Final shot list

1.      Prestige Productions Logo

2.      New Line Cinema

3.      Low angle medium shot of Tom leaving bathroom cubicle

4.      Full screen title credit of Tom Ryan fading in and out

5.      Medium below the neck shot of Saqib entering the bathroom

6.      Over the shoulder medium close up of Toms  reflection washing hands

7.      Medium shot of sinks and Saqib’s reflection with gun outstretched

8.      Medium close up tracking shot of Saqib walking towards Tom

9.      Over the shoulder close up of Tom’s reflection showing Saqib pointing the gun

10.  Low angle long shot of Tom collapsing after the gun shot

11.  High angle medium shot of Saqib stepping over the body

12.  Close up of Saqib cleaning the gun

13.  Dissolve to long shot of Saqib leaning on the sink

14.  Full screen title credit of Saqib Younis fading in and out

15.  Medium shot of Saqib dialling a number

16.  Medium shot of Jacob sat at desk

17.  Full screen title credit of Jacob Buick

18.  Over the shoulder shot of Jacob holding certificate followed by slow zoom into an extreme close up

19.  Return to medium shot of Jacob standing up

20.  Close up of the back of Saqib’s head on the phone

21.  Close up of Jacobs phone ringing in his hand followed by him answering the phone

22.  Low angle of Jacob speaking on the phone

23.  Extreme close of Saqib’s mouth talking on the phone accompanies by an overlay credit

24.  Medium low angle shot of Jacob on the phone

25.  Return to Saqib’s mouth still on the phone

26.  Close up of Jacob still on the phone

27.  Return to close up of Saqib’s mouth

28.  Close up of Jacob speaking on the phone accompanied by another overlay credit

29.  Another close up of Saqib’s mouth talking on the phone

30.  Low angle medium shot of Jacob still on the phone

31.  Long shot of Jacob hanging up and putting his phone away

32.  Zoom out and tracking long shot of Jacob walking towards the desk

33.  Medium shot of Jacob picking up the gun accompanied by another overlay credit

34.  Cut out of Jacob loading the gun and putting it in his waistband

35.  Medium long shot of Jacob walking to and opening the door

36.  Match on action of Jacob walking through the door

37.  Full screen title of Untraceable

AS opening of a student thriller analysis

In this essay I am going to analyse the opening of the student thriller called Nocturnal Windows.

The student thriller begins with the logo of the production in which these students have decided to do go with “the new line in cinema” the logo fades in and then fades out. 

There is then an ellipsis edit which goes on to the opening scene. There is a montage edit of clips and different views of the house. The setting of the first scene is very dark and gloomy and the lighting is chiaroscuro which sets an eerie and mysterious atmosphere. There is then a dissolve edit of to the first scene which contains actors. There is during the characters walk to the house there is a match of action as when the male character walks through the gate leading toward the house. As they enter the house the lighting seems to be very bright and high key this may show signs of optimism.

Then on to the next scene there is an unusual shot which shows the male character switching the light of then it goes onto an ellipsis edit of the couple in bed together.

In the bed scene the lighting is very they use a night vision camera which shows and creates a more dramatic and serious atmosphere. When she puts the lamp on the room lights up a scary effect of the scene kind of shimmers down however there is some mystery. As the room is not fully light as there is only one lamp on. There is then a slow zoom out of the bed from the close up two shot of the couple as the man leaves the bed. It then goes to a number of shots of the male leaving the bed and heading up stairs. It then cuts to a shot of the women alone in bed indicating and connoting a sense of vulnerability and loneliness.

There is then a close up of the woman who grabs a torch out of the draw. After this there is an unusual ellipsis dissolve edit into the woman walking in the very low keypart of the house. There is then a medium shot of her walking up the stairs the same place where her partner went.

After this there is a tracking shot of the camera following her movements coming up the starts however the camera is not on a tripod but is being recorded by hand. I believe they did this due to the fact that it gives the audience a feel of being there almost like a point of view shot. After this there are a number of shot reverse shots of the woman walking up the stairs. The director would do this for the face.

A short while after this there is a point of view shot of the woman opening the door they did this so that the viewer would see the same in which the actors are seeing this is mainly done in thrillers to focus the attention of the viewer so therefore they are more often caught in surprise. There Is then another match on action shot as when the women walks through the door. The opening then goes into slow motion to show the dropping of her torch, her light to indicate darkness is only in her sight.

There is then an unusually long scene of her running away. The camera then goes to a close up of her face and the camera is moving in quick short movements this is done to show the quickness of this chase. Through the chase scene there are numerous cuts from the victim and killer. There is then an extreme close up of the knife of the killer who’s dress codes is very rugged as he’s wearing a hoody a hiking boots. Lastly it cuts to the title which is written in serif writing. In addition to this the titles scenes are in the corner of the video like in the thriller face off. This is done to take keep the focus on the film also if there were full title sequins the reader may lose interest as they take majority of the page.

character costumes

Character Costumes

Detective-Shirt and tie

Hit man-black shirt

Dead body-shirt formal clothing

Prop list

 Props –

 Saqib: Gun, phone

Jacob: Gun, phone, certificate showing character is a detective, detective attire (braces, smart clothes)

 

 Costumes –

Tom’s character: Purposely dressed in clothes which don’t identify him as part of any particular group.  This means his character can remain fairly unimportant to the audience, but also shows that he is likely to be innocent

Saqib’s character: Dark clothes, purposely quite non-descript to enforce the idea of the character’s identity being a mystery, and of him being almost faceless.  Dark colours also have connotations of being villainous, or evil.

Jacob’s character: Formal trousers and shirt with braces, to give connotations of professionalism.  Heavily influenced by the character of detective Mills in the thriller Se7en.

Justifications for props and costumes –

The gun in both cases is a small black handgun.  In Saqib’s case, this is to display secrecy and to uphold the idea of the character being a “silent killer”, giving the idea of discretion.  For Jacob’s character, the gun was used to finalise the image of the detective being in law enforcement, after the detectives costume and the detective’s certificate of appreciation which is being read by the detective at the beginning of the office scene.

Phones used in the conversation between Saqib and Jacob were in both cases mobile phones.  The killer uses a mobile to call the detective, rather than a landline.  This is to show that the killer isn’t restricted, or necessarily in a certain place.  This ties in with the idea of him being “untraceable”.  At first, we intended to have the detective receive the call on his office’s landline, to show his closeness to the police department.  However, we decided that if we showed the detective to be talking on a mobile we could create the impression that the relationship between the detective and the murderer was a more personal one.  Secondly, it suggest that the detective, who is the hero in the story, is not necessarily a part of the police force all of the time when it comes to dealing with criminals.

               

FINAL SCRIPT

INT. BATHROOM – DAY

It shows Tom exiting the cubicle, as he washes his hand in the sink. Saqib walks in holding a good, he lifts his arm and shoots Tom. Tom falls after being shot and then lies there dead. Saqib then goes toward the sink, gets out a tissue and begins to wipe his gun. He then leans on the counter and gets out his phone.

INT. DETECTIVE’S OFFICE-DAY

Jacob’s sitting down reading up on a case. He then picks up his old certificate which he received and begins to reminisce. 

INT. BATHROOM – DAY

He then leans on the counter and gets out his phone.

INT. DETECTIVE’S OFFICE-DAY

His phone then rings he gets up and answers the call.

SAQIB

Hello there detective

JACOB

Who’s this?

SAQIB

You’ve forgotten me already?

JACOB

…….

SAQIB

I’m disappointed, Detective.  Two years and you’re still no closer to finding me.

JACOB

It’s a matter of time

SAQIB

Good luck.  Time isn’t something you have.  I’ve done it again.

JACOB

Who are you?

Phone cuts off.

INT. DETECTIVE’S OFFICE-DAY

Jacob then puts the phone in his pocket. Picks up his gun and cocks it and places it behind his back. He then walks out of the office in search for Saqib.