Opening titles sequence for our thriller

I got my inspiration for my opening titles timeline from the opening title sequence "Se7en". I got my inspiration from this thriller film opening titles as these titles are shown differently and are consistent throughout the title sequence. The titles from "Se7en" gives clues to the audience about what the film could be about and what it could include. "Se7en" is a good example of an opening titles sequence this is because each title has the same typography which looks creepy, this shows that the film is a thriller, as well as the use of each animation in this sequence. The animations used in this opening sequence creates tension and also suggests that the film could be creepy and maybe mysterious. This titles sequence inspires my thriller opening titles because it helps me to decide on which typography to use that best suits the type of thriller genre we are creating which is a psychological thriller.

 

This shot is a close up of someone writing, this makes the audience want to know what he is writing. The picture is distorted which could show the speed of his writing or time passing. This shot is important because it could suggest that this person is a writer or a journalist, who is recording down an event or something that has happened. The typography used in this opening title sequence is the same throughout and therefore is continuous. This shot has inspired my thriller opening titles timeline this is because it makes the audience think that this is a thriller film and it also it is a different way of showing a title in a title sequence. The distorted image looks good and fits into the thriller genre as it makes the audience think about what this person is writing about and if it could be relevant to the film or show this persons personality or job. 





This shot is a close up showing someone putting a black line through the eyes of a picture, this could suggest that this person doesn't want to look into their eyes or they could be crossing off someone from a list. Titles also appear on this shot, this is also done in the same typography to show the theme of the film. This shot inspires my thriller opening titles sequence because it shows that this is a thriller and also I could use this in my opening title sequence because the title is shown over a animation which makes it look more like a thriller.

 

My opening titles sequence timeline is inspired by the film "Se7en" this is because it has an animation sequence throughout the opening sequence, apart from on some of the titles which appear on a black screen. In our thriller opening titles sequence we are going to have most of the titles appear on different objects such as magazines and the walls this is inspired by "Se7en" because these titles from this film appear on different objects and animations.
 

Props, Costume, Make-up and location for our thriller opening sequence

Props:
Props that we will be using in our thriller opening sequence:

- Magazines

- Posters and magazines

- Fake blood

- TV remote

- Mug

- Eye-liner or lip liner (Red or Black)

We will be using a magazine in our thriller opening towards the start this will be used by the protagonist as she will be downstairs being a normal teenager before she starts to hear all the noises. We will buy a magazine that is targeted at female teenagers, for example Cosmopolitan or Sugar, this is so that it relates to the actor playing the girl and also our target audience of our thriller. Some of our titles might appear on pages of the magazine, this is because we want our titles to appear on different objects around the house, as we took inspiration from the Se7en opening titles sequence.

ant to create the connotation of female teenagers wanting to read gossip magazines and that teenagers like to read about gossip. The representational ideas the prop creates about the character is that she a stereotypical girl.

We will be using posters and magazines in our thriller opening throughout different parts of the opening sequence when the alter-ego appears. We will be ripping the front covers of the magazines so that it looks like claw marks and we will do this by using a pen to rip the fronts, the magazines will be placed on the floor around the room and some of the magazines will have hand prints created by fake blood on. We will also be sticking the posters on the wall behind the alter-ego and we will use the fake blood to create hand prints to make it look creepy and also make the alter-ego significant. These two props are unconventional because most thriller films don't have teenagers in them and therefore won't have any magazines or posters relating to that age group. We will also be using a large poster at the end of our thriller and it will be placed over the main title on one of the walls in the bedroom and the alter-ego will rip the poster off to show the title. We want to create the connotation of the typical teenager girl wanting to decorate her room with posters that inspire her or that appeal to her. The representational ideas that the props create about the character are that she is a typical teenage girl.

We will be using a TV remote and a mug in our thriller opening to make the protagonist look like a stereotypical normal teenage girl at home. The protagonist will have the television on in the background as she is reading her magazine, this is to show a stereotypical action that all teenagers do when they are home alone. We will also be using red or black eye-liner/ lip-liner to write titles on the alter-egos arms, as it is different from most thrillers so it will be eye catching to our target audience. We want to create the connotation of a stereotypical home scene in a thriller. The representational ideas that the props create about the characters and setting are that this is a psychological thriller.

Make-up:

- Theatrical make-up

- Normal make-up that a teenage girl would wear

In our thriller will be using theatrical make-up this is because it makes our thriller look more like a psychological thriller. The theatrical make-up will be used only on the alter-ego this is because it makes this character look a lot different from the teenage girl and therefore makes our thriller opening seem creepy, this could also create tension when you see the alter-egos face towards the end of the thriller opening title sequence. The use of the theatrical make-up on the alter-ego suggests that she represents the darkest parts of the teenage girl and therefore it suggests that the alter-ego is dark. We want the alter-egos make-up to look like the make-up in the picture above this is because it makes the character look dark. We will be using pale foundation and black and blue eye shadow to create this look, the black and blue eye shadow will be used to make the eyes look dark and also to make the face look a bit dirty. This make-up will be used throughout our thriller opening title sequence whenever the alter-ego appears on screen, this is to create tension and also to make her look creepy. Theatrical make-up like the picture above is typical of the thriller genre because it puts fear into the audience and makes the thriller creepy as well as introducing dark themes. We want to create the connotation that our thriller opening title sequence has a dark theme and that it is creepy. The representational ideas that this make-up creates about the character are that this character is dark and could be seen as the villain type character in our thriller.

The teenage girl will not have theatrical make-up on this is because we want to show that she is innocent. We will creating an everyday natural look, this will be look will be created with foundation which matches the characters skin tone, mascara and a little bit of blusher to highlight the cheeks. This make-up will be used throughout our thriller opening title sequence whenever the teenage girl appears on screen, this is to show that she is a typically normal teenage girl. Natural make-up like the picture above is typical of the thriller genre because it could suggest that the character is pure or innocent. We want to create the connotation that the teenage girl is pure and innocent unlike the alter-ego who we want to express dark themes, we want the audience to see that this character is the opposite of the alter-ego and therefore it is clear that our thriller shows two different parts to a persons personality for example the light and the dark parts. The representational ideas that this make-up creates about the character are that this character is pure/ innocent and is seen as the protagonist in our thriller.

Location:

The location which we will be filming our thriller opening titles at is a house located in the centre of Bourne. Bourne is a small town in Lincolnshire which contains two secondary schools. This is important because our thriller is about a teenage girl who is around the age of 17 and would attend schools like this. This proves that our location is a believable one which our character would live in. The house is a Victorian style and this adds character to the location. It has dark corners and is not perfectly lit which is useful because the style of our thriller opening titles is dark and atmospheric. The house is also "lived in" which means the set for a normal family home is already present. 

The location was chosen because it is relevant to the story line. The story is about a teenage girl who is home alone when she hears sounds coming from upstairs. When she goes upstairs, she finds a girl in the corner of her bedroom who is rocking back and forth and is a mirror image of herself. The house we have chosen to film at is lived in by a teenage girl which means the bedroom is already there to be filmed in and only alterations we need to make is the part of the bedroom which the alter-ego has destroyed with blood and magazines. This location is typical of the thriller genre as it relates to our characters and it is a realistic setting as it is a home environment. the representational ideas that this characters about the character is that she is a normal teenage girl who lives in a normal house and home environment.

The main place in the house where we will be filing are; 

1) The living room 

2) The stairs 

3) The bedroom 

One risk which is possible at our location is filming on the stairs. This is because we are planning on filming a tracking shot which will require the camera to follow the actor up the stairs, there will also be a low angle shot from half way up the stairs. This is only a risk because the stairs we are filming on a curved round and the steps are thin on the right side. To prevent the risk of falling down the stairs, we will make sure that we will walk up the stairs slowly and have only one person on any step of the stairs at once. 

 A second risk which could occur is spilling the fake blood or getting it on equipment/ items at the location. To prevent this risk, we will be using the fake blood the day before and putting it on props a day prior to filming. This will allow time for the fake blood to dry so there will be no risk of spilling it or smudging it onto equipment.

Costume:

The costume the alter-ego will be wearing will be similar to the images above. This character will be wearing dark clothing to show that she is a dark character and the darkest parts of the teenage girl, as it will be the same actor the contrast of light and dark personalities will be shown clearly. The dark coloured clothing she will be wearing when shown on camera is; a black jumper, a black top, black tights and a black skirt. This character will always be dressed in black clothing this is to show that she is a dark character and her personality is dark. This character will be portraying the darker and more evil side of the teenage girl, the fact that this character is only shown in the girl's bedroom shows that this area is personal and no one else gets to see her, it also could connote that everyone including her has a darker side which is not shown to anyone else. Wearing darker clothing is typical for an "antagonist" character in thrillers as the black colour connotes darkness and negativity which is what normally is wanted to be portrayed by the antagonist in thrillers. This is typical of the thriller genre because most of the villain/ antagonist characters in thrillers are dressed in dark clothing to show what their role is in the thriller for example antagonist or protagonist and to show that they are the villain in that particular thriller film. the representational ideas that this costume creates about the character are that the actor wearing this costume is playing a dark character or a antagonist. 

The costume the teenage girl will be wearing will be similar to the images above. This character will be wearing light coloured clothing to show that she is an innocent and pure character, it will also show that she is the light (good) parts of her personality. The theme of our thriller is the contrast between light and dark personalities and therefore the costume that this character is wearing suggests that she is the light character. We want to connote that this teenage girl is innocent and pure, this is shown through the white costume and the fact that the alter-ego is wearing black clothing shows a contrast between the two characters and therefore shows the theme of light and dark, good and evil. The light coloured clothing she will be wearing when shown on camera is; a white jumper and a top with a flower patterned skirt and black tights.  Once the teenage girl steps into the bedroom wearing these clothes she will instantly stand out from the other character, showing the contrast in personalities and how they are perceived by other people. Wearing white is typical to the thriller genre as it is connotes innocence and purity and it also tends to be worn by the "damsel in distress. "This is typical of the thriller genre as most of the hero/ protagonist characters in thrillers are dressed in light clothing to show that they are innocent and pure characters and the protagonist in that particular thriller film. The representational ideas that this costume creates about the character are that the actor wearing this costume is a innocent or pure character or a protagonist.  

Analysis of title sequence

Dexter

 Below is the clip of the thriller television series opening title sequence that I have analysed.
 



 This shot is a close up of the main title. The title is written in blood this creates the idea that this thriller could contain blood shed or that it is about a murderer. The title stands out from the old looking background this makes it clear to the audience that this is the main title. The typography used as the main title is bold and simple, it is also written in blood this tells the audience that it could be about murder or crime.

This shot is an extreme close up.
At first when you look at this shot it looks like someone is cutting in to another person's skin and therefore makes the audience think that a murder is being committed. However when the sequence carries on and goes to the next shot we can see that it was meat that was getting cut up this makes the audience think that this thriller could contain violence and maybe even murder. This creates suspense and a sense of mystery as the audience doesn't know what is going to happen next. There is lots of quick editing this creates suspense and makes the audience really pay attention so that they don't miss anything. The fact that the meat looks so much like skin it could make the audience feel uncomfortable. This shot could be a graphic match because it resembles the look of skin. This shot could also tell the audience a possible aspect of the characters role.

This shot is an extreme close up, showing someone tightly wrapping dental floss round their finger. This shot also shows one of the main titles which tells us who the co-executive producer is. At first you can't really tell that this person is wrapping dental floss round his finger but as soon as the next two shots are shown it is clear what this prop is and why it is being used in this opening title sequence. This shot could be associated with a way of killing someone as this prop looks like it could be a piece of string that could be used to kill someone.

 

 

This is an extreme close up. At first when you look at this shot it looks like someone could be suffocating someone else, we know this because someone's face is pressed up against the material. You can't tell what kind of material it is because it is so close up and therefore the audience is not expecting to see that in the next shot someone is putting their t-shirt on. This shot could be associated with a murder being committed as it looks like someone is being suffocated, however as you can't see the person who is supposedly meant to be killing someone we can't tell if a murder is being committed or not and therefore makes the audience wonder what is happening or what is going to happen next.

 

All of the shots above are associated with ways of killing someone and therefore could suggest that this thriller serious is about crime or murder. This thriller opening title sequence shows a characters morning routine, however it is done to show that the character is violent for example the way they do their shoe laces up is done violently. The same soundtrack is being quietly played throughout the opening title sequence and when some of the animations are being shown you can hear the action taken place, for example when the meat is being cooked the sound of the butter melting and the meat being thrown into the pan is heard.

Analysis of a thriller

Leon opening scene analysis 

In the opening scene it is set in an urban area this shows that the film might be about gangs and it might also include lots of action. As the soundtrack changes there are lots of different shots used to create a mystery and it shows the main character doing something suspicious or doing a routine, these shots are; a close-up of a hand, someone lighting a match , a close-up of someone's mouth, hands and eyes. Extreme close-ups are used to show a character being intimidated, uncomfortable, unusual and nervous. Also the use of extreme close-ups make the audience want to know who the characters are in the shot and where they are.

The soundtrack has low volume, this tells the audience that something is about to happen and I could involve crime or something else. The man with a gun to his face tells us that the film might be about trained killers, the gun is threatening, the character is serious but you can't see him, this makes the audience want to know what he looks like and this shot is also from Leon's point of view.

The close up of the numbers builds tension. The body Leon has shot propped up in the elevator is humours, teasing the guy, but also is a distraction to make all the guys so busy that the fat man is left unprotected, this shows that Leon is clever and witty. Death at the start is a typical thriller convention, however it is unconventional as you can't relate it to the main character Leon. 

 

This shot is a close-up, two shot, showing the man in front of Leon to be the most important person in this shot. This character is the most important because you can see him clearly and the lighting is on him to make him stand out and so that you can see that something might happen to him. Whereas Leon is in the background and you can only see his hand and face, Leon is wearing black glasses which makes the audience think that he is suspicious and closed off. As the glasses are black, this could represent his personality and also could suggest that he is a dark person or a cold blooded murderer. The fact that Leon is holding a knife to the mans throat could suggest that he is going to hurt him or even kill him. The music in this scene is like a heartbeat, but as soon as the knife touches the mans neck the soundtrack stops, this could connote that his life is about to end as Leon is going to kill him.
 

This film would be aimed at the explorers psychographic group this is because it is action packed which the younger generation like in a film. It would be demographic group E because of the same reason.

Psychographics and Demographics

Psychographics



Psychographics split up audiences depending on their lifestyle, job, hobbies and their personality. For example the typical target audience for the thriller Leon would be explorers, this is becasue the younger generations would like this film. 

Demographics

A- CEO's, top management, bankers, lawyers, doctors 

B- middle management, teachers 

C- nurses, office supervisors, junior managers

C2- plumbers, skilled workers 

D- retail workers, semi-skilled and unskilled manual workers 

E- students/ unemployed, pensioners, casual workers 

Demographics are used to split up the audience into groups from A to E. These groups depends on what type of job you have, for example students are demographic group E. Each demographic group will prefer to watch different film genres, for example students will like to watch action thrillers. 

Production company

 What is a production company and it's role?

A production company is involved in the producing recorded or live entertainment. Production companies help in the provide funding and help to make distribution of films or television programmes. The production company for the making of a film or television programme provides money and sets a budget of a certain amount for the making of that film or television programme, this means that the making of the film or TV programme cannot go over the set budget. However if the set budget is low then this is likely to reflect on the film or TV programme. Production companies also make the decisions of what director and actors can be hired. Some examples of production companies are; Walt Disney pictures, DreamWorks, Paramount pictures, 20th Century Fox, Lionsgate and Universal. Walt Disney has produced mostly animation films such as Toy Story and The Lion King, whereas 20th Century Fox has produced good quality action films such as X-Men and The Wolverine.

What makes an effective production company ident?

 An effective production company ident includes a good soundtrack as the animation starts to appear and a good production company name. The aspects that should be in the production company ident are; a moving animation, an animation, the production company name and a change in background lighting to create an effect.

Which production company would you use to produce your thriller?

The production company I would use to produce my thriller is Lionsgate this is because it has produced many different thrillers such as "American Psycho", "The Devil's Rejects" and "The day after tomorrow". Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation was founded by financier Frank Giustra in the summer of 1997. During his years as a banker, he also had been involved in the financing of a half dozen films. At the age of 40 he decide that he wanted to enter the entertainment business.  Lionsgate entertainment is a suitable institution to produce our thriller because most of their thriller films are targeted at a similar audience to our target audience for our thriller, most of the thriller films are of the same genre as ours which is psychological thrillers. 

What makes a thriller, thrilling?

A thriller is a type of genre which has an exciting plot, typically involving crime or an investigation/ mystery. Thrillers are action packed and always have a relatable character so that the audience feel involved in the film.

The typical conventions of a thriller are:
- The aim of the thriller is to create suspense and excitement for the audience through using diegetic and non diegetic sound as well as different types of shots placed in a sequence that creates suspense or tension such as shots like graphic match.
- Thrillers often use busy streets and the environment is usually urban or suburban areas for the setting this is because it is more realistic and the stereotypical urban scene is used so often because it is believed to be the place were most crimes occur.
- The hero is the only person able to reveal the truth and also in most thriller the hero or the protagonist deals with a death either their own or someone they know or don't know.
- Violence is also used in thrillers and they often reveal the workings of a particular institution such as the police, army or the government.
- The hero and the villain share some characteristics, the hero is an outsider and the enigma of the narrative will be solved by the hero and the villain also has their own story and is a part of the hero's life or story.
- There are usually a lot of close-ups to show important factors, there is quick editing and panning used. This is because it gives the audience clues into what might be happening or is going to happen.