REVISE The Good Daughter

Title
The Good Daughter


Genre
Physiological thriller


Brief plot


Isabella murders her lover Joules by stabbing him in the heart. Isabella murders her lover for the twisted thrill and to please her father Christian. Christian disliked Joules, Isabella and her fathers close; obsessive relationship leads to Isabella killing Joules, pleasing her controlling father. The cuts between Isabella and Christian reflect the close cut between Isabella's eyes to Christian's, the father is watching his good daughter.


Shots


C.U of Isbella looking in to mirror putting on lipstick
C.U of Isabella smoking - 'smokescreen production' title is over this shot
M.S of Isabella's feet walking across the room and picking up suitcase leaving through the door
C.U of the reflection of Christians's eyes in the the reversing mirror of his car.


'The Good Daughter'

We chose to call our production 'The Good Daughter' because it reflects the controlling, obsessive relationship between Christian and his daughter. It also suggests Christian pleasure that Isabella has done what he wanted and killed Joules. The title could also been seen an ironic, doing bad to be good. The title integrates the theme of the obsessive, controlling relationship between Father and Daughter; it also reflects the ironic and twisted nature of the characters and their actions.

Soundtrack

Hyperions fate - Sunny Days Are Over

Genre

Progressive / Experimental / Classical

Looking though the a search engine style site full of unsigned artists and music called www.unsignedbandsweb.com we found this song. The song was posted under 'instrumental'. We felt that the song was dramtic and errie and would acoompily are footage and mood of our production well. I have written to the artist via the site to let them know we are using the song in our production/ ask for premission, below is the body of the email:

Hello


I am a student at CNS 6th form Norwich, England studying A Level media, as part of my coursework I have to construct the opening to a thriller film. For the soundtrack we have to use a copyright free piece of music. After looking though the site I found that your track 'Sunny days are over' would be perfect for my production. I writing to ask/ inform permission if I can use it in my production.
Kind Regards
Elizabeth King
CNS 6th form

Further contact information:

www.myspace.com/hyperionsfate

Audience feed back on the sound track

When asked  'Does the sound track effectively enhance the mood & tone? 12/12 people said it did.

Example of questionnaire anwser:

The sound track adds to and heightens the mood and tone of the mise-en-scene fitting the action well. The steady but intense beat of the music means that when editing we could cut the footage to the beat, heightening tension and drama further. The sound track evokes tension and fear, the sound track is quite dark, moody and heavy. The stings in the sound track make it eerie.


I have uploaded the track onto my account on You tube:


Titles

'Smokescreen Productions'

Are production company is called smokescreen productions
'Smokescreen Productions' will appear over the C.U of Isabella smoking.
We have decided to have the production company on a separate frame as we have time to. This will appear for 4-5 seconds at the start of film.

'The Good Daughter'

The title of our fill will appear towards the end of the opening somewhere. Possible over a shot of Isabella that then cross fades to one of Christian, to establish and intensify the link between the characters.



Actors names

The actors names will appear over the establishing shots of them. For example the establishing shot of Isabella is when she is looking in the mirror putting on lipstick, the establishing shot of Christian is the C.U of the relection of his eyes in the reversog mirror, and Joules when he is waiting behind the railings on the bridge for Isabella. When placing the actors names over these shots it is important not to spoil these shots with the titles, if they do indeed do so they will be moved to a secondary shot.

REVISE Developed storyboards

Developed storyboards, developed from the first idea for the opening.

REVISE Initial storyboards

Initial storyboards for the first idea for the opening:

REVISE rough storyboards for final plot idea

Rough storyboards for final opening idea.

Developed storyboards detailed

Shot No. 5

Shot Type. Close up

Action Christian picks up briefcase from resting place.

Close up of hand/ watch establishes charater, gold rings, expensive watch.

Sound

Diegetic sound of breifcase being lifed up.

Lighting

Non-ambient street lighting.

Shot No. 6

Shot type. Close up

Action

Close up of Joule's feet/ bottom half of legs. Bottom of briefcase 2 can also be seen. Joules is waiting to meet Christian for the exchange. The close up of the shoes/legs establishes his smart dress.

Sound

Lighting

 Non ambient street lighting

Shot No. 7

Shot type. Close up, tilted shot

Action

Joules is waiting to meet Christian for the exchange.

The tilted shot connotes uncertaintity, anxioity.

The fact that he is framed in a doorway connotes/forshadows that he is being framed/decieved.

Sound

Lighting

Non ambient street lighting.

Shot No. 8

Shot type. Medium Shot

Action

The breifcase exchange

Thriller film soundtrack ideas

Abysmo - The path


Taken from http://www.unsignedbandweb.com/


After looking through the site, we where looking for something similar to the Kasabien and Reservior Dogs theme we had researched.



Another strong track we are considering using is:
Hyperions Fate - Sunny Days Are Over
This was also taken from http://www.unsignedbandweb.com/

Shooting Schedules: 15/1/10, 16/1/10

Locations: UPDATED: Isabella & Christian's house

Isobel Bailey's house/ Isabella & Christian's house


Shots of Isabella getting ready to leave her house and past life behind after having returned from taking the money
-Taking adress from notice board
-Packing last item in bag
-going out

Notice board 


Isabella takes an address of the notice board, the address where she is heading for to start her new life.
C.U of Isabella's hand taken adress

Front door


Front door Isabella leaves from.


C.U of Isabella hand on door knob
M.S from the top of the strairs going across hallway and out of door.
C.U of Isabella's feet, suitcase can be seen.

Window 


Blind's create perfect shadows and are moody and atmospheric
and reminisant of eary thrillers


Due to revisions with our plot the shots with Isabella leaving the house have been cut. The shots of Isabella smoking agaisnt the blinds will remain.

Shooting Schedule example

Developed location ideas

I took these photos of location idea for the briefcase exchange - meeting of Christian and Joules, and the assult on Joules. Trowse - pumping station and under Trowse bridge. Under the Trowse bridge and around that area are delelict industrial buildings. There are various old doors and buildings under the bridge. hiya. There is also in this area a large old industrial building and more similar buildings at the back. Ajacent to the area under the bridge is the Norwich - London train route.
Close up of the area under the bridge has old rail and storage rooms which are now boarded up. There is still evidence of the rail past. There are several interesting aged doors and arches in this area.

Midium shot the same area, in this photo the arc of the connecting bridge from the quary (Lafarges) can be seen with the train way just beyond this.











Medium shot of a large derilict industral building in the area. Beautiful arced window and door and clock tower. Run down, old, abanded and quiet making the perfect place for the briefcase exchange.

Close up of the door of the above building. Beautifully old. Could be possible place of briefcase exchange the arc of the door representing the framing of Joules. Below a photo of more buildings in this area, large and towering.

Inspiration for the setting came from watching previous thrillers such as Once upon a time in America and The Thrid Man.Where as you can see, the dark, gloomy back-alley setting has been proved as a great generic thriller signifier, and we feel that this would give the perfect feel to our thriller, as the dark, gloomy, isolated streets give a sense of fear, that danger may just be around the corner... For example in this shot of the character 'Noodles' coming out of a doorway round the back of a dark alley.  The Third Man a noir thriller  is set in the post war derelict urban streets of Vienna, Austria. The buildings show signs of the war that has past, smashes windows boarded up doors. The streets are often wet and gloomy. The buildings looking striking and dominant with there wet glaze of the raining sky and dark and light on dark contrast. Characters shadows climb the dark walls looking mysterious and threatening. The dark provides perfect places for a lurking character, hidden in a doorway. The darkness can make characters look strong, mysterious, threatning but on the other hand vunrable and alone. 

Soundtrack - initial notes

We feel that to have a soundtrack to the background of our thriller opener would be a great effect which is used in nearly all successful thrillers. Having listened to a selection of songs and bounced different soundtrack ideas off of each other, we found that this song 'Club Foot' by Kasabian would be an ideal song for our opening, as it has the exact right feel about it and would fit perfectly into the opening shot when Joules is stepping off of the train and walking through the station. Our idea that the song would work well in a thriller is supported in the video itself when the time is at roughly 1:18, the makers of the video include a handgun, which is a generic signifier of the genre. Also at 2:04 you can see a briefcase being used, another signifier which we ourselves are using in our film.
Obviously, because of the ruling that we're not allowed to use copyrighted songs by signed artists in our videos, this particular song is not a possibility. But we may well look for other alternatives for a soundtrack by unsigned artists who might have a song giving a similar effect to this kasabian classic.

Soundtracks and thriller film genre reseach


Pulp fiction
-Dick Dale ''Misirlou''


No film score was composed for Pulp Fiction, with Quentin Tarantino instead using an eclectic assortment of surf music, rock and roll, soul, and pop songs. Dick Dale's rendition of "Misirlou" plays during the opening credits. Tarantino chose surf music as the basic musical style for the film, but not, he insists, because of its association with surfing culture: "To me it just sounds like rock and roll, even Morricone music. It sounds like rock and roll spaghetti Western music." Dick Dales rendition of ''Misirlou'' is as famous as the movie its edgey fast pased famous guitar riff opening perfectly sets the film that follows.

Reservoir Dogs -
George Baker ''Little Green Bag''


Original released in 1969 'Little Green Bag'' was written by Jan Visser and George Baker. In 1992, when the song was used in the film Reservoir Dogs featuring during the iconic ''hero walk'', it became an international cult classic. Tarantino has said that he feels the music to be a counterpoint to the on-screen violence and action. He also stated that he wished for the film to have a '50s feel while using '70s music.



http://www.unsignedbandweb.com/

From searching unsigned bands in google we found this website. The allows unsigned artists to make an account and uplaod their music, giving chance for downloading and artist information. The site is divided by artist and genre. There is an very good extensive varitey of genre From christian rock to ska. We searched through genres we felt where relative to are film - instrumental, alternative, jazz, big band and blues. Finding several good tracks we saved them to a memory stick. The site is brilliant and we will be looking further into the site.

Costume - initial notes

The costume that we intend to use for the characters in our film is a modern smart, formal dress (for example suits, briefcases, overcoats and flashy jewellery. We decided to have the characters in the proposed costume because it reflects our characters as being fairly 'well-off', high up in society. A character in smart dress conotes importance and strenght. For emaple in 'Resiorv Dogs all the powerful, strong male characters are in suits, they stand out to be important, the way they dress shows that they are in control.

 Joules is business man character and will be wearing a full suit, long jacket and smart shoes to reflect this. He will be also wearing a designer watch and have a briefcase with him. The watch reflects Joules obbession with his look and 'youthful' cockiness. The briefcase - the generic sig, is large and black.

Christian will also have a very similar dress and some rings and a  watch more 'gentlemen' to clearly establish his wealth and importance in his particular business, possibly a cigar on-the-go too could also give connotations of the kind of character we are trying to achieve. Christian is a smart and flashy but not to the extend of being cocky like Joules.

Briefcase
Generic convention

In thriller films briefcases are used to carry illegal items - stolen goods, documents etc the briefcase decises these items it conceals the occupiers attentions and goods. A briefcase could hind the occipiers emotions - remorse they are detacthed from the moral imlications of the crime. The briefcase could also seperate the occupier from the crime, it is a metaphorical brick wall. Pulp Fiction joins the intersecting storylines of Los Angeles mobsters, fringe players, small-time criminals, and a mysterious briefcase. The dress-suited pair  (John Travolta as Vincent Vega and Samuel L. Jackson as Jules Winnfield)are on their way to retrieve a briefcase from Brett (Frank Whaley), who has transgressed against their boss, gangster Marsellus Wallace. Marsellus Wallace's briefcase in Pulp Fiction basically serves as the item that the drives the plot and yet which contents are never revealed. Subsequently, much speculation has arisen as to what the significance of the briefcase is and what it contains.

Our inspiration for the costume for the opening of the triller film came from watching other thriller films where with similar smartly dressed chracters which where powerful criminals who where street wise and well dressed.  We looked Pulp Fiction, Casino Royle and reservoir Dogs. All of which have male leads who are ingaged in criminal activites, are powerful, street wise, flashy and smartly dressed, they are in control.

Casino Royle

James Bond is know for being well dressed, suited and booted. His dress reflects his self control, power and social status. What ever situation he gets in Bond is always smart.

Pulp Fiction

Isabella

Isabella is well dressed and is dressed suitable to portray a costume of that of a modern femme fatale in the case of Isabella she dresses flatteringly, tight skirt, shirt, long winter jacket with a fur trim, ankle boots. Her costumes reflects her well off, high social status and her personal importance to look good.

Make - up
Dark strongly defined eyes connote confindence and strenght.

The eyes are framed drawing the audiences attention to them.

Red lips draw attention also connoting confidence and strenght and divience.

The fur coat simblises Isabella's wealth and status. A fur coat is a luxary item and shows the auidence that Isabella is wealthy, well fashioned and concerned with her appearence but not nesscercelly what people think of it; the fur coat could also symbol individuality and diversity, standing out making a statement, a fur coat is seen by some as a 'taboo' item of clothing to wear.

The tight pencil skirt and ankle boots and feminine and reflect Isbella's deviant nature. The shoes are patent and black similary is the skirt they are matchingly smart to Joules and Christains dress and being black they do not stand out, they make it easy to lurk in the darkness. Isabella's dress in strong and invidual smart and apprioately reflecting her character.

Dress experimentation 1


First experimention with dress


Long beige coat
Lace tights
White shoes
Red lips
Dark Eyes
Suitcase

The coat looks good and fits the ideology of the character
The shoes look good but these may be changed for boots for convience in a later scene.
The red lips and dark eyes look striking and also fit well with character ideology.
The suitcase is smart and again fitting to the character.
Overall this costume fits the character ideology and reperesents the character suitably and as entended. The costume makes Isabella look confident and sophisticated.

Developed synopsis - locations and character profiles

Christian

Age: mid-40's

Actor: Martin Lambert

Christian is weary of his daughters lover, Joules, and does not like his daughter being with him. Christian has a controlling and obbessive relationship with his daughter.

 Isabella
Role: Sleek, street-smart, deviant, sophisticated, daughter of Christian, Joule's lover.
Age: early 20's
Actress: Isobel Bailey

Isabella murders he lover joules, stabbing him in the heart. Isabella has an obbessive relationship with her father and kills Joules to please him, as well has getting a twisted pleasure out it herself.

Joules
Role: Isabella's lover
Age: Mid 20's
Actor: Harry Ewing

Joules, Isabella's lover is unware of the obbesive, controlling relationship of his lover Isabella and her father, he is murdered by his lover.

The interception by Isabella in the taking-back of the money, and murder of Joules. Isabella deceives her father and attempts to take off with the money Christian has just handed over to Joules. Isabella's intentions are to get away from her Father and the criminal world she lives in, without him finding out.
- Joules gets off train carrying briefcase A


- H
e walks through the station to station entrance and looks at watch


- Camera cuts to Christian in stationary car, who also looks at watch


- Isabella walks into shot in Christians car headlights (POV shot through windscreen) - close-up of Christian's eyes shows his confusion to her whereabouts (why is she there?) establishing her character as having some kind of relation with Christian


- Christian's phone rings, hearing 'i'm on my way etc.' and hangs up


- Christian gets out of his car


- Cuts back to Joules also hanging up,
who continues walking out of station and through street


- Mid shot Joules framed in door way - framed in fate!


- Camera cuts to Joules arriving at meeting destination


- Joules sees Chris' shadow/hears footsteps approaching


- Switch of briefcases is made - handshake


- Chris walks off out of shot


- Joules looking smug, walks off round corner, followed by camera


- Isabella is seen lurking in the shadows


- Close up of boot only handle of knife is seen.


- reveals knife from her boot


- shot of Joules' shadow on wall with Isabella
 approaching behind and attacking with knife, falls to the ground


- Isabella retrieves briefcase B and walks off


- low angle shot of Isabella walking off with Joules' hand in the foreground
- focus changing from Isabella to hand


- Close up of Christians hand hanging out of car window
- watch further establishes link of relationship between Christian and Isabella.


- Outcome- Isabella murders Joules without the knowledge
her father and takes the money with the intention of running away thus deceiving her father.


- Isabella walks away (note the close-ups of hands) a close-up of a hand on her shoulder creating suspense. Who's hand is it? A partner who she is also running away with? Her Dad?

Development



Extreme close up of  Joules'swatch - tilt shot - inter textual reference to 'The Third Man'.
Christian's car
- Cuts to Christian in stationary car, who also looks at watch - links characters and scenes

Extreme close up of watch - tilt shot


Different watch establishes different character and personality.
- Christians hand on steering wheel

Mid shot Joules framed in door way - framed in fate. waiting for Isabella

-Isabella arrives to meet Joules.

Cut back to Christains still waiting in car

Joules and Isabella walk off, headlights can be seen following them, but they do not notice.
Joules and Isabella imbrace, Joules falls/slumps to the ground, Isabella is froze is horror blood can be seen.
Christian grabs/ hand on Isabella's shouldier.

End.

NEW (15/1/10)


Location
Isobel Bailey's house


C.U of reflection in mirror of Isobella putting on lipstick
M.S of Isabella packing last item in suitcase
C.U of Isabella picking up suitcase
M.S of Isabella walking to notice board
C.U of Isabella getting adress
M.S from strairs of Isabella leaving out door
C.U of hand on knob
As Isabella leaves though door, shadow/figure can be seen behind her. Use of glass doors.

We revised are plot because it was too complicated. Instead of the original idea of having a exchange between Christian and Joules, with Isabella intercepting. We felt that we needed to change are idea to make it more controversal, engaging and interesting.

We have cut the shots of Isabella leaving as these are boring and unessery.
We have cut the CU's of the watch/s as these are now not needed.
We have cut down the number of shots in Isabella's house.

Final narrative

CU of Christain in car behind steering wheel
Keeping shots of Isabella getting reaady
CU of isabella's eyes whilst smoking
cuts to CU of Christian's eyes - as if looking at one another
CU's of Joules waiting
CU's of Christain
Isabella and Joules meet, embrace etc
Joules is shot by Christian.

Isabella murders he lover joules, stabbing him in the heart.
Isabella has an obbessive relationship with her father and kills Joules to please him,
as well has getting a twisted pleasure out it herself.

Christian is weary of his daughters lover, Joules,
and does not like his daughter being with him. Christian
has a controlling and obbessive relationship with his daughter.


Shooting Locations

Isabella's house
Christian's car
Castle gardens - meeting place
Allyway

All props and costumes are the same.