Shooting Schedule

Story Board

Homeless 

Cafe meet up

Pub- meeting with the boss

Drug deal

Hostage- Will cut to these shots throughout opening

Potential locations

Location

Treatment

Car sounds. People walking past. George sitting by the road, homeless, asking for money. He is grubby but not completely untidy. Charlie walks past, notices him and goes back to talk to him. We can't hear any dialogue, just the diegetic sound of cars and people walking past. We cut to George masked with a bag, in a dark storage container. The bag is taken off and George is woken up with a slap on the face. The shot is ambiguous and we can't see where he is or who has held him hostage. He starts with a narration. The scene cuts back to George and Charlie walking into a cafe. It's a greasy spoon type cafe. They sit down at a table positioned next to a window. We can see them talking but again can only hear the narration. A sound separates the narration from the dialogue, and the dialogue starts. they talk about Charlie helping George to get a job. Charlie makes the job sound spectacular and George, not being reluctant to getting money, politely obliges. The scene cuts back to George masked in the container and the narration resumes. Throughout the opening the scene often cuts to various establishing shots, for example a shot of the front of the cafe, or a still shot of a cobble street. After this shot of George we then cut to a dialogue between George, Charlie and Shaun. Shaun is a hard-noised gangster and is very aggressive and inquisitive towards George, however he agrees and George is given a trial. We cut back to George being held hostage and the narration finishes, with that the opening ends.

The shot influences of our thriller come from a various amount of films, the cafe scene in 'Coffee and Cigarettes' is one we took a shine to. We will use this style of shooting a conversation from various different angles, and having an object which is significant to the characters. The sound editing of layer cake, and legend is how we will attempt to record a narration, and within the narration essentially quote a character - but this quote will be actually said by the character as if part of the narration. The favourite of these influences is Lock Stock, which uses a variety of cuts and shots to take us through the story-line in a very specific way. Taking us back and forth through the narrative in quite a fashionable manor. Seeing scenes we have no clue about and understanding them later on in the movie. The shot's used always attempt to intimidate the viewer, and the close ups never seem to fail in doing that. From a drama point of view, we'll attempt to set the location and act accordingly to the British gangster genre.

Final ideas: This sheet explains our final ideas for the opening of 
our thriller, with specific locations and scene by scene
walk through of what we have in idea.

 Character's Traits: Again this part of our planning is a rough

first idea of our characters influences, Also who we can possibly

cast in the roles.

What we have decided: This part of our planning shows our

influences for shot types, narration and the theme of our 

opening. Includes a rough idea of the discussions we have had

 as to what traits they should have also.

How does the director of Essex Boys use location and colour to establish menace?

How does the director of Essex Boys use location and colour to establish menace?

The focus on location is crucial in the opening of Essex Boys, there's a scarce amount of establishing dialogue, therefore establishment of menace through location is crucial. By using a gritty location in the heart of Essex, it already connotes a foreshadowing sense of criminality. The colour palette further develops this and thus brings with it a range of different emotions.

This shot symbolises entrapment in a dark desolate way of living. The converging lines of the overpass traps the car in a triangle. To compliment this, the colour palette is very grey and dreary. This suggests that the story brings with it a story about loneliness and isolation in a world of corruption. The converging lines also signify the idea that the path that the characters are leading, takes them nowhere and in the end there is nothing.

This shot connotes the same idea. This character is stumbling into the desolate land they lays in front of him. The path leads into nothing, and what lays around is also a connotation of this desolation. It is also a connotation of the unapparent presence of morality. With the characters' lives not leading anywhere and that suggestion that when they die there's nothing for them, they can live a life that is without morale, as they have nothing to lose.

The focus on the opening utilises this technique in most shots; this shot could however suggest a less derogatory ending for the story. The colour, although still dark, is lit by the tunnel lights. The audience don't know where the tunnel leads and the lights suggest that the ending couldn't be so dark. On the other hand, the light could also symbolise death, as going towards the light is a symbolisation of going to heaven; ironic to the story. The ambiguity of this meaning holds the audience in a suspense as to what the future of the characters beholds. With this shot against the others, it also holds the thought that the characters could take the right path if they do the right thing, and the future doesn't hold just misery. With menace doesn't always come a dark ending

What do directors seek to establish in the opening of thrillers?

What do directors seek to establish in the opening of thrillers?

The opening to a thriller film is crucial- it gives the audience the first impressions of the story and therefore it needs to incorporate ways of establishing characters or tone or location, etc. these elements often contribute to the actual end result of the story. The opening gives a first indication as to where the story itself is heading. The best way to foreshadow or in the case of a thriller, often forebode, is through the opening. By using subtle metaphors, it can create an atmosphere that already gives the audience an indication as to where the plot will take them. Although all of the different aims of the opening to a thriller are important to consider, some of them are left out; an example of this is se7en- they establish location and genre excellently but the director David Fincher decided not to establish the plot as such. This in a sense creates more of a tension and is effective for the story of this film. 

One film that captures the purity of its genre is Layer Cake. They immerse the audience by establishing clear characters. The director does this in a very stylistic fashion. Matthew Vaughn uses techniques that can be associated with a film noir style; alike to his other films such as Kick Ass and Kingsman: The Secret Service, he uses a narrative that allows for the audience to instantly establish a connection with the characters- in the case of Layer Cake, we as an audience are able to associate ourselves with the anti-hero. Daniel Craig's character is established through his dialogue and his actions. However we don't initially see his character; his narrative his voiced over a movement through different scenes. This indicates that Daniel Craig's character is a god-like character, it seems as though he is dictating the speech, especially with the use of synchronised sound. 

In this shot, Daniel Craig voices over the movement and the bald headed character says a line in synchronicity with Daniel Craig.  

From this opening, we also learn that this character is a cool, laid back character- the camera is constantly moving, slowly and smoothly, connoting a fluidity and thus symbolising that this character reflects these ideas too. He lives a fluid cool life and he continues to live this life; this however is used to create a big tension when we learn that his life is soon to turn around towards the end of the opening. The camera is constantly moving, following him in many shots. He leads the movement of the camera and many of the shots are shot in his eye-line in attempt to further establish a mental connection between character and the audience. By using this movement in following the character, the audience are under the impression that Daniel Craig is a leader-like character and he is symbolised to be an image of power and nobility, then making the rest of the film that much more exaggerated. 

When we first see this character interact with any other character, they are packaging drugs to sell. This instantaneously creates a sense of immorality within his lifestyle. It is also an efficient way of introducing another character- with a close up on the other character and a narrative describing who he is and what he does. Vaughn uses this simple technique to introduce various different characters. In the shot where there are various different characters in the shot, Daniel Craig voices over and, with the contribution of close ups, individually introduces every character and who they are. Although this is a very simple technique, it works very effectively in establishing character.

Characters