Potential Story Line For Film

I will be brainstorming different ideas for my thriller, by writing ideas on what will happen.

Story Outline 1

Based on a the best selling book by Robert Thomas  

• He's a some sort of Genius - crazy scientist - he was working on something really big and evil kids find out his secrets and he tries to kill them 
• As young kids the 2 protagonists testify against a killer - who is sent down for life  
• 10 years later a journalist approaches them for a comment about the disappearance of the killer - there is no record of him....
• it turns out he have been re-trained/ released by the government who planned to use him as a killer. 
• BUT he's gone dark (disappeared) and he is coming to get the boys who put him away!   
• kids tell the government about the killer and the government pretend to care whilst secretly employing him 
• montage of action shots 

Story Outline 2 

• He's some sort of mentalist who psychopath young girls which the protagonists find out which he tries to torture and kill them. 
• The protagonists testify against him - who gets a sentence of 25 years
• He gets out, but the government are looking for him to try control him and to make him.
• but he disappears and tries to kill the kids 
• The kids find out that he has been released out of jail
• they get scared and paranoid. 
•   

Potential Taglines

Below is a list of potential taglines that I will us in my teaser trailer and put on my poster. By looking at existing thriller films taglines I was able to grasp a better understanding of what kind of words were suitable and appropriate for the genre.

• Time has come 
• 1 down 2 to come 
• He was here 
• He's out 
• Your dead 
• Wait for revenge 
• They thought they were safe 
• Once he comes for you. Run while you can
• Stay close, I am watching you 
• There you are
• Are you ready for revenge 
• This is for ...... 
• Are you scared, you should be 
• We used to be friends, know were enemies 
• Fear can keep you as a hostage, Hope can set you free 
• Arise the revenge
• Prison only makes you stonger 
• Running always seems to be the easiest option 
• They're coming for you, Run while you can                                                               

To decide what my tagline to my film will be, I decided to have a focus group between 10 people. I had 19 suggestions of which I got people in the focus group to rate the name out of 10 (1 being worst and 10 being the best), I then took the average number out of 10 for each suggestion.

These were the raw results from the survey:


Title                                                                                                               Average Rating

Time has come                                                                                                        5.8
1 down 2 to come                                                                                                    5.3
He was here                                                                                                             4.8
He's out                                                                                                                    3.5
Your dead                                                                                                                4.2
Wait for revenge                                                                                                      6.2
They thought they were safe                                                                                    6.4
Run while you can                                                                                                   5.9
Stay close, I am watching you                                                                                 5.6
There you are                                                                                                           2.4
Are you ready for revenge                                                                                       3.4
This is for ……                                                                                                        4.5
Are you scared, you should be                                                                                 2.8
We used to be friends, know were enemies                                                              4.2
Fear can keep you as a hostage, Hope can set you free                                            8.2
Arise the revenge                                                                                                      4.2
Prison only makes you stronger                                                                                6.2
Running always seems to be the easiest option                                                         5.5
Once he comes for you. Run while you can                                                              9.5
They're coming for you, Run while you can                                                              9.8                              

final

They're coming for you, Run while you can

Tagline Research

To help me create my own tagline for my film which I will put in my teaser trailer and on my poster, I had to research different thrillers and their taglines.

• The Next Three Days: What if you had 72 hours to save everything you live for - This suggests that there is a time limit to save somones life, the suspense keeps the audience on the edge of their seats.

• The Adjustment Bureau: Fight for your fate - suspense and mystery, keeps the audience on the edge of there seats because suggest something will happen to them and they need to fight for their lives  

• Prisoners: A hidden truth. A desperate search - Suspense and mystery, keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. suggests that they are looking for the truth.  

• The Bourne Identity: He was the perfect weapon until he became the target - Suspense and mystery, keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. Suggests that he has changes from good to bad also he has been trained by the government but switched allegiances.   

• Taken 2: First they took his daughter now they're coming for him - Suspense and mystery, keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. Suggests that they achieved the first time and they will do it again. There is a mystery because we do not know he they are.    

• Edge Of Darkness: Some secrets take us to the edge - Suspense and mystery, keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. suggest that they are hiding something. 

• Unstoppable: 1 million tones of steel. 100,000 people at risk. 100 minutes to impact - Suspense and mystery, keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. suggest that something bad will happen because there are high figures. 

• Abduction: The Fight for the truth will be the fight of his life - Suspense and mystery, keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. suggests that he is fight to save his life to find out something important. 

• Stolen: 12 hours. $10 million. 1 kidnaped daughter - Suspense and mystery, keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. suggest that they have a time limit to get the money or something will happen. 

• The Crazies: Welcome to Ogden Marsh, the friendliest place on earth - suggests something different to the other taglines, this tagline its more friendly and draws you to think that they are nice while they will change.  

• Fair Game: Wife, mother, spy - suggest that she three different live and the last thing we would expect that she is a spy

• The Hunter: Some mysteries should never be solved - Suspense and mystery, keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. suggest that is it secretive 

• The Town: Welcome to the bank robbery capital of America - This tagline s quite clear in saying what they are doing.    

• Drive Angry: Rev up for revenge - Suspense and mystery, keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. suggests that something will happen to someone for snitching on him. 

• The Resident: She thought she was living alone - Suspense and mystery, keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. suggests that something will happen and someone is there watching her which happens in thrillers. 

• Safe House: No one is safe - Suspense and mystery, keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. clearly suggests that something will happen to the protagonists 

Having looked at these taglines for thriller film there a number of similarities that all these thriller tagline's have in common:

- Mysterious 

- Two sides 

- Fighting for there lives
- lots of fighting
- Sense of threat
- Sense of suspense
- Danger
- Direct address to audience 

Final Font

After a lengthy focus group, I have decided to us the 'Telegraphem' font. It scored an average of 9.2 out of 10 when rated by a group of people many in the age bracket and demographic of the target audience. 'aBite (8.2) font was the nearest to it in rating but 'Telegraphem' was a clear winner (and my personal favourite). The main comments from the focus group were that it was 'mysterious' and 'unnerving'. you can see the font below. 

One of the main reasons I chose this font because it gives the audience a sense of conspiracy. 

Focus Group - Fonts

Below is a list of potential fonts for my film. By looking at existing film fonts I was able to grasp a better understanding of what kind of fonts were suitable for the thriller genre.

• Living Hell
• Acid Label
• No way back 
• Revolution 
• Bureau eagle brush 
• VTKS Good Luck For You 
• Never say Die 
• Dirty bandit 
• Trebuchet MS
• Cholo sperry 
• Albertsthal Typewriter 
• 1942 Report 
• Plane crash 
• Typewriter from 286 
• Telegraphem  
• Ohemian typewriter 
• Journal du soir 
• variety killer 
• Beccaria 
• aBite 

To decide what the title of the film will be, I decided to have a focus group between 10 people. I had 20 options of which I got people in the focus group to rate the name out of 10 (1 being worst and 10 being the best). I then took the average number out of 10 for each suggestion. 

These were the results of the survey:

Title                                                         Average Rating 

Living Hell                                                            4.4
Acid Label                                                             7.5
No way back                                                          1.3
Revolution                                                              6.0
Bureau eagle brush                                                 1.0
VTKS Good Luck For You                                   6.2
Never say Die                                                         3.5
Dirty bandit                                                             3.3
Trebuchet MS                                                         1.5
Cholo sperry                                                           4.7
Albertsthal Typewriter                                            6.2
1942 Report                                                            6.7
Plane crash                                                              6.5
Typewriter from 286                                               5.9
Telegraphem                                                           9.1
Ohemian typewriter                                                3.4
Journal du soir                                                        5.1
variety killer                                                           5.2
Beccaria                                                                 6.2
aBite                                                                       8.2

From the results we can see that 'Telegraphem' was the most favoured idea for a title of the film.

Font Research For My Film Name

I have looked at previous thriller films and font websites to research what type of font I will use for my poster and trailer. I will use the same font for the two media platforms that the distribution company would control to create a sense of continuity and branding to help market my film. After hours of research, these are the fonts I narrowed down to be most likely to be used in my film. i will be doing a focus group to help me decide on my final decision.  

Possible fonts

Fonts For My Poster And Teaser Trailer

Here are the websites I used to find the fonts that I wanted for my teaser trailer, poster and magazine front cover.

http://www.dafont.com

http://www.fontyukle.net/en/

http://www.linotype.com

http://www.urbanfonts.com

http://www.fontspace.com

http://www.1001freefonts.com

http://www.screenfonts.com

Font Research On Existing Thriller Film Titles

I will be looking at different fonts from thriller films that they use on their posters to find out the way that thrillers are usually based on by looking at the size, colour etc.


The Adjustment Bureau - Helvetica

The Next Three Days - Akzidenz Grotesk 










Taken - Bank Gothic 

Unstoppable - Typography 

Potential Film Names

Below is a list of potential film names for my film poster and teaser trailer. By looking at existing film names I was able to grasp a better understanding of what kind of words were suitable for the name for a thriller film

• The Conspricy 
• The Runaway 
• The Wrong man 
• Shattered Glass 
• The Restraint 
• Kept Away
• The Suspense 
• Adrenaline Rush
• The Past 
• Concealed 
• The Future
• Tremors 
• The Scheme 
• Framed 
• Trick 
• The Fix
• The Countdown 
• The Final Piece Of The Puzzle 
• The Authority 
• The Discipline
• Domination Will Come
• The Government 
• Judgment Day 
• The Supremacy 

To decide what the title of the film will be, I decided to have a focus group between 10 people. I had 24 suggestions of which I got people in the focus group to rate the name out of 10 (1 being worst and 10 being the best). I then took the average number out of 10 for each suggestion.

These were the raw results from the survey:

Title                                  Average Rating

The Conspiracy                                8.5        

The Runaway                                   7.3

The Wrong Man                               3.8 

Shattered Glass                                 4.3 

The Restraint                                       4

Kept Away                                       2.9

The Suspense                                    3.3

Adrenaline Rush                               2.9

The Past                                            2.9 

Concealed                                         6.3

The Future                                        2.5 

Tremors                                            6.3

The Scheme                                      4.2
Framed                                               5
Trick                                                 3.7
The Fix                                             2.5
The Countdown                               3.4      
The Final Piece Of The Puzzle        4.8
The Authority                                  5.4
The Discipline                                 4.6
Domination Will Come                   4.8
The Government                             3.7
Judgement Day                               6.7
The Supremacy                               6.5



From the results we can see that 'The Conspiracy' is the most favoured idea for a title of the film.

The bar chart makes it clear what the results of the focus group.

The Focus group has been a good process as it has helped me in deciding what my title should be. when deciding on the title of my tim i will take into account market research (focus group), and research into genre. 

Names Of Thriller Film

I will Be looking at at a numerous of different thriller names in order to decide what name I want to give my film that will put on my poster and teaser trailer. by looking at current thriller films it will give me an idea, what I will call my film name.

• The Adjustment Bureau - it give an idea of conspiracy that the government are controlling his fate. Adjustment suggests that they are trying to change him or control him. 

• The Next Three Days - the name gives the sense of a count down that something will happen in three days. The count down gives the audience suspense. 

• Prisoners - the name suggests that they will be trapped and again they will be controlled and manipulated. 

• Taken - suggest that the character have been snatched against of there will and that they don't have any control.

• Edge Of Darkness - The work 'Edge' suggests that there is tension and suspense and darkness suggests that the character will be entering an unfamiliar and dangerous world. 

• The Experiment - the work 'Experiment' suggests that something will happen to the character and they have no control. 

• Unstoppable - suggests that it cant be stopped so they don't have any control of what is happening 

• Abduction - Abduction makes it sound like they have been taken against there will and they don't have any control. 

• Compliance - it sound like if someone is making the character obey there commands which suggest that they don't have any control 

• Stolen - suggests that the character has been kidnapped against there will and that they don't have any control 

• Confessions - the word confession suggest the the character has confessed to doing something against the law which suggests that the government are controlling them

Potential Production Company Logos

I will be researching production companies to find out what kind of production company will my film come under. I have looked at different films in IMDB, looking at thrillers and seeing who produced them and to find out thrillers they have produced. In all teaser trailers and most poster they put the production company logo as part of it. For my taser trailer and poster to be realistic I need to look at a various if different product companies to see if they have made thrillers.

Universal Studios (also known as Universal Pictures), is an American motion picture studio, owned by Comcast through its wholly owned subsidiary NBCUniversal, and is one of six major movie studios. Its production studios are at 100 Universal City Plaza Drive in Universal City, California. Distribution and other corporate offices are in New York City.

These are a few thriller films that they produce:

• Dark Intruder 
• Gravity 
• Green zone 

Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation (or lionsgate) is a North American entertainment company. The company was formed in Vancouver British Colombia, on July 3, 1997, and is headquartered in Santa Monica, California. As of 2012, it is the most commercial successful independent film and television distribution company in North America and the seventh most profitable movie studio.

These are a few thriller films that they produce:

• The Next Three Days 
• Abduction 
• The Last Stand 

Dark Castle Entertainment is a division of Silver Pictures, a production house afflicted with Warner Bros, and Universal. it was formed in 1999 by Joel Silver, Robert Zemeckis, and Gilbert Adler, Susan Downey was the vice president of development until february 2009, a term running congruent of her tenure as a VP of production as parent company Silver Pictures.

Dark Castle Entertainment's name pays homage to William Castle, a horror film maker from the 1950s and 1960s. Dark Castle Entertainment also produce Thriller. When first formed, the goal was to remake Castle's horror films (very similar to another production company Platinum Dunes). AFter two remakes, it moved on to producing original material, along with remakes of non-castle films. Starting with RocknRolla, the company began producing fix in genres other than horror. Initially, most of the company's films were mostly critically panned, however recently their films have been received better by critics, including RocknRolla, Orphan, Splice and Unknown.

These are a few thriller films that they produce:

• RocknRolla
• Orphan
• Unknown

Alcon Entertainment was established on January 1997, and founded by film producers Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove, who are co-presidents of the company. The Company is headquartered on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. Both Johnson and Kosove presented FedEx founder and chairman Frederick W. Smith with a proposal suggesting that an independent film company, backed by a capitalised individual or company, and aligned with a major studio for an exclusive distribution arrangement would reap profits on copyrighted assets over a set period of time.


These are a few thriller films that they produce:

• The Apparition 
• Argo
• Gone

Focus Features (formerly USA Films, Universal Focus, Good Machine, Gramercy Pictures and October Films) is the art house films division of NBCUniversal, and acts as both a producer and distributor for its own films and a distributor for foreign films. 

Focus was formed the 2002 divisional merger of USA FIlms, Universal Focus and Good Machine. USA Films was created by Barry Diller in 1999 when he purchased OCtober Films and Gramercy Pictures from Seagram and merged the two units together.

These are a few thriller films that they produce:

• The American 
• Black Sea
• Currency 

Working Title Films is a British film Production company, based in London owned by Universal Studios. The company was found by Tim Bevan and Sarah Radclyff in 1983. It produced feature films and several television productions. Eric Fellner and Bevan are now the co-chairs of the company.

These are a few thriller films that they produce:

• Trash 
• Green Zone
• Everest 

Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. formerly known as Warner Bros. Studios, commonly referred to as Warner Bros. (Spelled Warner Brother during the company's early years), or simply WB - is an American producer of film, television, and music entertainment. 

One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank, California and New York. Warner Bros. Has several Subsidiary companies, including Warner Bros. Studios, Warner Bros Pictures, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Animation, Warner Home Video, New Line Cinema, TheWB.com, and DC Entertainment. Warner owns half of The CW Television Network.

These are a few thriller films that they produce:

• Exposed
• Inception 
• ThanksKilling 

Legendary Pictures is an American film production company, whose parent company, legendary Entertainment, is based in Burbank, California and was founded by Thomas Tull in 2004. In 2005 the company concluded a 40-picture agreement to co-finance with Warner Bros.

These are a few thriller films that they produce:

• 300
• The Town
• Watchmen

Sketched Poster Layout

Having drawn up different layouts of poster designs I have know came up with actual drawings for my poster. I have researched different thriller posters and I analysed the actions they are doing and I found a number of similarities.

Possible Poster Layouts

I have looked at different posters so far and I have annotated and analysed the conventions that are found in them. I have sketched five different possible layouts for a poster which will help me identify what my poster will look like.

List Of Thriller Teaser Trailer Conventions

I have looked at five different thriller teaser trailers which I found numerous of different genre conventions.

• Protagonist running 
• Mise-en-scene 
• Weapons 
• Impact sounds - Quick, high pitched 
• Running 
• Fighting 
• Doors being opened and closed 
• Voiceover 
• Eye candy 
• Slow tempo music at the beginning, then fast music as it builds up towards the end 

Thriller Teaser Trailers Analyses - Unknown

The last and final teaser trailer I am looking at is 'unknown' which so far I have seen the same/similar conventions in all trailers.

• Eye candy 
• Fighting 
• Edit slow at the begging and faster towards the end 
• Music speeds up 

Thriller Teaser Trailers Analyses - The American

The next teaser trailer I looked at is 'The American'

• Point of view shots 
• Slow music at the beginning then get faster towards the end 
• Weapons 
• Eye candy

Thriller Teaser Trailers Analyses - Prisoners

The next teaser trailer I looked at is 'Prisoners'

• Tagline
• Slow music at the beginning, then fast music starts as it builds towards the end
• Mise-en-scene 
• Music
• Lighting 

Thriller Teaser Trailer analyses - The Next Three Days

This teaser trailers I am looking at is 'The Next Three Days' which I hope I find the same or similar conventions than in the other teaser trailer.

• Protagonist on the run with his family
• Impact sounds - Quick, High pitched 
• Running 
• Fight scenes 
• Slow tempo music at the beginning, tun fat music as it builds up to the end 

Thriller Teaser Trailer analyses - The Adjustment Bureau

I have found five different thriller tease trailer however, instead of analysing the convention of the trailer, I will look at the conventions of genre.

• Protagonist is running 
• Mise-en-scene - The protagonist is wearing a suit 
• Impact sound - Quick, high pitched
• voiceover 
• Eye candy 
• Change in tempo
• Fight scene
• Chases 
• Slow tempo music at the beginning, then fast music starts as it builds up to the end.

Five Thriller Teaser Trailers

I have chosen five different Thriller teaser trailers however, this time instead of finding out the conventions of teasers, I am focusing on the genre.

I have chosen the following film posters to use:

• The Adjustment Bureau 
• The Next Three Days 
• Prisoners 
• The American 
• Unknown 

List Of Thriller Poster Conventions

Having looked at a selection a thriller posters, I have compiled a list of conventions that are found with thriller posters.

• Side lighting on characters. this can be used to suggest two sides to someone's personality 
• Muted colour scheme 
• Characters usually chasing/running
• Tagline directly addressing the audience often implying threat 
• Setting in an urban environment 
• Mise-en-scene associated with the genre. e.g. using of guns
• Characters often have an indirect mode of address which suggest that they have something to hide
• Canted framing is often used, to create a sense of unease
• Actors that are associated with the genre are used 
• Bold font is used for the title and tagline
• High angles to show vulnerability and weakened on certain characters.  

This will help me when it comes to making my own poster because I will look back and refer to this.

Thriller Poster Analyses - Unknown

The next poster I looked at is 'Unknown'

Thriller Poster Analyses - Fair Game

The next poster I looked at is 'Fair Game'

Thriller Poster Anaylses - Prisoners

The next poster I have looked at is 'Prisoners'

Thriller Poster Analyses - The Next Three Days

The next poster I have looked at that is a thriller is 'The Next Three Days' I can already see many similarities in the poster related to genre such as the canted angles.

Thriller Poster Anaylses - The Adjusment Bureau

I have chosen five different thriller film poster however, this time instead of finding out the conventions of posters, I am looking at the genre 

 

 

 

Straight away looking at the poster of The Adjustment Bureau I have seen that the genre is shown in the poster with the figure behaviour and the tagline which suggest the genre.