Titles-discreet or minimal?

I chose to have the majority of my titles appear as discrete, by blending them in with their respective backgrounds. By this, I mean that each title would often move into a position where it's visible while appearing as a part of the physical scene. An inspiration for this was "The Walking Dead"'s opening sequence:

Audience feedback

No.1

"It's good, but perhaps you should have less repetition of the pop-ups of code?"

I agree. I think this is due to a shortage of footage for editing; I've found myself repeating areas to compensate for this lack of footage, zooming in on or cropping an image to mask this. I will film more to add a greater variety of footage in my final cut.

No.2

"I think you should create more of an atmosphere for the interrogation scene"

I agree. I believe that, by tweaking the brightness and/or the contrast of the scene, and by adding extra sound effects, I can make the entire scene more atmospheric and have greater impact.

No.3

"Some of your panning shots and areas where the camera was moving are a little wobbly. Could you do anything about that?"

Yes. Imovie has a 'motion distortion' and 'Stabilization' tool, something that I could use to reduce this problem. 

No.4

"The clips where we see crowds, could you make the look of them fit in with the film?"

On a visual level, I suppose I could; I'm planning on adding filters to the majority of my clips, so that they all abide by the green theme of the binary code. It'll look similar, in some respects, to the "Matrix" film series, and that's also one of the ways of establishing my genre and attracting my target audience.

My rough cut

The bare bones of my thriller opening sequence. Structurally, most of what I need is there; I just need to refine and maintain a constant theme of green throughout.

Initially, I considered creating 'Gif's for the binary code clips, but decided against the idea as it would be too time consuming. I resolved instead to type binary code into power point software, using a black background and green font. I filmed this, off of the screen directly to give the pixelated effect.

Reset Code props/costumes

The following props were selected to feature in my thriller opening sequence:

Balaclava- 

Used in the sequence's opening interrogation scene, this balaclava was ideal for masking the identity of the interrogator. 

The mask carries many negative connotations thanks to the world's media; in films and general TV, it is often worn by robbers, armed thugs and/or terrorist organisations. As a result, a great deal of fear and paranoia circulates within society in relation to masks such as this.

These two pictures are examples of the most common images we see on the internet concerning balaclavas. The two images are of two terrorist groups currently acting in eastern countries. 

Miles's Jacket-

Miles, the main protagonist for Reset Code, is quiet by nature and a recluse.
To convey this personality through his clothing, I decided upon using a black jacket with a large collar. The collar can be lifted quite significantly, concealing his neck and thereby making him appear more... reserved and introverted.

 Interrogator's suit-

As the story goes, Miles's interrogator works for a shady branch of the government that specializes in the overseeing of the UK's protection from cyber attacks. This interrogator is in a position ranking higher than most of his colleagues however, and was called in especially to handle the interrogation. This is why he is wearing a suit in the opening scene of my thriller; the connotations of such are that the interrogator is a professional in what he does, as suits are stereotypically worn by hard working businessmen.

Interrogators Gloves-

Another simple technique that further conceals the interrogator's identity.

Black/metal chair-

The metal bars of the chair are far from comforting, with its general look conforming to the general style of the scene.

 Computer-

I've used parts of the machine in the sequence's credits. Close-up shots of the computer's USB ports and its rear output sockets and so on make for clear overall theme of computer technology in the title sequence.

Random tech-

Miles, being a professional hacker, has a wealth of technology that he has sourced at his fingertips. He's a recluse and cares little for the appearance of his working area, and so various tech lies scattered about his desk and all around him. To Miles, it's organised chaos, where every item has its use.

Keyboard-

Used in the opening credits, a close up shot of this keyboard assists in establishing the overall theme of computer technology.

Filming schedule

Opening scene- The Interrogation

 

Phase 1

Phase 1 consists of the opening sequence's opening interrogation scene, filmed in the stunning environment of my family's garage.

The opening interrogation scene is simple in its content; the only prop to be used in the scene should be a metal chair with a black, padded seat.

Clothing for the character sitting on the chair should be standard and unassuming. I want to create a greater degree of mystery; a 'normal'-looking man being interrogated and beaten is more unusual.






After beating the protagonist, the interrogator will demand: "Tell us what you know"
The protagonist will reply: "What exactly?" (Or something to that effect)

The same mid-shot camera angle should be used for the majority of this phase; this scene, being an interrogation that is being filmed by the interrogators, needs to be established.

A close up shot of the protagonist's face, from his left side, should be recorded. This will draw emphasis on to the light bruising on his left eye to further cement the air of violence about this phase.

A cut to black will make way for the following phases.

Phase 2

Filming technology, creating atmosphere and establishing the theme of Reset Code.

 Random snippets from the various pieces of computer tech I have in my posession all contribute towards establishing the themes present within Reset Code.

Close-up shots will be taken, to deepen the mystery of each item's place in its own setting.

 

Phase 3

The filming of locations around Nottingham City to establish time frame and give my thriller a modern/sci-fi look.

 A range of locations within the city should be used to add diversity to the edited montage of clips in my thriller.









High angle shots, using one of the city's bus transports, will provide an excellent view of the sprawling city and of the people who go about their business beneath its shadow; Reset Code's narrative touches on the subject of the saftey of personal infomation, footage of crowds therefore strengthens the opening sequence's link to my ideal, fully-filmed movie narrative.

Low angle shots will make buildings seem oversized and suggest that the city is a city rising and advancing.

Phase 4

The creation, and filming of, a fictional, 'evil corporation's' data base.

Close-up shots of the database on a monitor/screen will suggest that these 'files' are being read, possibly by the main protagonist, or someone else; its presense in the final cut will strengthen the narrative of the opening sequence while also providing an enigma.

Reset Code's target audience + age rating

Who would watch Reset Code? 

Reset Code is the story of a hacker who meddles in matters way above his head. He's forced to make decisions that could mean the difference between life and death, and trust people who could have him 'removed' without a second's pause. Danger is always close-by; he'll have to go to extreme lengths just to protect himself, and right his wrongs.

Today's society is enraptured by computer technology; Social networking is incredibly popular and even  software such as the Blogger I'm using right now, is a smaller branch of your titan companies, such as Google, that have their own virtual communicative platform such as Gmail and the greater Google+. My point is, that as society becomes more and more entrenched in computer technology, so does the importance of safeguarding the information stored there. What happens when this information is compromised? Well, everything about you is at a great deal of risk, in the wrong hands. Reset Code plays on this fear, tapping into the current issues and fears of online personal information being gathered and used against you, and from that, your freedom, rights, security and so on.

Addressing a current issue such as this, I believe I could find a target audience who would watch Reset Code; the more relatable a thriller is, the more likely you are to emotionally attach to its narrative, settings and characters, and by that, the film in general. Reset Code's place in the psychological thriller genre is primarily meant for mature audiences who enjoy a plot with twists, turns and enigmas. My target audience would be those aged 30-60. Excluding the scenes of violence, Reset Code's content would still generally be for older audiences with a mature outlook and a firm grasp on current modern world issues.

Typically, Reset Code may appeal to a more middle-class audience who prefer a film consisting of subtle action/adventure and a great deal of thought-provoking, psychological involvement.

Age rating

The opening scene of Reset Code see's the main protagonist, Miles, interrogated and beaten. This I felt establishes my thriller as something quite dark by nature. This scene is actually situated somewhere in the middle of Miles's story, after being captured by masked men. As my intention would be to create a a film where action/violence is sparse, yet very brutal, the age rating would have to be high; guns would feature in the film and physical violence (along with blood, most certainly) would also play their part. Foul language would also factor in.

It is for this reason that I decided upon having the age rating for Reset Code as 18+

Why "Reset Code"?

The film's would-be narrative is all about hacking espionage; Miles's skills lead him into dangerous places, places where knowledge is power.






I thought the main protagonist's skills in the field of programming and hacking could be conveyed through the title. The obvious choice was to feature "Code" somewhere in there. Initially I struggled in creating a name that could factor this in somehow without being too blunt. This was before I began to develop the thriller's narrative, and after doing so I decided to take an aspect of the story and use it in the title.

As the story goes, after being captured by the government for the recent hacking of a top-secret "Project Upsilon", Miles is interrogated and made to realize the consequences of his actions; a terrorist organisation has the data he stole, and could use this data to blackmail several countries ten-times over. Being the most talented hacker they have ever known, the government decides to use Miles: "Work with us, or disappear off of the face of the earth. Your choice."

Discovering that "Project Upsilon" is scattered throughout different locations that can only be hacked on site, Miles must seek out the data, whilst juggling with various attackers in a constant battle for survival.

When he does reach each data location, Miles must implement a "Reset Code", both wiping the data on site, destroying firewalls with a virus of his own design, while also pulling the data onto a memory stick in his possession.

Miles's "Reset Code" is key to his survival and the continuation of his mission. It was for this reason that I decided upon the title of my thriller being "Reset Code" as the virus plays such a vital role in, what would have been, the full-length film.

Thriller concept art

Storyboard animatic

Though rough, I've drawn up a basic plan for the opening sequence for my thriller, Reset Code. There's a generall green theme going on here; I'm thinking that my thriller's opening clips should be in some form of stylised colour- think "Sin City" but with the colour theme of, say, the "Matrix". 

Reset Code moodboard

My Thriller Idea

“Reset Code” Is a story about a young, talented programmer who hacks into business databases and gathers information to sell to their competitors.
Our main protagonist enjoys a well-paid and illeagal pass time, until his most recent endeavour, the hacking of a top-secret infomation database, leaves a virtual target drawn on his back.

Framed by his employer, warring "business" organisations are now hot on our main protagonist’s tail. The program hacked and ‘pulled’ by the main protagonist is code named “Project Upsilon”.

The data he unwittingly stole stretches all the way back to ties in the government, presenting a significant military security breach that could damage the world's diplomatic relations. This worst case scenario becomes  reality when the protagonist’s employer holds the country to randsom, threatening to use “Project Upsilon” should the government not meet their demands.

With an agreement gaining the assistance of a government he once stole from, The protagonist must find the company that betrayed him and his country, hacking them and implementing the “Reset Code”; a code of his own design that wipes clean data of his choosing and will return “Project Upsilon” back to its rightful owner.  

“Who wants me dead? Why was I framed? What is “Project Upsilon”? How do I stop them?”

Can the protagonist prevent the use of top-secret information and the resulting destabilisation of the worlds diplomatic relations? Failure could cost him everything, and turn a cyber war into real, physical conflict.

Preliminary Task

Matt, Nicole, Cameron and I filmed this preliminary task at the beginning of the year. This video displays the "180* rule"; a convention of professional media productions, where by shot-reverse-shot is used in scenes where characters are talking to one another.

Analysis of "Memento" Opening Sequence

"Memento" was a film written and directed by Christopher Nolan, showing in cinemas in the year 2000. 

"Memento" is a psychological thriller that sees its main protagonist, Leonard (played by Guy Pearce), struggle with a disability that renders him unable to make new memories. Up to the point of his wife's death, he can remember everything, but it was on this fateful night that he suffered a severe head injury at the hands of his wife's murderer, "John G". Driven by his need for revenge, Leonard systematically leaves a trail of breadcrumbs for his later self, noting down every clue that leads him closer to his wife's killer. Notes, pictures, tattoos, they are his guideline and saving grace in a world that seems alien everyday. His new friends however, know all too well of his condition and may have their own hidden agendas... Can Leonard stay true to his ultimate goal? Who can he trust? Will he ever find "John G"?

The following is an analysis of 'Memento's' opening sequence:

The opening sequence of "Memento" successfully establishes its narrative as something askew, something wrong; the close-up shot of the polaroid picture reveals a bloodbath and, more interestingly so, the picture after the first shake appears to be getting lighter and more undeveloped as the scene go’s on. After the third shake of the picture it is clear that the entire scene is in reverse motion presenting the greater issue of a warped flow of time in the film.

After becoming fully undeveloped, the picture is placed back into the camera (or rather, in real time, taken out of the camera) it is then that the film introduces what appears to be the main protagonist; a close-up shot rising up from just above the waist of Leonard breaks him in gently while allowing the audience to know more about his figure and type of clothing.



The indication that he wears a suit connotes to several associations the audience might have of him being a businessman or some form of upholding member of society, while the low angle, rising close-up shot of his face reveals him to be slightly unkempt and sleep deprived; the two scratches on his left cheek are indicative of some form of violence, (which is only solidifying the viewers assumptions after observing a scene of what appeared to be extreme violence in the polaroid picture), while his darkened eyes and clammy, sweaty skin suggests he has been active beyond his normal limits for an extended period of time. The high angle shot observing the scene below both places Leonard in a position of power and suggests that he might be responsible for this man's murder; microelements such as his clear fatigue and the two scratches on his face are indicative of some form of struggle shortly before this scene, perhaps a struggle in which he ended this man's life.

Overall, This serves in deliberately confusing the viewer, as such an act of violence is not characteristic of a stereotypical 'hero' or protagonist, establishing Leonard as a character driven solely by his need for revenge. (As becomes clear later on in the film)

The extreme close-up shot of the drip of blood helps to reaffirm the viewer’s grasp of this sequence being ‘backwards’. This is clear, due to the drip’s opposition in movement to gravity while also suggesting that the act of violence in question has occurred very recently as the blood has yet to settle.

The lighting of the scene is low with natural light seeping in from a nearby entrance. Leonard's immediate surroundings appear to be in a state of decay and dilapidation. Overall, these elements combine, building on the the viewers assumption that the setting the protagonist finds himself in is far from the regular environment of the everyday; Leonard is isolated, standing over the corpse of a man he's just executed.