Similar actors to our lead

This is My actor Aree Rand who is playing the role of 'Micheal Callaghan'. We wanted to cast a good looking older man to play this role to attract a female audience to watch our film. A similar famous actor that Is like ours is 'Clive Owen, who is also the same age (52) and is considered by many to be a good-looking male actor who attracts a female audience to all his featured productions. Clive Owen starred in the movie 'The children of men' which was a huge success and he received lots of praise and the film itself which he played a starring role was nominated for an Academy award.

    This is my actor Ethan Rand who is playing the role of 'Dennis Callaghan', similarly to Aree Rand we casted him as he is a good-looking actor and will attract a female audience. He is also a lot younger the Aree Rand so will attract different age groups and therefore a larger range of the female audience. Ethan Rand is similar to 'Zac Efron' who is extremely famous movie star and is also considered by many to be very good-looking and definitely idolised by many women who watch his films and do so because he is in them. He is also a lot younger then 'Clive Owen' and Aree Rand which is similar to Ethan Rand, If Ethan Rand was able to become as idolised as Zac Efron is then the reach of our film would grow increasingly as girls all over the world idolise and want to see a Zac Efron movie.

Finally, this is Elliot Sorsky who played the role of 'Brandon Callaghan', he is presented as the boss and the man in control in our opening sequence. I believe he is very similar to 'Mike Ehrmantraut' who stars in breaking bad. This is because first of all his appearance is similar in a way as they are both bold and intimidating looking. Mike is considered a very powerful and imposing man which is a very similar impression that we hoped that our actor Elliot Sorsky would give off, as his role as boss and head of mafia needs these characteristics for the audience to respect him and see him as the superior character.

Analysis of opening of a similar thriller film- Goodfellas

Right from the beginning of the opening sequence there is diegetic synchronous sound of the car driving past at a fast speed. This is synchronous sound as the sound of the car driving past matches what is on screen which is the car driving past. This synchronous and diegetic sound helps build excitement as it emphasises the speed and the urgency that they are driving at, which hints that something exciting or unexpected will happened as it is building up to it. Along with the sound there is a tracking shot of the car driving forwards into the darkness. This again is mysterious as it follows the car into the unknown where the audience don't know what could happen. As the camera is tracking the car it highlights that there is something important in that car and that is why they are following it. The car is driving past in extremely dark lighting which is a common generic thriller convention of mice-en-scene used in thrillers. The lighting is almost pitch black and only the car and the road can be seen and nothing in the background. This makes the film more tense and suspenseful as you don't know what is out there and it highlights the seclusion and isolation of the location. The camera then switches into the car and has one long medium shot- throughout the whole car scene. This shot is used to show the natural look of the men just sitting in the car with no problems or stress, also the main focus is on the driver then on the main the passenger seat and lastly the man in the boot. This highlights the order of importance of the characters as there is more focus on the man on the driving seat as he is right informant of the camera with better lighting which indicates he has a more important role to play then the man in the back of the car who is far away and in much darker light. There is diegetic sound coming from the boot of the car, and by the reaction of their faces they are extremely confused by what is making this noise, this tells us something suspicious could be in the boot that we are unaware off. As they get out of the car there is synchronous dietetic sound of birds chirping which emphasises the isolation and seclusion of the location. This alongside the dark lighting makes the film very tense and as suspicions of a body in the boot have arisen this sound adds a completely new dimension as nobody can hear the victims screams or come and save the victim as the birds chirping shows the location is in the middle of nowhere and this adds to the fear and tension as the audience know that the victim cannot be saved. There is a close up zoomed in shot of the car boot highlighting something important and unexpected is in the boot. This is followed by a medium shot of the all three of the men standing over the boot which is at a slight low angle highlighting they are in this together and that they have the power over the victim. There is lots of generic mice-en-scene that follows this such as: the make-up blood which shows the extent of the victims injuries and makes it all very real to a viewing audience which makes them feel sacred and nervous as something that horrific can happen to someone, also there is a gun and a knife which are two props used as weapons to torture and kill these weapons are both severe weapons that can do fatal damage with one shot or stab. There is a low angle shot looking up at one of the men stabbing the victim again highlighting he has the power and superiority. Lastly there is extended camera time on the man at the end who was also the one who had the focus on him in the car this again is reemphasising his importance and maybe symbolising he is different from the other men or he is more important and will have a vital role later on.

This film had a large influence on my film many of the editing, sound, mise-en-scene and camera shots that featured in Goodfellas. Lots of the generic thriller conventions we used from this film for example: low lighting, death and weapons. We used Goodfellas as are main inspiration because not only was it a huge global success but also it fits into the same thriller sub-genre which is a crime-thriller so it means there will be a lot of overlapping between my film and goodfellas.

The Bechdel test

The Bechdel Test 

What is it?

There are three requirements that need to be found in a movie for it to pass the Bechdel Test:

1) The movie has to have at least two women in it 

2) who talk to each other

3) About something besides a man

What is the test trying to achieve?

The bechdel test is now used to see how a film represents gender and female characters. That women are shown to be important in films and not just shown because they relate to a male character or highlight the superiority of a male in the film, but can stand on their own as a character. Sometimes a film can have many women characters but this can be deceptive as although they feature the depth of their stories are non discussed of show they are just there to make a man look more important or superior and part of the male characters story and no their own.

Critics

The test is now used some critics as a way of testing gender representation in films for example the European cinema used it to test the script of films to see if it passes the test or not.

Analysis of how our actors fit into the thriller sub-genre and how they will appeal to our target audience

Analysis of how our actors fit into the thriller sub-genre and how they will appeal to our target audience 

In our crime-thriller we have three main actors:
* Dennis Callaghan = Ethan Rand
* Michael Callaghan = Aree Rand (father to Dennis)
* Brandon Callaghan = Elliot Sorsky (Uncle of Dennis)

Each of their roles:
Each of the the three characters are part of the 'Callaghan' family, this family business is the mafia. Brandon Callaghan (Elliot Sorsky) is the boss of the mafia and head the operations from inside an office. While Micheal Callaghan (Aree Rand) takes part in the main action and the killing of the victims and his role in our opening sequence is to take his son Dennis Callaghan (Ethan Rand) to his first mafia experience and to make his first kill. 

      Micheal Callaghan                         Dennis Callaghan                          Brandon Callaghan

Firstly, Micheal Callaghan who is played by Aree Rand fits into our thriller sub-genre as he is a good-looking middle aged man and we wanted him to attract a female audience. He is also quite an intimidating man when in his costume, which is important characteristic to have for our thriller as we want him to be feared a little as he is part of the mafia but also be respected and as he doesn't look like as psychotic murderer he gets respect because he is good-looking and well dressed.

Then there is Ethan Rand, who is the younger boy in the opening sequence. He fits into our thriller sub-genre as he is good-looking and will get respect of the audience which is something we wanted to achieve. But at the same time he looks a lot younger and more innocent then the other actors, which was also important for his role as it his first experience an we wanted to highlight his youth and innocence.

Lastly, we have Elliot Sorsky who does defiantly fit into the thriller sub-genre. He has a very intimidating and powerful look which earns respect and makes people fear him. His role is the boss and the man in charge of the operation so this is vital that he looks more powerful and his appearance is intimidating and imposing which maybe Aree Rand would not be able to pull off.

Why do young people like to watch horror films?

Why do young people like to watch horror films?

Unlike most genres that attempt to bring out feelings and create and atmosphere of excitement, suspenseful, happiness, wowed and even upset, the horror genre is extremely unique as it brings out fear an emotion that the average person doesn't like to feel. But for numerous reasons many people extremely enjoy the horror genre and putting themselves through the emotions of fear while watching it. There are a few explanations behind the psychology of a thriller and the real reason people sit down and enjoy it. It is thought that most people that relish horror films are just thrill-seekers and love anything that gives them that rush of fear. For some people that feeling gives them a thrill and usually to achieve the same sought of thrill you would have to participate in something extremely dangerous to replicate those feelings of fear, but horror films can provide that feeling in your gut in the safety of your home which is extremely unique and a large selling point for horrors. This is even more so for young people who are known for searching for that experience. Some people believe that it is the rush young people get from knowingly doing something wrong for why they enjoy doing it more and more. This can be said for horror films and why younger people love horror films as they know they shouldn't be watching it, which almost brings its own rush added with the film itself. The majority of people and younger people are constantly searching for that rush and thrill in life and often it takes something dangerous and put them at risk while doing it, another appeal of horror films is that they can achieve that same sensation without having to do anything dangerous just endure a few scary moments in the safety and security of their own home or cinema. For many people as well they don't fear some of the terrifying things that take place in horror films for example people might not fear that haunted doll can move objects in their house without touching them to frighten the people their. If that is the case and something such as this doesn't make you fear it could happen to you, then it is a lot more enjoyable watching it happen to someone else. Lastly the thrill is also biological, in a real life personal experience if someone experiences extreme fear or a heightened feeling of dread. We are quite literally put in survival mode by hormones commonly known as adrenaline that increase are capacity to either run or fight. The same thing takes place when we are scared by horror films and that adrenaline kicks in helping you to fight through the fear and to continue to watch the film. Although that feeling is terrifyingly scary at that present moment, but after it has finished there is no better feeling its as if you survived a life threatening moment even though you wrest in any real danger. For younger people as well their are bragging rights that come with this being able to tell your friends you watched this whole film can be an added incentive to endure a horror film. Overall the horror genre is able to tap into the fear inside people but more importantly able to give people a thrill that only an extremely dangerous experience  can provide. Many people describe the thrill of rollercoasters as doing it s greta but having done it is even better, the same goes for horror films and the feeling it give young people once it is done is a very unique quality that only the horror genre can provide. 

How the script enabled us to visualise our characters feelings and emotions

Our script is a voice over from the perspective of the son Dennis Callaghan on how his first experience in the mafia changed his life forever.

Voice over: I was 16 when it happened, bored, useless and craving excitement. Boy did i not know what i was getting myself into. My family are notorious for their name, always have been. The Callaghan family. The name alone could get you anything you wanted in this town. The boss Brandon Callaghan, the most respected man in South London, could get you anything you needed. Thats why when i was first introduced to the family business, [Start Conversation (Muted)] i was so proud to work with my dad for the first time. We were driving late at night, when we heard a bang, i thought it was nothing, but that bang changed my life for the worse believe you me.

The script gives an impression of his innocence something which is something certainly not associated with someone who kills in the mafia. The line 'Boy did I not know what I was getting myself into' shows that he was young and didn't understand the family business which is quite sad as now when he is older he has this horrible past from a young age which is something that will always effect him. As a young boy 'he didn't know any better' and just looked up to his family who were very powerful in his town and when you the power that they have you want that for yourself but unknowing what costs it comes with. All these feelings that have been suggested throughout the script are confirmed in the last line 'but that bang changed my life of the worst believe you me'. The script helps viewers to sympathises with the boy in the opening sequence as it gives the impression he didn't choose this life but it chose him and now there is no getting away from the negative way it has effected his life. The mafia are known for being cynical and not showing mercy for their victims nut this is a special case and in the sequence the boy is shaking with and extremely worried loom on his face almost proving that this life wasn't for him in contrast to his dad who had clearly been in the business for years and showed no sympathy towards his son and feels that it is his duty to bring his son into the business just like his dad did for him.

BBFC Film Classification

BBFC Film Classification

BBFC's Goal:
- Protect the entire population, mainly children from potential harmful content.
- Helping parents make informed decisions on what they view.
- Provide a cost efficient service .
- Respect adult freedom of choice.
- Respond to changing social attitudes within the media world.

How does the classification work?

The most vital aspect is to protect children viewing harmful and disturbing content. Therefore the BBFC aim to give consumers the maximum information available so a clear and informative decision can be made on whether one would like to see a certain film, or if it is suitable for ones child.
This results in the BBFC watching all movies the whole way through and giving them a classification certificate based upon strict criteria such as factors like 'strong violence,' 'strong violence' and 'sexual scenes.'

Classification Stages:

U - Suitable for all (Mild/very limited/none at all; discrimination, drugs, imitable behaviour, language, nudity, sex, threat and violence)
PG - (Mild/very limited/none at all/some mildly accepted; discrimination, drugs, imitable behaviour, language, nudity, sex, threat and violence)




12/12A - (Very little and not used by a whole group, no promotion so that children will copy; discrimination, drugs, imitable behaviour, language, nudity, sex, threat and violence) Only people of aged 12 and over can see these types of movies, however if you are under 12 you can only see the movie if accompanied by an adult.

15 - (A lot accepted but some not as a whole such as discrimination however racist, homophobic and other themes are accepted. Sexual scenes and strong language is also allowed however lack of strong language and detail during sexual scenes is limited; discrimination, drugs, imitable behaviour, language, nudity, sex, threat and violence)

18 - (Mostly all accepted to strong and high levels, however categories such 'sex works' where real life sex is shown may be considered under the R18 category ; discrimination, drugs, imitable behaviour, language, nudity, sex, threat and violence)


Our Thriller BBFC Film Classification: South War

Thriller Key Words: Strong Langauge |  Strong violence  |   Strong threat

Our thriller 'South War' would class as a 15 as there will be strong language, violence and threat, however there will be no promotion on how weapons were obtained nor will there be any realistic views that could harm the public as its not common for any sound individual to join a mafia. Therefore, as a result of strong contextual subjects and scenes, but lack of realism and the promotion of how weapons and dangerous items were obtained means 'South War' is suitable for anyone aged 15+. 

'BBFC Official Classification of the movie 'SOUTH WAR' - 15 (suitable for persons aged 15+)'

Our characters and their costumes

Our characters and their costumes

The first two photos are of the actor playing Michael Callaghan who is playing the father to Dennis Callaghan in the bottom two photos. He is wearing a grey suit with a black tie which is a very smart outfit this is because as we want the mafia to look professional and wearing suits gives that impression. Furthermore, It is his sons first day on the job who is wearing a very similar outfit and he wants to show him how it should be done in the most professional way to keep up the family traditions and it wouldn't  be right if they both weren't wearing smart clothes. 

      

This below is a photo from Reservoir dogs a crime thriller that is ver similar to ours which we took lots of inspiration form. This is there actors all in their suits ver similar to ours., this is because they want the characters to gain respect through the way they dress and look powerful by wearing smart and sophisticated suits.

How our location is similar to other films

The picture to the left is our location and the road we will be driving down in the dark on the way to murder our victim. This road is a dark and isolated road very similar to the one used in the opening scene of 'Goodfellas' where they are driving down in their car in an isolated and remote dark road. 

This is a picture of the car in 'Goodfellas' driving down the dark and isolated road. This is very similar to our location above when it is dark. It is very isolated with nothing significant around. This will be very similar to how our driving scene will look.










Where the white car is parked in this photo is where we will park the car and the shooting will take place. There are big trees and and bushes around the car and the road that block out the scenery which is again very similar to where the shooting take place in 'Goodfellas'














Here is the shooting in the opening sequence of 'GoodFellas'. Again here the scene is in a very isolated location surrounded by trees very similar to the our location above which is trying g to give of a similar effect. Where the scene is very tense and due to the isolation of the location it beens no now will be able to save the person in the boot.

Analysis of one shot run through

Analysis of the run through

Filming the run through gave us an opportunity properly examine the location and allowed us to see where exactly was the best place to film and park the car in terms of allowing us to film smoothly and effectively. As it is just a run through and a rough outline of the whole opening sequence there were many changes from the real film such as; the car we used is different to the black sports car that will feature, A prop gun will be used, one of the actors will be older playing the dad (Micheal calagan), both actors will be wearing costumes which are smarter clothes to represent the mafia and the actual film will be shot at night to add the tension and suspense to the scene. Despite these changes the run through allowed us to learn a lot that will help us when filming the real sequence. Firstly it gave us a rough outline of the order of the film that we can refer to later on. One of our actors was able to gain valuable experience of what he has to do, which will help our shooting day run more smoothly and the same goes for filming we were all able to experience filming even if it wasn't with the same camera an equipment we would really use. For the film itself it was a very good one shot run through it involved the main scenes of our sequence however the car was parked and in the real sequence the car will be filmed driving too and parking in that location. We see the younger boy in the mafia get out of the car with his dad and walk to the back where he is passed a gun to make his first kill in the mafia. Then the scene switches to the office scene where the boss picks up the phone to find the kill has been made and crosses out the target although we did not have the board with the targets present in the run through. By filming the run through at the real location we were able to identify a problem with the un-level surface in some places. This allowed us to find the the spots where we can film on a level surface avoiding this potential problem and making filming more efficient and better quality. Even though it is a very rough quick outline of the sequence it highlighted the importance that low lighting and sound will have on our thriller, the low lighting will add the tension and suspense as will the non-diegetic music in the background. The run through is a very useful tool of reference as it highlights the main storyline and plot of our sequence even though their are many key aspects missing from it.

"South War" Questionnaire Interview

"South War" Questionnaire Interview

We asked the following questions:
1) What films do you like to watch?
2) Do You prefer crime-thrillers or comedy thrillers ?
3) What would make you watch a crime-thriller?
4) What isn your favourite thriller film?
5) Who is your favourite actor in thriller films?
6) What is the main aspect of a thriller film you would expect to see?

This enabled us to gather qualitative data in order to analyse what people liked about thriller films. From this research into audience members we gained an insight into our target audience and understood that our film appealed to a wide age group. Therefore we needed to take this on board with our casting choices in order to appeal to a wide range of audience members. We cast young handsome male actor in our lead role to appeal to a female audience and cast a middle aged male in a similar vein to Clive Owen to appeal to our female older audience.

One shoot run through of thriller

One shoot run through of thriller

Thriller Audition videos

Thriller Audition videos

We asked a few people to read out our script in a their best south London accent as that is where the family is from. This video is just two of the auditions that took place and the second one on this video is the one we decided to go for so we will use his voice for the voiceover. We decide to use the second man voice as he had a very good south-London accent which is where are film is based.

Mood board

Mood Board

Images from top left to right, down, then bottom right to left.

1. Lawyer in court - Represents the family mafias struggle with law and their actions to surpass it in the face of danger.
2. Gunfight - Foreshadows action and violence, such are the conventions of a thriller film.
3. Gun - Represents the gun trades off the mafia, and puts focus on the idea of violence.
4. Mafia - Represents the whole idea of the film, being mafia based
5. Police - The picture of the police shows their constant involvement with the mafia, the picture is slightly overlapping the picture of the mafia above, to show how the mafia regard themselves above the law, while the police always are close to catching them.
6. Family - Shows the importance of family in the film, this picture also overlaps all pictures, to present the idea that family is the most important thing in the world, surpassing money and power.
7. Dead Body - Foreshadows the death of a character in the film, keeps tension while watching.

Location

Edgwarebury Lane

We chose this location to film our thriller opening sequence "South War" because it is secluded and it provokes tension as it gets dark at night.

This image shows how the location is isolated from conventional roads as it is next to large fields and and a cemetery

The road is long and one thin meaning there should be little interference from other cars and no sound interference as there is no livestock around, or civilians

The area on the left where the white car is parked is where we will pull over in the car scene, it is perfect as it is away from traffic and there is space behind to set up the camera equipment.

This should be a perfect location for us to film, mainly because it is quite a secluded road and as we are filming a crime thriller about the mafia they would only kill their victim in a isolated location where no one would drive past or hear a gun shot. furthermore, there should not be many cars driving past which will allow us to film with more freedom and not have to keep stopping. Finally the road has little lighting from the street lights and the road remains very dark and using are outdoor lighting set we are able to have enough lighting to clearly see the scene but low enough to keep the tension and suspense which is what we are trying to create.

The first girl and final girl in horror films

First and final girl in horror films

First Girl

The first girl in a horror films are naive and innocent making them an easy victim to be murdered in a horror film. Often the girl will have blonde hair, this is because stereotypically the blonde hair connotes stupidity and naivety making her even more of an easy target. In many cases the lone girl will just open the door when she hears the doorbell without checking who is there or wander the phone putting herself in danger and highlight her naivety and stupidity. For example, in the opening sequence of 'Scream' the blonde girl is portrayed as naive and stupid as she repeatedly answers the phone to the stranger even after he has revealed themselves as being extremely creepy then later reveals he is watching her. Additionally, within the opening sequence the blonde girl also burns the popcorn, leading to a small fire, further showing the stupidity of the blonde girl also known as the first girl in a horror film.

The Final girl

Is almost the complete opposite of the first girl. The final girl is when the women is the violent hero something that was typically associated to men. In slasher films which is a sub-genre of horror films first allowed the person who kills the psychopath to be a female who is known as the final girl. Many of the characteristics the final girl possesses are those associated with men in complete contrast to the characteristics of the first girl. The final girl is the only character who knows something isn't right and uses the evidence to solve the pattern. The final girl is stereotypically Brunette unlike the first girl who is stereotypically blonde and appears in modest clothes making her less vulnerable and showing her as more intelligent. 


This is an example of a final girl from the movie 'Black Christmas(1974)', in this film `the female character named Jess does not back down against dangerous male anatomists.

Costumes and props (in relation to other films)

costumes/props

Our mafia father/son will both wear the classic mafia suit attire. The actors already own suits which can be used to shoot in. In addition to this the father will have a gun and we will buy a fake gun from amazon. Goodfellas is a film based on the mafia and out actors attires will be very similar to the attires used in Goodfellas. We will                                                                   also be using a car which we already have.