Concepts and Idea Development

Concepts

The concepts were built from using my contextual research. Looking into the genres I am interested in producing, has provided me with an understanding on the themes, storyline and techniques used in that genre and why films from those genres were so successful. Research into media theories helped me to create a structured storyline and provide an equilibrium that will engage the audience and keep them hooked. The questionnaire from my primary research informed me on what the audience like to watch, how films affect how they feel and how to grab their attention. Researching about directors and cinematographers that influence me has given me an idea on what stylistic techniques to use, understand why their films are so successful, what makes them unique and how their style is so effective. I will continue to use my research when developing the concepts, writing a synopsis, writing the screenplay and further planning and designing.

uNDERCOVER SPY

A normal person that lives two lives, an ordinary citizen as well as an undercover spy. John Smith, the spy, appears to have normal life, basic apartment, basic car and basic clothes, far from a lavish lifestyle. Starts from the bottom rank and is eager to work his way up. Working on missions such as capturing shop burglars and bike thieves. The Chief of the secret intelligence service offers John a high ranked mission after showcasing his loyalty, passion for the job and his respect. The mission is to find a kingpin that is hard to track down, he must defeat the kingpin's accomplices and obtain information from them in order to capture the kingpin.

Soundtrack: I Wish - Skee-Lo, I Got You (I Feel Good) - James Brown, Cry To Me - Solomon Burke, Jump Around - House of Pain, Never Tear Us Apart – Inxs

Feedback:

Pros: Follows a spy working his way up the ranks, you are brought along with him on his journey. There are lots of plot twist potentials. Shows the zero to hero theme. Easily accessible props for the film when on a budget.

Cons: There are lots of spy films that follow a spy working their way up. There could be some more serious issues that the spy has to face other than thieves. The audience may want a more experienced spy, similar to James Bond.

If we choose this concept, the group and I will come up with better missions for the spy to take on that will be more exciting for the audience to watch. Eventually, the spy can be experienced to a level like James Bond. James Bond films are one of the most successful spy franchises because the films show how powerful, classy and confident he is. The films are timeless because each Bond adapts to the time period that the film is set in.

A character that appears normal will connect easier with the audience rather than a flashy spy. The name John Smith is chosen because it is such a basic name, complimenting his ordinary life. The idea of having to defeat the kingpin's accomplices before reaching who is at the top, is an idea developed from the series Killing Eve, where MI6, as well as others, want to uncover who is at the top of the criminal organisation (The Twelve), but they have to get through those that are lower ranked and easier to track down first. Another inspiration from Killing Eve is from the character Eve Polastri, who starts as an assistant in MI6 then has the opportunity to run her own high-end case. I chose a soundtrack that suits the storyline and John, for example, 'I Wish' by Skee-Lo is about the artist wishing he was bigger and better and the rhythm of 'Never Tear Us Apart' compliments the dramatic build up to finding the kingpin.

double AGENT

Max Raven, an agent for a secret service, is lured in by a criminal organisation to help them on their crimes. His objective is to cover their footprints. The organisation puts him on a high-profile heist and he must get himself in on the case, which is carried out by the secret service, to try to frame someone else. In the beginning of the story, Max is shown as a bad guy but it is later revealed that he was blackmailed. A co-worker and close friend of Max finds out his secret and is unsure whether to help Max out or do what is lawfully right.

Soundtrack: No More Questions - Eazy E, You're The Devil In Disguise - Elvis Presley, Highway To Hell - AC/DC, I Can't Get No Satisfaction - Rolling Stones, Smooth Criminal - Michael Jackson, Pour Some Sugar On Me - Def Leppard

Feedback:

Pros: An exciting and dramatic storyline because the spy is forced into doing someone else's business by blackmail, the contrast of working a secret service and for a criminal organisation is interesting. It is an original and unique storyline that is full of plot twists. The bad guy turns good. An interesting situation for the friend to find out his secret, leaves you wondering what direction the story may take.

Cons: Need to address why he was lured and how and why does he not just tell the secret service that he is being blackmailed. Could be a confusing storyline for the audience.

We will address the unanswered questions so the storyline isn't confusing and the audience can grasp what is happening. To develop the story we can give some background to how the spy got involved with a criminal organisation and why they chose him.

Max Raven is chosen because I thought it had a cool spy ring to it, also ravens have connotations of bad luck and darkness, which compliments the character and the storyline. The idea of the storyline came from my interest to have a heist that is shown from the bad guy perspective, which is what the film Baby Driver does and I think this approach creates an interesting perspective. I also thought that it was important for the audience to root for the main character and have sympathy for him, which is why I had an organisation blackmail Max to do their dirty work. To fit within the spy genre, Max is apart of a secret service, which also gives a reason to why the organisation chose him. The idea that a close friend finds out what he is doing comes from the series Breaking Bad, where Hank, a DEA officer, finds that Walter White, his brother in law, is cooking meth. The soundtrack is chosen for its link to the storyline and Max Raven. For example, 'No More Questions' has a description about a burglary taking place and 'You're The Devil In Disguise' describes Max Raven, who is actually working for a criminal organisation.

WESTERN DOCTOR

Carson Wade, an old west doctor, is not like any ordinary doctor. Carson murders his patients. They are not random attacks, he wants to get revenge on a businessman that ruined his life, Magnus Preston. Carson offers his service to Magnus to help him with his health. When he attacks Magnus, Magnus escapes and struggles to make a run for his life with Carson close behind.

Soundtrack: The House Of The Rising Sun - The Animals, Carry On Wayward Son - Kansas, Still Dre - Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, River - Leon Bridges, Twistin & Groovin - Leon Bridges, I Believe To My Soul - Ray Charles, Have You Ever Seen The Rain - Creedence Clearwater Revival

Feedback:

Pros: Western mixed with horror seems like an exciting watch. It is an unique storyline that the group and I have never seen in a film before. The evil doctor twist will be thrilling to watch and interesting.

Cons: Could be hard to decide who should succeed and whether the audience would be happy with that decision because both characters have done something morally wrong and inhumane. Need to make the doctor more likeable for the audience, give him a sob story. The storyline needs to be expanded.

The group will expand on the storyline and map out ideas on how to make one of the characters more likeable so the audience have someone to follow and root for. It is important the audience can connect with a character so they can be emotionally attached to the film, making it a memorable and immersive experience, and so they can truly believe in the story.

I wanted a doctor as the main character because I felt that most western films were focused on Cowboys and Indians, I wanted to create something unique and original to western. Carson murdering his patients is an idea developed from the film Sweeney Todd, a barber who murders his patients. I didn't want the murders to have no meaning so I created a motive, revenge on a man that ruined his life. In The Harder They Fall, a western film, the key theme is revenge; the main character wants to kill the man that murdered his family. If I choose this concept, I will look into films that follow the theme of revenge for inspiration. The soundtrack is of powerful songs and country style music, which compliments the genre and storyline of the film.

technology shutdown

In a world that is obsessed with technology, with no emotion and human connection, the world comes to halt when all technology is shut down and people are forced to live in the real world. Humans don't know how to act normal anymore, there are riots, street fights and criminal activity. Zyron starts a resistance movement to overthrow the government so the world no longer has to live this way. He recruits a scientist, Yaru, that has been warning others of the state that the Earth is in. Yaru has the brains and Zyron has the brawn.

Soundtrack: It Takes Two - Rob Base, It's Like That - Run DMC, Tragedy - Bee Gees, I Won't Let The Sun Go Down On Me - Nik Kershaw, Bad Moon Rising - Creedence Clearwater Revival, Earth Song - Michael Jackson

Feedback:

Pros: Tackles current problems that we are facing and could face in the future. Brings to light these issues. Tackling a corrupt government and saving the world. The brain and brawn duo.

Cons: Expand on why the technology shutdown and think about the causes of the destructive world, the reason for overthrowing the government and the effects of technology in depth. It could be hard to create a futuristic, dystopian world on a budget.

We will expand on the reasons behind why things are the way they are in the world and answer the audiences' unanswered questions. I will gather research on how to shoot a Sci-Fi film when on a budget and watch tutorials on how to create futuristic props and settings.

The storyline is based on where the human race is going if we continue to rely on technology, become more technology advanced and more manmade. The film will bring to light the theory that we will lose emotion and not be able to connect with each other. Researchers state that our social skills are declining and since lockdown, relationships have changed because we were told not to get too close and we were isolated from others. Another theory I want to address is that scientists state that we do not have long until climate change is irreversible, therefore this could be something that the future will face, showing the climate crisis will make people discuss this problem and see what Earth may look like if we don't make changes. In the storyline, the shutdown of technology forces people to interact with the real world, putting the characters in an uncomfortable situation and something that they're not used to, highlighting the change from staying at home everyday in lockdown, then trying to get back to normal day to day life. For the soundtrack, I chose 'It Takes Two' and 'It's Like That' because they are upbeat, Hip-Hop songs that would work well for action scenes. 'Tragedy', 'I Won't Let The Sun Go Down On Me', 'Bad Moon Rising' and 'Earth Song' contain lyrics that represent the world going wrong and some lyrics highlight the destruction of Earth's atmosphere and nature. For example, in 'Bad Moon Rising', the lyrics say "I hear hurricanes a-blownin', I know the end is comin' soon."

Part of the storyline is inspired by Blade Runner, which is set in a dystopian world, the film questions what makes humans, humans by having a world full of human beings and replicants. To distinguish between the replicants and humans, only humans have an empathetic response. To address this in my short film, the storyline is about humans finding their way back to their authentic selves when taking away technology that has a negative psychological impact; isolation, depression, lack of creativity, social issues.

Family Business

Focuses on family business that started in 1882. Tells a story of how the business started in first person narrative, a story of each owner and where the business is at now. 1882 - set in Victorian Britain, a man founds the company, a competing business exclaims that the owner stole their business idea, settles it in a duel and the owner dies.1920s - the founder's son decides to start the business up again. 1960s - his son takes over the business, living in luxary. 1990s - the current owner's father takes over the business. The company has a generational competitor business since the very beginning that has caused problems for the family. Now in 2023, the current owner wants to break the cycle of the family dysfunction and solve the dispute between both families.

Soundtrack: The House Of The Rising Sun - The Animals, Carry On Wayward Son - Kansas, Hit The Road Jack - Ray Charles, California Dreamin' - The Mamas and The Papas

Feedback:

Pros: It includes a variety of genres, it is unique and would be interesting to watch. The different timelines will keep the audience engaged in the story. A competition between rivals over centuries. In the end, peace is wanted instead of revenge.

Cons: Might be confusing to watch the film jump from one era to another, could be too complicated and it might get old if the owner's keep dying. The amount of owners is a bit excessive, maybe get rid of a character that isn't so important.

We will make the storyline more engaging when jumping from one owner's story to the other. I won't necessarily need to show each owner dying and they could die of different causes to make it interesting to watch. I will get rid of at least one owner so it is not to excessive.

The family business concept was created from an idea to include a mixture of genres. In order to be able to show a timeline of different eras, there needed to be a reason for revisiting the past so I thought that the film could show the history of a family business. The family business idea originated from showing the ancestry of a family all the way back to the 1800s so the film could include a western/period drama. I felt the storyline needed more substance and reasoning for showing the ancestry of a family so that's where the business idea came in. Showing a family dysfunction highlights generational problems that many face. Parents with negative traits pass them down to their children because they become accustomed to this behaviour. It is important to address your bad traits to better yourself as a person. Therefore, I thought I could show this message as it fits in with the family theme, showing all aspects of what a family is like. Part of the storyline is influenced by Ballad of Buster Scruggs, which is a film that contains many different stories of the old west. I thought the idea of having different stories in one is unique and interesting so the film will tell a story about each ancestor and their asset to the business. Another influence is from the film Three Thousand Years of Longing, the genie in the film narrates his life to the woman that released him from his prison, the narration is visually brought to life, telling a story of the genie's life events. I would also like a first person narration of the story; the current owner telling the story of his family business. The soundtrack is chosen because of its suitability to each era. For example, The House Of The Rising Son has an old west, country feel to it that would be perfect for the duel scene, which will have a western film style.

The family business is my favourite concept so far because it seems like it would be an interesting and unique to watch. I have not watched a film before that follows an idea like this. The aesthetics (Victorian, noir, retro) would be exciting to produce and would make for great cinematography. Therefore, I have developed the concept by regarding feedback and by building on my ideas.

Family Business (developed concept)

In 1892, Victorian Britain, a man called William founds the company, he starts the business up but struggles at first. A company that shares a similar idea to his gets into a dispute with him, certain that he stole the idea from him. In order to settle the argument, they fight to the death in a duel. William dies in a duel fight. In 1920, the son of William, named Jack, starts the business up again to honour his father, however the same competitor business doesn't like this and states that "the company should have stayed dead like your father." Determined to get the business boomin', the owner makes dodgy dealings to get enough money in; the current owner has no clue, this is later revealed by the enemy. In 1975, Jack's son then takes over, called Tommy. The business is doing well and the owner is living a lavish lifestyle. In the 80s there is better TV advertisement. Tommy sees the same business his family has been competing against on TV, with their own shopping channel. Tommy gets tired of seeing his enemy on TV, billboards and posters so he tries to outdo him, he goes into a spiral of madness, resulting in substance abuse. Freddie takes over, the current owner and tired of the generational dispute with their family company opposition, Freddie wants to make amends.

I wanted to include a mixture of genres so the family business idea is centred around including period drama, noir, a retro aesthetic and a warm, light-hearted style. The starting idea was to show a timeline of different period settings, from the 1800s to present day, which developed into showing the ancestory of a family, based around their family business. In different eras, it would show a new owner taking over, I chose the late 1800s to start with to include a period drama that is set the Victorian era. Previously, I thought of a western theme for 1882 but I want the film to be set in Britain so that would have clashed. I decided to use a common theme in western films, duels, and set this in Victorian Britain and use the style of a cowboy duel. Duels also happened in Britain as well as the United States so it is still an accurate representation of the Victorian era. In 1920, the film will be B&W to fit the noir style. Noir commonly contains crime and corrupt businessmen so I decided for the character, Jack, to make dodgy dealings and the motive behind this is because he has little money to build the business. In 1975, Tommy takes over, I thought this could showcase the business now doing well and the lifestyle that comes with being wealthy. There are positive points for being rich like being able to buy materialistic things and living luxury, however it can also result in mental health issues due to busy schedules, prioritising wealth and feeling lonely, which can result in heavy substance abuse. Therefore, I thought I could show both sides to the life of the rich. It jumps to the current owner, Freddie, and he doesn't want to be like his ancestors, who are in a constant spat with a competitor of the business. In the previous concept for this idea, Freddie's father takes after Tommy, from feedback, people stated that this could be too excessive with so many owners so Freddie's father is cut out as he doesn't play much of a significant role. I also changed that the viewers don't see every owner dying, only two significant deaths will be shown because people thought this could get boring. Breaking the cycle of a generational dysfunction stops the pattern of negative family behaviours. This highlights generational problems that many face. For example, a father is obsessed with work over his son, this trait unknowingly influences his son and he grows to be exactly like his father.

Mood boards

When creating my mood boards, I looked back on the research that I have done on aesthetics and genres. The aesthetic research informed me on the colours that work well together, types of colour palettes and their uses, colour theory, composition, lighting, a variety of shots/angles and recent aesthetically pleasing films that utilise artistic methods to display a message, emotion and story. The genre research built my knowledge on common storylines and themes of films within the genre, techniques and elements used in the films to fit in with the genre and storyline. I have used this research when deciding on what colours to pair, stylistic shots that I would like to use, aesthetics that would suit the genre and the costumes, props and setting that can tell a lot about a character and the storyline by watching movies from those genres. Mood boards will help me to visualise what the film could look like and give me inspiration when crafting the film.

Yellow-orange-brown-red

Yellow-orange-teal-blue

I have created mood boards on colours that I would be interested to use in my film because of their aesthetically pleasing look. Wes Anderson, alongside cinematography Robert Yeoman, uses bright colours in his work to draw the audience in and create a joyous, light-hearted film. In my opinion, I prefer films that use colourful imagery as I can engage fully in the film, feel mesmerised and colour can provoke an emotional response so the audience can grasp how the character's are feeling, thus they feel connected with the film. I paired colours that compliment each other well so I can use the mood boards for the creation of the film when deciding costumes, props, setting and lighting.

Spy

When envisioning a spy film, I thought a triadic colour scheme would work well on an aesthetic level and it would create a vibrant colour palette. I also feel that film rarely uses this palette so it would make for a unique and distinctive spy film. In the opening of James Bond: Casino Royale, a B&W filter is used, I am keen to also use this to honour original crime/spy films. The use of red in B&W to highlight a key feature in the frame is something that I would be interested in using for the B&W scene. For the genre, I would like it to be a mix of comedy and action, films like Johnny English and You Don't Mess With The Zohan are crime films that have the type of humour that I would like to use in my film. The spy film, Kingsmen, is aesthetically pleasing, action packed, humourous and entertaining to watch. If the group and I choose to do a spy film, I will analyse this film as inspiration. Baby Driver has an amazing soundtrack and exciting action sequences, it's one of my favourite films, I will also use this film as inspiration for the spy film. Unusual and interesting spy gadgets are props that I would like to be featured in the spy film, for example, Men In Black's neuraliser, which makes the film interesting, it's a signature stamp for the film and are common props in spy movies.

Western

The mood board includes images from western films that I have watched and enjoyed; Django Unchained, Ridiculous Six, The Harder They Fall, Magnificent Seven and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. Django Unchained has a colour palette and aesthetic that I would be keen to use, the brown-red-orange-yellow colour scheme, warm lighting, costume and set design. A fog and smoke effect is what I would like to use in the western film, which could be achieved by the use of cigarettes, burning a rolled paper and using a fog machine. Stylistic shots such as a close-up of a gun, cowboy shot and showing off gun skills will make for an exciting and entertaining watch.

Sci-fi

For a futuristic film, I thought neon, colourful lights would help to represent how artificial the world it and it would fit in with the cyberpunk theme, a dystopian setting. Blade Runner 2047 cinematography is a style that I would be interested to use for the Sci-Fi film. Blade Runner uses fog to show the human race has destroyed Earth's atmosphere, it also creates a sense of, mystery, isolation and a dream-like feel. When conducting primary research, most felt that white, black, blue and orange represent a futuristic theme. The film Equals uses white as it's main colour, it is about an emotionless utopia where two people fall in love when they regain their feelings. In the storyline of my Sci-Fi film, humans lose their emotion and social skills due to relying on technology, so I could use white to display an emotionless world. Black is also dull so can be used just as well as white. Cool tones like blue suggest a futuristic setting, focused on technology, whereas warm tones like orange represent a desert dystopia. I would use both colours, using blue when focused on a capitalistic setting and orange when displaying the destruction of the Earth's habitat.

Noir

The noir mind map includes stylistic shots that I would like to recreate, the aesthetics of noir, costumes, props and settings in noir films and film noir posters. Shots and angles that I would like to use are the Dutch angle (canted), wide shot, close-up shot and medium shot. Backlighting creates a mysterious and ominous atmosphere that looks stylistic and eye pleasing. Fog and smoke also creates mystery, it creates dramatic tension and can provide the character with a powerful entrance. The use of red in black and white films grabs your attention, adds tension and can depict the subject as a threat or the person in danger. I would like to use red when highlighting an important element in the film. For example, in Schindler's List, the only use of colour is a girl's red coat in the street, when she is being taken away by Nazis. Later on, her coat is found in a pile of dead bodies, which has a huge emotional impact on the audience. Spielberg didn't want the girl to fade in the background because she would just become another body in the pile.

Common imagery for film noir: The office setting with the light coming through the blinds. A setting in a dark street or alleyway. Cigarette smoke for aesthetics and to reflect the character as either mysterious, powerful, intimidating or classy, depending on their body language and how they hold the cigarette. Low key lighting enhances the mystery and creates high contrast, deep tones and shadows that visually work well for a film in B&W to highlight the subject's features and creating aesthetically pleasing shots.

Associates' Concepts

Jumpstart II

This short action comedy is the sequel to Jumpstart (2022) set years after the grand final’s tournament.

Charlie having become the Jumpstart world champion and River now being a retired Jumpstart player no longer playing like he used to when they were younger. The sequel to the first Jumpstart game releases becoming a world-wide sensation being played by all.

Charlie feels he also needs to be the ultimate champion of this two-player team sequel but cannot find the right partner to help him get there. He goes in search of getting River to come back and play this new game and together they can be the champions.

Charlie needs to teach River the new mechanics and catch him up on everything. With a brief 80’s style training scene. River having caught up they go to this year’s tournament and compete against multiple teams flawlessly beating them until the final match where they struggle. River being knocked out, seeming like Charlie is about to lose, River awakes using his famous crane kick on the enemy team winning the Grand Finale tournament for both Charlie and River.

They both walk into the sunset with a freeze frame of them high fiving with emotional music.

Feedback:

Pros: A sequel to Jumpstart that has a similar theme to Rocky and the Karate Kid with the aspect of being taught skills and improving as a fighter. Lots of potential to create jokes and be relatable to the audience. The idea of characters separating and needing a reason to reunite. The ending is a good way to complete the sequel. There is more of an exploration plot compared to the first Jumpstart film.

Cons: There might not be any need to continue the storyline and could be hard to expand the storyline. It follows a basic storyline. Need to touch on the reason for River's retirement from the game, Jumpstart.

As a group, we will try to develop the storyline so it takes a different route to the plot of the first Jumpstart because it could just be repeating the storyline. We will also provide reasonings behind River's retirement.

Matrix

Set in the year 2024 the main character Ted Brooks has the normal average life with the same routine every day but he feels like he’s stuck in a loop wanting to be free.

One day his routine is interrupted by this character named CJ that begins to follow him, Ted begins to run then finally believing he’s got away, CJ appears right in front of him exclaiming that none of this is real, this world and who they are. Ted calls his bluff and just walks away but things seem to be off from then on. Ted notices that everything in this world is not so normal and that everyone seems to be different to him. He searches for CJ but doesn’t find him for months until one day CJ finally appears again and Ted begs him to explain all of this to him, CJ explains that none of this is real and that everyone is in a virtual world and that he’s been working on a way to free everyone as he can go back to the real world whenever he wants.

In order to escape they need to glitch the system by acting out of order breaking their normal routine and working together to break the virtual world.

The film ending with him escaping this virtual world waking up with scientists around him revealing that he was the first person to ever be raised in the virtual world leaving on a cliff-hanger.

Feedback:

Pros: Escaping the matrix, which many people like to watch and theorise whether it is true. Similar to the critically acclaimed movies, Truman Show and The Matrix so it will attract fans of these movies. Breaking the loop of life; work, eat and sleep. Follows the zero to hero theme. The on and off relationship between the two characters, agreeing and disagreeing at times.

Cons: People may not be interested in a storyline that has already been covered a few times. Might be hard to show matrix effects on a low budget. Have the character break out of the virtual world so the audience can see what the real world looks like. Have the character explore the dangers of the world.

To make it different from other matrix themed films, we could take on a different perspective of the matrix so the audience have new thoughts on what the matrix really is. We will also look at tutorials on how to create futuristic and mind warping effects that is possible without spending much. The character can also explore more of the world to truly immerse the audience.

Wild west

In the summer of 1869 in the Wild west a mysterious stranger is seen traversing the lands, he runs into a gang of bandits who attempt to rob him, stealing his horse, guns and clothes and they succeed in getting away.

The mysterious stranger vows revenge on them, picking up bounties and even befriending the sheriff jones from the nearby town, collecting bounty after bounty he builds himself back up.

He searches for leads describing what these gang of bandits look like and asking if anyone’s seen them, a man named Alonzo believes he can lead our mysterious stranger to them. Set out for revenge they eventually find them and have to devise a plan to kill them and take back what’s theirs.

The mysterious stranger promise Alonzo half of whatever the bandits have if he is to help him kill them.

After an all-out battle with Alonzo being injured it’s a stand off between the Bandit’s gang leader with intense music. The mysterious stranger wins the stand off taking all that is his and more back.

He and Alonzo head back to the town not knowing the Bandit’s gang leader’s son was still there and witnessed what has happened.

Feedback:

Pros: Bounty hunter western films are exciting to watch and they have clear motives for murder, whereas for other western films, it seems like people just go around shooting each other. It would be action-packed and exciting to watch. Room left for a sequel with the son witnessing his father's death.

Cons: There are a few western films that follow a bounty hunter storyline. Add some plot twists to keep the audience on edge and engaged. There needs to be a reason for the bandits stealing and why Alonzo would help the stranger. There needs to be a stronger motive to kill the person.

We will provide answers to the reasons behind the characters' motives so the audience are left confused. To make it different from other bounty hunter storylines, we can make it so it is not so generic. For example, Django Unchained follows a bounty hunter theme but it is completely unique to other western/bounty hunter films.

Spy thriller

This spy thriller is set in the 1990’s, two agents, one from the fbi named Jones and one from the cia named smith have been sent after each other, both of them not knowing the other is after them.

They always seem to be missing each other and not succeeding in killing the other until they bump into each other in a mall, they both attempt to discretely attack each other until an explosion happens with a gang of robbers are attempting to rob the place.

Together they set aside their differences and try to take out the robbers one by one which is complicated to do as the robbers have taken hostages.

Eventually they succeed in defeating the robbers and saving the hostages.

They decide that neither one of them should die so they part ways.

Feedback:

Pros: An exciting storyline with two enemies forced to team up against a bigger threat. Set in the 90s so it could make for an aesthetically pleasing film with a grunge style. It has a die hard style to it. Follows a frenemy theme. It shows the realisation that those of authority are also just like us.

Cons: Leaves us questioning why are they after each other, why would they help each other out and what happens now that they have not carried out their mission to kill one another. The ending is quite predicable so something that is unexpected will be more exciting. Include moments that show the backstory of the characters, there needs to be more depth.

The group and I will tackle the unanswered questions about the two spies. To make the characters' more developed and have more depth, we can show their backstory and have a non-linear narrative structure like Tarantino, who tells a story of each character from different perspectives.

Hiking horror

A horror found footage style film set modern day with two friends named Joseph and Mike who go hiking while on holiday in Yellowstone Wyoming. Mike was reluctant to come but decided to go anyway.

Once arrived in Yellowstone they go hiking in the forests and everything seems pretty normal, Mike who was relcutent to come begins to see figures every now and then passing by, Joseph just reassures him that it’s other hikers around.

They eventually do bump into some other hikers named John and Sarah and they all decide to hike together, at some point Sarah goes missing which causes panic between the three men, they all spend a few hours searching for her till it get’s dark. Having no signal and not totally knowing where they are in the dark they are all lost.

Mike starts to hear things like people running around and twigs breaking, then suddenly he’s taken by these people.

He wakes up in a cave surrounded by tribe looking people and can see Sarah’s body with missing limbs, he begins to panic.

Eventually Joseph and John are captured by these people too, John distraught from seeing what’s happened to Sarah tries to run away but get’s killed by a spear thrown to his head.

Now only Mike and Joseph are still alive, they need to figure out how to escape this. Eventually they hatch a plan with joseph distracting the people guarding them and Mike knocking them out.

It seems like they both got away when suddenly Joseph disappears.

Feedback:

Pros: The story could happen in real life, which makes it realistic and even more terrifying for the audience. There is a twist for the ending. Graphic violence and gore is involved, which can be exciting to watch and horrifying. Suspense build up for not knowing what will happen next. The characters are taken at different times and not everyone survives.

Cons: Found footage can be boring because it is only shooting one camera perspective. Locations may be hard to find and use, and it might be hard to find quite a few actors for the film. It would be better if the killer is never shown on screen to add suspense.

Part of the film can be from a found footage perspective as well as other camera shots so it is engaging to watch for the audience. Found footage creates a realistic film but it can also get boring when watching from one perspective. Not showing the killer at the start will add mystery and keep the audience on edge, revealing who they are at the end will be a great way to finish the film and fulfil the audiences' urge to see who they are.

Father Heist

Two struggling fathers band together and plan a heist to provide for their families but all goes wrong, one of the fathers named Jon gets into a car accident leaving him incapacitated .

The other father, Zach, decides he will continue on with the heist alone even when Jon tells him not to. Zach attempts the heist and pulls it off successfully bringing in money for both his and Jons families.

Feedback:

Pros: Could make for a sentimental story of the fathers' families. Presents the idea that criminals might be only doing what they do to earn enough money to survive and help their family out. An interesting take on a heist themed film. Even though something goes wrong, Zach is still determined to succeed in the heist to provide for his and Jon's family.

Cons: Questions why would they not just get normal jobs that bring in enough income. It follows a basic storyline. Need to address how Zach struggles without the help of Jon when he is hospitalised. There are too many heist films, they are overused.

Maybe they could have got involved in the wrong crowd and had a taste of how much money they could make, persuading them to carry out a heist to provide for their families. We will also answer how Zach struggles without the help of Jon.

Group Notes

We like the idea of multiple short stories with different timelines, taken from the family business concept, because it would make for an interesting watch, the storyline won't be boring, the audience can experience different eras in one film, it has an opportunity to create an aesthetically pleasing film and it has an unique approach.
The family business concept could be incorporated with another concept. From the family business concept, filming different eras is an interesting idea but following the history of a family business could be swapped out for something that would be more fascinating to watch.
A spy film would be an exciting watch, especially if it is paired with impressive aesthetics.
A mixture of genres and aesthetics that we like: Noir genre - B&W filter and low-key lighting. 60s through to 70s - warm lighting and light-hearted. 80s - vibrant and retro aesthetic. Western genre - action-packed, themes of revenge and set in wild west. Spy - action-packed and exciting to watch. Sci-Fi - dystopian world, advanced technology and neon lighting. Tridiac colour scheme creates pops of colour that draws your attention. We thought we could combine some genres and aesthetics that we like.
Starts with a 1800s-1900s theme, then goes to a 1920s noir style and then to a modern theme.
Frenemy theme - enemies team up to defeat the villain and save humanity.
Character works their way up - becomes more developed and skilled.
Varied character perspectives, similar to Tarantino's style of non-linear storytelling.
Two main characters are complete opposites, shown through costumes, aesthetics and personality.
Multiverse - spies from different universes come together to defeat a higher power.
Create an anthology film - a single film consisting of several shorter films. Anthology films - Pulp Fiction, The French Dispatch, Ballad of Buster Scruggs.
Anthology film concept - follows the story of two spies, a non-linear storyline, focuses on each character individually with their own story.

Opposite spies concept

Follows the story of two spies, focusing on each of their own perspectives. A non-linear storyline. The spies are complete opposites, one spy is funky and the other is punk. Tell a backstory of each character, when they first started out as a spy (flashback), show their success and downfalls. They work for the same organisation but have never met before, their chief makes them team up. They have also never met their chief, the chief is unknown, only his voice. They both are set out to defeat a criminal organisation.

Begin with showing the spies on their own missions, introduce one spy at a time, tell the backstory of the spies from the chief's narrative.

The concept was created by combining the concepts that we have previously come up with and by providing our opinions and feedback. From the family business idea, we liked the telling of multiple stories in one film. I looked into films that follow this idea and found that they are described as anthology films. Tarantino tends to tell stories this way, in a non-linear structure, focusing on the individual lives of the characters. We also liked the spy concepts that we came up with and that we would be interested in following the spy genre. We created a mind map to put the ideas we have surrounding the idea of multiple stories in a spy genre.

The concept was created by combing our ideas from the mind map:

Charlie - He stated that he would like spies that have their own unique colour, they are opposites. From the technology shutdown Sci-Fi concept, Charlie liked the idea of a character with brains and one with brawn. The funky spy could have more intelligence and the gothic spy has more brawn.
River - The frenemies idea is used by having the spies be against each other at first but they need to put their differences aside to take down a dangerous organisation. For River's different perspectives idea, the film starts off by showing the lives of the individual spies, they are not connected to each other in the beginning of the film.
Blake - My idea to show stories of successful spies was incorporated by showing the successes and downfalls of two of the best spies, telling their story of where they started. As well as Charlie, I also liked the idea of two spies who are complete opposites and I wanted to show their own perspectives through the use of Tarantino's non-linear storytelling style.

Developed concept

Opens with a funky spy setting off on a mission. Switches to a gothic spy setting off on a mission. Text of their name appears when they are in the opening shot. The spies work on separate missions and do not know each other, but they do both work for the same organisation. They are complete opposites; one spy is funky (Stevie) and the other is punk (Jax). Switches back and forwards between each spy when on their individual missions. Split screen when they both say “mission complete” to their Chief. Focuses on Stevie, who reports back to the office to talk to the chief. Chief talks about the reason he hired Stevie, flashbacks to when he first started out as a spy, chief narrates the flashback. Chief puts Stevie on a high-profile mission to take down a criminal organisation. Stevie walks back home whilst listening to 80s music, transitions to Jax listening to rock music and the Chief calls Jax in. Stevie and Jax walk past each other, Stevie is on his way home and Jax is walking to the office. Chief talks to Jax about why he hired him, flashbacks to when he started out as a spy. Chief puts him on the same mission that he gave to Stevie, they have no clue that they are going to work together.

Stevie does aerobics to train for the mission. Jax does boxing and then sits down to have a beer. Transitions to Stevie setting off on the mission, he asks for details of the target. Stevie runs to capture the target. Transitions to Jax’s alarm going off, he falls out of bed. Stevie spots the target and chases after him in a parkour chase scene. Target runs around the corner and Jax suddenly turns up and punches the target. Stevie is out of breath. They have a stare off. Stevie uses his hand in his pocket as a fake gun. Chief rings both spies, states that he put them on the mission together.

They unmask the target and find out it is a clone of one of them. Spy that has been cloned states that he gets a monthly blood test so this could be how they got a hold of his DNA. Stevie and Jax go to a lab where the blood tests are sent to and find that the test has been stolen. They look at the security footage and find a mysterious guy entering the building. They look at street footage and spot the guy getting into a car, they track the registration and get an address of the car owner. Stevie and Jax break in and hold the owner hostage for questioning. Owner states that he is “just a driver.” Eventually they get a person’s name and organisation name from the hostage. They find the address of the organisation. When arriving at the address, the building is very isolated and dull. At the end of the hallway they find a masked man in a suit, “I’ve been waiting for you.” Spy pulls a gun on him. Masked man tells them to calm down and says “Do you not want to hear the story? That is why you’re here.” Masked man tells the story. Transitions to the plan for using the clones as war machines, the making of the clones and how he got the spy’s blood, whilst masked man narrates it. After finishing the story, lasers are pointed at the spies, masked man leaves. The spies make a run for their lives. Comic book filter appears - To be continued…

Building on the concept, I developed scenes that would help to describe the traits of the characters: The funky spy dancing to an 80s song, doing aerobics and getting up early to show dedication. The punk spy listens to rock music, does boxing for training, drinks beer and wakes up late to show he doesn't take life seriously. The characters possess qualities that the other does not, which is why it is important for them to work together to become an unstoppable duo. The funky spy takes on the brainy and cautious persona, and the punk spy takes on the brawny and fearless persona.

The idea of clones came from River, when he found out how to edit photos of him together to look like he has multiple clones. Therefore, we thought we could include clones to take our film to the next level for special effects, they would be exciting to use in our film. The idea of clones being used for war comes from the the influence of movies, where humans are made into war machines to become unbeatable and dangerous. For example, Bucky Barnes, in Captain America, gets brainwashed and is trained into being a killing machine.

The storyline provides an equilibrium. Finding a clone of one of them disrupts the equilibrium, the characters look to restore the equilibrium by going to lab and tracing the mysterious car and resolution occurs when they find who is behind the creation of the clones, the equilibrium is balanced. The use of an equilibrium comes from Todorov's theory that the narrative structure has an equilibrium to progress the story. The film has a non-linear narrative because it moves back and forwards in time to create a backstory for the characters and leave no unanswered questions. Some films start by showing a tease of the villain and their motive. However, this film does not so the audience can piece the puzzle together as the movie progresses, they are connected to the characters, the audience only know what the characters know. The spies running away ends the film for suspense, which works well for a short film and leaves the audience wanting more. We thought it would be too long of a film if we were to expand more on the story from here, it may be unrealistic to create in the time that we have. The comic book filter is used for aesthetics and suits the ending of a film on an action scene; the spies running away.

Notes

tITLE IDEAS:

At Odds - Charlie came up with this due to the two main characters being opposites of each other hence why they'd be at odds

Flip Side - Charlie also came up with this one which has the same idea as At Odds like having two different sides to a coin

Familiar - clones being a main aspect of the short film, when seeing a clone of yourself you'd think they look familiar right?

Genetic Code - this one has to do with the DNA aspect as cloning and stealing of Stevie's blood happens within the short film

Detective National Association - an abbreviation of DNA which has a key part in the short film

Jax & Stevie: DNA - the main characters are Jax and Stevie and then the DNA part is a main focus in the short film

Do I Know You? - just like the Familiar title seeing someone that looks like you but you're unsure if you know them

Stool Pigeon - with this one River searched into words to do with the spy genre and after looking at the different word this one stood out and the definition that comes up is a police informer, a person acting as a decoy and a person acting as a spy, two out of three of those works perfectly within our story.

We picked Stool Pigeon as the final title after River explained what it meant to Blake and Charlie and we all agreed that it fits well to the story we've made.

Cyber intelligence - character informs the spies about important, secret information. Character is similar to Q from James Bond.
Split screen of the spies morning routine before the high-profile mission. Influence - Fast and Furious: Hobbs and Shaw: Morning routine HD CLIP - YouTube
Spies go to the lab - they are undercover so they wear lab coats.

Spy roles to help us accurately create a spy film.

Synopsis

Stevie walks up to a house *sounds of crickets. * Stevie puts on his music and tries to locate the target. He is equipped with a gun. Stevie walks through the hallway. Transitions to Jax walking in the woods, hides behind a tree. Transitions to Stevie hiding behind a door. He finds dead bodies in the kitchen, checks their pulse. Stealthily moves through the house. Transitions to Jax moving through the woods with knives and a nunchaku, target jumps out and starts fighting Jax. Transitions to Stevie’s target hiding behind a wall and then jumps out at Stevie, they start fighting. Switches back and forwards between their fighting. Stevie shoots the target. Transitions to Jax strangling the target with a nunchaku. Split screen of them both dropping their targets to the floor, putting their hand on their ear piece and saying “mission completed.” Film title 'Stool Pigeon' sequence.

Focuses on Stevie, told to report to office from the chief. Stevie enters the office, agent handler appears through the window to be walking by. Stevie sits in the office, the chief’s face is not revealed, it is in the shadows, you can see smoke from a cigarette waft over his shadowed face. The chief talks to Stevie about why he hired him. Flashbacks to an old mission of Stevie’s; a disco fight scene. In a strobe lighted room, Stevie fights an enemy along to an 80s song. He uses a confetti popper to distract the enemy and then swoops the enemy off their feet. Back to present. Chief puts Stevie on a high-profile mission to take down a criminal organisation. Stevie walks back home whilst listening to an 80s song, he dances in the street. Transitions to him dancing on a dance floor. Transitions back to the street when a pedestrian taps him on the shoulder to try get past. Film now focuses on Jax. He is listening to a rock song, does air guitar action, he is stopped by an incoming call from the chief to report back to the office. Stevie and Jax past each other, Stevie on his way home and Jax on his way to the office. The passing by is a quick shot. Similar to Stevie, the chief tells Jax why he hired him. Flashback to Jax’s old mission; torturing a hostage. In a dark cellar-like room, Jax has a hostage tied to a chair, dancing along to a song, Jax tortures the hostage for information. Reservoir Dogs Mr Blonde’s torture scene as influence. Zooms out of the door, hostage screams, door closes. Back to present. Chief puts Jax on the same mission as Stevie, they have never met and have no clue they are going to work together. Transitions to show details of the criminal organisation in an investigation layout that fills the screen.

Focuses on Stevie doing aerobics for training, watching a lesson on TV. Goes to Jax doing boxing for training. Jax sits down to have a beer. Transitions to the morning, split screen of Stevie and Jax in the morning. Stevie grabbing a coffee and setting off on the mission. Jax’s alarm goes off and he falls out of bed. Focuses in on Stevie running, asking Clint, the agent handler, for details on the target. Stevie spots the target and chases after them in a chase scene. James Bond chase scene as influence. Target runs around the corner. Jax pops out of nowhere and punches the target, target is knocked out clean. Stevie is out of breath. Stevie and Jax have a western style stare off. Stevie uses his hand in his pocket as a fake gun. The stare off is interrupted by the chief calling both spies. They hesitate and wait for the first person to pick up. Stevie picks up and then Jax does. The chief informs them that he put them on a mission together to take down a highly dangerous organisation. Stevie says “the gun was fake anyway.” Showing that he put used a banana in his pocket. They go over to the target and take off the balaclava, revealing the target is a clone of the spy. They address that Stevie’s DNA would be needed to clone. Stevie states that he gets a monthly blood test so this could be how they got a hold of his DNA. Flashbacks to Stevie being scared to take the blood test.

Stevie and Jax go undercover when investigating the lab where the blood tests are sent. Clint tells the spies to grab a key card. Jax swipes a key card. When they find the name, ‘Stevie’, his test is missing. They look at security footage. They find a mysterious guy entering the building and then the camera glitches and goes to black. They get Clint to look at street footage from that day, back at HQ. Clint spots the mysterious guy; the guy gets into a car so he tracks the registration and finds the address of the car owner. Stevie and Jax arrive at the address. Stevie plans out idea to break into house. Sherlock Holmes as influence. Jax disrupts plan by stomping door down. Owner is getting an apple crumble out the oven. Stevie and Jax confront owner, the owner states that he is “just a driver.” They get information out from him and get the address of the organisation. Leave the house with apple crumble. They arrive at the address of the organisation, text appears with the name of the organisation when the spies stand in front of the building. The building is isolated and dull. Stevie and Jax walk down a white hallway, finding a masked man at the end, “I’ve been waiting for you.” The man says. Jax pulls a gun on him. Masked man tells him to calm down and says “Do you not want to hear the story? That is why you’re here.” Masked man tells the story. Transitions to showing the man planning out the clone design, wanting to use the clones for war. After finishing the story, lasers are pointed at the spies. The masked man leaves, hands behind him, casually walking and laughing. The spies make a run for it. Shot freezes with a comic book filter of them. ‘To be continued…’ text appears. Zooms out to reveal a comic book page. Roll credits.

Continuing to build on the concept, this is the final draft of the creation of the storyline. The synopsis includes a description of the scenes in more detail to help the group and I visualise what the film will look like. The film opens with the spies working on their own individual missions. Stevie is located in a house to take down a criminal. Upon arrival, he finds a mass murder of a family has taken place. Stevie is equipped with a gun and moves stealthily, which introduces what the character is like. He possesses traditional spy qualities, he is cautious and strategic. Jax is located in the woods for a more thrilling and horror-like setting, complimenting the character's punk style. It is similar to an army mission to show his brawn and how brave he is. His fearlessness is also shown through having knives and a nunchaku for a weapon, whilst the target will have a gun.

The flashbacks of their character on their own missions are created to compliment their personality. Stevie is the funky spy, he has an 80s style. Therefore, it seemed only right to have him fight to an 80s song. The use of a confetti popper adds humour and suits the disco theme of the fight. Jax's flashback is of him torturing a hostage, whilst dancing to a song, which really shows how unserious he is and how brutal of a character he is. The flashback of the villain shows his motives so it is clear to the audience why he has created clones and why he chosen the spies to replicate.

When I envisioned the spies meeting the villain, a white long hallway with the villain at the end of it came to mind. This would help to show how mad the villain is, as well as looking like a futuristic setting to compliment the clone theme. In my primary research, most people associated a futuristic look with the colours white, black, orange and blue. The colour white also creates the sense of isolation, the villain is alone and the clones are all he has.

Influence

Noir film STYLE

Chief has a noir style to make him appear mysterious and of high authority. Film noir is believed to be the golden age of crime fiction so this would show recognition to the era and give it a hats off. A common setting in noir is an office building so when the spies come in contact with the Chief, he will be located in his office. Cigarettes are used for a stylistic shot and can also depict the character's emotion or personality. Having a waft of smoke, from a cigarette, covering the Chief's face, will portray him as mysterious and a stronger role than Stevie and Jax. To compliment the noir style, the Chief will wear a black suit with a fedora hat, fashion that was popular in the 1920s. The group and I also thought that when the film is set in the Chief's office, the film would be in black and white.

Photo for influence

Reservoir dogs Mr Blonde's torture scene

Influence for Jax's hostage torture scene. Jax will be dancing to a song to show how brutal he is, similar to Mr Blonde.

James bond

James Bond: Skyfall chase scene. Influence for Stevie chasing target in a dramatic and exciting chase scene. Clint, agent handler, will be similar to the role of Q in James Bond. Q is used to locate the target in this scene using maps and security cam footage.

Influence for the opening scene of 'Stool Pigeon' to give the James Bond franchise acknowledgment for how successful it is and the impact is has in cinema.

Western stare off

Western stare off consisting of a cowboy, close up and extreme close up shots, leading up to a gun draw. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly standoff scene will be used as influence for the western stare off between Stevie and Jax to create tension and suspense.

Sherlock Holmes

To see inside Sherlock Holmes' head, he acts out his plan and narrates it, shown in slow motion. After the plan has been acted out, the film returns to present to show him executing his plan and it working out exactly how he had imagined it. In our film, Stevie (spy) has great intelligence and a scene similar to the way Sherlock Holmes acts out his plan will show the innerworkings of his mind.

fAST AND FURIOUS MORNING SCENE

Morning scene of Hobbs and Shaw, contrasting the two, before they receive a call to go on a mission. We would like to use this scene as inspiration for the morning chase scene, the mission that the Chief has put Stevie and Jax on to work together. It would be a great opportunity to show the differences between Stevie and Jax. Stevie would have a warm hue like Hobbs and Jax would have a cool hue like Shaw.

Mood board

I have created a mood board that will help me to visualise the film. I included images to bring the synopsis to life. Previously, I created mood boards for different aesthetics and concepts. I will continue to use them for the creation of my film because the storyline has some similairites to the other concepts that I have come up with. For example, there is a western style stare off between the spies so I can use the western mood board for influence when creating the scene.

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