Thrillerwork- Distribution

Distribution


Warner Bros wouldn't distribute our film as we are first time film makers with no previous experience and there is virtually no budget behind the film. So we decided to use Vertigo Films who are a British production and distribution company who have produced and distributed a crime revenge thriller called WΔZ with Tom Hardy and Selma Blair about a female killer. This film is similar to our film therefore Vertigo is more likely to distribute our film. We decided if Vertigo accepted our film, we would have to distribute it through promotion and other forms of marketing the film. Possibly, one of the best ways of promoting a film is through word of mouth hype and to create the hype, our film would be played in around 60 cinemas for free for a limited time and ,through word of mouth, help promote our film. People would then naturally become excited at the prospect of seeing a free film due to the prices of seeing a film these days. However, we would still get a budget as the cinemas would have to pay us to show the film. The prospect of the free film would entice more people to see our film and with the film showing at cinemas spread over Britain, the film’s popularity would hopefully grow. 

 Other ways of promoting our film were to have the posters on the sides of buses or on the Underground. These methods of promotion are typically reserved for films that are already known to be successful so advertising them in this way, will hopefully persuade people to research and watch the film as they believe it will be a competitor with summer blockbusters. Once we have a certain budget, we would probably need to distribute our film further than the UK. Again, we wouldn’t be able to give our film directly to America as it has only been successful in one country. Therefore, we will attempt to distribute our film through Europe. We knew that it was unlikely a European company would pick up our film straight up, so we plan to take our film to different European film festivals using part of the budget made on UK releases through DVD’s and TV releases. Film festivals we intended to release our film at included Berlin Film Festival, Venice Film Festival and Cannes Film Festival where small films such as Antichrist and Only Lovers Left Alive which have all been successful in box office and reception. We planned on promoting our film here in the hope a European film company such as Pathé would pick up our film and wish to distribute it through Europe if we sold the distribution rights to them. Pathé, who are well-known distribution company of thrillers, having distributed films such as Trance, Memento, Centurion and Crash. We later hope that should any American companies see the success of our film in the UK and through Europe, an American company (maybe not Warner Bros but a small studio like Summit Entertainment) would offer to buy the rights to the film and would distribute the film through America and maybe internationally with a portion of the box office money being passed to us.

Thrillerwok- Letter to actors

 

Letter to Bob Genower:

Dear Bob,

We would like to formally invite you to be in our thriller, filming on the 22nd of January. We have chosen you out of recommendation of our media teacher Simon. Obviously, there'll be a little inconvenience for you to come and shoot, so we are very grateful to have you on board!

You've been cast as:
Barry- a businessman with a weakness for younger women (We apologise profusely). It isn't a huge role, as you won't have to say a word, and are only playing dead, laying on a bed. You're co-star will be Lynn Winehead, as we heard she was in your top list of 3.

You're costume:
If you could bring a white shirt and black trousers, and suite jacket, that would be fabulous, as it saves us asking Loz. If you have troubles with this just let us know asap.

You'll be needed:
For a short amount of time, and we'll let you know closer to shooting day.

Thanks again for everything

 Beth, Matt, Flora and Toby

 

Letter to Lynne Whitehead

Dear Lynne,

 

We would like to formally invite you to be in our thriller, filming on the 22nd of January. We have chosen you out of recommendation of our media teacher Simon and we think you're perfect for the part. Obviously, there'll be a little inconvenience for you to come and shoot, so we are very grateful to have you on board!

 

You've been cast as:  

Ava who overpowers men due to their weaknesses of desiring younger women. In the scene, you've just murdered your 6th husband, and leave as you remove your wedding ring. You won't have to kill him, as that happened previously.  

 

You're costume: 

You get a choice of whatever outfit for Ava, as long as its fairly glamorous, as it saves us asking Loz. Also, if you have any stockings, it would be fabulous if you could provide these as they're featured. If you have troubles with this just let us know asap.

 

You'll be needed:

For a short amount of time, and we'll let you know closer to shooting day.

 

Thanks again for everything

 

Beth, Matt, Flora and Toby

Thrillerwork- New Idea after pitch

New idea after pitch

We pitched our main idea to Matt, Luke and Paul, quite confident as we have altered our thriller multiple times. However it got turned down once again, which was frustrating but understandable as when they asked 'After this opening sequence, would you continue watching the film? Is it different and original than any other thriller out there' to which we replied 'no.' This was disappointing for the group after so much hard work and discussion.

Although, we haven't discarded the idea altogether and are attempting to work around it. We were given the idea of a beginning tracking shot around a selection of props we've chosen. This'll be particularly hard, as the track shot will be long and if a fault is made, the shot will have to start from the very beginning. We've altered the thriller to no longer be sexual as it would be unsuitable for Bob to be doing this.

We've also had a change is cast members due to the age gap. We thought it inappropriate to have a 17 year old straddling a 70 year old, even if it was for acting. Although she was attempting to play a 20 something year old, it wouldn't have worked. So we have altered Franchie to Lynn Whitehead.

Lynn Whitehead

Lynne is a teacher at Hurtwood House, and we have chosen her because:
-She can act
-She'll be easy to work with
-Suitable age for the character
-Bob doesn't mind working with her


Our thriller is based on the female overpowering the man, by focussing on his weaknesses, which are young women. She now murders him with poison as it leaves far more open ended questions for the rest of the film.

Thrillerwork- Props change after pitch

 

 

Props change

We've been given the idea to begin the scene with a tracking shot. It follows around the hotel room and we see a selection of props that suggest there's a couple staying there.


Lamps



Used cigarette in ashtray

Champagne bottle in ice bucket and two glasses (one empty, one untouched)



Tie and blazer swung over chair

Women's heels

Paintings (original)

Mirror (showing glimpse and whose on it)

 

 

 

It tracks up the body to him laying on the bed, dead, clearly dead.It then switches to her pulling up her stockings and putting heels on. She walks over, kisses his forehead then walks out, removing her wedding ring as she leaves.

This is the possible set we are going to present to the props and set designer.

 

 

 

Thrillerwork- Costume

 

Costume 

 

We found a white shirt, a pair of black trousers and a belt on EBay for Bobby to wear as an wealthy, older man. We then chose a black long sleeved top, black jeans, black boots, a black hoodie and black leather gloves for the character of Ava. We also will give Franchi red nails and red lipstick to enhance her dangerous personality. The dark clothes create a darker sense of the thriller but more importantly help disguise the fact Franchie is a girl. We chose red lipstick as it is typically used by femme fatales as red is a colour of both passion and danger. The leather gloves relate to thrillers as a killer typically wears gloves to conceal their identity and also Lisbeth Salander wore leather gloves in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

 

 

 

 

Thrillerwork- Timeline

 

Timeline

 

 

0:00-0:01 Close-up of Bobby's feet tied to bed

 

0:01-0:11 Tracking shot moving up his body and ending on his face

 

0:11-0:15 Cut to black with credits

 

0:15-0:21 Tracking shot of legs pacing back and forth see cigarette

 

0:21-0:31 Pan up to Franchie standing with back to Bobby and camera smoking: wide shot

 

0:31-0:35 Cut to black w credits

 

0:35-0:38 Close-up of Bobby looking terrified, straining

 

0:38-0:42 Close-up of Franchie with back of head to camera looking up to clock

 

0:42-0:45 Cut to close-up shot of clock showing time

 

0:45-0:48 Cut to black w credits

 

0:49-0:57 Bird's eye view of Bobby as Franchie gets on top of him

 

0:57-1:04 Cut to close-ups of Bobby's belt being taken out and wrapped around his neck

 

1:04-1:10 Pan up from neck onto straining hands then loosening

 

1:10-1:13 Close-up of gloves being taken off revealing red nails

 

1:13-1:19 Pan up to Franchie

 

1:19-1:22 Close up of her mouth as she kisses her hand

 

1:22-1:30 Tracking shot as she places her hand on Bobby's head

 

1:30-1:33 Cut to black w credits

 

1:33-1:58 Close up of Franchie opening the door and smiling. Taking a drag

 

1:58-2:02 Close up of door closing

 

2:02-2:06 Cut to black with title

Thrillerwork- Setting

Our setting:

We are planning for the setting to be dark, and dismal with the main focus on the bed, which is glamorous and well dressed, perhaps silk (red colour). We'll be able to build the bedroom simply in the studio.

Glamorous, well dressed bed

 

 

Dark background- natural lighting

 

 

We've decided to film our thriller in the studio, as it'll be easy to set up and decide the exact setting of the environment: position, props, furniture, setting etc. We also won't have any weather conditions and other problems so can control what's happening on the day of filming.

Lighting
We've decided, as a way of initially hiding the fact Ava's a woman, to use Chiaroscuro which is the setting of light and dark. On set, we'll use dimmed light to create a mysteriously spooky setting; it must be natural (as if from lamps within in the room). We don't want to loose the picture completely, however the darker the better.