Media Opening Sequence PRESENTATION

MEDIA MOVIE OPENING SEQUENCE PRESENTATION - "Liforce Productions"

THRILLER

PLOT

My movie will be set in present day, during the night. The story will take place at the main protagonists home, his name not being extremely important throughout this particular opening as his name will not be mentioned nor hinted. The sequence opens up with the main protagonist sitting in his living room, watching the television with a cigarette and drink. After a short while, he will hear distinct noise from outside his house, sounding somewhat like someone has opened one of his gates and made their way onto his drive. This will lead to the protagonist to leave his living room and approaching the front door to observe his driveway for any disturbances. After a short while, he will open the front door for a clearer view, calling "Hello" two or three times for any response. He then spots that one of the gates has been opened slightly, and as a result leaves his house and approaches the driveway to close it again... during this time, the mysterious character has quietly entered his home - not visible on camera. The protagonist subtly returns to his house and sits back down on the sofa, quietly questioning himself on the event that had just happened. At this time, the mysterious character quietly approaches the protagonist from behind. This will be a slow movement to maximise the tension of the scene. The antagonist will be carrying a weapon (most likely a knife, due to its ability to murder its victims silently). The scene will then finish with a sudden black out once the antagonist has approached the protagonist - combined with the slow build of background score, intensifying the tension and suspense of the scene. Should be no longer than 2.30mins.

SUB GENRE & CONVENTIONS

The sub genre of my movie opening is a "Psychological Thriller". This is a specific sub genre that requires heavy focus on the characters. It often incorporates elements from the mystery and drama genre, along with typical conventions of a thriller genre. - EXAMPLES OF "PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLERS" SHOWN BELOW;

"Memento"

 "Seven"

"The Usual Suspects"

CONVENTIONS - 

There are many conventions of the the thriller genre that I will be using for my opening sequence;

- Low Key Lighting

- POV Camera shots

- Focus Pulls (Deep & Shallow)

- Score will consist of deep bass and piano instruments

- Will focus heavily on the main protagonist - He is in danger.

CHARACTER TYPES;

Their are only two obvious characters within my movie opening (Protagonist and Antagonist)

1) The Protagonist - This character is someone who enjoys being alone. His quiet and mysterious characteristics are what make him so enticing and enjoyable to watch. 

- Quiet

- Drinks

- Smokes

- Dresses very dull and messy - vest shirt, tracksuit bottoms...etc.

2) The Antagonist - This character consists of a hidden identity throughout the opening sequence of my movie. He/she/it does not appear clearly in front of the camera throughout the sequence, however does briefly appear towards the end of the opening. This silence and lack of identity creates a higher level of suspense towards the plot and the characters themselves.

TARGET AUDIENCE;

- The certificate for my movie will be 15, meaning that my target audience on the whole is anyone above the ages of 15. This will include males or females who enjoy psychological thrillers.

- Many psychological thrillers released today (examples shown above) are certificate 18, however the content used for my movie opening is not overly explicit.

- The reason for my movie being certified for 15+ is because the movie will contain some aspects of violence and death.

WHAT AM I AIMING TO ACHIEVE?

I am aiming to achieve a sequence that completely draws the viewers attention all the way through until the end. The opening will need to consist of a dark, unsettling mood - accomplished with the conventions to do so; Low key lighting, POV shots...etc. This will be achieved thoroughly with the help of a close friend of mine, Harry Gilmour - a keen and talented photographer, kindly providing me with the technology to do so. 

Another aspect of my movie which I feel is extremely important is the relationship between the protagonist and the viewer. I feel that the relation ship between both the characters and the viewers should be strong. This is because I believe that the stronger the bond, the more personal the movie becomes. Examples of previous movies with close relationships between the main protagonist and the viewer are shown below;

 "Drive" - Action Thriller (Protagonist)

"Limitless" - Action Thriller (Protagonist - Right)

SUMMARY
I believe that both "Drive" and "Limitless" hold a specific style of filming and eventhough they are both not psycological thrillers, I feel they bring a strong sense of realism and appeal to the show. The way in which the characters are highlighted within the movie through narrative, characteristics, body language...etc allows the viewers to gain a stronger understanding on the characters personality. This results in the viewers to feel asif they know the character personally, and therefore are able to show a deeper level of emotion towards that particular character. This is a unique and effective specialty to have and is something that I will be looking to achieve within my own movie opening.