Brianstorm Narrative

In class we were given a set of different situations and features of thriller films and had to make different narrative stories for them. The task was to help us think about thriller conventions and narrative.

The Witness Powerpoint

Here is a Powerpoint which summarising our thriller opening.

Thriller from musicmakesmonet

 Today in class we were set to identify different audience types within the thriller conventions. To do this we looked at two different lists and descriptions of character types of audiences. The first was from media researcher Nielsen and the other was unknown.

Both broke the audiences up depending on the audiences spending, likes and dislikes. The two lists conflicted so when placing the character into a criteria only one of the list could be used. After deciding to use the unknown list we placed the characters into there section.

Street Location

 Another scouting job was for the location of the beating and murder, that will feature as our flash back. For this we decided the best location would be on a street or estate type location.  This location will include all the typical features of an area in poverty.

This is the proposed sit for the beating location, it is an unkept area with cracks in the pavement and road, overgrown weeds, broken fencing and walls, and bleak grey buildings. It's important that this setting looks rough so the action fits into the area. Also having it as a scuzzy environment will hopefully make it a more believable piece, making the audience feel that the area is actually unsafe. This will hopefully and to the thrilling aspect of the opening sequence. 

 As far as filming is concerned to get a dingy appearance, I think it would be best to film during and adding an effect later in the editing stage using final cut. This will mean that we can get the clarity of the shot during the day, as shooting when it is actually darker out may prove difficult without sufficient lighting, of which is not available to us. And the fact it is a flash back will mean we can add other effects then just making it darker, such as contrast adjustment and burring. A quick test I tried just using iPhoto with the image was to see how just by altering the contrast and saturation can create different effects to the photo. Obviously when using imovie the effects will be able to change it much more giving me further freedom to change the shot.

Cafe Location

The group and I decided to look for possible locations for the setting of our cafe scene, we decided to look at the cafes our local town, Bury St Edmunds, offers. Before looking the group and I set out a criteria of what we wanted for the cafe, it would have to resemble the grimy events happening. Yet we also decided to keep a relatively open mind for other cafes. 

With this in mind we looked at a range of cafes, from the high end shops such as The SO Bar, The Wilcroft and even the well know Starbucks. The reason we looked at these coffee shops was that even though they didn't fall into the criteria of being a grimy, lower-class environment. They would contradict this, a confront the stereotype. This would create mystery as if characters would not fit into the their surroundings, this could refer to the fact that the characters are in an uncomfortable place, a situation they are not use to. Yet it was thought this idea was too complex for the opening of the thriller so it was decided to not use a high quality coffee shop. 

This meant that we were going for a cafe, not coffee shop. And one that looked run-down, and cheap. It is important that the location incorporates these features as it will be the location our characters have their conversation. Therefore the location will be linked to the uncomfortable confrontational nature of the conversation and the type of people our characters are - low classed, one a vandal and thug, the other caught up in the wrong game because of his social class. 

From this we found two possible cafes, that could be used for our thriller opening. The first is 'North End Cafe', this cafe was a great example of what we were looking for. From the outside the building was starting to look very run down with an unkept outside eating area, chipped and dirty wall and the sign was broken around the edges. Even if the sign was in perfect condition the front and colour used on it have a cheap characteristic. Which links to the fact that the characters either have a dirty past or are breaking under the pressure/confusion. 

Inside the cafe, the furniture is dated and the general decor looks to be from another decade as the cafe has not undergone any developments or improvements. The lighting inside is also naturally dim, creating a natural shadowing effect. This is shown with both images inside, but in particular the one with Lew as he has been silhouetted by the restricted lighting. This will work we with the concept of hiding the killers face throughout the opening scene until the very end. 

Another cafe that has similar features to 'North Gate Cafe' was 'St. Andrews Cafe & Take Away'. This cafe also has features of cheapness, such as the cheap aluminum table and chairs and run-down building. 

Both of these cafes are on the same street, which in itself is poorly kept. This will mean that we will be able to use the surrounding area if we wanted outside shots. 

Director Study - David Fincher

David Fincher is a music and film diector, he is best know for his dark stylistic thrillers. After leaving Ashland High School in Oregon, Fincher did not go straight into directing film school but entered the film industry by getting a job at Korty Films, a film production company,  where he loaded cameras and did other hands on work.

David Fincher says he was first inspired by the 1969 film Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid. The film is an adventure biographical film of the train/bank robber Robert LeRoy Parker better known as Butch Cassidy. 

Fincher has worked with various recording artists directing music videos for Madonna, Billy Idol, Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones and Michael Jackson. 

David Fincher's most noted awards in his time directing music videos and Express Yourself and Vogue both songs by Madonna. Express Yourself was the first time Fincher and Madonna collaborated together, the video was nominated for five MTV Video Music Awards, in 1989 winning Three; Best Cinematography, Best Direction and Best Art Direction.

 The Vogue music video was nominated for nine MTV video music awards in 1990, making it Madonna's most nominated. The video came away with three awards; Best Direction, Best Editing and Best Cinematography. 

Fincher was also awarded a Grammy for his music video Love is strong by The Rolling Stones. 

Fincher has also made a number of commercials, for Coca Cola, Nike, Converse, Hieneken, Levi's, and Phone companies. 

This advert for Coca Cola has a Ridely Scott Blade Runner feel to it, with the way it set in a Japanese future. 

This advert for Levi's shows David Fincher's unique style and use of an urban environment and night and lighting. 

This Hieneken advert features Brad Pitt, one of Finchers favourite actors and features in a number of Fincher's films. 

David Fincher has now moved on to making feature films, building a good reputation for himself with many of his films have been nominated for Awards. The five films I am going to focus on are; Seven, The Game, Panic Room, Fight Club, and Zodiac. All of these film fall into the thriller genre and a good examples of showing Finchers style. 

Se7en - 1995

Two detectives, one newly transfered the other soon to retire, work together on a case. A serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins in picking his victims.

• A thriller film, with elements of horror and neo-noir
• Seven was released on September 22, 1995
• In it's opening weekend it grossed $13.9 million in 2,441 cinemas
• It went on to gross $100.1 million in North America and $227.1 million in the rest of the world. That's a total of $327.3 million
• This made Se7en the seventh-highest grossing film in 1995
• The Film was Nominated for the Oscar of Best Film Editing, 1996
• Awards for Se7en
  

  Year	Result	Award	Category/Recipient(s)
  1996	Won	ASCAP Award	Top Box Office Films
  1996	Nominated	Oscar	Best Film Editing
  1996	Won	Saturn Award	Best Make-Up  Best Writing
  1996	Nominated	Saturn Award	Best Action/Adventure  Film  Best Actor  Best Director  Best Music  Best Supporting Actress
  1996	Nominated	ASC Award	Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases
  1997	Nominated	Award of the Japanese Academy	Best Foreign Language Film
  1996	Nominated	BAFTA Film Award	Best Screenplay - Original
  1997	Won	Blue Ribbon Award	Best Foreign Language Film
  1995	Nominated	Best Cinematography Award	Darius Khondji
  1996	Won	CFCA Award	Best Cinematography
  1996	Nominated	CFCA Award	Best Actor
  2001	Nominated	Video Premiere Award	Best DVD Audio Commentary  Best DVD Menu Design
  1997	Won	Empire Award	Best Actor
  1996	Won	International Fantasy Film Award	Best Film  Best Screenplay
  1999	Won	Golden Trailer	Best of the Decade
  1996	Won	Hochi Film Award	Best Foreign Language Film
  1996	Nominated	Image Award	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Motion Picture
  1997	Nominated	IHG Award	Best Movie
  1997	Won	ALFS Award	Actor of the Year
  1995	2nd place	LAFCA Award	Best Cinematography  Best Music
  1996	Won	MTV Movie Award	Best Movie  Best Villian  Most Desirable Male
  1996	Nominated	MTV Movie Award	Best On-Screen Duo
  1995	Won	NBR Award	Best Supporting Actor
  1996	2nd place	NSFC Award	Best Supporting Actor
  1995	Won	NYFCC Award	Best Supporting Actor
  2001	Nominated	OFCS Award	Best DVD  Best DVD Commentary  Best DVD Special Features
  1996	Won	Universe Reader's Choice Award	Best Horror Film
  1995	Won	STFC Award	Best Supporting Actor

The Game - 1997

A film were a wealth business man is brought into a live-action game that takes over his life. 

• The film is a psychosocial thriller.
• The Game was released on the 12th September 1997
• In it's opening weekend it grossed $14.3 million in 2,403 cinemas 
• It went on to gross $48.3 million in North America and $61.1 million in the rest of the world. That's a world total of $109.4 million. 
• Was nominated for Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film at the Saturn Awards. 
• Though the film did not win the Saturn Award, it received a good reception from the critics. 

Fight Club -1999

A man suffering form insomnia and a mystery soap maker form an under ground club where people come to fight, this soon escalates into a violent revulsion.

• Fight Club was released 1999
• In it's opening weekend it grossed $11 million in 1,963 cinemas
• In went on to gross $37 million in North America and $63.8 in the rest of the world. That's a total of $100.8 million
• Awards for Fight Club

Year	Result	Award	Category/Recipient(s)
2000	Nominated	Oscar	Best Effects, Sound  Effects Editing
2000	Nominated	Brit	Best Soundtrack
2000	Nominated	CDG Award	Excellence in Costume  Design for Film -       Contemporary
2001	Nominated	Video Premiere Award	Best DVD Overall Original Supplemental Material
2000	Won	Empire Award	Best British Actress
2000	Nominated	Sierra Award	Best DVD  Best Editing
2000	Nominated	Golden Reel Award	Best Sound Editing - Effects & Foley
2001	Won	OFCS Award	Best DVD  Best DVD Commentary  Best DVD Special Features
2000	Nominated	OFCS Award	Best Actor  Best Director  Best Film  Best Film Editing  BestScreenplay, Adapted
2000	Nominated	PFS Award	Democracy
2000	3rd place	SEFCA Award	Best Screenplay, Adapted

Panic Room - 2002

A  woman and her teenage daughter become imprisoned in the panic room of their own house by 3 criminals.

• Panic Room was released March 18, 2002
• In it's opening weekend it grossed $30 million in 3,053 cinemas 
• In total the film grossed 96.4 million in North America and $100 million in the rest of the world. That's a world total of $196.4 million
• Panic Room was nominated for; Young Artist Award - Best Performance in a Feature Film - Leading Young Actress, OFCS Award -  Best Editing,  Golden Reel Award  - Best Sound Editing in Domestic Features, Golden Trailer - Best Horror/Thriller, Black Reel – (Theatrical )Best Supporting Actor, Excellence in Production Design Award -  Contemporary Film and the Saturn Award -  Best Actress 
• Panic Room Won, ASCAP Award - Top Box Office Films

Zodiac - 2007

A San Francisco cartoonist becomes an amateur detective obsessed with tracking down the Zodiac killer.

• Zodiac was released march 2, 2007
• In it's opening weekend it grossed $13.3 million
• In North America it totalled $33 million and $51 million in the rest of the world. That's a world total of $84 million.
• Zodiac was nominated for 27 Awards in various categories.

Features Fincher uses; 

• Fincher has used Brad Pitt in 3 of his films to date
• Typical genres are dark drama, pyschological thrillers and crime
• Voice over - The Social Network, Fight Club, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Down beat endings
• Low angle shots
• Tracking