R+P Post 10: Reflections so far/ looking ahead

At first it was quite hard to make an idea that we all agreed on. This was due to us all being fans of completely different genres and thus had contrasting views. We immediately comedy would be too hard and would take too much time to make the sequence funny. After a lot of research into already existing film openings we decided on the action-thriller genre as it was something we were all a fan of and could thus replicate in our sequence. We were a little behind with our storyboard due to so much time being spent on making a solid idea. However we used our group meetings to catch up and get back on track. We were able to finish our animatic shortly after and meet the deadline with time to spare.

Looking ahead we are happy with how our sequence will look on camera. After combining the stills, sound effects and music on our animatic we were able to see clearly what type of atmosphere our sequence will create and what shots to include/discard. For example we initially thought tat cutting back and forth between shots of London traffic would be a good idea. After we put the traffic shots on the animatic we immediately discarded the idea. In terms of project work we are all caught up and I am looking forward to shoots.

R+P Post 9: Our script

Our sequence will not have a script as we feel dialogue will take away the action-thriller atmosphere we have worked so hard to create. In the absence of dialogue there will be sound effects of typing, walking, phones ringing etc as well as music overlayed on top to add to the pace. At the very start of the sequence the only sound is traffic which automatically sets the vibe. This will hopefully create a tense atmosphere that dialogue would only ruin. Also if the acting is bad it will bring the whole sequence down in terms of a professional look and could ruin the whole vibe we're going for. If this atmosphere is lost then there is a chance that our sequence will no longer conform to the conventions of an action-thriller and thus repel the target audience.

An example of a film opening with no dialogue is "Apocalypse now". The lack of dialogue leaves the audience questioning what is going on. This is a feel we wanted to recreate with our opening.

R+P Post 8: Our opening sequence idea, to include sound and titles

Our opening sequence is as follows

• The first shot is a skyline of London with The name of the film "404" is edited in. During this shot there is no music just the sound of traffic and the city. 
• The next shot is a title shot "a film 4 production"
• Immediately after the shot goes to a USB being taken out of a computer, this immediately puts emphasis on the computer and connotes or genre of Cyber-thriller well.
• We then get a extreme close up of the USB which further puts draws the audiences attention to the USB.  
• This then quickly transitions to a montage of our main character typing at a computer. Within this montage there are several titles embedded between the shots.The montage ends with the hacker putting a USB into his pocket. 
• The scene then changes to our hacker on a train in an empty carriage with his hood up to avoid drawing attention to himself. He then  walks off the platform.
• It then cuts to the hacker walking in the streets. The shot then changes to the exact same shot but on CCTV footage. This then zooms out to show someone watching him. This gives the audience the idea he is being carefully surveyed and followed. 
• The scene then cuts back to the hacker walking in the streets. He realises he is being followed by someone and begins to run. He runs into an alleyway but is cornered. and pushed against the wall. After a quick conflict the hacker throws the person on the floor. His phone then falls out and begins to ring. 
• The shot then fades to black with the text "24 hours earlier" 

We used many sound effects to create a action-thriller atmosphere. Sound effects of typing whilst the hacker is on the computer helps to add ambiance to each shot and make it more plausible. We also used the sound of footsteps, punching and train tracks for the same reason.

The following titles will appear in our sequence

• 2 Production Companies
• Main actor
• Director
• Music Composer
• Casting
• Visual Effects

We were inspired by the Art of the title website when thinking of our titles in terms of design as well as roles mentioned. I found the titles from Daredevil very interesting and it helped us think of our titles in terms of how it appears on screen. The titles appear and lightly fade off the screen with all the time between each title being roughly the same. This creates a smooth simple effect which means the audience aren't overpowered by each title. The titles from Orphan Black also inspired me as it has the actors name instead of starring [actors name], for example it says "Tatiana Maslany" instead of "Starring Tatiana Maslany". We used this in our opening sequence as we changed some of our titles from "starring...", this can be seen with the title that simply says "David Sagna" 

R+P Post 7: Our film's title and plot outline

Our film title is called "404". This is a reference to the error message when a server cannot find what is requested. This is a common error message and happens on most devices thus the audience will immediately get the reference. The film is centred around a hacker who hacked an unknown conspiracy organisation.

The plot starts off with the main character hacking at a computer. He then transfers a file to a USB and deletes it off the server. As he is walking in the streets he is being watched through CCTV surveillance and people following him. He notices that he is being followed and begins to run. He runs into an alleyway where he is cornered by members of the organisation demanding the file. The hacker throws the member on the floor and he is knocked out. As he stands over the body a phone begins to ring from the character on the floor. The plot then fades to black and flashbacks to 24 hours earlier

The plot was inspired by the book/film series Stormbreaker and the award winning American cyber-security thriller Mr Robot. We really liked the dark and mysterious atmosphere of Mr Robot as well as it related to our Hacktivist and cyber-security themes. However we did not like the main character as he was depressed and socially awkward. Instead for our main character we drew inspiration from Alex Rider. Having more a confident personality and stronger skillset.

R+P Post 6: Our chosen genre and how we plan to connote this

Our chosen genre is a Cyber-security action thriller. Connoting the cyber-security action thriller genre is quite tough considering it is not only a hybrid genre it is also extremely modern. This meant we had less content to get the conventions of the genre from. However despite this we thought of many ideas in order to connote the genre well.

1. Titles will have a pixilated font and will appear as if it is being typed to instantly tie in the film with computers
2. Action will be connoted to the short conflict scene as well as music building up.
3. Handheld camera will give shaky shots and help build atmosphere to connote the thriller genre
4. Non digetic sounds of typing throughout to build suspense and further imply hacking
5. Lack of music till the very end section to add atmosphere and build on the thriller vibe
6. Short but frequent shots to build up pace of the action-genre

R+P Post 5: How we plan to attract/address our target audience

Our target audience are fans of the action-thriller genre mainly aged from 15-24 years old. We hope to create an thriller atmosphere with the lack of music in some scenes with just sound effects. This creates a tense atmosphere and hopefully will attract the audience. We hope to create action through the fast paced action of the sequence through the use of quick cuts and short shots. There is also a short conflict scene at the end to build to this.

Our main character is 19 years old and thus fits directly into the age range of the target audience. Hopefully the audience can relate/aspire to this character hopefully addressing them since the sequence centres around him and shows him in a positive light. We drew inspiration from the character from the popular series "Mr.Robot". However we did not like the awkward/depressed aspects of this character so we also drew inspiration from Alex Rider from the Stormbreaker series. This is a popular series with the TA

Our character

The character from Mr.Robot

Alex Rider from the Stormbreaker series

R+P Post 4: Representation of social groups in our opening sequence

The social group that we chose to represent in our film opening are middle class British young adults/older teenagers. This representation can be seen through the main character who is a 19 year old British male who the sequence centres around. For our character we were heavily inspired by Rami Malek, the main character from Mr.Robot and Alex Rider, the main character from the Stormbreaker novels and films. These spoke out to us as they are young adult/older teens who were extremely skilled and gave the Target Audience something to aspire to

The social group we have chosen will be represented in a positive light. One of the representations will be smart and intelligent. In one of the very first shots we see the main character hacking in his bedroom. Hacking, contrary to popular belief, is extremely hard and requires extensive knowledge on coding, programming and servers thus representing our social group as extremely intelligent. Since this is all taking place in his bedroom it anchors the character down and makes them more relatable to the target audience as a bedroom is a very familiar environment. Other familiar environments will include the streets of london when the hacker is walking around adding to the familiarity of the opening.

The main character will also conform to the usual stereotype of young adults being quite rebellious and getting into trouble. This also adds to the relatablity of the character as well as the sequence as a whole.

R+P Post 3: Our production and distribution institutions

Our Chosen Distributor

Our chosen distributor is Studio Canal. Studio Canal is a film distribution company working in the United Kingdom and Ireland. This company usually distributes small independent films which suits our film well. They are famous for a number of films including "Attack The Block" and the "Twilight Saga". Attack the block was really inspiration not only because it was such a small film and did so well, its shots and transitions between shots were very slick.

Our Chosen Production Company

Our chosen production company is Film4. They are a film production company based in London and produce a wide range of films however mainly focus on small budget independent films and thus would be perfect for our film.

R+P Post 2: Our target audience

Primary Target Audience

Our primary target audience are fans of the action-thriller genre aged mainly from 15-24 years old skewed towards boys. The main character is a 19 year old boy and the opening sequence centres around them thus the audience can hopefully relate and aspire to this character.

Table displaying which age groups watch which genres

Secondary Audience

The cast of Mr.Robot at the Golden globe awards

Our secondary audience are fans of Cyber-security thrillers and Techno-thrillers. This is a much smaller and niche audience however is beginning to become more popular. Mr Robot for example has been a massive success winning the Golden Glove Award for Best Television Series-Drama whilst originating from this genre. It was also won 7 other awards and nominated for 2 others. It was also was a critical success proving that this genre is becoming more mainstream and is enjoyed. Reflecting on this decision it will be a tough audience to target as there amount of content that is already out there for them is quite limited meaning we have less to be influenced by however I think we have a strong grip on it currently and I'm confident we can pull it off.

List of awards that Mr.Robot has won/been nominated for

R+P Post 1: How we intend to work as a group

In our first group meeting we arranged weekly meetings to work on our project and make sure that it was moving at a good pace. We wanted to have 2 hours of meetings during the course of the week on the following times. We picked these times as they were times we were all free as a group and could all contribute to the project at the same time.

Week 1

• Wednesday After School 
•  Friday Period 1 & After School 

Week 2 

• Monday Period 1
• Wednesday Period 2 
• Thursday After School

Our meetings take place within the media department so we have access to our group folder as well as all the resources the department has to offer such as IPads and teacher support. 

A WhatsApp groupchat was set up so we could talk to the group about ideas, change of plans and reminders outside of group meetings and school hours. This allowed us to all stay in contact so the project could continue to grow after the school closes.

We have agreed to work by the following principles 

1. Listen to each others ideas with full attention and take aboard any teacher advice/support. 
2. Come to meetings on time with any required work as well as notify the group if a member cannot make the group meeting so we can reschedule 
3. Participate to your full potential and remain keen. 

Using these principles our project continues to strive and move along at a good pace