Film Classification

Classification in films is used to protect children from disturbing and harmful content. Films in the U.K are classified by BBFC and are ranked based on  discrimination, drugs, horror, dangerous and easily imitable behaviour, language, nudity, sex, and violence. The classificaton is used for both DVD relases and theatre releases. Symbols are placed at the beginning of the films or on the DVD box where it is easily seen so consumers know whether the film is suitable for them and the people who are viewing it with them.

The classification are as follows:

'U' - 'U' stands for universal so it is viewable for all ages and audiences. Typically 'U's are suitable for children from four years old upwards. However parents are warned that it is impossible to predict what might upset a particular child. According to BBFC " Films or videos with this BBFCinsight should raise no significant issues in terms of discrimination, drugs,imitable behaviour, language, nudity, sex, threat or violence."

Bad Language:

There is no bad language in 'U's apart from mild swears such as 'damn'.

Sexual Behavior:

Cuddling, kissing and subtle references to sex are permitted however there is to be no focus on sex, sexual behaviors or innuendos.

Violence:

Mild and slapstick violence is allowed. Focus on violence is not permitted and all fight scenes must be short. Brief scenes of horror are allowed as long as there are reassuring positive elements such as comedic music.

My thriller opening has long scenes of horror which would not be suited for a 'U' movie as well as hints to threats, violence and sexual behavior.

'PG' - 'PG' stands for parent's guidance. Movies with this classification tend to tend more with issues such as bullying, bereavement or racism however parents should be the ones who decide if their child can watch the movie as some children may find it upsetting whereas some might not. These movies typically are suited for children aged 8 and older.

Bad Language:

Mild bad language such as 'son of a bitch' or 'shit' may be used but are used very little and are often used in a a good context. Aggressive and constant swearing is not permitted for a PG.

Violence:

Some violent behaviour is acceptable however it must be mild. According to BBFC,  "Violence is generally more acceptable in a historical, comedic or fantasy setting, because of the distancing that this provides. It isn’t uncommon for PG films to feature ‘roller-coaster’ action or set pieces, where the emphasis is clearly on the adventure or journey of the main characters rather than the detail of violence or fighting."

My thriller does not promote or feature too much violence, 'jump scares' or any bad language it does deal with the issue of stalking and assult which would not be suited for younger audiences so it would not be classified as a 'PG'.

'12' and '12A' - This classification is not suitable for children under the age of 12. '12A's are movies where an adult must accompany the 12 year old.

Strong Language:

Strong language will be used in '12's and '12A's such as 'f*ck' but it depends on the context and manner in which it is said.

Sexual Behaviour:

Nudity, sexual behaviour and sexual references must be brief but are permitted.

Violence:

According to BBFC's site, "At 12A, moderate violence is allowed but it should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if they can be justified by their context (for example brief sight of bloody injury in a medical drama).

Action sequences and weapons may be present at 12A or 12, and there may be long fight scenes or similar. Weapons which might be easily accessible to 12 year olds (such as knives) should not be glamorised in 12A and 12 works.

Sexual violence, such as scenes of rape or assault, may only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated at 12A and 12. Such scenes must also have a strong contextual justification."

'15' - 15 movies are not suited for anyone under the age of 15 as they tend to contain:

•   strong violence
•  frequent strong language (e.g. 'f***').
•   portrayals of sexual activity
•   strong verbal references to sex
•   sexual nudity
•   brief scenes of sexual violence or verbal references to sexual violence
•   discriminatory language or behaviour
•   drug taking

(List taken from bbfc.co.uk)

However at a 15, there is only to be brief verbal references to issues such as stalking and there should be no focus on sadistic or sexualised threat. Though it is possible to make my thriller a '15' it would be safer to make it an '18' due to the issues it deals with. 

'18' - These movies are not suitable for anyone under the age of 18 and cannot be watched, rented or purchased by anyone without proof of age. Movies with this classification have not limit on swearing or themes. '18' movies tend to include:

  strong violence

•  frequent strong language (e.g. 'f***').
•   portrayals of sexual activity
•   strong verbal references to sex
•   sexual nudity
•   brief scenes of sexual violence or verbal references to sexual violence
•   discriminatory language or behaviour
•   drug taking

(List taken from bbfc.co.uk)

Due to the horror nature of my thriller it is best that I classify it an 15. It means that younger viewers are unlikely to see the disturbing topics but still allows for a wide audience.

ALL IMAGES AND INFORMATION FROM BBFC.CO.UK

Storyboard Version Two

I made a second draft of my storyboard as I changed the idea slightly so it fit the idea of a stalker stalking his victim and it focuses more on that than him killing his victim. By adding some more clips I made the opening longer and make more sense.

Most clips stay the same but I took out clip of removing the box from under the bed because it did not have any relevance to the opening. I also took out any scene with the knife because it focused too much on killing the victim than the stalking.

I added more clips that focused on the pictures of the victim as it filled in more space between clips as well as showing the stalker's obsession of the victim by going back to the same image. It is to represent how she has taken over his thoughts.

I kept the same template and style as I found it to work effectively as well as making it easier to convey what I want each clip to look like. This time I numbered the frames as it was easy to mix up the sheets.


The colour tone and representation are the same in this version as it still suited the opening.

Titles have not been drawn onto the storyboard but this is where they will be:

• Frame 1 - Company by...
• Frame 2 - Film by...
• Frame 3 - Victim's name
• Frame 4 - Stalkers name
• Frame 5 - Extra's names
• Frame 6 - Extra's names
• Frame 7 - Title
• Frame 8 - Casting by...
• Frame 9 - Music by...
• Frame 14 - Written by...
• Frame 19 - Directed by...

The colour, font and action of the titles are the same as version one. 

In this version I have set some timings as I would like to have the opening synchronized to music which I have composed myself.

 The timings  are also not written on the storyboard as they might be changed after the music is composed. These are the current timings:

• Frame 1 - 8s
• Frame 2 - 8s
• Frame 3 - 8s
• Frame 4 - 8s
• Frame 5 - 4s
• Frame 6 - 4s
• Frame 7 - 8s
• Frame 8 - 8s
• Frame 9 - 8s
• Frame 10 - 4s
• Frame 11 - 4s
• Frame 12 - 4s
• Frame 13 - 8 s
• Frame 14 - 8s
• Frame 15 - 4s
• Frame 16 - 4s
• Frame 17 -  4s
• Frame 18-19 - 12s

The four second clips are to create a fast pace and build up the suspense. Whereas the longer clips are to establish more story.

Storyboard Version One

 For the story-boarding process I made my own template in Microsoft Word based on templates used by Dreamworks storyboard artist. Before making my own storyboard I researched how storyboards are designed and what kind of information are put onto them. I looked at this web page which gives tips and diagrams of story-boarding techniques. 

My template has for boxes for each clip with space on the right to add information about how I would like the scene to be shot for example I added what shot type, camera angles, some mise en scene and general directions for the actors.

All directions such as actors movement are shown in red to make it stand out as the major movement of each clip.The pictures are drawn roughly with little detail as all detail has gone into the writing yet it still shows exactly what happens in each clip.

My thriller opening is about a stalker (shown on the storyboard as 'A') who is researching, stalking and then approaching his prey. The opening is full of short clips of close ups of actions 'A' is doing for example crossing out names on a list of previous victims. At the beginning you see him walking in the dark. His identity is hidden in this darkness to show his anonymity but also to represent hidden dangers. His victim is not know immediately but there are hints to her identity in the series of close ups where his is locating and finding out information on her. The scene is somewhat puzzling at the beginning as the clips are just parts of an unseen bigger picture but when the knife is shown there is an atmosphere of danger which gives the audience a hint as to what might happen. The opening ends on a long shot of a research board showing the whole picture of what is happening and shows that 'A' is a stalker and 'B' is his victim.

I have not put where the titles will be put but they will be in this order:

• Company
• Film by...
• 'A's actor's name
• 'B's actor's name
• Title of thriller
• Casting by
• Music by...
• Written by...
• Directed by...

This order is based of the information I got from previous research of movie opening sequences which can be found here.

The titles will be white to contrast with the dark surroundings. The font will be sketchy and look handwritten. It will flicker like its is from an old projector and preferably look grainy to add to the old feel. 

The colour tone of the opening will be quite dark but with the warm yellows of street lamps when it comes to scenes with 'B'. The yellow adds a sense of warmth and normality to an otherwise dangerous scenario. This lures the audience is a false sense of hope but adds tension and a shock when they realise the danger  and that the opening will not end pleasantly. The blackness of the rest of the opening adds as sense of hidden danger. However it also signifies death, forewarning the audience what happens to the victim.

When it comes to representation you can tell that it is middle class England due to the clothes of both the victim (casual clothes) and the stalker (plain clothing). As there is no dialogue to show dialect or accents it is important to show class and location in other ways. The scene is based on a typical road in England with semi-detached houses. The location is to represent normality but this shows that this scenario can happen anywhere and to anyone.  The stalker is male as in media most stalkers are. 83% of stalkers according to www.novabucks.org/otherinformation/stalking/  are male, so I made the stalker male to represent this. The victim is also female because most victims are female but it also represents women are the weaker sex which brings about the battle of the sexes. 

Ideas For My Thriller

After watch thrillers and thriller opening sequences I have picked out some ideas and elements that I would like to incorporate into my own thriller opening sequence.

 
In the mindmap above I have outline some ideas and themes that I would like to use. I picked from two sub-genres of thriller - crime thriller and psychological thriller. For both sub-genres I have picked from a couple of ideas. For example for a crime thriller I would have the opening sequence in a serial killer's lair where he is singling out and targeting his prey. It would somewhat resemble 'Se7en' with a series of close ups shots of the person busy at work.

Titles:

For titles there are two types of effects that I would like to replicate in my own work. One of the types of titles I have looked at is the 'cutout effect'. It shows an establishing shot so you can see the setting of the film but the titles are placed over it like a stencil. An example of this is the picture below.

Sourced from slideshowblog.com

Another effect I liked was the film projector look. Titles flickered on and off as if it was a projector. An example of this is the titles in 'Se7en'. If I was to do titles like this I would used a handwritten like font such as 'Dirty Deo Handink' found from 1001fonts.com

It makes it look scrawled and almost frantic looking which fits with the genre of thriller.

Sub-genres

There are two sub-genres of thriller I would like to do for my thriller; crime thriller and psychological thriller.  If I looked at crime I would go with idea of either a serial killer choosing his next target or a riot. All ideas would be composed from a series of short clips to create a quick pace opening sequence to add suspense and drama.

If I were to do the serial killer idea the opening sequence would be composed of close ups of the killer doing things like circling names, crossing out people's faces, pin-pointing maps and etc until the last shot where the director is announced where there is an extreme long shot of a wall full of research which is often a shot found in crime television.  

From 'Kick - Ass'

Using the riot idea I would compose it of more prolonged clips in slow-motion to create a peaceful feel to the chaos. It would mainly be hand-held to create a rough natural feel to it as if the audience was a part of the riot. I would use a lot of over-the-shoulder shots and mainly mid shots. I plan on not showing any faces in the opening sequence to create a sense of muted identity. The colours would be murky and dull with glimpses of colour from important props.

From 'No Church in the Wild'

My idea for a psychological thriller opening would include more abnormal images to create a sense of a dream-like state. I got this idea from the 'Skyfall' opening sequence where Bond's unconsciousness is represented with strange images such as a giant hand dragging him underwater. To make it seem like a nightmare I would use haunting images such as one is 'Silent Hill: Revelations' and NBC's 'Hannibal'.

Research Index

Here is a complete list of posts researching the thriller genre:

• What Is a Thriller?
• Genres and Sub-genres of Thrillers?
• What Are the Conventions of a Thriller Film?
• Who Are Some of the Most Popular and Well Known Directors Associated With the Genre?
• Who Are Some of the Most Popular and Well Known Actors Associated With Thriller Films?
• Which Thrillers Are Considered to Be 'The Best of All Time'?
• Which Thrillers Are My Own Personal Favourites?
• Which Thriller Films Have Inspired My Own Film Making?
• Opening Scene Analysis
• What Other Media I Have Been Inspired By?

Created on abcya.com

Films that have inspired

The ways movies are filmed and edited vary per movie. After looking at thriller movies I have extracted certain elements that have
inspired me in making my own thriller. Thesefuelements include opening scenes and titles to the music, colour and camerawork.

When analysing movie opening sequences I have looked into some elements that I think would be perfect for my own thriller. The opening for 'Silent Hill:Revelations' has quite a sinister feel to it with the still mannequins. The element I like is the use of still images but the camera still is moving around creating spacial awareness. The use of canted angles creates chaos and imbalance to an otherwise calm still. The light in the scene bursts from the windows creating an underwater feel but does not add much brightness to the scene. It is an effective use of light which I could use in my own thriller. Over the shoulder shots also create a sense of busyness to the scene and gives some interesting effects.

TO WATCH THE OPENING SCENE CLICK HERE

The beginning of 'Cabin in the Woods' before the opening scene also is rather good to look at. The tone of the scene is a red-ish brown which resembles blood and dirt creating the atmosphere for the movie. I liked the tracking close up of the blood. The camera follows the blood dripping slowly creating a haunting feel to it.  This scene also uses animated stills like 'Silent Hill:Revelations' but does not use canted angles so it is less chaotic and more haunting.

TO WATCH THE OPENING SCENE CLICK HERE

At the beginning of 'Now You See Me' it starts with a direct address. Though this particular type of direct address might be to cheery for a thriller, it can still be used in a more powerful and haunting way. Using an eye level angle like in this scene it makes the audience and the character seem equal which could be useful for scenes with the protagonist in it as it will make the audience feel empathy for them. Using and low angle will make the character seem powerful and would create an sense of fear in the audience. If I used a directed address I would use a low angle to show that the character is the antagonist and make the audience feel scared of the character.

Se7en is one of the most inspirational movies, especially the opening titles. I would like to replicate something similar to the music in the opening scene as it is rather textured with eerie and mechanical sounds. It somewhat resembles 'Portal' music with its mechanical whiring. This type of music causes a scratching effect which can almost resemble scratching on walls.

The movie also uses flittering titles with a handwritten feel to it  which I would like to replicate in my likethriller. It looks almost like a projector flicking on and off which create an interesting effect.

TO WATCH THE OPENING SCENE CLICK HERE

All images are from artofthetitle.com

Juno Title Sequence Analysis

Sourced from deviantart.com

Juno is not a thriller but I looked at the title sequence so I can compare it to a thriller and see what the difference between the conventions are. Juno is a comedy and you can tell just by looking at the title sequence.

The music is key as it is a lot happier and cheerful than a thriller with the use of a harmonica to give it a country feel. The tempo is faster than music such as the 'Sin City' opening where it resembled a heartbeat.

The colour scheme is a lot brighter than 'Sin City' with its monochrome theme and 'Se7en' with is muted browns and yellows. 'Juno' uses brighter colours such as green and yellow on top of pale coloured backgrounds.

The shots have an added style to them making them look sketchy and like they have just come out of a doodle book. The sequence uses stop-motion where they have taken thousands of pictures of Ellen Page walking and compiled them together to create a moving image. It gives it a more playful feel as if it was a flip book. This style could not be used as it is to lively and bright.

Like all openings, the companies are the first thing announced, in this case Fox Searchlight Pictures, A Mandate Pictures and Mr. Mudd productions. Fox Searchlight Pictures are the first announced simply because they are the most famous and did the most work on the film. Fox Searchlight Pictures is announced at 0:11 so quite early on in the sequence. The other two companies are announced at 0:17.

Like most films, the title is announced very early on in the scene. For 'Juno' it was at 0:27 straight after the companies. The colour of the title flashes giving it a vibrant feel which could not be used for a thriller.

The titles tend to flicker a bit instead of moving like they would in an action or a thriller.

The main cast are announced next like they are in 'Sin City'. They are announced between 0:35 and 1:09.

The main cast are shortly followed by the casting director like in 'Panic Room'. It is common in most films to have them announced before any other crew member. They are announced at 1:09.

Next are the costume designers. Again they are announced near the beginning of the crew list. They are announced at 1:18.

Music is one of  the most important aspects of a film so like the other opening sequences I analysed, the music directors are announced after the costume designers. In this case at 1:23.

After these members of crew we get on to co-producers, editors, film production and director of photography. Again like most films these people are announced at roughly the same time.

 Executive producers are announced more towards the end like in 'Se7en'. In 'Juno' it is at 1:57.

The producers are announced at 2:02 followed by the writers at 2:28. These are always at the end of an opening sequence.

Lastly like most films is the director. The director of 'Juno' was announced at 2:13. It lingers on his name for a bit longer to convey how important he is to the film.

TO WATCH THE FULL OPENING SEQUENCE CLICK HERE

ALL IMAGES ARE FROM ARTOFTHETITLE.COM