Target Audience AGE...

From the thrillers i've looked at their film certificates are:

• The Usual Suspects (1994) - 18
• Memento (2000) - 15
• Se7en (1996) - 18
  
• Duel (1971) - PG
  
• Speed (1994) - 15
  
• Double Indemnity (1944) - PG
  
• I Walked with a Zombie (1943) - PG
  
• The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) - 12A

Most of the older films were rated PG whereas the newer thrillers are rated between 12A and 18, meaning they are more likely to be viewed by an older audience or ages 12+

Important Stuff...

Prop List:

• People
• fake gun
• phone / mobile
• laptop bag

Locations:

• My house / driveway
• Friend's house / driveway
• Street

Risk Assessment:

• danger of actress falling down stairs
• danger of actor running down street - although less cars on quiet street
• danger of electric gates
• accident with gun - fake only a prop/ not being shot

Possible story idea for thriller opening...

Background Story...
Man hired by government to kill competition.
Some government members are part of a cult who kill anyone seen as an 'obstacle to progress'
Man finds out the true identity of the people he's killed (not all bad people)
Cult members know he knows and are out to kill him.

Storyboard ideas...
1. Walks down his house driveway - sees door open - leaves laptop bag, looks inside then outside
- camera follows behind him/ over his shoulder shot looking at open door

BLACK SCREEN TITLE NAME - sound of heartbeat or drums

2. sees/hears distant car - government agents
- medium/ long shot of approaching car

BLACK SCREEN TITLE NAME - sound of heartbeat or drums

3. hears agents inside house - runs down street aiming for 'safe house'/ agents on phone all congregate - find his bag
- camera watches him run down street/ switches to view of house agents in driveway and car agents joining them

BLACK SCREEN TITLE NAME - sound of heartbeat or drums

4. runs to 'safe house' gate - types in code runs down path
- camera cuts to view in front of man, watching him run towards camera/ over his shoulder shot as typing code/ watches him run down path (from behind)

BLACK SCREEN TITLE NAME - sound of heartbeat or drums

5. presses doorbell and enters 'safe house' greeted by ally contact
- over shoulder shot of him at door/ pressing doorbell/ entering house

MAIN TITLE NAME - On door in over shoulder shot- sound of heartbeat or drums
(music climax)

6. ally leads him into a room with phone - he tries to explain situation
- camera follows behind as they enter the room m/s - see room

BLACK SCREEN TITLE NAME - sound of heartbeat or drums

7. he goes to use phone/ he says to her "I've been compromised there's agents everywhere" - she says "I know" / agents enter from behind her with guns
- side shot of characters talking/ shot of him saying line then of her m/s and zoom out as more agents enter/ reaction shot / flash to black.
END

The Usual Suspects Opening Credits...

The Usual Suspects opening starts with a black screen and the opening music - orchestra.
As the titles appear in a blue font the camera is seen to pan over water with light shining on it. The main actors names also start to appear one at a time all off centre.
'The Usual Suspects' title appears just as the music starts the main theme giving it an added climax and strong effect.
When the director's name 'Bryan Singer' appears the music begins to fade and so does the pan of the water. The shot then fades to black before the scene starts.
The Usual Suspects sets the mood of a thriller because it gives nothing away until the first scene and relies mainly on the atmosphere the music creates.

Memento Opening

Director:Christopher Nolan
Memento opens with the production companies names in a blue font on a black screen each one fades out as the next appears.
It also says 'A film by Christopher Nolan' - the director before the main actors titles appear. The music also starts with the titles and reaches a climax as the title 'Memento' fades onto the screen. Still with the film's name the black background behind it fades into a hand holding a Polaroid picture. The picture is unclear but what looks like blood can be seen. Every so often the hand shakes the picture but each time the picture becomes even more unclear. As the Director's name appears again the picture has completely faded and returns into the camera explaining that time is going backwards. The scene after also explains what the picture was.
Memento sets the mood of a thriller because the music is quite sinister and it portrays some kind of crime and mystery which is unclear until the end.

Se7en

The opening scenes of the film 'Se7en' set the mood of a thriller by not giving away too much information but just enough to get the idea of the film. The music is spooky and mysterious to add to the effect of something not quite right. The opening suggests the idea of the character being obsessive by writting in books but also psychopathic by removing his fingerprints. This leads the audience to feel disconneced from the character but know he is probably not on the right side of the law. The titles are also in a scribbley font implying that they are handwritten(like the writing they see in the books). They also move on the screen drawing your attention to them but also making you slighty dizzy and conscious that something about the character isn't normal. There are no faces shown just close ups of what the person is doing, giving away a lot of detail but still keeping the mystery as the audience don't know how the clues are relevant yet.
Se7en sets the mood of thriller by not giving away everything but little clues and enough mystery and tension to keep the audience wanting to know more.

Thriller Openings

Dual - Directed by Steven Spielberg - 1971
Camera angle low - from view of car / from passenger seat
most edits are dissolves or cuts
sound of the radio / other cars
mise-en-scene -recognizable shops / diners
titles follow the car - off centre / directors name on still shot watching car from side
captures the audience's attention by unusual camera angle - bumper of car / mysterious no road signs



Speed - Directed by Jan De Bont - 1994
camera on top of lift watches floors go by
editing one long shot through titles till directors name pan then cut
sound orchestra music (strings / drums) builds for main title 'Speed'
mise-en-scene camera in elevator shaft - links to first action sequence
titles all appear over moving lift except directors over pan shot
captures audiences attention through tense music and unusual to be on top of a lift


I think Speed is more successful because the music creates tension which captures the audiences attention and keeps them watching to find out what happens next

Double Indemnity

The opening scene creates the setting for a thriller by:
Low Key Lighting
Atmospheric music
Shadows
speeding car - jumping lights
Voice over narration - confession
a mysterious feel / enigma - keeping audience in the dark
smoking
fast narration
flash forwards / backwards

Thriller characters:
main character (Neff) Typical thriller / film noir job - insurance salesmanWorking late
smokes
Falls for femme fatale - blinded by her
confesses through voice over narration - intro to storyline
femme fatale - (Phylis) deceptive - not what she seems at first
secretive, scheming
Neff's boss (Keyes) investigates claims
suspicious - isn't convinced by femme fatale - sees through her act

I Walked with a Zombie...

Director: Jacques Tourneur
Producer: Val Lewton
Studio: RKO Radio Pictures
Genre: Drama | Horror | Romance | Thriller
Film Details:
Release Date:1943 (USA)
Main Cast:
James Ellison... Wesley Rand
Frances Dee... Betsy Connell
Tom Conway... Paul Holland
Music Director:
C. Bakaleinikoff
Music:Fort Holland Calypso Song, words and music by Sir Lancelot - drums

Filmed in Black and White
Shot with Low Key Lighting - Scenes:

• When Betsy is in her room with Venetian blinds
• When Betsy follows Jessica outside in the night
• When they see the voodoo ceremony
  
• standing by the old figurehead full of arrows

The Bourne Ultimatum trailer