Character Profile - Bill (Antagonist)

Character name: Bill
Actor name: Richard Turner
Age: 39
Occupation: Electrician

Why is Bill the antagonist and what influenced his creation?

Bill is a character that shows no signs of emotion or remorse; this is illustrated through his cold stare that is held continually within our thriller opening. Additionally, his occupation as an electrician is a further connotation of his moral ambiguity; this is as it suggests that he is not afraid to get his hands dirty and will continue to act until the job is done. Furthermore, men who have jobs in labour intensive industries such as building, plumbing and electrical work are often perceived as "tough" or "intimidating", which therefore gives the character more of a gangster or hard man image. 

One character that Bill is influenced by is Arby, a hit-man portrayed by Neil Maskell in the TV thriller "Utopia". This is as when looking at Arby's aims we were able to relate these around Bill's objectives i.e. Both characters are out to obtain something important (be it an enigma or a manuscript) and they will go to inhuman lengths in order to get what they want. In addition, we were able to establish Bill's expression through the inspiration of Arby as we wanted our character to look psychotic and intimidating.


Arby from TV drama/thriller "Utopia"

Costume

Theis Birk Larsen from "The Killing"

Originally we had planned the whole costume for Bill, we had taken inspiration from several similar British TV thrillers/dramas and British gangster films. We had included a beanie, this came from the first episode of "The Killing" because of the character 'Theis Birk Larsen' wears a similar hat. This character is shown as an authority figure and is also suspected as the killer, his stature is also intimidating and exerts power.

Bill's Jacket

We also made Bill wear a large jacket as it makes it seem as though he is trying to conceal something, this could be a weapon or some other unknown object, which adds to the sense of an enigma. The large jacket also helps to signify the genre as many British gangster/crime thrillers often feature the 'hard man' wearing a large jacket. For example, 'Big Chris' from "Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" is seen wearing this leather jacket which makes shoulders seem broader and his overall image much more intimidating and dominant.



Big Chris from "Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels"

The only part of Bills costume that is actually seen in our thriller are his feet and so we had to make the right decision to make Bill seem powerful and dominant just by his footwear. We decided that Bill would wear steel-capped work boots in order to fit in with his supposed occupation as an electician. These boots also symbolise that he does not care about his appearnce as much as he cares about his job and the ability of which he is able to complete his goals/objects. The boots Bill is seen to be wearing could also represent his personality, rough, cold and threatening.

Boots worn by Bill




Storyboard - Draft

Transit - Audience

Age: 16 - 18 (teenagers/young adults)
Gender: Male
Ethnicity: British white & black
Media Interests: Kidulthood/Adulthood, Top Boy, Misfits, Attack the Block
Social Class: Working class/lower middle class

Why does this social class/audience identify with this film?
The plot revolves around a young black male who ends up in a situation that is out of his comfort zone and control. This is a situation that many young people can find themselves in due to having a lack of authority or being forced in to something. There are also more and more young people getting caught up in gangs and drug rings, which is perhaps what is in the bag that John is carrying but it remains an enigma. Thus young people may be able to relate to this situation as it becomes more and more common amongst their social circles, especially that of the working class. Young black males are also often under the media eye because of the supposedly 'criminal' activities that some may choose to take part in (e.g. the London Riots, even though there were many white youths, if not more, than young black youths). This could be seen as playing off of generic conventions seen in media productions such as "Kidulthood" and "Top Boy" which could help to identify the audience with the film because many young people are often judged by the upper classes as rebellious thugs when the truth is actually very far from this. The location could also be similar to the sort of run down estates/industrial areas that groups of youths loiter and cause trouble so this could help the target demographic identify with the film. 

Shooting Schedule

Times and Dates of our Filming Sessions

Saturday the 12th of January 2013 - 9:30am to 4:00pm

We planned this day because it gave us a large amount of time to get a majority of the filming finished. Also we had discussed the best possible times with the manager at Anglia Square car park and it was agreed that Saturday would be an appropriate and convenient time for the security team too.
Actors Required: Ell (playing Hanna), Sol (playing John) and Richard (playing Bill)
Equipment Used: Canon DSLR, Nikon DSLR, tripod

Wednesday the 16th of January 2013 - 8:30am to 11:00am

We planned to use the morning double media lesson to try and get closer to finishing the initial filming.

Actors Required: Sol (playing John) and Richard (playing Bill)
Equipment Used: Canon DSLR, Nikon DSLR, tripod

Wednesday the 23rd of January 2013 - 9:00am to 11:00am

We had used this time to finish filming. After using this time I noticed some continuity errors; therefore we had to plan a little more time to re do some of the shots in which the errors were noticeable.

Actors Required: Sol (playing John) and Richard (playing Bill)
Equipment Used: Canon DSLR, Nikon DSLR, tripod

Tuesday the 5th of February 2013 - 12:20pm to 3:00pm

This time was used to go over the shots that needed re-doing due to continuity errors or other factors that effected the quality of the overall film.
Actors Required: Sol (playing John)
Equipment Used: Canon DSLR, Nikon DSLR, tripod

Character Profile - John

Character Name: John
Actor Name: Sol Goss
Character Type: Antagonist

John is an adolescent who has been caught up in dodgy dealings with an organisation. He is simply the messenger; his only purpose being to deliver the black bag that contains unknown items to an ambiguous young woman that goes by the name of Hanna. The bag that John wears acts an enigma, creating a sense of mystery amongst the audience as the events that take place within the opening revolve around the contents of the bag.

John is the antagonist as the audience follow him through the labyrinth of the deserted car park; therefore the audience are able to begin to engage with the character. John appears confident but is also portrayed as vulnerable due to the inexperience of being in this kind of situation as well as being the youngest out of the three characters. His vulnerability can be shown by the insignificance he poses when compared to the massive structure of the car park, being a claustrophobic location and a generic convention it also creates the impression that the character is going into a place that he may well never come back out of. The body language that John shows could be interpreted to connote that he is street smart and is independent, although his isolation adds to the vulnerability.

When thinking about the character of John we looked at several British Dramas that depicted the lives of youths living in similar locations to that of Anglia Square. We found that the character of 'Sam' from 'KiDULTHOOD' and 'AdULTHOOD' had a similar personality and appearance to John. This is because he does what he can (including crime, which applies directly to John as he is involved in shady dealings) in order to make a name for himself and to get enough money to live comfortably, but in doing so gets himself into trouble and realises that he is way in over his head. The UK TV drama Top Boy was also another link for John, as each of the characters are dressed similarly to John. Some of the characters also end up in trouble with higher up organisations/gangs and have to fight their way out of trouble, this could be linked with the trouble that John ends up in with the larger powers of Bill and whoever Hanna is linked to.

'Sam' from "KiDULTHOOD" and "AdULTHOOD", shown wearing a hoody, similar to that of John.

"Top Boy"

'Top Boy"

Transit - Possible Soundtracks (to be added to)

Possible Soundtracks

This song is Angel by Massive Attack and is already one of our intertextual references because of the location in which the video is shot. This particular track has been used in several thriller films and TV series because of its deep dark undertones. For example, in the film 'Snatch' the soundtrack is used alongside the image of a burning caravan, containing a mother of one of the characters.  The video takes place in a sinister, grimy looking car park that is quite similar to Anglia Square, the lighting also helps to create suspense as there are a lot of shadows. The track itself contains some very deep bass, this helps to create a dark mood that is important to some thrillers. I liked the sinister tones of the track and so I tried to find songs/sounds that used similar instruments and conveyed the same kind of dark mood by slowly building up the volume and tension.



The song helps to convey some of the emotion during this scene and shows the dark mood associated with the events happening and also the possibility of a reaction from Mickey.

3 Possible Soundtracks (one will be used for the final production)

http://www.audionetwork.com/production-music/dangerous-knowledge_36824.aspx - Titled: Dangerous Knowledge 3

http://www.audionetwork.com/production-music/crisis-matter_58005.aspx - Titled: Crisis Matter 2

http://www.audionetwork.com/production-music/for-whom-the-bell-tolls_57088.aspx - Titled: For Whom the Bell Tolls 3

Transit - Mood board (to be added to)

Type of Thriller

What Type of Thriller is our Film?

I would say that because of the events that occur in our opening it would be fair to say that the film crosses over two sub-genres, these being crime thriller and psychological thriller. 

The film fits the crime thriller genre because of the fixation around the crime that is committed (murder) and also the shady meet up that revolves around the contents of the bag. As crime thrillers often focus on the villains instead of the police, it seems relevant as we focus on the killer (Bill) and also the two characters meeting up over the contents of the bag (John and Hanna). The claustrophobic city location is also reminiscent of crime thriller locations such as the city in 'The Killing' and 'Se7en'.

Copenhagen, the city used for 'The Killing'

The film also slightly crosses over into the psychological thriller genre because of the character Bill. He has a fixation with the bag that John carries and will not stop at anything to retrieve it, this sort of mental/emotional aspect does fit with the genre. The way Bill pray's on the other characters could be linked with others like Travis Bickle from 'Taxi Driver' and David from 'Shallow Grave'. Much like Travis Bickle, Bill also relies a lot on his vehicle.

Travis Bickle from 'Taxi Driver', a mentally unstable character that could be linked to Bill.

David from 'Shallow Grave'

Thriller Film - Plot Synopsis

Thriller Film Title - Transit

Plot - John is making his way into the multi-story car park with a bag on his back. He intends to meet with Hanna to hand over the contents of the bag, but unknown to both of them John is followed in by a suspicious van driver (Bill). Bill has a captivation with what’s inside the bag and will do anything to retrieve it, causing things to go awry for John. As John nears the meeting point things seem to be not as expected.

Thriller Film Opening - Shot List

Shot list:

- High angle shot of Jon walking up the stairs with the rucksack.

- Close-up/ Tracking shot of a leaf falling down and landing on the windscreen of the white van.

- Shot from within the van, camera focused on the leaf and windscreen, shift in focus to Jon at the top of the stairs walking around to the right.

- Extreme close-up of Bill's eyes (angry or emotionless expression), diegetic sound of the van starting up.

- Mid-tilt of Jon entering the car park stairwell.

- Tracking shot of the van going round the corner.

- Long shot through broken window of the van going into the car park (test shot on previous post).

- High-angle of Jon walking up stairs.

- Mid-shot of the third person checking their watch, Match on Action close up of the watch (Maybe pan to white van in the background).

- Close-up of Jon's feet as he turns the stairwell.

- Low angle/ Tilt of Jon walking up the final set of stairs.

- Mid-shot to Close-up of Jon walking through the door.

- Point of view, Jon looking around (Spots van, shot holds for a second).

- Long shot of Jon looking around.

- Over the Shoulder/ Tracking of Jon walking up to the van with one door open, gets to the van see's third persons watch on the floor.

- Close-up of the watch getting picked up by Jon, has a smashed clock face.

- Close-up of Jon's worried face.

- Mid-shot/Tracking shot of Jon running towards stairwell doors and throwing them open, camera movement shaking to symbolize running/ add to the action. 

- Mid-shot from other side of the doors of Jon busting through and getting to the lift.

- Extreme close-up of Jon's finger repeatedly pressing the down button.

- Medium close-up of Jon impatiently waiting for lift.

- Point of view shot of lift doors opening, third person slumped dead on the lift floor with a business card placed on her.

- Worms-eye shot from third person's perspective of Jon walking in an crouching down in front of her.

- Close-up on the business card whilst Jon picks it up.

- Diegetic sound of lift doors closing, shot from the back of the lift of Jon turning around.

- Just before the lift doors close, close-up of a foot stopping the door from shutting.

Upon arriving at Anglia Square car park to practice some filming it was apparent that it had been closed. This meant we had to look around other locations to see if they would have the same effect and opportunities. We are communicating with the manager of the car park in order to see if it is possible to still use the car park, but if this is not the case then the shot list may be subject to change.

Possible Thriller Locations - Anglia Square Pt. 2

I had to make a second post as all of the photos would not fit onto the first post, this will also contain videos.

This shot demonstrates the noir/chiaroscuro lighting that can be found within the car park, especially when combined with the gleaming concrete which helps to act as a generic convention, signifying the genre.

This shot shows a view through cracked glass, looking down onto the road that enters the car park, this could be used to view the white van entering the car park. The bars across the glass connote entrapment or perhaps prison making the space seem claustrophobic and inescapable.

This was taken from the roof before the upper levels became boarded up, the view from the roof is a city skyline showing a dystopia, often used in thrillers due to the undesirable qualities. Also this photo makes use of chiaroscuro lighting, a generic convention of classic noir thrillers.

This is another possible shot that could be used to show the white van entering the car park, note the metal bars across the top again, giving a sense of prison (which relates to crime, often seen in thrillers).

When I went to the location it began to rain, providing a brilliant opportunity to capture the bleak look of Anglia Square, with the rain adding to the miserable outlook. The rain also helped to create the gleam, which is a generic convention for thrillers.

This low angle shot makes the building/lift/stairs seem intimidating and powerful. This helps to convey the danger of what could take place inside, whilst giving the audience a sense of fear by imagining what lies inside.

This shot shows the whole car park and the repetitive look of the building, this reminded me of the estate seen in 'Harry Brown' because of the way that it looks the same from pretty much any angle, completing the depressing exterior. 

Heygate estate, used in the film 'Harry Brown'

This photo has a brilliant enclosed space in which the white van could be seen driving through, another generic convention is the reflection off of the gleaming road, this adds another dimension to the shot. This kind of effect is used in many films, such as 'Black Rain'.

Scene from 'Black Rain'

These are the abandoned buildings that surround the car park, adding to the atmosphere.

This video shows an idea that we had for the ending of the thriller film, the close up of the foot stopping the lift door from closing and preventing the escape of the character being chased. Unfortunately I had focused the camera wrong and as a result the foot is not in focus, it would be a much stronger shot if the foot was in focus, emphasising the power of the character stopping the lift.



This was a practice to see how effective the shot would be, making the focus go from the glass to out on the road, where the white van would be driving into the car park.



This was one of our influences for the idea of a car park. The way that the music video is shot is thriller-esque and it contains thriller conventions such as the location, lighting and camera shots.