Summary of Plot

You see a man running through forests/fields who keeps checking his watch which gives you the impression that something is going to happen at a certain time. He also has a feeling that someone is on to him and is tracking him down which there is who is not too far behind. The man gradually gets more nervous and anxious as the time gets closer to 12. As the time does get to 12 the man suddenly collapses and blacks out. He then wakes up a few hours later in a abandoned building with no memory of what has happened. His clothes are torn and is covered in blood and sees he has a bloody knife in his hand. Across the room to him is the man who was tracking him down earlier dead in the corner. The man realises that something has happened to him again which has made him do terrible things. He then starts to panic and has a series of flashbacks of previous similar events where you see many of his victims in various locations. You then see him again on a TV screen as he is being filmed by CCTV camera and a mysterious figure is watching over.


By Christian Sheen

Pitch/Brief

We decided as a group our main thriller plot. Our thriller will start with a man walking in a field; he is walking anxiously and keeps peering over his shoulder. He checks his watch and there is an extreme close up of the watch at the time, 11:55. He walks faster and faster until he is running. He then stops and walks into a turn off of the field and collapses. There are shots of him collapsing and also point of view shots. It ends with his final sight of his watch at 12:00 and a man peering over him.

It then cuts to a concrete room with him inside and there is a body in the corner. There is a knife next to him and he gets up and staggers around. He comes across some photos and has a series of three flashbacks. These flashbacks are all of his previous murders which he is only just remembering. This is part of our psychological thriller codes and conventions and it matches the genre expectations. After the three flashbacks, he notices a CCTV camera in the corner, and then realises someone is watching him. There will be a shot of a man watching the CCTV camera on his computer and then walking out.

Our costumes are smart/casual costumes as he is panicked and we want to get the scruffy smart look across. This, we thought, would be the easiest way to portray the expression and emotions he is feeling at the time he is running away. The costumes of the dead body will be casual, but have a black bag over the head to show that they are dead bodies.

By Charlie Head

Questions for Different Focus Groups

For our opening to a thriller our target audience ranges from young people such as teenagers, to middle aged people in their forties and fifties . In order to find out what my audience will expect I am going to run a focus group and ask questions and have them answer these questions on camera to show what they will be expecting in a thriller.

Question 1.

What sort of sounds do you think would be most effective for thriller? Question 2.

What sort of costumes do you think are best for a thriller?

Question 3.

What sort of sets do you think are the best place to film a thriller?

Question 4.

What sort of editing do you think works best for a thriller?

I am going to present a range of different people within these age ranges in order to find out what people think will be best in the opening to a thriller.

By George Hick

Health and Safety Risk Assessment

·         The first place that we may be filming is a wet part of the forest with some very steep hills with lots of wet mud and leaves. Obviously there is a risk of slipping over when filming in this area; therefore we will have to take precautions. The precautions that we will be taking are to wear the correct footwear for these conditions such as walking boots and studded trainers.  When filming, if the person is moving such as running in the scene then make sure that there are no obstacles in the way.  Also when someone is taking a shot of someone, they need to make sure that they are on steady ground so there is no chance of the camera falling.

·         The second place that we may be filming is in a large field, there is a possibility of there being bumps and pot holes in this field, and therefore we will have to make sure that there is a flat piece of ground in order to put the tripod to prevent the camera from falling over. Also we will need to make sure that there is no uneven ground or potholes when actors are running or walking in a scene as this could also be potentially dangerous.  

·         The third place that we may be filming is a derelict empty swimming pool; there are many obstacles that pose a threat in this particular area. For example any broken tiles or glass will have to be moved as they may cause an injury to one of the actors. Also this area may be slippery as wet tiles can form a very slippery surface, therefore we will have to make sure that the actors and film crew are wearing the correct footwear to make sure that they do not slip over.  Also the edge of the swimming pool is a potential risk as people may fall over the edge and into the empty swimming pool; therefore we need to make sure that the people filming and the actors, are not too close to the edge.

·         Another risk is when we are moving between sets we will be crossing roads when holding lots of equipment such as costumes and tripods, therefore we will have to make sure that we use zebra crossings and pedestrian crossings when they are available so that we are safe from traffic and stop the risk of any injuries.


By George Hick

Thriller sub-genres

There are a wide arrange of thriller sub-genres which include elements of other genres. These include:

Mystery thriller: Suspense films where characters attempt solving, or involved in, a mystery.

Supernatural thriller: In which the film brings in an otherworldly element mixed with tension, suspense and plot twists. Sometimes the hero and/or villain have some psychic ability.

Conspiracy thriller: In which the hero/heroine confronts a large, powerful group of enemies whose true extent only he/she recognizes.

Psychological thriller: In which the conflict between the main characters is mental and emotional, rather than physical.

Crime thriller: This particular genre is a hybrid type of both crime films and thrillers that offers a suspenseful account of a successful or failed crime or crimes. These films often focus on the criminals rather than a policeman. Crime thrillers usually emphasise action over psychological aspects. Central topics of these films include serial killers/murders, robberies, chases, shootouts, heists and double-crosses.

Disaster thriller: In which the main conflict is due to some sort of natural or artificial disaster, such as floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes, etc.

Erotic thriller: In which it consists of erotica and thriller.

Legal thriller: In which the lawyer-heroes/heroines confront enemies outside, as well as inside, the courtroom and are in danger of losing not only their cases but their lives.

Medical thriller: In which the hero/heroine are medical doctors/personnel working to solve an expanding medical problem.

Political thriller: In which the hero/heroine must ensure the stability of the government that employs him.

Psychological thriller: In which the conflict between the main characters is mental and emotional, rather than physical.

Religious thriller: In which the plot is closely connected to religious objects, institutions and questions.

Technological thriller: A suspense film in which the manipulation of sophisticated technology plays a prominent part.




By Christian Sheen

Marking Other Student's Work

A few lessons ago, we were asked by our teacher to mark work from previous media classes and in our opinion, evaluate it and criticise it. We watched about 10 thrillers from the year 13's and there is a clear view between the group that got the higher grades and those who didn't.

For a lot of group their ideas were really good, but due to the time they left their selves to make the thriller, it really lacked effort and determination to get a good grade. An example in this is in one thriller, they use a water pistol as a gun. This brakes the codes and conventions rule as its unprofessional. Also in another thriller, they use a butter knife instead of a sharp knife. It again makes the thriller unprofessional and from this teaches us to use iconography correctly. This gave us the inspiration to get started early and therefore leaving ourselves a lot of time to prepare, film and edit.

Watching thrillers which were good gave us an insight into what actually makes a good thriller. A few lessons after, we had the year 13 talk, this really helped along with actually seeing the thriller, into what makes a good thriller.

Overall marking the year 13's work was helpful as we got to see what it takes to get the higher grades and what not to do to receive the lower grades.

By Charlie Head

Initial Ideas