creature is the water. |
There are pauses in the attack, and the camera shows the boy slumped on the beach. | There are pauses in the attack to make the audience falsely think the girl is safe, the man lying down the beach makes you think that in this situation he is the one hope for the girls survival and yet he hasn’t even noticed the attack. |
After the attack there is a sudden silence. | There is a peace after chaos a serious contrast. |
At the end of the scene all we can hear is the sound of the sea. | Emphasizes that the shark is still out there waiting for its next victim. |
No Country For Old Men
The beginning of the opening scene has a compilation of establishing shots so as to show the location of the film. It then uses a pan to show the deputy arresting someone, this shows the idea of crime straight away and makes the audience wonder why this man has been arrested. The camera then has a two shot of the deputy and the criminal in the back, criminals face is not clearly shown and so this adds to the mystery. While at the sheriffs station the camera slowly zooms in on the face of the deputy but starts at a certain distance back from him, this is so that the audience can clearly see the criminal in the back ground who appears to be standing up and slowly approaching the deputy from behind. The zoom is used here in order to build up tension as the criminal gets closer and closer to the deputy making you fear for the deputy’s life. A high angle zoom is also used when the criminal is strangling the deputy in order to show the face of the criminal, who appears to be smiling and enjoying the strangulation of his victim, this shows that the criminal is clearly psychotic and has possibly killed before adding mystery as well as fear to his persona, that is also the first time you can see the criminals face clearly.
There are not many non-diegetic sounds within the opening except for the monologue you hear from what sounds like an old man, the voice over is used to set the mood of the film as the old man in the voice over talks with a sad tone like he has been defeated somehow and that this film will be the story of his defeat. Both the deputy and the man doing the voice over talk in a Texan accent showing that the film is set in America. There are plenty of diegetic sounds when the deputy and the criminal are struggling on the ground such as the sound of the deputy’s feet thrashing around and the choking noise he makes while being strangled both of these noises are used to show how terrible this struggle is how desperately the deputy is fighting for his life.
Cuts and jump cuts are the only form of edits used within this scene however the frequency of them differs a lot. When the opening first begins the cuts used are spaced reasonably far apart as this gives the establishing shot time to show the setting of the scene. A jump cut is used to leap from the scene where the criminal is being arrested to the scene at the sheriffs station easily establishing a change of setting. The cuts speed up rapidly when the criminal begins strangling the deputy to show the violent struggle these two men are in and to make the audience feel fear not only for the deputy’s life, but fear of this criminal as well.
The mise-en-scene is quite clear in this opening, for example the deputy is dressed in a uniform with the badge of a deputy and a gun clearly showing that he is an officer of the law and most likely American as police in America are able to carry weapons, this also gets across that this films will involve crime in some way. Something else which also shows the films may be set in America is the scenery which is a desert like area with weedy grass and and large patches of dry dirt. Mise-en-scene is also used when the criminal is shown in the deputy’s car, as the criminals face is covered by a shadow emphasizing the mystery behind him. There is also a brief shot of an oxygen tank and a nozzle attached to it, the audience will not know what the object is and begin to question who this criminal really is. During the struggle between the deputy and the criminal, the deputy begins to bleed on the floor symbolizing that this film will be very violent. The struggle itself is also a symbol violence. The struggle also shows the personality of the criminal as the criminal begins to smile while strangling the deputy as if he is enjoying it.
The only two characters shown within this opening are the deputy and the criminal. The deputy is presented as a straight forward officer of the law, wearing a uniform and arresting the criminal. The criminal on the other hand is a lot more mysterious, he has an unusual haircut, he strangles the deputy and smiles while doing it. Overall the criminal is represented as the more important character in this scene as he raises questions about himself that the audience want answered, in a way he could be seen as an anti-hero.
The location of the film is clear right from the start, the desert and golden fields shown are associated with places like Texas in America, this is confirmed when we hear the accent with which the deputy speaks.
The plot appears to be something to do with crime as the criminal and the deputy arresting him are obviously symbols of this. The main character focused on in this opening is the criminal, which makes it seem as if the film will be following this criminal and eventually reveal what he is there to do.
The theme of this film is clearly a mixture of mystery and violence. The mystery being from the anti-hero we are introduced to, as little is shown or explained about him, even the criminals face is not revealed until the last few moments of the opening. Violence is an obvious theme in this film shown when the criminal begins to strangle the deputy and blood spills onto the floor establishing the level of violence that will be in this film.
The visual style of this opening has some very light and very dark areas that have been strategically made. For example, when the criminal is shown in the car his face is covered by a shadow in order to make him seem mysterious and possibly dangerous.
The genre is definitely thriller, as the opening raises many questions about the anti-hero and his motives other than that he is a violent individual, possibly a murderer/hitman. Also since not much is revealed about the story other than that it is most likely about crime there is a desire for the audience to find out more.
Preliminary Task
In order to prove my knowledge of certain editing techniques I had to shoot a preliminary task in a group of three. I had to shoot someone walking down a hallway, entering a room, sitting at a table and talking to someone at the table. I had to use three editing techniques which were match on action, the 180 degree rule and shot reverse shot.
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| 180 Degree Rule |
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| Shot Reverse Shot |
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| Match On Action |
Screenplay
Prelim Task
by
Jack Gray
Featuring: Darren Appiogyei and Shaun Martin
Int. scene - description
Man walks down the hallway and opens the door to a room. He sits at a table with another man and talks to him.
Police Officer
Did you really think you would get away with this?
Criminal
Yes I actually did
Police Officer
Your going away for a long time
Storyboard
I created a storyboard for my preliminary task which included the three types of shot needed, and allowed me to construct the video easier.
Prelim Task Video
Final Task
Screenplay
Fatal Chance
by
Jack Gray
INT. Extreme close up - Protagonists left eye
The protagonists, George Saxon, wakes up.
MEDIUM SHOT - PROTAGONIST IN CHAIR
Saxon finds himself in an empty room sitting at a table, he looks around to see if there is anyone else.
SAXON
Hello! Is anyone there?
medium shot - protagonist in chair - zoom out to see the box
Saxon turns back to the table, the camera then zooms out to show a box on the table that Saxon has noticed.
CLOSE UP - NOTE ON BOX
Saxon notices a note on the box and the camera show what it says.
MEDIUM SHOT/OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT - PROTAGONIST OPENING THE BOX
Saxon opens the box and takes something out.
CLOSE UP - PHOTO
The first object Saxon pulls out of the box is a photo of his wife, the camera does a close up of the photo while Saxon says his line.
MEDIUM SHOT - PROTAGONIST PUTS DOWN PHOTO AND PICKS UP PHONE
Saxon lays the photo flat on the table and reaches inside the box again this time taking out a phone. He then reaches in again with his other hand and pulls out a gun
CLOSE UP - GUN
The camera does a close up of the gun in Saxon’s hand. Saxon is shocked.
SAXON
Oh my God...
LOW ANGLE SHOT - RINGING PHONE
The camera quickly cuts to a low angle shot of the phone, in Saxon’s other hand, ringing and a surprised Saxon looking down at it.
CLOSE UP - RINGING PHONE
The camera shows a close up of the phones screen, the caller ID says “UNKNOWN”.
CLOSE UP - PROTAGONISTS FACE
Saxon answers the phone with a scared expression on his face. A voice begins talking on the phone.
SAXON
Hello
MYSTERIOUS VOICE
Hello Mr.Saxon
SAXON
Who is this?
MYSTERIOUS VOICE
Thats not important, what you should be wondering is why you are here Mr.Saxon, the answer is simple, I have a test for you, do you remember that photograph you took out of the box Mr.Saxon? Rebecca is her name isn’t she’s quite a beautiful girl.
SAXON
What the hell have you done to her?!
MYSTERIOUS VOICE
Nothing, and if you do as I say then she will remain that way.
SAXON
What do you want?
MYSTERIOUS VOICE
I want you to answer one simple question Mr.Saxon, would you die for the one you love? that is what my test will prove.
SAXON
What is this test?
MYSTERIOUS VOICE
Do you remember the gun you took out of the box Mr.Saxon?
SAXON
Yes
MYSTERIOUS VOICE
Inside one of the guns chambers is a single bullet, take the gun and point it at your head, you have five minutes to pull the trigger three times.
SAXON
What?!
MYSTERIOUS VOICE
I wouldn’t waste time Mr.Saxon, not if you want to see Rebecca again.
OvER THE SHOULDER sHOT - pROTAGONIST PICKS UP GUN
The phone cuts off. Saxon puts down the phone and picks up the gun.
CLOSE UP - PROTAGONISTS FACE
Saxon points the gun at his head and reluctantly pulls the trigger, the gun clicks signaling an empty chamber, Saxon lets out a deep breath, he drags the gun up to his head a second time and slowly pulls the trigger the gun clicks once again, Saxon raises the gun again for the final shot, he tries to bring himself to pull the trigger but can’t, the camera does a close up here so as to show the his slow mental breakdown, Saxon slams the gun down on the table.
MEDIUM SHOT - PROTAGONIST COLLAPSING ON THE TABLE
Saxon falls into despair slamming his head onto the table and wrapping his arms around it. Saxon looks up a little and sees the photo of his wife, he remembers why he is doing this and so with new found determination quickly grabs the gun and points it at his head for the last time.
ext. close up/camera shakes - protagonists face
Saxon screams at the camera which shakes emphasizing his fear and determination. Saxon is about to pull the trigger, the screen then cuts to the title.
TITLE SHOT
The films title “Fatal Chance” appears on screen.
Storyboard
I have created a storyboard for my thriller opening so that I know what position I want the cameras to be in and how I am going to edit from scene to scene as well as additional sound effects.
Storyboard
I have created a storyboard for my thriller opening so that I know what position I want the cameras to be in and how I am going to edit from scene to scene as well as additional sound effects.
Titles
I will create the titles using Live Type, the titles will be played over the video so they will show up while the scene is going on. Like the film children of men my titles will not go into to much detail, and will simply include the name of the production company and the name of the Director. This allows the audience to focus on what is going on in the scene.
Costumes
I chose to make the protagonist look like a regular everyday person by having him dress in a simple t-shirt and trousers combination. This way there will be an added feeling of helplessness during the opening as the main character isn't a super spy or hard boiled cop like most typical movie roles, but rather he is a regular guy who has been dragged into a horrible situation. The white colour of the shirt also represents innocence which enforces the feeling that the protagonist is a good man who is being put through hell. This also helps to make you hate the antagonist (the voice on the phone) as he is torturing a man who has done no wrong for unknown reasons.
Location
The entire film takes place in one room, the room is run down and filled with junk. I used an old shed to create this set. I have taken pictures of the inside of the shed.
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| This is the setup of the table as well as the positions of some of the junk in the room. |
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| The empty space here has been made so it easier to position the tripod, as well as enhance the feeling of solitude. |
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| I pinned this blue cover up over the main windows of the shed so as to lower the light in the room. Also the light shining over the materail will make the room turn a blue colour, a good thing as blue is commonly associated with sadness or fear both of which are deffinately relevant to the protagonists situation. |
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| Here is an example of how the shed windows look when the blue cover is placed over them and the blue lighting it creates. |
Target Audience
I found the website Pearl and Dean and IMBD was very useful for me when it came to finding films that were similar to the one i am making, this allowed me to analyse them and see what kind of audience i should be targeting.
Taken was the first movie that I compared to my video as it has a similar theme to my video and camera shots such as close ups and medium shots which increase suspense by showing the expressions on characters faces of anger, fear and sadness. The results from Pearl and Dean suggest that the target audience for my movie will be mostly males aged from 15-34, this is likely due to the levels of violence within the film and references to crime.
Another film that I have chosen to compare my opening to is The Deer Hunter for its dramatic and suspense filled russian roulette scenes which I myself am trying to create in my opening. The camera work during those particular scenes also helps to show the pain the characters are felling mentally and physically, something which I also wish to incorporate into my opening. The Deer Hunters audience was also likely for middle-aged males due to its mature content.
The plot in Saw is similar to my opening in that the characters wake up in an unknown location and are forced to make horrifying decisions. The film had a mostly male audience aging from 15-24 years old, likely due to the graphic content.
Age Certificate
Based on the information gathered about similar films then it would be safe to say that my film should be certified as an 18.
Sound
For sound in my opening there will be some diegetic sound from the phone and obviously the man. There will also be some non-diagetic sound in the form of the music I construct using GarageBand, a piece of music creating software. In order to get the sounds I need I will be using the website www.hark.com, a site known for downloading sound effects and movie clips. In order to make the gun look more realistic I will also be using sound effects for the gun when it clicks after being fired.
Comparison Of My Opening And A Thriller Film
The Deer Hunter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPi2AetitZc
The Russian roulette scene in The Deer Hunter is a perfect example of how to increase the tension greatly in a film, as throughout the scene, like the characters, the audience themselves have no idea when or if the gun will fire or which of the two men it will kill. I plan to incorporate a similar idea into my opening where the main character will play Russian roulette with the camera focusing on his face to show the fear in his eyes and his terrified expression.
Saw
Saw is very similar to my thriller opening in terms of plot, and has plenty of typical symbols of thriller. One of these typical thriller symbols is that the antagonist is a serial killer, however, the killer remains anonymous throughout the film adding another layer of mystery and fear to his/her character, humans fear most what they cant see and so the unknown identity of the killer is a pivotal convention in the film. Just like the killer in Saw, the antagonist in my opening will not be seen only heard through a phone so as to add mystery and suspense to the scene. The main character will be similar to the characters in Saw as he is just a regular man who was dragged into a horrible situation, to show this he will be dressed in a simple and common white shirt with jeans.
Taken
In Taken the camera rarely ever cuts away from the main character so as to keep the viewers focused on him and his journey. This also allows the audience to form a connection with character which makes them feel something when he is hurt or when other bad things happen to him.
Problems And Solutions
There were some problems encountered while both filming and editing the movie. The first of these was that during some of the recorded scenes background noises of chirping birds could be heard, however, I managed to fix this by using the sound editing software in Soundtrack Pro and Final Cut Pro. I also used Soundtrack Pro to fix a problem with the antagonists voice. The anatgonist speaks through a phone and so the lines were not very clear, so i used Sounstrack Pro to remove the antagonists lines and replace them with recorded versions I made using a microphone.
The length of the video also became a problem as it was too long, to fix this I had to cut out some scenes completely and shorten others. However, despite extensive editing I was unable to make the video lower than two minutes, but the edited version is still quite short. So I have created two separate videos, one is the edited version and the other is the un-edited version.
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