Similar products and conventions research

 Our opening sequence will be a thriller. This is because it follows a variety of conventions of the thriller genre. For example, our opening sequence will establish an antagonist and the crime they have committed. Additionally, throughout the sequence, a dark atmosphere of tension and suspense would be created. An ominous non-diegetic soundtrack will also adhere to the genre. However, more specifically, in terms of sub genre we are creating a crime thriller. This is because our opening explores a crime and the rest of our movie plot would involve similar occurrences of this crime, and investigations into them. 

Our opening sequence parallels with other Crime Thriller films and TV shows in a variety of different ways. These include the tv shows Line of Duty and and And Then There Were None, as well as the films Silence of the Lambs and Deadly Inheritance. 

Line of Duty

Produced by World Productions, six series of Line of Duty have been released between 2012 and 2021. The series is directed by David Caffrey. However, this comparison is focussed on the first season of the TV show.

The series follows DS Steve Arnott after he is transferred to the anti-corruption unit following his refusal to cover up an unlawful shooting that took place on his previous team. 

Each series follows a new criminal meaning that some of the characters do bear similarity to the male protagonist as he is a criminal. For example, the first series follows a character named Jackie Laverty who becomes part of an investigation after she commits a murder. Furthermore, the main theme of the TV show is crime which is also the theme that our opening sequence and the rest of our film centres around. Another theme of the TV show is investigation which would be a major theme of the rest of our film. Despite the fact that both our film and Line of Duty follow crimes and crime investigation, the setting and location are quite different as Line of Duty largely takes place in the anti-corruption unit of a police station and our's is set in the greenhouse of the male protagonist's home. In terms of costume, most of the main characters' costumes don't bear any resemblance to the costumes that our two characters wear as they mostly wear police uniform. However, at times some of the characters do wear everyday clothing, particularly some of the guest characters who aren't part of the police force. However, the items of clothing aren't very similar to the costumes that our characters wear. The lighting is often quite bright in Line of Duty which contrasts with our opening sequence which makes use of often quite little lighting except when it is needed to illuminate certain significant objects. In terms of props, the crime the method that our character uses to commit the crime is quite unique and specific meaning that many of the props we are using don't appear in Line of Duty. In spite of this, our sequence makes use of zip ties and a belt which are used to tie the victim to the chair. Similarly, the series features several arrests which also involve restraining the criminals via handcuffs.

There is quite a bit of camera movement as the series makes use of "shaky cam" and thus creates something quite fast-paced. On the other hand, in our series we are hoping to create a suspenseful more slow paced effect through slower, lingering shots. The same applies for editing as we are attempting to create a long and drawn-out effect instead of editing the shots in quick succession.

And Then There Were None 

"And Then There Were None" is a three-part series directed by Craig Vivieros and produced by Mammoth Screen Agatha Christie Productions and Acorn Productions A&E Networks

Based off the novel by Agatha Christie, the series follows the story of ten people stranded on an island. These consist of two servants, a personal secretary and seven guests, before they each begin being killed, being accused of past murders. At the centre of the TV show are characters who are murderers, which in turn makes it one of the major themes of the TV show. This makes it similar to our opening sequence which is centred around murder and features a murderer protagonist. The narrative is similar in the sense that the rest of our film would follow several other murders followed by an investigation as to who the murderer is. However, given that the TV show is set on an island, the location and setting are vastly different from our opening sequence. Likewise, And Then There Were None is set in 1939, featuring costumes that resemble clothing of that time. Therefore, there aren't similarities in terms of the costumes we will be using. The lighting in the opening scene is quite dim which mirrors the same dim lighting we are using. Additionally, the overall cinematic aesthetic also mirrors our opening closely. The props include vintage briefcases and hats which contrast with our opening.

As seen in this video clip below, the shot duration is usually quite drawn out with a variety of close-ups, for example when the food id being prepared. This is similar to our opening sequence which focusses on the preparation of the poison and again is edited in a way that means the shots are quite drawn out and suspenseful.

The Silence of the Lambs 

Released from the studio Strong Heart Productions in May 1991,  The film The Silence of the Lambs was directed by Jonathan Demme. 

The film follows the story of a young female FBI trainee named Clarice Starling who is set the task of interviewing the Dr. Hannibal Lecter by Jack Crawford. Hannibal Lecter is both a psychiatrist and a psychopath who has been imprisoned on several counts of murder and cannibalism. Clarice Starling has been given this job as Jack Crawford believes Hannibal Lecter has knowledge of an important case. As an attractive young woman, Clarice Starling is believed to be the best person for the job.

One major similarity between The Silence of the Lambs and our opening sequence is the similarities between our unnamed male protagonist and Hannibal Lecter. This is because both characters are serial killers. In addition, the main theme of the film is murder which is also the major theme of our opening sequence. In terms of narrative, our opening sequence is similar to The Silence of the Lambs in that both follow serial killers who commit crimes. Additionally, although the opening to our film doesn't feature an investigation into a crime, the rest of our plot would follow an investigation into this murder and other murders committed by the unnamed male protagonist. Therefore, its plot does have some links with The Silence of Lambs which also follows an investigation. However, in The Silence of the Lambs this investigation is performed by interviewing a man who has already been convicted of various murders. Additionally, the psychopath in out opening is not a cannibal. The locations are completely different as the Silence of the Lambs is set in a prison whilst out sequence is set in the greenhouse of a man's home. However, the storage room where the woman is held captive will be dark and dusty, resembling a prison cell. 

In The Silence of the Lambs Hannibal Lecter wears a prisoners jumpsuit and a mask, whilst Clarice Starling wears smart clothing consisting of a long skirt and a blazer with white shirt underneath, along with an FBI badge. Both of these costumes vastly differ from the costumes for our characters who will be wearing everyday clothing to show that these characters are from ordinary backgrounds. Throughout the silence of the lambs, not much lighting is used to create a sinister and mysterious mood, we are hoping to achieve the same atmosphere in our sequence. However, at times Clarice Starling is shown in more bright lighting. Similarly, we will be using more lighting to show the intricacies of the preparation and for close ups of the female victim. There are almost no similarities in the props used. This is because The Silence of the Lambs is centred around an investigation after the crime has taken place. A similarity between the props in the Silence of the Lambs and the props in our opening sequence is that in both there are props involved that are used as a means to restrain the characters. For example, in The Silence of the Lambs Hannibal Lecter is restrained using a mask. The film also makes lots of use of eye close ups, which can be an effective way of revealing the characters' emotions. We are hoping to employ this technique in our opening to show the glee that the killer feels through killing his victim, and the intense fear the victim is experiencing. In our opening sequence, the female victim is restrained using zip ties and a belt. The Silence of the Lambs is edited so that the scenes involving any killer characters are drawn out to create tension. We are also hoping to edit our sequence in this way.

(Since I haven't watched the entire film, I based my comparison of the film with our opening sequence largely on this scene):

Knives Out 

Produced by T-Street and directed by Rian Johnson, the film Knives Out was released in 2019. 

The film follows the investigation into the death of the crime novelist and patriarch of a dysfunctional and wealthy family. 

One similarity between my opening sequence and the film is that both feature a character who is a criminal with malicious and murderous intent named Ransom Drydale. Additonally, there is also a scene in the film in which he kidnaps a cleaner and kills her. This mirrors our opening sequence because the male protagonist kidnaps the female character and kills her. One of the major themes of Knives Out is inheritance and family wealth which is what drives the chracters' cruel intentions. Similiarly, receieving his sister's inheritance in our opening sequence is what drives the protagonist to murder. The film is mostly set in a family home. This is similar to our sequence which is set in the murderer's own home. The costumes are very brightly coloured and extravegant in Knives Out, which contrasts with our neutral palette. However, one interesting parallel is that Marta, the housekeeper in knives out wears a wool cardigan right before she is murdered, meanwhile our female character is also wearing a wool cardigan right before someone attempts to murder her. 

The patriarch who is murdered, Harlan Thromby dies from taking a medicine that ends up killing him. This is slightly similar to the method of killing the victim in our opening sequence, which is via the administering of a poisonous berry mixture. 

Throughout the film, there is a stark contrast between very bright lighting during the day and low lighting in the scenes set at night. On the other hand, our opening scene makes use of mostly lowkey lighting throughout. 

Conclusion

Above all, the main thing these films and TV shows have in common is that they are all centred around the theme of murder and they all involve an element of investigation. The same goes for our film which opens with a murder which is subsequently unfolded over the course of the rest of the film. Conventions of the thriller and crime thriller genres are that they feature an antagonist, a crime and a dark atmosphere which is often embellished through the use of low-key lighting and suspenseful sound. All of these conventions feature in our film and other media products of this genre to instil fear in the audience. However, media products don't always follow the same conventions. For example, Knives Out makes use of a vibrant colour scheme which is atypical of this genre. Additionally, in And Then There Were None, the costumes and props vastly differ from those in our opening sequence due to the fact that it is set in 1939 whilst ours is set in the present day. The use of low-key lighting and long shot durations are a key inspiration for our opening sequence as they seem to be a highly effective technique in creating tension and suspense which will be a pivotal factor in the success of our opening sequence.