AS MEDIA PROJECT

Overview My AS Level media coursework project, Trigger Point , is an opening sequence to a psychological horror/thriller. The title was deliberately chosen to suggest intensity and a decisive moment of change, positioning the piece clearly within the suspense/horror genre. Originally, my blog documented a very different script and narrative. However, due to unforeseen challenges, I had to completely change the direction of my project at the last minute. This required me to quickly adapt and rethink my concept, which inevitably shaped both the strengths and weaknesses of the final outcome. Strengths of My Work Concept and Genre Awareness Although the project changed dramatically from my initial blog concept, the final version still demonstrates strong understanding of psychological horror/thriller conventions. The focus on tension, mystery, and unsettling atmosphere reflects the genre well, while the title Trigger Point encapsulates the idea of an event or revelation that shifts t...

 

  Emotionally Driven / Psychological: "Some memories don’t fade. They fight back." "The past is never silent." "When the memory hits, there’s no cover." Action-Psychological Blend: "You can outrun the mission, but not the moment it broke you." "Every decision leaves a mark." "Flashback. Fallout. Fight back." Regret & Reflection: "It wasn’t the shot that changed everything. It was the silence after." "The hardest part of survival is remembering why." Longline: On a quiet drive through the outskirts of town, a teenage boy is jolted by the sudden backfire of a nearby car, triggering an involuntary flashback to a day that changed everything. What begins as a vivid memory of joy, him and his best friend laughing behind the wheel, sprinting through the woods without a care, quickly unravels into something darker. A single gunshot breaks the moment, and in the chaos that follows, ...

  Short Film Beat Sheet – Trigger Point Genre: Psychological drama with elements of action and emotional suspense Tone: Reflective, tense, emotionally grounded 1. Opening Image A teenage boy drives alone through a quiet rural road. The atmosphere is still, slightly tense. He appears calm but distracted, eyes scanning the horizon with a distant look. 2. Inciting Incident Suddenly, a nearby car backfires. The sound is loud and sharp. The boy flinches violently. His hands grip the wheel. 3. Triggered Flashback Begins The sound pulls him into a vivid memory, the image cuts quickly to him and his best friend in the same car, laughing, full of energy. It’s a warm, carefree day. Music plays, windows down, the world feels open and full of possibility. 4. Escalation Within the Flashback The boys park the car and begin to run through a nearby wooded area. It’s playful, almost like a game. There’s a freedom to it, but a sense of something unspoken under the s...

Planning & Filming Schedule To stay on track, I’ve outlined an example of a basic plan where I can then fill in dates instead of approximations : Script Finalization : [e.g., June 5, 2025] Location Scouting : [e.g., June 6–8, 2025] Filming Days : Scene 1 & 2 : [June 13, 2025] Scene 3–5 : [June 15, 2025] Pick-ups/B-Roll : [June 18, 2025] Post-Production Starts : [June 20, 2025] Final Edit Deadline : [July 10, 2025] I will have completed filming by the end of the summer term, therefore I've arranged to meet with the two actors on Friday 6th June to finalise dates for filming. I plan to have an outline of the script by then and to have overall decided on the plot.  Location and Setting: I have considered many options over the process of planning this film opening, and a lot of the concepts and ideas revolved around the genre of which I chose and the viewings of film openings I studied. Considering my overall plot was key to this process, and the ele...