Chosen film idea

1. Consolidation of Research

2. My chosen idea
• My chosen idea is a found footage thriller film, where a
protagonist films a home invasion taking place.
• The film will start with characters entering the house
after the events have taken place. This will be shot in
a generic fashion. The characters find the camera and
start viewing the previously shot footage.
• The aim of the film is to build suspense whilst keeping
a realistic feel to the action. By showing two separate
time frames within the film will help direct the narrative
without making it too complex

3. The Genre
• The aim of thriller films is to “thrill” the audience,
this is usually achieved with high suspense,
mystery and intellectual puzzles for the
audience to solve.
• I have chosen the genre of thriller for several
reasons. One reason is that given the limited
time and budget I have, this genre will deliver
the best results, due to the filming technique and
lack of effects.

4. Camera
• For the film I will use mostly hand held camera work to establish the
found footage effect, a steadicam may be needed to improve the
steadiness of some of the shots.
• The other shots will not be handheld and will be shot on a tripod,
and with use of a dolly for tracking shots.
• Also included in the film will be CCTV footage from in around the
house, this will be filmed at a high angle and will be edited in After
Effects to get the authenticity of the film.
• The found footage shots will be effective as the audience will have
the same information as the character of screen, this will allow for
higher tension moments.

5. Editing
• My film will include discontinuity editing as it will be start at the
end of the story. The main act of the film will not having many
cuts as this is not a common convention of found footage films.
However the first act of the film will have cuts.
• The speed of the cuts will vary in the first act. The first act will
have longer takes as there will be an investigation by a
character. However in the final act there will be faster cuts as
the film reaches it’s climax
• There will be darker lighting and filters of the found footage
element of the film to help distinguish it from the other act of the
film.

6. Sound
• In the film there will be mostly diegetic sound. The
protagonist will speak to the camera as they are
documenting the event occurring.
• Examples of sounds used will be diegetic sounds such as
crashing and smashing. Doors opening and closing,
footsteps, movement and breathing. All these will be used
to add suspense to the film, as these are conventions that
audiences will expect
• There will be none or limited music in the film to create a
more realistic take on the situation.

7. Characters
• There will be four characters in my film.
• The protagonist
• Two antagonists
• The friend who discovers the ‘scene of the crime’

8. Distribution
• The distribution of my film will very likely be small.
• Unlike some thriller films that are distributed on a larger
scale my film will only be distributed online on websites
such as Vimeo and Shortoftheweek

9. Target Audience
• The target audience for my film will
be young adults aged from 16-30.
• Fans of this genre are usually males
as they stereotypically have interests
around crime, action and suspense.
• My research shows that audiences
under the age of 18 rated David
Finchers Panic Room higher than
viewers over 18