EVALUATION QUESTION 1

IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS (IE: OF FILM OPENINGS)


The title of the film

I chose the title 'SNAPPED' as the name connotes cameras and picture taking. The protagonist and victims in the film have pictures of them taken whilst they are being followed, the camera in this film being a very important prop in the storyline. It's also quite a sharp and edgy title.


Setting/Location



The reason I chose a library to open the scene is because it's supposed to be a safe, public and peaceful place. The last place you would imagine trouble to occur is within the quiet walls of a college library. I decided to go against stereotype and use the library as an unobvious place for someone dangerous to hide out and plan the capture and torture of someone innocent.
I chose a garage for the second scene as it had a dark and sinister feel about it, the perfect place for a torture scene.



Costumes and props




P.C Preston wears a flourescent hi-vis jacket and a police hat to stand out and connote safety to the public. I gave her a clipboard to note down the evidence of the witness she talks to.
We don't see the the antagonist's face during the sequence only his legs and body. He wears a plain outfit- dark shoes and jeans so as not to raise suspicion or get noticed. He carries a camera throughout the sequence. We do not see the actual camera at any point but know he has it from the beginning as we watch P.C Preston through the lens.
I chose an electric box which he uses as a torture device, as it's original yet deadly. Sparks fly when you touch the metal clasps together, making the device look altogther more dangerous.
I used the garage as my second location as the lighting was dark and gloomy and the walls were covered in sinister looking tools and tubes.




Camerwork and editing



The beginning of the sequence is seen as if through the lens of a camera. Every time a picture is taken, a 'snapping' noise is made and the frame freezes into black and white. I used a handicam in the opening to give the impression you are watching P.C Preston from the stalker's point of view. Most of these shots are long shots and medium shots to suggest that the stalker is keeping at a safe distance for a while. The camera zooms in on both P.C Preston and the witnesses' faces.
There are a few long takes within the sequence to build suspense. As P.C Preston leaves the building, the camera pans in towards her (suggests that the stalker is running at her) and then the screen fades to black.

The garage scene consists mainly of low angles. This connotes that the antagonist is sinister and dangerous. At first, each shot cuts straight in to the next then the last shot of P.C Preston being tortured is a long take.



The font and style





The font of my title is Arial Black, which I chose as it's bold and stands out against the dark background. The title is bright yellow which connotes the flash of a camera light. The title is set against a black background with the framing of a camera lens. I thought this look was quite effective, as most thriller titles are written in black or red so I wanted to try something different.


Story and opening





The first image we see in the opening sequence is of a mystery person developing photos in a red room. This immediately suggests that the film has something to do with taking photos and sets up the enigma and mystery of not knowing who is behind the crimes as no face is shown. The eerie non-diegetic music backs up the idea that something strange is going on. As the mystery person hangs up the photos you wonder who he is and why hes developing pictures, and why the camera doesn't show his face. This is something that is continued throughout the opening sequence, the face of the stalker is not revealed, leaving you wanting to know who he is.



Genre and how the opening suggests it

The opening sequence consists of someone mysterious in a red room, then of a Police Officer being watched through a camera lens from a distance. This instantly sets up the film as a thriller, it feels intrusive and creepy to stalk someone.
Codes and conventions from the thriller genre are present, low angles for a sinister effect, low key lighting and eerie non-diegetic eerie background music. The pace is slow and sinister, which I did purposely to build up tension, which is an important factor within the thriller genre. Suspense and enigma are also built up, which are stereotypically present in any thiller genre film.




How characters are introduced





As you see the opening sequence through the antagonist's point of view, you can immediately tell what he's doing is morally wrong, and that this person is mentally instable and dangerous. You don't actually see this character until the garage scene and even then only the bottom half of his legs are present. This gives him a mysterious edge, not much is known about his character.

P.C Preston on the other hand is present in the opening shot. She us fully visible and wearing a high-visibility police outfit which connotes help and safety to the public. She is interviewing a witness and working alone. She seems hardworking and innocent and is instantly targeted as the victim as the scene opens.




Special FX

The only effect I used during editing was the camera lens effect in the library scene. I wanted to make my film true to life so I didn't feel that I needed to use any special FX.

EVALUATION QUESTION 2

HOW DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT REPRESENT PARTICULAR SOCIAL GROUPS?



<< P.C Preston

<< Clarice Starling







A character similar to P.C Preston is Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster), and FBI student from the film 'The Silence of the Lambs'(1991 Jonathan Demme)
Clarice dedicates her life to fighting crime, as does P.C Preston. They are both strong headed, fearless women. The main difference is that Clarice befriends and creates a relationship with a murderer whilst P.C Preston is instead targeted by the cold-blooded antagonist.

They are both independent, important female protagonists. Clarice is haunted by a childhood memory of lambs being slaughtered, hence the unusual title of the film. P.C Preston also has vivid flashbacks and nightmares of someone following her in the dark yet she doesn't confide in anyone about her thoughts and fears.

My media product represents strong, fearless female protagonists which go against the stereotype of women being weak and helpless.

EVALUATION QUESTION 3

WHAT KIND OF MEDIA INSTITUTION MIGHT DISTRIBUTE YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT AND WHY?

My film 'Snapped' would be distributed and funded by BBC films and the UK Film Council which uses National Lottery money to develop and fund up and coming new film makers.
Such institutions have already produced successful British films such as 'Fish Tank' and 'London to Brighton' which are both very inspiring pieces.
Production companies are responsible for the development and production side of media products including radio, film, tv and performing arts.



Fish Tank directed by Andrea Arnold (2009)won a BAFTA film award








Production companies are responsible for the development and production side of media products including radio, film, tv and performing arts. The director, producer, director of photography, cameramen, sound people and actors are usually named in the titles as these are the main people behind the scenes.

The Lottery funding website - www.lotteryfunding.org.uk states that: 'For every £1 that the public spends on Lottery tickets 28 pence goes to the Lottery good causes. These are the arts, charities and voluntary groups, heritage, health, education, the environment and sports. Lottery funders are the organisations that distribute the good causes money to local communities and national projects'

This is how the money available for film funding is accumulated in the first place.



Ths logo is simple yet effective, bold in black and white and bearing the famous crossed lucky fingers.

BBC Films also co-produce British made films, a successful and recent example is 'The Men Who Stare at Goats' (Grant Heslov) starring George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey!

EVALUATION QUESTION 4

WHO WOULD BE THE AUDIENCE FOR YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT?


This is Alicia, she represents my target audience.



Age: 18

Favourite films: Scream, Twilight, Pretty Women

Favourite shops: Topshop, River Island, Primark

Favourite music: Beyonce, JLS

Favourite programs: Desperate Housewives, Friends, 90210

Why I would watch 'Snapped' the film: I watched the trailer and it left me wanting to see what happens next, me and my friends all enjoy thriller films as they are great for a girly night in with popcorn! I like the suspense in them.

EVALUATION QUESTION 5

HOW DID YOU ATTRACT/ADDRESS YOUR AUDIENCE?

Here's an annotated version of my 2 minute opening sequence picking out the genre conventions I have used to attract my target audience. As this is a duplicate of the original sequence I have uploaded, YouTube will not allow me to embed the video onto my blog. You can either view the annotated video answering this question at:


password:

or sign into my YouTube account
username:shannapreston

EVALUATION QUESTION 6

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGIES FROM THE PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTING THIS PRODUCT?




The first thing I learnt during the process of constructing this product was how to set up a 'Blogger' account where I would submit and publish my work. I used a Mac to create my blog, which I found very advanced at first compared to a standard PC computer!
I then learnt how to set up a camera and tripod (as pictured in the photo). I had previously created a storyboard of the shots I wanted and learnt how to capture my desired shot types and angles with the camera. I found the physical filming part of the task the most enjoyable!

I used Final Cut Pro, and editing software application to log and capture my film footage. I then learnt how to edit my work and use various techniques such as 'fade' and 'black outs'. I also learnt how to create the effect of a camera lens. The beginning of my opening sequence is seen as if watching through the lens of a camera. I intended to give the impression that the audience is watching P.C Preston from the stalker's point of view. The lens snaps and freezes throughouts the first minute's footage as if taking a photo. I learnt to do all of this through Final Cut Pro.


Another piece of software I learnt to use was Photoshop. I captured and edited scrennshots taken throughout my opening sequence, and Soundcloud proved very useful for uploading music and soundtracks.

I used YouTube to upload my video, and Facebook to create a film group, both of which I had previously used beforehand.

Overall, with all the packages and technologies I have learnt to use during the process of creating my film I feel confident that I'll be able to make another project using all of these.

EVALUATION QUESTION 7

LOOKING BACK AT YOUR PRELIMINARY TASK (CONTINUITY EDITING TASK) WHAT DO YOU FEEL YOU HAVE LEARNT IN THE PROGRESSION FROM IT TO FULL PRODUCT?

Whilst creating and publishing the video for my preliminary task, I learnt how to use various different types of computer software and the camera kit. I used a Sony camera with a tripod and experimented with different types of shots and angles. This task was designed for the class to learn how to use the camera equipment and editing software in preparation for the filming of our 2 minute opening sequences.

We learnt how to use Final Cut Pro, an editing software. We logged and captured our video footage then edited it onto the time line, adding non-diegetic music. As this was our first time editing, we cut straight to each next shot. We used an eyeline match; in the video the character looks up and the shot cuts to the poster she is looking at. We also used an over the shoulder shot, a shot literally filmed behind someone's shoulder. We included a shot reverse shot, where the camera shows someone's face, cuts to the person they are looking at/talking to, then cuts back to the original person.
Close ups were used to show emotion and facial expressions, and long shots to show the mise en scene and establish the location. Medium shots were used to show body language.

One of the main tasks in our preliminary video was not to break the 180 degree rule.

WEEK 10

This week we answered the questions to our evaluation, including written answer and visual material! I've included pictures, videos and annotations.

'SNAPPED' - THE OPENING SEQUENCE

PRODUCTION BRIEF

Project name: SNAPPED

Medium/Format length: Thriller opening sequence. 2 minutes long

Deadline: 21st March

Group members: Shanna Preston

Brief overview of content (approx 50 words):

P.C Preston is interviewing a witness in a college library. She gets the feeling she is being watched,but continues working. As she exits to leave the building, her stalker attacks her.
P.C Preston finds herself half unconcious in an old van parked in a deserted garage. She is tortured with electric wires.

Target Audience:

My target audience is aged 15-25 both male and female. The socio-economic groups would be C1-E, working class and students.

Possible scheduling/publishing suggestions:

I have scheduled my filming dates for the 15th and 17th of February. I will publish my sequence on to my blog and YouTube.

What comparable products have you researched?

I've researched both horror and thriller films to compare the differences in codes and conventions as they are very similar genres.

What is the rationale behind this text?

The rationale is to enhance my knowledge on the thriller genre and include all the codes and conventions I have come across during research.

What representations will be operating in your text, are these justified?

The male antagonist in my sequence is represented as being dangerous and violent, a stereotypical thriller antagonist. The female protagonist has been represented as vulnerable, although later in the film the audience would find out that she is a very strong and independent woman.

How will you test if the product is successful? How will you check that it accomplishes the intended effect?

To test if the product is successful, I will show my opening sequence to a group of people that fit in to my target audience. I will distribute a questionnaire for feedback to receive valuable feedback and constructive criticism.


What general codes and conventions will be operating in your text?

The general codes and conventions used in my text will be the various shot types and angles which will create the enigma and suspense, and portray the power and dominance of the antagonist (by using camera tricks such as low angles) Low key gloomy lighting and a lonely dark setting for the torture scene are typical thriller characteristics.

Are there any hidden messages incorporated in the text?

There aren't any hidden messages within my text. However the ending has a very big twist.


Identify any resource restraints (time, money, equipment, human resources) that might affect you production and hopes for your product

I will have no problem with the equipment and weather as all my filming is indoors and I have filled out a call sheet and been assured the use the equipment on my intended filming dates.

WEEK 9

This week I wrote my production brief and started to create my evaluation using essay style answers and visual material!

STORYBOARD

I made my storyboard using Photoshop, capturing an image of every different shot with a description of each shot. I included shot types, angles, lighting and description with each shot.

FACEBOOK GROUP

I created a facebook group for my target audience to follow and comment on. The link to visit the 'Snapped' group is: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=400852121071

QUESTIONNAIRE

Questionnaire

SCORE NOTES

I didn't use any dialogue in my opening sequence so the music was an important part of creating the atmosphere. I chose an eerie background music and uploaded it through SoundCloud. The piece of instrumental music I chose was non-copyright and is the type of slow and suspenseful music you would expect in a typical thriller film.

LOGO

This is the logo I have created for my film. I chose black and white as they stand out against each other and are bold colours, yet simple and effective. As I worked alone I chose my sir-name as the production name - 'Preston Film Production'.

WEEK 7

I have started to edit the film and look for suspensful music for the background. I also created a logo for the film.

CALL SHEET

This is the call sheet I used to hire out the filming equipment.

SHOT LIST

Here's the shots I used listed in chronological order.

CAST NOTES

I played the protagonist part of P.C Preston so I didn't have to rely on othe actors. For the stalker, I recruited actor Charles Babaloba(aged 18) from the college drama department as he already had acting experience, fitted the character description and was reliable!

TARGET AUDIENCE

I wanted to get a clearer understanding of my target audience. The age range my film is targeted towards is 15-25, both male and female. I decided to research my audience, so I created an online poll on my blog, distributed questionnaires and asked people who I thought were likely to enjoy my film about their likes and dislikes. This way I could analyze my target audience and understand exactly what they would and wouldn't like to see in a thriller film.

Name: Georgia Heighway
Age: 18
Occupation: Student




1. What do you think of thriller films?

I think they're exciting, usually you don't want to look but you have to!


2. What are the main things you like about thriller films?

The scary settings and the ones that have an unexpected twist or plot!I also like how they build up tension, you feel scared when someone is being chased or you know the victims going to be found!


3. What do you dislike about thriller films?

Blood and gory deaths


3. What are your likes and dislikes?

Likes - Dance, clubbing, going out with friends and performing in shows
Dislikes- Tomatoes and racism

WEEK 6

I filmed the second part of my opening sequence in a car garage - the torture scene.
After filming I then logged and captured everything on to a computer.
I also researched my target audience, asking questions on opinions, likes and dislikes associated with the thriller genre and distributed questionnaires.

THEORY/NARRATIVE CODES

This is is Roland Barthes, a French literacy theorist who his famous for his idea that a text is like 'a tangled ball of thread which needs to be unravelled to seperate the colours' meaning that if you pull apart the pieces of a text, the meaning behind it is a lot clearer. He was constantly questioning ideas and theories. He created the idea that there are five existing major codes that help us understand opening sequences. The Hermeneutic Code, The Proairetic Code, The Semantic, The Symbolic Code and The Cultural Code.

An example of one of his ideas: The Hermeneutic Code- parts of the story that are not explained, and are a mystery to the audience. This type of code is used to keep the audience interested and creates the enigma. This code is present in many detective films, creating suspense right until the end. Types of Hermeneutic Code are:
Snares- which deliberately avoid the truth.
Equivocations- which are partial or incomplete answers.
Jammings- which openly acknowledge that there is no answer to a problem.

OPENING TITLES RESEARCH

The film I have decided to research is 'Fatal Attraction' (Adrian Lyne 1987) which like 'SNAPPED', is of the thriller genre, with a 'stalker' sub-genre. Michael Douglas plays Dan Gallagher, a married man that has weekend affair which he thinks will be a no-strings attatched fling with editor Alex Forrest (Glenn Close).

Similar to the antagonist in my film, Alex is mentally instable, and dangerous. She is portrayed as a psychotic, she is seen in the trailer I have included in the blog threateningly running towards Dan with a large knife whilst screaming. She becomes obsessed with Dan and stalks him, making his life unbearable. Dan even makes amends to move away as Alex becomes more obsessive but she continues to stalk him and spy on his family outside their house. Alex becomes more and more mental, commiting crimes such as kidnapping Dan's daughter Ellen, trying to kill his wife Beth and the most famous scene, boiling Ellen's pet rabbit on the stove.
Alex's actions connote mental instability and a violent mind. The antagonist in my film, Gerard has a similar disorder. A seemingly normal boy with insprations to be a footballer slowly becomes obsessed with stalking and torturing people without realising.
The font of the title used is bold yet sinister. Fatal is written in red, connoting blood and danger. Attraction is written in white, as if to suggest the fling was suppose to be innocent and harmless. The poster has similar colourings and connotations, a black and white photo of the two lovers Dan and Alex is torn in half. Alex looks away as if she's upset that Dan can't be hers,or that she's hiding a secret, and Dan's hand clutching onto her visibly bears a wedding ring. The surrounding colours are black and red, again to connote danger, or a warning.

WEEK 5

This week I filmed my opening sequence to a thriller film. First I filmed the library scene, then moved on to the stairs by the college exit. I didn't record any dialogue. I used a storyboard to capture all the appropriate shots.

TREATMENT

Whilst planning the filming of my opening sequence, I decided to name my film 'Snapped' as this relates to the camera that follows the victims throughout the film. This film would be classified as a '15' as it contains moderate violence. The target audience I am aiming for is both male and female aged 15-25, teenagers and young adults. I would promote my film through tv channels such as E4 and MTV which already targets a similar age group. I would also distribute trailers of my film at the cinema, at the beginning of other thriller genre films, as the audience has already paid for a ticket to see this type of film this suggests they already enjoy thriller films.


The socio-economic group targeted is C1-E which consists of lower working class and students. Students are most likely to enjoy this film as they will relate to the young characters and college settings, and would enjoy the enigma and excitement of a thriller! 'Snapped' is targeted towards both males and females as I went against stereotype and cast a woman as the protagonist, and there is plenty of fast-paced action and violence for the male audience.

Throughout the film I use various technical aspects which are typical of the thriller genre. I do this by using shots such as close-ups to convey the fear and emotion, and plenty of high and low angles to portray and juxtapose dominance and weakness. Dull lighting is used to create an eerie effect, dim artificial lighting to create shadows. The non-diegetic background music is suspenseful and mysterious, creating an eerie atmosphere and the feeling of being stalked. No diegetic speech is used in the opening sequence, I thought this made the scene more dramatic and enigmatic. I thought it would be best to follow the status quo and stick to the typical codes and conventions of a thriller.

Parts of the film are filmed as if the characters are being watched through a camera lens, and being stalked by the person seemingly behind the camera.

PRODUCTION SCHEDUALE

Production Scheduale

CHARACTER PROFILES

ANTAGONIST



Name: Gerard Brown
Gender: Male
Age: 20
Appearance: Black short hair, 5'8, slim build, brown eyes
Costume: Jeans, black shoes
(only lower half of body visible in opening sequence)
Character: Gerard is a young man with promising hopes to be a footballer, but his dreams are shattered when his best friend is murdered and he goes out to seek revenge, whatever the cost.







PROTAGONIST




Name: P.C Preston
Gender: Female
Age: 23
Appearance: Long dark hair, 5'6, slim build, brown eyes
Costume: Police outfit - hat, jacket, formal black trousers and shoes
Props: Clipboard and pen
Character: P.C Preston is a hardworking policewoman heading the case of Gerard's missing friend. She is also one of Gerard's main suspects, as there seems to suspiciously be no progress on the case of his best friend's murder.

WEEK 4

Today I wrote the treatment to my film and uploaded my production schedule on to Scribd.

I also made character profiles for the antagonist and protagonist in my opening sequence, including profile photos and basic character information.

THRILLER GENRE

My opening sequence 'Snapped' is categorized in to the Thiller (sub-genre stalker) genre. The thriller genre is characterized by fast-pacing and frequent action. Literary devices such as suspense, red herrings and cliffhangers are used extensively. Sub-Genres include: Crime, Stalker, Erotic, Physcological,Spy, Conspiracy and Action. (Wikipedia.org)

"Thriller films are known to promote intense excitment, suspense, a high level of anticipation, ultra-heightened expectation, uncertainty, anxiety and nerve-wrecking tension." (filmsite.org)

Using this information, I plan to make my film fast-paced, suspensful and use flashbacks to tell the story in a non-linear narrative, leaving clues about the stalker throughout to build enigma. The face of the antagonist is never seen, which gives the film a sense of mystery leaving you wanting to know more about this homicidal character. The victim is a police woman, an ordinary working person who the audience can relate to, a typical thriller protagonist.



Other thriller films with a 'stalker' sub-genre:




Obsessed 2009- Directed by Steve Shill strarring Idris Elba and Beyonce Knowles is about a successful business man who becomes the object of desire by an obsessed stalker - a temp working for him.










Fatal Attraction 1987- Directed by Adrian Lyne starring Michael Douglas and Glen Close is a thriller about a married man who has an affair. His secret lover becomes obsessed with him and stalks him and his family.












HORROR V THRILLER?

It's easy to confuse the horror genre with the thriller genre. Thrillers are usually exciting and suspenseful and doesn't necessarily need to contain any violence. Horror on the other hand, thrives on blood, guts, gore and graphic violence!

PRELIMINARY TASK

I joined a group to film our preliminary task. The aim of this was to learn how to use a camera and tripod, and how to edit using the appropriate software. Part of the task was to include various shots and techniques such as the 180 degree rule, shot reverse shot and match on action.

Our preliminary task was basically a continuity task, which we had to film and edit for experience. We filmed a character opening a door and crossing a room, then sitting down opposite another character. They had a brief conversation which involved over the shoulder shots and an eye-line match, showing the object they were refering to and looking at. We had to re-film a few times as we kept breaking the 180 degree rule.

PRELIMINARY TASK

THE 180 DEGREE RULE

The 180 degree rule.. Picture and definition from Wikipedia.org, the free encyclopedia:

The 180° 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 to each other. If the camera passes over the imaginary axis connecting the two subjects, it is called crossing the line. The new shot, from the opposite side, is known as a reverse angle.



Here is a video I found very useful, showing and explaining the 180 degree rule:

WEEK 3

In the group I filmed the preliminary task with, we re-shot a couple of takes then edited the sequence. I decided to use stalker-thriller as my sub-genre for my opening sequence. I then did some research on the thriller genre, codes and conventions and looked at other films with a similar theme and sub-genre.

PROP NOTES

I used this electicity box I found in the mechanic's garage as a torture device. Touching the metal clasps together creates sparks of electricity which I thought were an effective part of my sequence, and I wanted to use something diferent from a knife or gun.


P.C Preston's police outfit was kindly lent to me by the Police Department in Havering college. Th coat was XXL so it looked giant on me! If I could change part of the look, I would of worn my hair in a bun to create a more realistic policewoman look.

LOCATIONS

I chose a college library as the first scene location to open the film as it's a place that connotes safety, bright lights and peace. This is where P.C Preston is first seen interviewing a witness, through a camera lens. The last place you would imagine trouble to occur is within the walls of a library. I decided to go against sterotype and use this as an unobvious place for someone dangerous to hide out and plan the capture and torture of someone innocent.





The second location is in a dimly lit garage. I chose this setting as it has an eerie atmosphere. It belongs to the mechanics of Havering college but they kindly let me film my sequence there. There are sinister looking tools and tubes hanging on the walls and an abundance of old rusty cars.

BRAINSTORM

WEEK 2

I joined a group to film my preliminary task. We learnt how to operate the cameras and tripods. I also made a brainstorm on Bubl.com.

I scouted locations for my opening sequence and chose a library, college exit and garage.

FEATURE FILM SYNOPSIS

'Snapped' opens with a flashback of Police Officer P.C Preston stalked through a camera lens whilst interviewing a witness, then is attacked as she leaves the building to go home. Her body is seen in the back of a van in a garage. The stalker electrocutes her until she passes out.

3 Months Earlier...

Gerard Brown is on an empty football training pitch. He holds his dying friend in his arms, covered with stab wounds. He cries silent tears. He doesn't remember what had happened as he had blacked out. The police and ambulance soon turn up and ask questions and take pictures. Gerard loses his temper and fights with a police officer. He is handcuffed and taken back to the station.

The police soon forget about the case of his dead friend and stop searching for the murderer. Gerard starts to talk to himself and day by day develops a second personality. He goes on a mission to hunt down everyone he thinks was involved with the killing of his friend. He starts to stalk the police officer that had been in charge of the enquiry.

He follows a list of people he thinks are involved with the murder, taking photos of them from afar. He collects these photos and starts to hang them up all over the walls in his house. He then kidnaps his victims and tortures them. Twenty people go missing and a police hunt starts to find Gerard, who runs away.

The only thing Gerard has taken is his camera, which he always keeps in the inside pocket of his jacket. As he hides in a squat, he looks through the pictures on the camera. Dated 6 months ago, he comes across some pictures he doesn't remember taking. They are of his friend laughing and kicking a football. He carries on looking through the pictures. His friend looks scared in one picture. The next one shows him running away. The next is a picture of Gerard's hands covered in blood, and several of his friend's body laying on the ground.

Gerard realizes his split personality may have developed earlier than he thought..

THE SCRIPT

Snapped Script

2 MINUTE OPENING SEQUENCE

As P.C Preston finishes questioning a witness to a crime scene, and filling out a statement, she gets the feeling she is being watched. Lately, she keeps getting this feeling, but shrugs it off thinking she is just stressed from work.
She leaves the library, where she has just interviewed her witness; a safe meeting place. As she steps into the elevator, she glimpses a reflection of someone watching her, the snap of a camera.
P.C Preston's pace quickens as she wants to go home to rest, and still has the feeling someone is following her. From the corner of her eye she sees someone sprinting down the stairs towards her as she exits the college.

Everything blacks out.

P.c Preston is only just concious. She is laying somewhere dark, damp and smelly. She squints through the darkness and realises she is in a van, with her legs hanging out. She hears footsteps and the rattle of something heavy being dragged along. P.c Preston realises she can't move, she feels paralysed.
She hears sharp crackling sounds and sparks of red and yellow light. Next thing she feels excrutiating pain shooting up her body and realises she is being electrocuted and she sinks back in to unconciousness.

WEEK 1

As a class, we discussed the project we were about to take on, an opening sequence to a thriller film. We then had to think of ideas for a synopsis and write out a script. We were shown how to use Scribd.com to post our script on to the blog. As mine has no dialogue, my script was made from stage directions.

INTRODUCTION

I will be writing a 2 minute opening sequence for a thriller film. I will publish every aspect of the filming and research on this blog, as well as uploading pictures and videos.