Evaluating the storyboard

What is storyboarding?

My group, consisted of myself, Santi and Bella, started storyboarding for our thriller opening sequence. On creating the storyboard we have taken our timeline and created each frame by quickly illustrating them out into a table. We have also included on our storyboard important detail such as lighting and the length of the shot. Bella took the role of beautifully drawing the frames. 

Why storyboard?

Although not everything is included, such as backgrounds, it has helped my group to think about each individual frame vividly because we need to take into consideration what characters and props should be included. Additionally we have included technical notes such as camera angles and movement to help understand the flow of the visual images. 

Has it helped us capture our thriller genre?

To capture the sense of the thriller genre we have taken into consideration light, where we have thought that it should always be slightly dim creating a sinister atmosphere and creating tension. Also having this information prepared on the day will help us focus on getting the footage we need. To complete our storyboard we need to include a frame of our thriller title. We were thinking that we would include it at the end of our opening sequence when the suspense is at its peak.

For example

In this shot we have the investigator dropping the file heavily onto the table to startle the girl in questioning. We have included the shot type, which is a mid shot because we want the focus to be on the file. We have considered having this shot in slow motion to and having the next shot of the girl looking up at him normal to emphasise her confidence in the extract. 

 In this shot we have the girl crossing her legs connoting that she is relaxed and feels confident that she can overpower the investigator. Additionally the girl is wearing muddy boots to give hints of the event from the night before. 

Overall...

I do believe that producing a storyboard has helped my team focus more on the shots and has prepared us for our difficult task of shooting a pilot on this coming Monday. 

Presentation

Presentation

Analysis of opening sequence to One Hour Photo

The opening titles of the film use non-diegetic sound which creates an eerie feel and generates suspense. The titles flash on the screen like a camera when they transition into the next set of titles. the layout of the title sequence is also like a camera screen.

The first shot is a medium shot of the camera used to take mugshots of the man in questioning, there is a long pause and the motif begins to get louder and faster, increasing the intensity. Until the camera flashes then there is a black out. The opening location is a police station, which tells the audience that the man in questioning has committed a crime. This tells the audience that this film is a crime thriller.  

The camera used for the mugshots is old fashioned. This film was based in 2002 and since then there has been a rapid increase in the development in technology. However, at this time the camera used probably would have been the state of the art professional. 

The rooms in the police station are always empty and have the maximum of two characters in them, for example the investigation room and an office. This creates uncertainty for the audience or could imply that this scene takes place in the middle of the night, so people would not usually be around. 

During the investigation the man in questioning and therefore the audience are not allowed to see the photographs inside the file. This creates suspense and further questioning because whatever the crime this man has committed is in that file. Because the man asks to see the photographs, we get this idea that he is proud of what he has done.

We are first introduced to the main character when the camera flashes and we see a mug shot on a screen. The main character is a middle aged man, he is dressed respectfully and doesn't look like your typical criminal.

The investigator is polite to the man in questioning, for example he makes it clear that he does not have to ask any questions until his lawyer is present, this connotes that the criminal is unstable and should seek as much help as he can. 

Sub-Genres

Audiences recognise a thriller by, for example, their typical plot where the protagonist goes onto a discover to create suspense. Typical themes of a thriller are mystery, crime, suspense and some sought of enigma. This relies on the principal of repetition in a genre. Thrillers are not as visually defining as other genres, such as Westerns, where usual locations are set in wild west saloons, for example Django Unchained. While there are certain characteristics that define all thrillers, the large category can be subdivided into several 'sub-genres' which have their own distinct formulas. For my group, we felt our thriller fell under the sub-genre of a Crime Thriller. These films often focus on criminals dealing with a successful or failed crime and the suspenseful results. common themes include robberies, murders, and double crosses, for example Inception. Usual characters in a crime thriller include: criminals, investigators and victims, which we all have in our thriller. Usual settings for a crime thriller include: investigation room, abandoned warehouses and family homes, which again we have used in our thriller.

Who is the target audience?

The audiences are categorised by the industry as a potential market. For research my group tried to discover who was our potential market. The intended audience for Caleidoscopio are 16- 30 year olds of both genders. The audience would have an online presence as they would be attracted by the online promoting, such as IMDB and Facebook. Other profile psychographics include Inception, The Usual Suspects, The Dark Knight and Se7en. 

By finding out Caleidoscopio's target audience, we construct a typical market for our product. At first my group thought that the film would appeal to mostly young males, however by having a powerful and independent female protagonist we felt that this would also attract a female audience. Demographics point out an audience's significant social criteria e.g. age, gender, occupation and social class.

Teenagers dominates our target audience, so we found out what are typical values, attitudes and lifestyles choices of a teenager. Caleidoscopio attracts trendies and a rebel audience, they crave attention and admiration from their peers and wish to remake the world in their own image. These qualities also represent the protagonist of the film.

PLOT: A daughter of a well-established drug dealer is kidnapped by one of the most dangerous mafia clans as a revenge of her incompetent father unable to pay his debts. A twist of fate leads to the daughter’s surprising change in character, she falls in love with her kidnapper and they team up and turn against the father. Six months later during an assignment the plan crumbles, leading to tragic murder of her mother. There is a close call with the police, but getting caught only makes them stronger and the gang fight back to get what is rightfully there’s. Power.  

OPENING SEQUENCE: the extract takes place in a interrogation room at a police station/ prison. The girl has been taken into custody for the murder of her mother. The investigator is trying to get to the bottom of the situation so they can lock away the girl, because it is clear she is guilty. The girl acts calm and cocky throughout, trying to wind up the investigator while she buys her team time. She has been constantly looking at the door and her watch, as if she is waiting for something vital to occur. At the end the investigator asks her "Is there anything you would like to add or clarify?"and she replies

“Its show time” then the camera cuts to a wide shot from a security camera that is in the corner of the room and crashes out.