The document discusses the costume design choices for characters in a crime thriller film. The protagonist wears dark, distressed clothing to blend in and suggest a troubled past. The femme fatale wears a navy dress and leather jacket to appear trustworthy but also intimidating. Her red hair adds modern flair. The controller wears a smart casual outfit with a military-style coat to imply authority over the assailants and a serious underlying conflict. The assailants wear dark hoodies to keep their faces hidden and suggest they are dangerous criminals wanted by police. Costume colors and styles are used to convey character traits and further the film's themes of mystery, deception, and crime.

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2. We decided to name our thriller 'Gone' due to the themes of kidnapping
and escape that are explored throughout our film.This links into our sub-
genre of crime thriller because our thriller revolves around a world
consumed by crime and delinquents where a person can disappear and no
questions are asked.This was heavily inspired by Film Noir because these
films often include world's where crime is an everyday part of life that is
inescapable. We also chose the name 'Gone' because it connotes mystery
as the audience don't know what is missing or what events are going to
unfold.

3. Locations
Each of the locations in our thriller carries connotations that help to further
develop the themes and ideas explored throughout our film. The first scene
of our thriller takes place in a children’s park, this is unsettling because our
antagonists are meddling with other people’s lives and discussing their
deaths in an area typically populated by children. This creates conflicting
connotations as death and assassins have incredibly dark and twisted
connotations whereas children connote purity and innocence – the opposite
of our characters. This could be effective as it unsettles the audience and
confuses them.The second scene of our thriller takes place at a train station
that appears to be rundown and isolated, this immediately emphasises how
alone our character is and opens up the question of whether he's going to
get on the train or chose a more drastic option.This intrigues the audience
because during the first few seconds of meeting our character they're
already questioning what he's going to happen next. Our third location is an
alleyway, we chose this location because alleyways are typical places for a
crime to take place because they are hidden from the view of the public.
They are also something that can only be found in a city which conforms to
the convention of noir films being set in big, industrial cities. Alleyways
construct connotations of claustrophobia and isolation which links into the
themes created by our first location. Our final location was a garage, again,
like our previous locations this reinforces themes of isolation because its
separated from the rest of the world. A residential garage is an unusual
location for a thriller but hired storage garages are often used for the
antagonist to hide their secrets in. For example, in theTV show 'Scandal'
they are used for an assassin to hide all of their equipment in. Using a
residential garage establishes the fact that the events of our thriller could
happen to anyone at any time because its set in a suburban area.
The Park Train Station
Alleyway The Garage

4. Costume - Protagonist
Our protagonist was wearing a dark coloured outfit during the opening of our thriller.This is
unusual for a hero because typically they would wear lighter colours such as white or blue
because they connote purity and honesty.They can also wear colours such a red or navy
because these were typical colours of royalty which could reinforce their superiority over the
antagonist and their natural leadership skills. For example, Captain America’s uniform is
comprised of red, navy and white, this constructs the previous connotations whilst also
establishing patriotic themes because the colours are taken from the American flag.
Alternatively, black connotes mystery and fear, having our protagonist wear this colour
suggests that his character has traits and a past that is unknown to the audience. It could also
imply that he’s trying to blend in as black is one of the most commonly worn colours so by
wearing it he would easily be able to disappear in a crowd. Black is also the colour of mourners,
this could be used to suggest that our protagonist has experienced sorrow and loss in his life
which may have led to his alcoholic tendencies. The distressed nature of his clothes could
reinforce this idea because it implies that he has an unstable life and financial situation as he’s
unable to afford new or high quality clothes that won’t rip. Alternatively, the state of his jacket
could imply sentimentality because it could suggest that he’s unwilling to part with it despite its
faults. This could be used to explore a more caring and fond side of our protagonist, this could
ultimately be his weakness as his attachments to objects and by extension people could be his
downfall. The simplicity of his outfit of black jeans and a jacket could be used to further explore
the idea that this situation could happen to anyone. We took inspiration from Bucky Barnes’
costume in ‘Captain America – Civil War’ because when he’s trying to hide from the authorities
he wears basic, dull coloured clothing that won’t draw any attention to him or what he’s doing.
Bucky Barnes

5. Costume – Femme Fatale
Our femme fatale wears a dress accompanied with a leather jacket during her entrance to our film.The
dress emphasises her femininity which is typical for a femme fatale in Film Noir because they do this to
catch the attention of everyone in the room and to use their sexuality as a weapon.The dark, navy colour
of the dress is associated with trust and loyalty, this is ironic because she is a very unreliable character
who is controlled by her own, personal desires despite the damage that this may cause to other people.
This could lull the audience into a false sense of security because it would make them, as well as our
protagonist, trust her and believe that she intends to assist the other characters. However, instead of
symbolising her loyalty to the protagonists it could be used to represent her unwavering loyalty to the
mystery antagonist because femme fatale’s weakness is typically their love for the villain even though he
is just using them. Navy is also said to symbolise intelligence, this could be used to emphasise how clever
our character is as she is able to help our protagonist. It is common for femme fatales to be cunning and
perceptive as it is these skills that aid their survival in the gritty, crime filled worlds they find themselves
in. For example, the Marvel character ‘BlackWidow’ is incredibly intelligent which allows her to navigate
the field of espionage and to survive the many enemies she has faced.The leather jacket that our
character wears is an unusual choice for a femme fatale because they are normally associated with
masculinity, due to their use by the military and motorcyclists, which is the opposite of what they would
want to emphasise.This choice adds a more modern and edgy side to her character as leather jackets can
be worn to be perceived by others as intimidating. Its black colouring could connote mystery, like our
protagonists outfit, alternatively it could imply immoral intentions and evil.This is because black is
typically the colour worn by the villain, for example DarthVader and Dracula both have iconic black
costumes. Our femme fatale has bright red hair, red is a colour that many femme fatales wear because it
connotes passion as well as danger which are essential aspects of the archetype. Normally they wear a
red dress, lipstick or nail varnish. By having our character have red hair, we are again introducing a more
modern side to our character as having coloured hair is very popular in today’s society. The colour of her
hair could suggest confidence as she is unafraid of standing out in a crowd.

6. Costume – Controller
Our controller’s costume consists of a white button down shirt, jeans and
a large military-style overcoat.This is a smart-casual outfit, implying that
she doesn’t take her job very seriously and doesn’t care about the
consequences of her actions.This emphasises her unsympathetic and
ruthless nature.The military style of her coat could emphasise her
authority and the respect she commands because typically people respect
members of the armed forces. It could also suggest that there is a serious
conflict taking place that’s much bigger than the situation involving our
protagonist, hinting at the plot of the rest of our film.The green colour of
her coat could connect her to our male assailant as his costume also
features green.This emphasises the fact that they are both on the side of
the antagonist and share the same desires and motives. Her white shirt
suggests authority and intelligence as traditionally it would be part of a
suit which in modern society is a symbol of wealth and power.This
reinforces her superiority over the assailants and begins to construct the
hierarchy within the unseen antagonist’s ranks of henchmen.The colour
of the shirt connotes innocence and purity, these connotations conflict
with the actions of the character.This could imply her skills of deception
as an outsider who hasn’t witnessed her cruelty would expect her to
possess these traits.

7. Costume – Assailants
The male assailant in our opening wears a black jacket with a hood covering his face.The colour
of his jacket could carry the same connotations that are associated with the femme fatale.The
dark green colour of his hoodie could be used to connote greed and jealousy.This could imply
that our antagonist is envious of something the protagonist has or has done and is determined
to right the wrongdoing he believes the protagonist has committed.The fact that his face is
hidden adds a sense of mystery to the character as the audience is unable to clearly identify the
features of his face. It could also imply that he needs to keep his face hidden from the eyes of
the police and the public because otherwise he could get caught.This is turn suggests that he’s
dangerous because the police want to protect the general public from him.This also applies to
our female assailant as her face remains hidden during her scene in the thriller. Her all black
costume could associate her with her fellow assailant as well as our femme fatale. By having the
two antagonists wear the same colour as the femme fatale we are creating connections
between them, implying that they have similar motives or goals. Her all black costume could
also link to her stealth skills as black is one of the most commonly worn colours, meaning she
would easily be able to blend into a crowd in what she’s wearing.

8. Characters - Protagonist
Our thriller includes several archetypes that are conventional for both the thriller and
noir genre. Our protagonist’s behaviour is very typical of the film noir genre, he
displays characteristics of the ‘broken hero’ or anti-hero stereotype. For example, he
has resorted to drinking during the day in an attempt to escape his problems that
continuously torment him.This was a very popular character type in the noir genre
because it reflected men’s attitudes when they returned from war. Society was
consumed by paranoia and haunted by the horrors it had witnessed.This led to men
drinking and smoking too much in a vain hope that it may distract them from the
fragmented world that was surrounding them. An example of this character type is
‘Gene Hunt’ from the BBCTV show ‘Life on Mars’ and ‘Ashes to Ashes’, he is a
modern re-imagining of this archetype. Hunt is aggressive, meaning that his actions
often lead to unnecessary violence and he has become somewhat dependent on
alcohol.These are unusual traits for a hero but they are becoming more common
because audiences can relate more to a character like this. By having our character
display these traits we are allowing the audience to identify with him whilst also
following today’s trends of character development.
Gene Hunt

9. Characters – Femme Fatale
Our thriller also includes a femme fatale, like most other women in the thriller
and noir genre she is seductive and sly. Her body language when she opens the
garage door suggests these traits and in turn emphasises them . It was very
common for femme fatales to act in this way because they do it to catch the
protagonist’s attention so they can get them under their thumb and use them
as a means to an end. By using this character type we are conforming to the film
noir genre because they were an essential aspect of the films.They were
created as a result of women’s rise in independence and power after their help
during the war efforts. An example of a femme fatale isAnna Schmidt, she is a
main character in ‘TheThird Man’. She seduces Holly Martins but ultimately
remains loyal to the film’s antagonist, Harry Lime, even after his death. We
introduced our character to intrigue the audience because as she opens the
door, like many previous femme fatales, her intentions are unclear.The
audience doesn’t know if she has arrived to assist our protagonist or if she’s the
reason he’s there. By playing with it this way we have added an extra layer of
mystery to our character which would make the audience even more invested in
our film.

10. Characters - Controller
Our thriller features a ‘controller’ who manages the assailants and
instructs them.Typically in films this character is very powerful and
ruthless, they are also unintimidated by the people they are
surrounded by, whether they are heroes or villains.They are usually
in close connection to either the main protagonist or antagonist and
spend their time either assisting their boss or fulfilling their wishes.
An example of this character type is ‘Rick Flag’ from the recent
‘Suicide Squad’ film, he fearlessly interacts with the anti-heroes
because he knows that ultimately he has control over them.These
characters are daring and highly intelligent as they are the people
who decide what action should be taken next. Our controller
appears very cold hearted and unsympathetic as she simply hands
over a folder thereby ending someone’s life. She is similar to
‘Alexander Pierce’ in ‘CaptainAmerica –TheWinter Soldier’, he is in
charge of the ‘Winter Soldier’ and instead of an assassin, he sees
him as a tool to shape the course of history.We took inspiration
from this by trying to make our character appear ruthless during the
short scene she has.
Rick Flag
Alexander Pierce

11. Characters - Assailants
Our thriller opening includes a very stereotypical but popular archetype, the
‘faceless assailant’.These characters are mysterious and they act on the
desires of the antagonist which can remain unknown for the majority of the
film.They are a minor character in regards to the main plot, however,
especially in the case of our thriller, they are useful because they ignite the
conflict that carries the rest of the plot. Our characters’ costumes are very
conventional because the fact that their faces are hidden allows you to focus
on their actions rather than their emotions or appearance which aren’t
important. Our male assailants violent actions are very typical because usually
the antagonist doesn’t want to get their hands dirty so they get someone else
to do it instead.An example of this is the ‘clowns’ that perform the bank
robbery alongside the Joker during the opening sequence of ‘The Dark
Knight’. Much like our character, their faces remain hidden because who they
are isn’t important, instead they perform the actions that the Joker wants in
order to aid his plan.The characters are so minor that they are killed off during
the opening minutes of the film, we have used this idea in our opening
because it is unlikely the character will appear again as he was a disposable
means to an end. Our female assailant is very similar, she is used to carry a
message and oversee a task without ever getting involved in the action.This,
again, reinforces her insignificance because she is merely used to pass the
message along and isn’t trusted enough to complete the task herself.This
could imply that the antagonist has an entire network of thugs to do his dirty
work for him.

12. Props - Folder
One of our props was a yellow folder containing paperwork
about our protagonist.The fact that the antagonists have
collected information on him suggests that he has been on
their radar for a long time and that he’s a problem they need
to remove.This further hints at the protagonist’s hidden past
and intrigues the audience as they want to discover what he
could have done to affront the film’s antagonist. Folders are
often used in films to suggest this, for example, in ‘Captain
America –TheWinter Soldier’ there is a folder outlining all
the information ever collected about the ‘Winter Soldier’ and
his actions.This implies that he is dangerous as people
throughout history have wanted to keep track of what he is
doing.We took inspiration from this and used it to emphasis
our protagonist’s dark and mysterious past.The folder also
makes the handover of information seem more professional,
as it implies that the antagonist’s establishment is organised
and ruthless when hunting people down.Folder including information on the ‘Winter Soldier’

13. Props –Wine Bottle
We used several props during the opening of our thriller, each carrying
different connotations.One of the first props that is introduced is the
wine bottle.This immediately makes the audience aware of the fact that
our protagonist is an alcoholic because he is drinking an entire bottle of
wine by himself during the day.This suggests that there are some issues
or problems in his life that he is unable to cope with.This also ties into his
character type of the ‘broken hero’ because he has had to resort to
alcohol as an escape.We took inspiration from the Liam Neeson film
‘Non-stop’ that revolves around an air marshal that smokes and drinks in
an attempt to escape his grief. By including this prop we have further
intrigued the audience because they will want to discover why he drinks
and what led his to this situation.

14. Props – Cricket Bat
We also included a bat in our thriller, this was used to knock our protagonist unconscious.
In film noirs guns are traditionally the weapons that are used.Therefore by using a bat
instead of a gun we are going against the conventions of noir.We made this decision
because a bat is a blunter and less dramatic weapon, this means that it makes it clear to
the audience that our assailant doesn’t intend to kill our protagonist instead he means to
render him unconscious for several hours so he can be moved easily and without
struggle.A bat also suggests that our assailant is of low status amongst the antagonist’s
gang, further hinting at the fact that he is a minor character, because he isn’t trusted or
worthy of a gun. It could also be argued that a bat is a more brutal weapon because
rather than simply pulling a trigger the wielder has to put effort into the action of
swinging the bat, making it a more active and aggressive action. One of the most popular
characters to use a bat is ‘Harley Quinn’, a femme fatale in the recent ‘Suicide Squad’
film. She could use a bat for the latter reason although she does also carry a gun,
implying that she doesn’t care what weapon she uses or damage she causes.
Harley Quinn

15. Lighting
We used chiaroscuro lighting in our thriller to create a dismal and
despondent atmosphere. During the alleyway segment of our opening we
used lighting to create silhouettes, this casts the character’s face into
darkness making it difficult for the audience to see who they are.When
this is used on our protagonist it could imply that he doesn’t want to be
seen during his current state because he is ashamed of what he has
become. Alternatively, when this is used on the assailant it creates an air of
mystery because the audience struggle to identify him. It could also make
him appear intimidating because you can’t see the emotions on his face,
making his actions appear ruthless and cruel.
Another effect we used was shadows, for example, before our
protagonists awakes from his unconscious state the audience can see his
slouched stance in the shadow cast upon the garage door.This would
create suspense because from this shot the audience can tell that he has
been injured but they are unable to see how bad the damage is.This was a
common aspect of film noir as shadows were used to hide things from the
audience. For example, during the Ferris wheel scene in ‘TheThird Man’ a
shadow has been cast over Harry Lime’s face. Although the audience are
still able to see his face this shadow symbolises all of the lies he has told
and wrong doings he has committed.
Harry Lime

16. Sound
During the opening sequence of our thriller sound is used to build tension. For example, when our assailant starts
to approach the protagonist the sound of the bat he is carrying scraping against the brick wall can be heard.This
diegetic sound is unsettling and increases the suspense in the scene. This alarms our protagonist and in turn our
audience. The deliberateness of this noise immediately makes it clear that this character has dangerous
intentions and isn’t just a passer by going about his day. We took inspiration from a scene that takes place during
the first season of ‘Ashes to Ashes’. As a warning Gene Hunt runs his keys along the side of a suspects car to show
that he is unfazed by the idea of hurting them and is willing to lash out. In our thriller we used the sound of the
bat to foreshadow the violence to come and to suggest that our assailant rejoices in doing this because he’s
playing with the protagonist and in turn the audience.
The diegetic sound of the train passing by is a very abrupt noise that has an impact, this reinforces how powerful
a train is and how much damage it could cause to the human body if the character decides to jump in front of it.
This emphasises how important his decision about whether or not to get on the train is because the alternative is
very final and there is no going back from it.
The score of our thriller is also very unnerving because it suggests ill intent and violence. This is very fitting
because it reflects the fear that our protagonist is experiencing as he awakens to discover his been kidnapped
and tied to a chair.The score is effective because it influences the audience’s emotions allowing them to relate to
our protagonist more easily. We took inspiration for the film ‘Captain America – Winter Soldier’, in one of the
most climatic scenes during the film a subtle score is used that gradually builds to a point of violence and action.
We tried to recreate this in our thriller by having the score begin quietly until it reach a higher volume as our
protagonist discovers the severity of his situation.

17. Camerawork
Our thriller features a range of camera angles and shot types. For
example, during the garage scene of our thriller we included a high
angle shot of the protagonist.This emphasises how vulnerable he is in
his current position. It also forces the audience to look down on him,
implying that they should judge him for his reckless and irresponsible
behaviour that led him to this situation. Earlier in our opening we also
included a POV shot as our protagonist is hit with the bat, this places
the audience in his position, allowing them to experience the same
fear and shock as the character. It also allows them to experience the
impact of the bat, therefore reinforcing how aggressive the action is.
We were inspired by QuentinTarantino’s use of POV shots during the
film ‘Reservoir Dogs’. He places the audience in the position of the
hostage in the trunk of the character’s car.This simultaneously puts
the audience on edge whilst also making the antagonists even more
intimidating because its is a low angle shot.This makes them appear
threatening and dominant over the audience.
As well as POV shots we used several close ups.These shots
emphasised the panic felt by our protagonist and allowed the audience
to see the fear in his eyes. It also allowed them to see how worn out
and ill the protagonist looked, reinforcing the idea that he lives a
harmful and reckless lifestyle.
Reservoir Dogs POV Shot
Bat POV Shot
Close Up of our protagonist

18. Composition
Our thriller is comprised of shots that follow the rules of composition. For example we use
‘leading lines’ in several of our shots, especially during the alleyway sequence. As our
protagonist enters the alleyway it is shot from an angle leading the character into the centre of
the screen as he approaches the start of the alley.This directs the audience’s eyes to where he
is going, it also implies that the protagonist is walking into the darkness, which suggests
danger, because although the audience’s eyes are lead to the entrance they can not see what
lies within the alleyway.This could mimic the fact that the protagonist doesn’t realise he’s
walking into a hazardous situation that will flip the world he knows upside down.We also
followed the ‘rule of thirds’, an example of this is when the protagonist is shown stumbling
down the alley from the exit. His is in the centre of the screen whilst the walls of the alleyway
fill the remaining two thirds.This establishes a theme of claustrophobia because he is caged in
the middle of the area.This could reflect the way there is no escape from crime in the world we
have created because his decisions were always leading him to this moment and when he’s
reached that point there is nowhere for him to go. However, we didn’t follow the rule of leaving
space within a shot when filming close ups of our protagonist because we wanted to reinforce
these themes of claustrophobia and to imply that there is no escape from this situation.We
also wanted to make the audience feel uneasy due to the intensity of these shots to reflect how
uncomfortable the situation is for our character.

19. Narrative Structure
Our thriller opening includes a flashback to six months earlier in our fictional world.This
intrigues the audience because to begin with they won’t understand the meaning or
context of this scene but it sparks questions in their minds and invests them in the film.
We got inspiration to use a flashback from the ‘Social Network’, this film continuously
alternates from the past to the present.This allows the audience to see the character’s
actions as well as the consequences of them. Although it may not be entirely clear from
the opening of our thriller but we have used a flashback to achieve the same effect.The
flashback at the beginning is one of the causes for the events that follow.Apart from this
flashback the rest of our opening follows a linear structure, following a drunken man
staggering down an alleyway and re-joining him when he awakens after he recovers
consciousness.We choice not to show the action that follows after he is hit and the
process of relocating him and tying him up because violence is very difficult for amateurs
to portray convincingly. It was also very rare for fighting to be shown on screen during a
film noir because the censors in the 1940s disapproved of it so it had to be implied rather
than directly shown. Not showing the action also adds an extra layer of mystery to the
opening because when we re-join the protagonist the audience are left to question how
badly injured he is and where he has been moved to.

20. Titles
The titles of our thriller follow a similar pattern to a number of other films from the thriller
genre. For example our titles are positioned in the empty space of our shots, much like the
placement of the titles in the opening of ‘Black Swan’.When our actors’ names are displayed
they fill the spaces left behind by the movement of the characters. An example of this is when
our protagonist walks down the alleyway one of our actors names appears in the space he has
moved away from.This allows the audience to be aware of who is in the film whilst not
distracting them for the main action on screen. We used a simplistic font for the same reason.
However, despite the font being simple, it is also bold which constructs connotations of
strength and dominance.This could be used to symbolise the strength that our hidden
antagonist has shown by so easily being able to take control of our protagonist’s life.We
decided to have static credits because having ones that flicker and move, such as the credits
used in ‘Se7en’, can suggest instability and insanity. Seeing as these aren’t themes in our
thriller it didn’t seem necessary or appropriate.
Our main title appears in the middle of a black screen directly after the train has past, this
maximises the impact of the train and transfers it to the title of our film, this makes the
audience take notice of it.The font we picked has a ripple going through the centre of it, this
could be used to mimic the effect of the train and the damage it could cause as it has
irreversibly changed our font. Much like the font of our credits, our main title font is very bold
and it dominates the screen.This reinforces similar ideas whilst also further emphasising the
impact of the train.The use of reverse type, with black dominating the screen, could imply
that darkness has taken over our fictional world because it has been consumed by crime and
gangs.We also took inspiration from ‘Black Swan’ to use reverse type, this effect was used to
show the constant battle between the white and the black swan. In our thriller it could be
used to symbolise the conflict between the protagonist and our antagonist, at the beginning
the antagonist is winning but by the end of the film this could have changed.

21. Editing
One of the editing techniques we used in our thriller was match on action. During the alley section
of our opening the protagonist is drinking from a bottle of wine, during our edit you see him lift the
bottle to his mouth, take a drink and lower the bottle through three different shots.This is a very
common technique in films of all genres.We followed the 30 degree rule to show our audience a
variety of different perspectives.We decided to not break the rule because although it could
disorientate our audience to mimic how the protagonist feels in his drunken state it can also appear
clunky and unplanned.We also used a cutaway in our thriller to indicate the arrival of the assailant
whilst the protagonist continues to stumble down the alleyway.This creates a form of dramatic
irony because the audience are aware of the oncoming danger whereas our protagonist is not.This
increases the suspense in the scene because they don’t know whether the protagonist will be able
to protect himself from the approaching threat in his current state. Another technique we used was
a fade in as the garage scene begins, this could mimic how our protagonist is slowly gaining
consciousness, therefore allowing the audience to experience his disorientation and confusion.