The document discusses the construction of realism in a thriller film opening. It describes including a young white boy as the protagonist to subvert expectations and make the audience feel more vulnerable. Flashbacks of the boy stealing a box are used to imply guilt and unease. Shaky camera shots from the antagonist's perspective make the audience feel like they are chasing the boy. Minimal dialogue, ominous music, and the antagonist's dark clothing versus the boy's bright backpack enhance realism. The setting of an alleyway plays on crime associations to immediately create fear in the audience.

2. Who and what (people, places, themes, ideas, time periods) have you represented
and how?
In my thriller opening, the main character (protagonist) was a younger actor, therefore
portraying the idea that youths are perhaps growing up too fast or trying to act older
(in this case the boy stealing the box). This shocks the audience, as they are not
necessarily used to seeing young children commit crimes. The use of the boy watching
TV reveals that in our modern day world people are immersed in technology and the
younger generations are becoming dependent on it in everyday life. I have used the
location of an alleyway to play on conventional ideas that alleyways are dangerous and
you don't know who may be lurking in them, therefore agreeing with the common
ideology that crime rates are high in towns. As well as possibly implying that gangs are
maybe a part of youth lives as there are several different neighbourhoods shown and
when the antagonist starts stalking the little boy. They are in a different
neighbourhood to where the boy actually lives, therefore suggesting that the boy is
invading another person/gang's territory. The low angled shot of the boy helps add to
this in that he appears as if he is invading due to the fact that his feet are the main
focus of the shot and that we hear the diagetic sound of footsteps.

3. Who is included and excluded from your film? Why?
In my film, I have chosen an all white cast, with the protagonist being a young boy around the age of twelve. This
agrees with the common ideology of the protagonist being a white male and therefore helps the audience to take sides
with him more so than the antagonist, as we are used to taking sides with the white male figure of the film (for
example James Bond). The fact that the boy is young challenges the common ideology, as usually the actors are adults,
so that the audience can have a figure to look up to. I however, used a young actor purposely so that the audience
didn't have a stereotypical figure to look up to/ trust, as then it make them feel more vulnerable and even though they
may not be of the same age as the actor, they would still be able to sympathise with him and manage to feel as if the
antagonist was out to get them. This gives the message that young people are still vulnerable in society, as they are
easily influenced by the world around them. The idea that the boy is young also plays upon the idea that he is naive
and innocent, which would again help the audience to feel sympathy towards him as it plays on the ideology that young
children are more susceptible to being abducted. The ethnicity of the antagonist in my thriller is quite hard to be seen
by the audience - even though white actor was used. The use of the white actor for an antagonist challenges the
common ideology that black people are more likely to be associated with crime as it makes it easier for the audience to
associate anyone with the position of the antagonist. This fits with the common ideology where we are likely to
associate a man who is wearing black, or a hoodie (for example) with someone who is likely to commit a crime. I also
used a white actor to give an impression that anyone can commit crime and that the location should be focussed upon
more for the crime not necessarily an ethnic group because if the audience realise that anyone can commit a crime,
they are more likely to be able to relate or put themselves into the situation. I haven’t included any women in my cast,
which wasn’t a decision made on purpose. However I do think that it is a good idea seeing as not many action thrillers
contain women as main antagonist/ protagonist characters. I have only included one adult in my thriller opening, who
is the antagonist. I did so as I wanted to almost create a generation gap, but to also create a character that would be of
threat to the protagonist.

4. What form of realism have you constructed and why?
I have constructed quite a realistic thriller opening, with elements of
surreal ideas. For example the use of flashbacks the boy has about
stealing the box. This is significant in that it implies his guilt from the
situation, and reveals to the audience that they should not steal or it
will haunt them. The shots are also in black and white, which isn't too
realistic, however the ideas shown through them are realistic in
showing how the boy has been badly affected by this situation. This
creates a sense of unease amongst the audience as they sympathise
with the boy feeling uncomfortable, and might be able to relate to the
situation itself if they have ever regret something they have done in
the past. I have also used a young actor within my film, which subverts
the idea that adults are only involved in crime, and gives a realistic
approach as to how children are also affected by the world around
them.

5. What role do the mise-en-scene, acting, dialogue, music and style of camera work
play in the construction of the verisimilitude?
Have used a variety of different camera shots/ angles, however I feel that the most successful shots were where the
young boy dominated the screen, as the audience were able to connect with the boy's character and in turn feel more
anxious when he is being chased by the antagonist. I also used some shaky shots in the point of view of the antagonist
to portray a believable unstable personality. This is effective in that we are now looking through the perspective of the
antagonist, therefore making us feel as if we are the ones chasing the boy. The music in my opening was quite
conventional of a thriller, with the use of a few crescendos to help build up a sense of unease amongst the audience. I
also used some music which contained staccatoed piano notes, this fit in well with the action going on to create a
believable chase between the antagonist and the little boy. However, the piano music was possibly more conventional
of a horror film. This is effective as the sound is almost from the perspective of the little boy running, therefore igniting
fear amongst the audience. The mise-en-scene in my opening helps to make each actor more believable at playing their
part. The use of black clothing for the antagonist helps to create a dark personality, contrasted entirely by the boy's
brightly coloured rucksack, from which we can take that he is childish and quite possibly immature. The lack of dialogue
plays in the construction of the verisimilitude of my thriller, as it appears more realistic if the two characters don't
discuss their thoughts or engage in conversation. The costumes in my thriller opening help to make it seem more
realistic as the young boy is wearing a brightly coloured rucksack. The bright colours help to portray he boy's age and
give a complete contrast to the black coat that the antagonist wears. The black coat symbolises that the antagonist is
going to kill someone (or at least try) as from the colour black we depict connotations of death/misery. The setting also
helps to create a believable scenario as we commonly associate alleyways with crime, and therefore the common
ideology is backed up by the fact that the boy steals the box from an alleyway. This works as an opening in that we are
immediately in fear right from the start, therefore keeping the audience interested in the film, and making them want
to continue watching even though a lot of audience loyalties are broken due to the fact that it is hard to feel sympathy
for the boy as he is committing a crime by stealing the box.