Main Task - Shot list plan

Along with the initial storyboards we also drew up a shotlist with ideas for potential shots. We knew the location and the basics of our film so drawing a shotlist would help when creating our final storyboard.

One thing we want to get across to the audience in the film is that Gambino is an important and powerful character. The way we planned to portray this is through the use of a low angle shot looking up at him when he makes his first appearance at the top of the airplane's steps. This shows him to be powerful and superior to all of the other characters.

Also, we wanted to capture the emotions of the characters. When the victim's hood is removed we want his disorientation and fear to be shown, therefore a close up could be used to demonstrate these expressions clearly. 

Main Task - Actors

For the opening of our thriller we required seven actors; 2 bodyguards, the 'boss' (Gambino), 2 associates, the victim and the detective. To find actors we asked friends about their acting experiences and availability. We needed our actors to have flexible and good availability because we had to organise a date to film at Brooklands museum and that date would be final. After discussing experiences and availability we chose seven actors and allocated them appropriate roles, this was partly based on their appearance and skills. Because there is no dialogue in the film, apart from the phone call, the actor's voices were crucial.

To help organise the actors we created a whatsapp group. This helped us to efficiently organise when and where we would meet at location, how we were going to get there, costumes and what would be required of the actors on the day.

Main Task - Draft storyboard and script

To the left is a sheet of rough notes we used to jot down ideas for the opening titles.

Here we came up with the idea of some titles being revealed when a vehicle drives by. (Bottom left)

Below is the first draft of our storyboard. It depicts the journey to the exchange point which could be edited to be split screen (top right). It also shows the positioning of the actors and the last shot which consists of the camera zooming out from the 'evidence board'. Also, the final box is an idea of the font we may use for the film's title, "Gambino", with the 'G' being a reversed question mark to represent the film's mystery.

To the left is a draft of the script for the phone call that's going to be bridged across the opening production company titles and the journey at the start of the film.

We also listed some possible backing music.

Main Task - Props and costumes

Below are the costumes we designed for the characters in our film. Bodyguard 3 and 4 are the Associates. Gambino wears a suit to show how serious he is and that he is a business man. The bodyguards wear camouflage trousers and a black top to make them look like soldiers/military, equipped with weapons, this shows them to be dangerous and skilled. The victim/hostage wears a hood to keep their identity concealed and show how they've been taken against their will. Finally, the Associates dressed smart casual to show they mean business but are relaxed about their line of work, even though it's dangerous. This show's they're experienced.

Main Task - Basic planning

This is a basic plan of how we wanted our main task to play out:



This is a very basic plan of how we envision the location and characters to be like to help us when storyboarding and scripting:

Main Task - Organising the location

We decided that Brooklands Museum would be the best location for our film because we could use a plane which would be great mise-en-scene. However, we needed to organise when and where we could film. We contacted the museum's Commercial Manager, Valerie Mills, by phone where we discussed what we were hoping to film. She kindly agreed to let us use the area and then helped us organise a time and date in subsequent emails:

Main Task - Possible locations

BROOKLANDS MUSEUM

  DESBOROUGH ISLAND

  SAINSBURYS MULTI-STORY CAR PARK

Main Task - Chosen idea mind map

We decided we wanted our thriller opening to be based on an exchange between two gangs and wanted some of it to be seen from a detective's point of view (taking pictures from afar, a 'stakeout'). With this idea now in mind we made another mind map of possible elements we wanted to include in the film. Sounds, characters, costumes, locations, props and working titles were all put forward. After we had completed this it gave us a much clearer idea of what we were working towards. We used this mind map as a basis to work from when story boarding and scripting.