Objects: Scissors

These are the scissors used in the cutting up scenes. They are used to cut the photos up. We got the idea for that scene from the opening scene of Se7en.

Objects: Photos

These are the photographs that are going to be used in the cutting up scene with the father and the attack scene, where they are pinned to trees. These photographs are photos taken of Caesar by David Strong when he has followed him and checked where he goes and who he is. The idea of photographs came from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo when "Lisbeth" photographs throughout the film.

Character Profile: David Strong

Name: David Strong
Actor: Steven Webb
Age: 45
Place of Birth: Norwich, England.
Occupation: Driving Instructor, Ex-Soldier
Ethnicity: White British
Address: 27 Birkbeck road, Norwich
Religion: Christianity









Personal Profile: 
David Strong is a dangerous man, serving the majority of his life in the armed forces, he has gained some experience in the field and is not someone to get on the wrong side of. Although David has his weaknesses, his daughter being one of them, he wants only the best for his daughter, this is why he has raised her under his strong Christian beliefs. David is a very proud man, he is excessively proud of his country being a member of the British National party, he is strict and likes to see himself as what everyone else should be. After David his wife left him, he became a forceful and negative man, this is slowly making him worse in the eyes of his daughter. David is also racist, because of his such strong beliefs he dislikes other ethnicities, since his wife had an affair with someone of another ethnicity, his dislike has become hatred.
Why have we chosen this character?

This character was chosen through influence. We were influenced by several characters from other films. "John Doe" from Se7en is one of them, this character influenced some of his personality, he is obsessive, disturbing and has huge will power. Another character that influenced his beliefs is "Combo" from This is England. "Combo" is racist and truly believes in his country and wants it to be pure. This is where the idea came from but we also added in religion because it would also add to the strength of his views.
 Both "John Doe" and "Combo" are violent, obsessive and high tempered. This is what we wanted our character to be like, but we also wanted him to have a weakness, this being his daughter and I got this idea from Red Eye, as in Red Eye the father is the daughters weakness, she is bribed through the life of her father. This is where I got the idea of his daughter being his pride and joy, the one thing he cares about deep down.
Why have we chosen this actor?
The actor is Steven Webb, my dad, he is 38 and I thought that he would be a suitable to play the role of the character. He can play the character particularly well because he is a high tempered person anyway, he can look quite scary and some people fear him, his look is perfect because it is similar to "Combo" and "John Doe".

Objects: Combat Knife

The combat knife is one of the two weapons used in the attack. We decided to use the knife because the character is an ex-soldier, this meant that the knife would be a souvenir from his old career. The knife is also a straight forward signifier of crime and murder, which is a big part of the thriller genre. 

Objects: Shovel

This is one of the murder weapons, we decided to use a shovel because it is heavy and can cause a lethal blow. Because the character Caesar is so well built, we thought that a knife wound would not be enough to cause him to pass out. So we thought the use of the shovel could take him down and knock him unconscious. It also contributes to a possible cliffhanger of Caesar being buried.(Alive or Dead) 
In the making of the film, the shovel was broken in two due in the attack scene.

Character Profile: Helen Strong

Name: Helen Strong
Actor: Sorrel Lawrence
Age: 18
Place Of Birth: Norwich, England.
Occupation:  University Student
Ethnicity: White, British.
Address: 27 Birkbeck Road, Norwich
 Religion: Christianity(Forced into it)








Personal Profile: Helen Strong is David Strong's daughter, she has lived in Norwich her whole life and been forced into following her father's beliefs and ideals. She has been rebellious ever since her mother passed away and has detested her father her whole teenage life and was scared of him when she was a child. She makes out that she follows his rules but does the complete opposite to whatever he says. The biggest rule she has broken was seeing her current boyfriend Caesar Arjana, this is because he is of a different ethnicity and grew up in the Caribbean. Helen goes to the same university as Caesar and spends as much time with him as possible without her father finding out but when her father discovers her relationship, she is oblivious to what is going to happen.
Why we have chosen this character?

This character is our femme fatale, she is inspired by "Eve" from Once Upon A Time In America and "Lisbeth Slander" from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The character is inspired by "Eve" because she acts innocent and gets caught up in the quarrel between "Noodles" and the gangsters that are after him. Just like Helen gets caught up between the hatred between her father and Caesar her boyfriend. "Eve" acts innocent and knows nothing of "Noodles" whereabouts. This is similar to the personality we were lookin to put across in our character Helen. But Helen also has been inspired by "Lisbeth Slander" from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo because she is rebelious and independant. Her appearance is greatly inspired by her as well, with dark clothing they gives a sense of mystery. "Lisbeth" is mysterious, intelligent and rebellious, this is what we our character to have aspects of.

The name Helen was influenced by the historic character "Helen of Troy" formerly known as "Helen of Sparta".  She is influenced by "Helen of Troy" because we wanted our character to be seen as beautiful, elegant but seductive. The conflict between her husband "Menelaus" and "Paris" the prince of Troy is similar to the conflict between David Strong and Caesar Arjana, it is as if Caesar Arjana is taking Helen from her father, jut as "Paris" takes "Helen of Troy" from " Menelaus".
Why we have chosen this actor?
The actor is Sorrel Lawrence, she is 16 and a member of our group. She plays the character well, she looks innocent but is really rebellious inside. This is what we wanted for the character.

Music Ideas: The Chase

This is the first song that Solay(member of my thriller group) has created using  the "Reason 4" music programme. Throughout the piece he has tried to create a walking pace with deep base sounds and drum beats. This is to represent the stalking scene in our thriller where Caesar is being followed by David Strong.The choir voices give a very heavenly atmosphere which also inter links with our religious aspects to the film. The song is based on John Murphy's "In the House in a Heartbeat" which displays similar aspects. there are three sections to the song , the opening introducing all the instruments using a build up. This creates a steady slope;the middle section braces and quietens somewhat and then leads up to the climax of crashes and explosive sounds to create drama and tension. In the same way the film over two minutes builds up to the attack on Caesar. In the way , the music complements the visuals.

Music Research: John Murphy In a Heartbeat

This is the sort of style that would fit with our thriller, it creates suspense and has a slow pace beat which gradually gets more intense. This is the style that would be perfect for the thriller, it would set a walking pace for the character and gets more intense creating a large amount of suspense and fear which would appeal to the target audiences pleasures of psychological and intellectual as well as emotional. It generates the idea that something big is going to happen which intrigues the audience. Our music will based around this song as well as other inspirations to fit the thriller film exactly.
The Music Needs:

• To create suspense
• To create fear
• Give you the sense that something is going to happen.

Our Thriller Opening's Genre

Our target audience would be aged 16 to 25 because this creates a large audience to aim at, they are the most likely to enjoy our film. Our audience would watch similar films such as:

• 

  Se7en
• This is England
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
• The Girl who Played with Fire
• Heavenly Creatures
• Essex Boys
• The Wire
• CSI
• The Killing
• Spooks
  These are just some of the examples that they might watch which are all similar to our film to some extent. Our audience is C1 and B. These are the higher middle class and lower middle class citizens that have supervisory,clerical,administrative and professional occupations. Together it is 51.4% of the population which is a large audience. Our audience would also be considered as individuals, although this may not be the vast majority it is specific which is what we are aiming for. Our audiences main "Social value group" would be self actualisers, these people are focused on people and relationships, individualistic and creative, they enthusiastically explore change. In Maslow's Pyramid of Needs our film would be placed in the self-actualisation section. This is because our film is problem solving, it has spontaneity and its creative. These are the things that self actualisers want, they want something out of the ordinary.

Our film offers a range of pleasures such as narrative pleasures, intellectual pleasures, emotional pleasures and psychological pleasures. The narrative pleasures are created through our films structure, the film cuts between past and present making it interesting and gripping for the audience. Our film also creates intellectual pleasures; as the the film moves on you learn more at a fast pace, making it intriguing, this can make it slightly more difficult for the audience who can't keep up. Emotional pleasures are another pleasure in our film; the audience can link themselves to the characters and feel what they are going through, for example, the racism in our film could create sympathy and the violence could create anger. The last main pleasure it covers is the psychological pleasure, it creates fear in the audience, makes them identify themselves as the characters. The audience would enjoy watching our thriller because it is gripping and mysterious just as Se7en and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. But it also has a realistic effect on the audience, something they can link themselves too. E.g. Parents not liking their daughter's/son's partners(Not to the degree that they stalk and attack them) or Racism. This is what Heavenly Creatures does, it takes an unlikely situation and makes it real and believable. This is what would draw the audience in because it makes them question what is happening as well as think about how it could be possible.

Our thriller "Snap" is a hybrid of several different thriller sub-genres, including crime, psychological,Social realist and mystery. "The boundaries between genres are shifting and becoming more permeable" says Nicholas Abercrombie and our film is a hybrid of several genres. The film is based upon several crimes committed by a father who has very strong beliefs in racism and religion, this being our basis for it being a crime thriller. But it also adds the aspect of it being psychological, the character plays with the victims mind, toying with the audience as he toys with the victim and creates a sense of fear. Another aspect of the psychological genre is This is very similar to Se7en with the criminal who carries out the seven sin crimes. The mystery aspect is also within the opening because it confuses the audience, makes them ask questions and want to find out more, referencing to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo because the narrative of the film is based upon mystery. The social realist genre ties in with the crime, the racism links to racism today in Britain and how it still goes on even though everyone seems to think that society is past that point. The Social realism is that it is based upon this day and age, set to this day in our own environment, just like This is England.

Our thriller is an indie thriller, it is difficult to categorise by genre because it is a mix of so many that it doesn't have a genre. It is also aimed at niche audiences. I think that indie cinemas such as Cinema city would exhibit our film. I also think that Cinema city would show our film because our target audience is similar to their own. The audience is C1 and B, these are the higher middle class and lower middle class citizens that have supervisory,clerical,administrative and professional occupations. Together it is 51.4% of the population.

Our thriller would most likely be produced by an Indie production company, like the production companies that made Heavenly Creatures and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It could be possible that a major production company could take on the task because it has aspects that could make a mainstream film, for example, the audience, as it is large. For funding i think that the film would be funded by the UK film council because of its independence, it could also be subject to public subsidy.

Preliminary Continuity Task Film and Analysis

In our continuity film we used the 180 degree rule, Match On Action,Over the shoulder shots and Shot reverse shot. These were all effective within our film because we followed the brief for the task exactly. The 180 degree rule made the film look more professional and didn't confuse the audience. The match on action was useful in showing the door opening, it was effective. Several over the shoulder shots were used in the conversation to give the audience a bit of the character's perspective.  We also used the shot reverse shot for Solay's reaction to Jack rummaging through his bag, this created a dramatic moment and was also useful and effective.
We worked well as a team even though one of our members was ill often. With me as the camera man, Solay and Jack were the actors and Sorrel had input on where the shots should be taken and an overview. We worked well as a team and listened to each other, had fun and made the film.


Equipment wise, we used a camera,tripod,dolly and then editing software on a computer.


We encountered the problem of crossing the 180 degree line several times so we re-shot the film. Another minor problem was because we shot on different days, Solay and Jack were wearing different clothes. This problem couldn't be dealt with as such, we tried to make it as least obvious as possible.


We used a close up of the door handle and Solay's hand at the beginning, using match on action the next show was on the other side of the door as he opened it ( long shot). Next there was a close up of Solay's face which captured his emotions and shock in what was happening. It then cut to Jack rummaging through Solay's bag which set the narrative. The next shot(Another close up) was the last piece of the shot reverse shot which brings shock to the audience. It then pans across as Solay sits down and has the conversation with Jack about his bag. This then has several over the shoulder shots that give the audience a perspective of the character. Then the last two shots are POV shots from both of the characters as Jack jumps up in anger. This gives the audience an idea of the fear that Solay is feeling.
All in all it was successful in meeting the brief.

Shot List

1.Long shot looking outside of window of Caesar and Helen.

2.Long shot of Caesar and Helen from opposite side of the road with David's shadow in the window behind.

3.Close up of Caesar's necklace.

4.Bird's eye view shot of photos being dropped in slow motion.

5.Extreme close up of photos.

6.Close up of table from side view and cutting of photos.

7.Long shot of couple walking down pathway.

8.Close up of puddle and their reflections.

9.Extreme close up of photo being cut.

10.Hight angle close up of father stroking his dog.

11.Mid shot of couple at the door.

12.Over the sholder shot of Caesar + Helen + David(Father)

13.Mid shot of caesar walking through woods

14.First person view of biker riding through the woods.

15.Long shot of caesar walking round corners.

16.Extreme close up of caesars face.

17.Close up of picture.

18.Close up of picture.

19.Close up of picture.

20.Mid shot from behind caesar

21. Point of view shot of photos around the woods.

22.Close up of Caesar's face.

23.Mid shot of David(father) hitting Caesar.

24.First person worm's eye view of father (Blurry)


25. Either Extreme close up of Caesar's eye opening or Caesar blacking out.

Shooting Schedule

Title: 'Snap'
Dates: Wednesday 5th January 2011, Thursday 13th January 2011,Tuesday 18th January 2011, Monday 24th January 2011 and Thursday 27th January 2011.
Time: 3:30pm
Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes
Weather Forecast: Cloudy,Rain and a bit of sunshine.
Locations: My house, Birkbeck Road and Never-wood green woods.
Day 1: Shoot inside shots. E.g Photos being cut,stuck and written on.
Day 2: Shoot outside shots. E.g Caesar and Helen walking, Caesar being followed and the assault scene.
Day 3: Shoot All shots again for more of a variety.
Day 4 and 5: Finishing off, Redoing any shots and trying out even more shots for a wider variety for the edit.
Cast and Crew: Me(Camera Man/Director/Producer), Solay Elibol(Director/Producer), Sorrel Lawrence ( Actor-Helen Strong), Caesar Mahamba(Actor- Caesar James) and Steven Webb (Actor-David Strong)
Props/Objects: Shovel ,Scissors,Pen,Photos,Newspaper Article, and Bible.
Technical Equipment: Camera, Tripod, Torch and Lamp.

Character Profile: Caesar Arjana

Name: Caesar Arjana

Actor: Caesar Mahamba

Age: 22

Place Of Birth: Port Of Spain ,Trinidad and Tobago

Occupation: University Student

Ethnicity: Black Caribbean

Address: 67 Lakenfields, Norwich

Religion: Christianity

Personal Profile:

Caesar is a student at his local university in Norwich, he is sophisticated and well organised and takes his studies seriously because he wants to prove that coming from a poor background in the caribbean doesn't stop you from getting far in life. He moved to Norwich in 1997 , leaving his parents in Trinidad and Tobago and joining his uncle in England. He lives in a grimy,dirty area on the other side of Neverwood Green (Forest).  Caesar has strong Christian beliefs and attends church every sunday as well as seeing his girlfriend Helen Strong every Saturday and Monday. Caesar has a feeling that Helen's father David has a dislike for him but he is yet to know why.
Why we have chosen this character?
The character is influenced by "Milky" from This is England and "Detective William Somerset" from Se7en.
He is similar to both of them, sort of a mix between the two. He is sophisticated and intelligent but comes from a lower class background and lives in a run down area. "Somerset" is intelligent, well dressed and sophisticated and dislikes the area that he lives, this is very similar to our character but he has aspects of "Milky in him too; such as wanting to fit in with friends, he gets forced into matters easily and wants to be part of society. With this character we also wanted to destroy stereotypical views of his ethnicity by making him the victim, putting him in the good light and gaining the audiences sympathy and concern, just as Shane Meadows did with "Milky" and also making him look intelligent, sophisticated and concerned about his surroundings and the people around him like David Fincher did with "Detective William Somerset". We used the actors name because it symbolises his power and strength because of the reference to the Julius Caesar of Rome. His last name "Arjana" means Heaven, this is a reference to his Christian beliefs and background.
Why have we chosen this actor?
The actor is Caesar Mahamba, he is 29 and is one of my work colleagues and friends. I thought that we would be perfect for the role and the character built up around him and the ideas about "Milky" and "Somerset". Caesar resembles the character very well because he is strong and powerful but isn't aggressive and is peaceful.



Photographic Storyboard

Final Thriller Idea