Looking back at your preliminary task what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to full product?
To show how our skills have developed from our prelim (What's yours is mine) to our final film (The Bunker) I decided to talk you through our weaknesses in our prelim and then talk through our strengths in our final film. This will show you how each of the techniques has improved and how we used what we had learnt in our prelim and improved on them to use in our final film.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
Whilst editing my film we used iMovie the most which meant that I became very familiar with the programme and was able to use it easily and quickly therefore next time i will be able to get on and use it without having to learn how to use it again. However i found it very easy to use and picked up everything I needed to learn fast. Another piece of equipment I used easily was the camera this was because I have used it before and therefore this means that I was able to film what i needed to film fast however I just needed to get used to the type of camera I was using as it was different to what i am use too.
Below is a table that shows how confident i was out of five, one being not confident at all and five being very confident. The table shows before and after the course and what I was and what I became confident with.
To show how we attracted and addressed our audience I decided to use pictures and write paragraphs on prezi to explain how we attract and address our audience and explain where we did it. During prezi I spoke about the stereotypes we adhere and subvert and how that attract the audience.
Who would be the audience for your media production?
Whilst discussing in our group and using our target audience research we decided to set the certificate for our film at 15+ this is due to the scariness of our film and we thought that this age would be appropriate for our viewers.
Due to our film not having any swearing or graphic scenes we decided that our age range is appropriate as it if we did have graphic scenes or swearing we would have to increase our age range which would mean that our target audience would become a niche audience.
The gender of our target audience will most likely be males due to our target audience research which told us that more males watch thrillers more than females do, however females are more than welcome to watch our thriller.
Another reason why our target audience is males is because we used the typical stereotypes which will make our target audience want to watch it such as gender, age and ethnicity which is shown throughout the scenes.
If we were to keep making the rest of the film we would make it so that the male would save the female in trouble which would adhere to the typical conventions of a thriller, also we may decide to add in a few female characters into our film which will attract the female gender to come and watch therefore making our target audience a mass audience due.
What kind of media institution might distribute your media production and why?
To show what kind of media institution we considered to use and what ones we did use I decided to show the variety through a powerpoint to make it clear what type of institution I was writing about. Therefore here is a link to my slide show explaining what kind of media institution we might of used, what ones we did and why we used them. http://www.slideshare.net/10esmith1/evaluation-question-3-61082068
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
To show how we decided to represent particular social groups within our media production. I decided to discuss how we subvert or adhere to certain stereotypes such as race, gender and age by using prezi which takes you through each stereotype and how we subvert or adhere throughout our opening two minutes. Prezi
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? Opening set up
At the start of our two minute opening we wanted to show the
typical conventions of a thriller therefore we did this by choosing to use a
establishing panning shot of our first scene. Our opening panning shot shows
the bunker and the surroundings. It also showed the date and place it was set
in to set up an atmosphere for the audience. We used mise-en-scene by using
colour this tells the audience that it was set in an older year. The colour of
the scene also shows it as a old image therefore it shows the audience that it
is full of mystery as it can be seen as part of someone’s history. We got the
idea to do this from ‘X-Men’ as in their opening scene it shows a picture of
the place that the film is set and then the location and date alongside of the
picture. The colours of the opening scene shows that the mood of the scene is
depressing. Although our opening scene follows the typical conventions of a
thriller however we thought that it is better for us to use this type of convention
because it helps set the scene for the audience.
Editing and camera work
We decided to use a variety of shots throughout our opening
two minutes to help the audience become familiar with the characters, which
would help the audience follow the storyline easier. To show what the
characters are wearing and what the characters are feeling towards each other
we decided to use long and medium shots for example in the first scene in then
bunker it shows how the characters are dressed to empathise what era the scene
is set in. However to show clearly what is going on within the scenes so that
the audience doesn’t missed important things within the storyline we decided to
use close up shots, for example in the second scene in ‘Simon’s House’ we decide
to use a close up to empathise that the girl was there then had been scribbled
out. Also in the first scene down in the bunker we used camera angles to show
the variety of words within the bunker to set the atmosphere of a typical
conventions of a thriller which was mystery and suspense. Another camera angle
we used was a high angle when the characters were running up the stairs to help
the audience feel engaged in the film and help the audience figure out how the
audience was feeling for example panicked.
The characters are introduced to the film and the audience
by showing all four of the characters walking down the country lane. This shows
the audience the relationship between each of the characters and how the
characters feel towards the others. This shows the audience the different range
of ethnicities, age and genders. This is a typical convention of a thriller because
the difference between each of the characters have a specific stereotypical
characters. However the characters don’t use their individual names therefore
the ethnicity, age and gender is used to make the characters easier to remember
as they aren’t all the same and it gives each character a unique identity. For
example the only girl within the group is shown not to want to go into the
bunker and is shown to be scared this follows the typical conventions of a thriller
as girls are seen as weak therefore by the girl not wanting to go down into the
bunker she is seen as weak. Also another way we followed typical stereotypes of
a thriller is by showing ‘Simon’ to be the protagonist we did this by
suggesting he is seen as the ‘hero’. We did this by making him significant
towards the audience by telling the audience his name and showing the character
on his own. This followed the stereotype of genders because it suggests to the
audience that the man needs to save the girl therefore once again showing the
audience that the girl is weak and needs saving by the man. We decided to ask
the character of ‘Simon’ to wear a polo shirt as polos are seen to bit more
fashionable and stereotypically seen to be worn by men in their 20s. this was
influenced by the protagonist in ‘The November Man’.
Lighting
In the first scene we used dark lighting to empathise the
mystery and the atmosphere of the scene. We decided to show this by using a
dark location therefore we soon realised that it was to dark to film which
meant that we decided to have the characters use torches to highlight what the
audience needed to pay attention too. We also decided to whilst editing make it
lighter so that it was clear for the audience to know what they needed to take
in.
Location
Within our two minute opening we used two different
locations which we decided to have a panning shot to show the setting to the
audience. We used the Bunker which was set in Hartlip and the second location
we used was in Parkwood, Rainham. However we decided to use a location that
everyone would know therefore we decided to use London as main location. We
used the colour and music to set a older year for the audience to know what
year the setting was in.
Genre
To suggest that our two minute opening was in the thriller
genre we decided to user the typical thriller conventions. We did this by using
music, mise-en-scene, editing, location and props. The music helped set the atmosphere
of the opening.We decided to use the
lightening in the first scene to give the scene a spookier feeling. However the
music in the second scene was more calming therefore didn’t follow the typical
conventions of a thriller and gave the scene as atmosphere of relief however it
contrast the music in the first scene therefore can create suspense for the
audience which follows a typical thriller film. Also to uphold the atmosphere
of relief throughout this scene we decided to use lighting to indicate that it
was brought up to date therefore the audience would understand that the film is
now set in the present time. We used camera angles and shots within the first
two minutes of our film to show the typical conventions of a thriller. For
example showing a panning shot in ‘Simon’s House’ to empathise that he was
there alone, following this we used a zoom shot to show that the girl was
scribbled out which drew the attention of the audience to that one character.
We followed the conventions of a thriller by using the stereotypes of each
gender and ethnicity, which we decided to show through the characters. We did
this by using the stereotype of a typical ‘black’ person by showing the black
person taking charge and causing most of the trouble as he was the one who convinced
them all to go into the bunker. Also this leads onto the ‘white’ people’s stereotype
by showing the two ‘white’ boys following the other boy in therefore being seen
as ‘push overs’. Another stereotype was that the girl was scared and seen to be
weak therefore showed the typical stereotype of a girl. All of these follow the
typical conventions of a thriller because the teenagers wanted to do something
that was seen as dangerous and therefore the audience knew that something bad
was going on. We subverted the genre of a thriller because we used bird sounds,
which set the atmosphere of the film being relaxed therefore it didn’t set a
atmosphere of a typical convention of a thriller. However this was contrast
from the first scene because it left the audience wondering what would happen
next as in the first scene a lot of suspense was built however in the second
scene the atmosphere was set to be relaxing.
Using effects
We used face paint to create a social effect whilst down in
the bunker so it can empathise the atmosphere down in the bunker. By using this
effect and using the footage in that certain part of the film it made the audience
more drawn into knowing what was going on within the film.
Creating suspense
Throughout the whole two minute opening we
create suspense in many different ways for example by using lighting, sound,
shots and the characters. We created suspense by using lighting by using two
types, one in each scene. In the first scene as I’ve mentioned we decided to
use a dimmed lighting to show that it was filmed in an older year this create
suspense because when the audience watches it and they know that it was set in
an older year that will indicate to them that something will happen therefore
by using the lighting it empathises suspense and keeps the audience wondering.
However in the second scene we used a lighter lighting to show that it was more
relaxed which subverts a typical convention of a thriller. However this also
created suspense because it left the audience knowing what will; happen and
what has happened to the girl. We decided to use sound to create a suspense. In
the first scene for example we decided to use whispers and screams to create
suspense. We decided to use whispers and screams to create suspense to indicate
to the audience that something is happening but didn’t give them to much
information as not showing exactly what was happening it left the audience
wondering what was happening. However in
the second scene we decided to subvert the typical conventions of a
thriller by using bird showing at the beginning which created suspense as the
audience didn’t know whether something was going to happen or not. Also in the
second scene we used sound to create suspense because we used floor cracking
which meant that the audience knew that the character wasn’t alone which would
start to make the audience wonder who else was there therefore creating
suspense as the audience didn’t know who or when they would appear. Also by
using shots we created suspense as we showed the three boys running up the
stairs which showed the panic in their faces which created suspense for the
audience as the audience didn’t know what was fully happening.
Here is a video showing the photos we took whilst filming our opening two minutes. We decided to take photos whilst taking the videos to prove that we did it ourselves and we didn't use copyright videos.
To show how we edited our final film The Bunker we decided to watch the film and point out different techniques we used throughout the film whilst we paused the film and spoke throughout it. This meant that you can see where we used the techniques and what techniques we used. We also decided to do this to show why we used certain techniques.
To see how we edited our two minute opening of a thriller called The Bunker click here or click on the video below.
We used sound during our opening two minutes to create tension and suspense. We did this by using non copy right music off of YouTube and made some our selves.
The first bit of music we added into our two minute opening was the non copy right sound track from YouTube. We decided to used this sound track as this meant that the tension and suspense was built from the beginning because the music came in straight away which meant that it made you wonder what will happen as you knew something will happen but you don't know when or how. This is because the music we chose indicates that something will happen but you can't tell when. This is good for a thriller because it keeps the audience on edge which is why we chose this piece of music. First music used in two minute opening
The next bit of sound that we added into the two minute opening was the dialog over the original that they did when we was filming. We decided we would do this because it wasn't clear what they were saying originally which meant that it was clear to all of us that we needed to film over the top. We did this buy going into another room and filming them just talking then when we had said all the things we needed to say. We went back and put it onto the film. When it was in the film we realised that we needed to make it quieter and try to make the dialog in time as we could. We made it do this by changing the volume 60 or just above and we put a audio effect over the top to make it sound as if we haven't added it in over the top. This created the effect that it wasn't added in afterwards.
We decided to add in whispers whilst showing the inside the bunker this showed the viewer that there was a lot of people down there and there could be more than just the people we saw walk in. This created the atmosphere of tension because this didn't make it clear what was happening as it was hard to see everything because of the lighting we chose to use. When we didn't have the whispers it didn't have the conventional atmosphere of a thriller therefore by adding in the whispers it adheres the conventional sound of a thriller as it doesn't show who's whispering therefore creates mystery throughout this scene. Whisper
The next sound that we used was heavy breathing this also created the atmosphere of suspense because at this point in the two minute opening it wasn't clear what was happening down in the bunker. This creates the sense that people are on edge and therefore it adheres the conventions of a thriller because using this sound it makes the audience want to see what is happening. We also added the heavy breathing in when the boys are running through the gate showing that they are still panicking creating suspense. Heavy breathing
Just as the girl appears there is a female scream this indicates to the audience that something has happened to the girl, we decided to use the girl as she was the only girl that went into the bunker with the boys and it is a clear indication what one of the teenagers that something has happened to. This creates the atmosphere of suspense and tension because the audience at this point doesn't know what has happened however they have seen the girl appear and this indicates that something has happened or someone else is down there with them. Also we used this scream when there is a shot of the bunker at the end of this scene this clears up that there is the girl still in there and this creates tension because the audience won't know when something else will happen or what will happen which means that it will draw them in to watching more. Girl screaming
After the girls face appeared down in the bunker. We added in another sound which was a heartbeat which was to create suspense which made the views believe they were with the people down in the bunker. This caused the suspense to build throughout this clip. We chose to use a fast beat to create the atmosphere of panic. This is good for a thriller because it helps create the atmosphere of suspense as it shows the audience how they are feeling. Heartbeat
We carried on most of this sound whilst they were running up the stairs however because we couldn't find any fast footsteps of multiple people it meant that we had to film our selves running on the spot to empathise the panic of the teenagers running out. By doing this it showed that there was more than one person running out of the bunker however this meant that this made the audience think about who was still down in the bunker and if anyone was therefore creating mystery.
When the girl appears on the title of 'The Bunker' comes on the screen we used the sound of a jump which scares the audience as the rest of the two minute opening has been creating suspense and tension which helped make the jump sound effective. We chose to use this as we thought that after building the tension from the bunker we could cut it off by making the audience jump as they would be on edge. Jump scare
Following this we used birds tweeting to show that it is a new setting however this subverts the conventions of a thriller because the blue sky and the birds tweeting creates a nice and calm atmosphere which isn't usually associated with a thriller. Therefore it is effective as it makes the audience believe that nothing else will happen. Birds tweeting
In this new setting we decided to use a different music to indicate that the time has changed and there is a clear spilt between the two settings. This creates the atmosphere of suspense which then contradicts the sound before as that sets a calming atmosphere as for the music creates the atmosphere of suspense as the music starts to build up over time. Second scene music
The next sound we used wasn't until 'Simon' picked up the photo, this sound was of the floor cracking. This creates tension as the audience won't know who was there due to not being able to see behind therefore not being able to see who made the sound. We decided to use this sound to let the audience know that someone was there because in the house there is wooden floor boards so we decided to use this so that it would of been linked to the house to show the audience someone else is in the house. Creaking floor boards
One of the last sounds that we used when something in on the screen was the sound of a jump this can indicate to the audience that someone was there and something is happening that isn't good. This can create the atmosphere of tension because it indicates someone is there but it doesn't show where or who therefore this means that the audience doesn't know if something is going to happen or what is going to happen. Jump scare
How we did the makeup for the face that appeared down in the bunker
Here is a video and a link to show how we did the make up for the girl down in the bunker we decided to make a video showing you how we did the makeup to prove that it wasn't a copyright video and to show how we used miss-en-scene in our film.
We wanted to film on the 8th February however we had to make sure that we had a back up date for filming which was the 11th February because we couldn't garantee that we would be able to film on the original day we wanted as there might be barriers in our way such as the weather, not being able to get a camera or one of the people we wanted in the two minute opening getting ill.
When we went to start filming on the 8th February we couldn't as the weather was to windy and was quite badly raining. This meant that we had to use our backup date (11th February) to film our first section of our opening two minutes.
So this meant that we were able to film the second half in a different location and only needed one of the people that was involved in the first part of the filming we needed to take a photo which meant that we were able to film the second part of the two minute opening.
What we did on the first day of filming-
On the first day of meeting we spoke to everyone who was involved in the filming so that they each knew what they needed to wear to fit into our idea of setting it in 2003. We then made a plan of where to meet and what time therefore this meant that wewould cut down on time as we wouldn't have to try and figure out where to all meet last minute.
Once we got to the bunker we figured out what parts we needed to figure out first and what made sense to film in order so we could get the filming right. We decided to take the photo of the four people who were in our opening two minutes so that the lightening was right and to make sure the photo came out the way we wanted it too. We then decided to film them walking up the country lanes because it wasn't at a busy time of day and this meant it was safer for all of us to film. This was because we had to do the filming of them walking down the county lanes a few times as we had to make sure that we got the continuity throughout. We then spent a while filming them outside the gates for the bunker and walking into the field where the bunker was because we needed to make sure that none of the people who was in our two minute moved from the place they were originally standing in and the direction they were facing. We also spent a while filming this part because it is the main part were the majority of the dialog was filmed therefore we had to make sure that is was exactly what we needed. We then filmed them walking through the field. We did this by filming in all different directions and angles so we could make sure we had enough filming to play around with when it came down to editing. Once they started to walk into the bunker we did it as if someone else was walking behind them. As they were walking into the bunker we filmed behind them filming them walking down the stairs over the shoulder of one of them. Once all of them were in the bunker we just had them mucking around as if they were really down there with their friends. We also filmed some of the pictures that were drawn on the walls to get a sense that it was abandoned and no one cares about the presentation of it anymore as it is unused. Filming them panicking and running up the stairs was easier because we needed the atomosphere of panic therefore we didn't need it to be perfectly filmed. Just like filming them walking towards the bunker we also had to film them running away from the bunker this was a similar process to filming them walking towards the bunker as we needed to get a lot of different angles and shots so we could make sure we had got everything we needed to film so when it came to editing we didn't have to film again or we didn't have enough to work with.
What we did on the second day of filming-
At a separate location we filmed the second half of the opening two minutes on the 28th February. We started off by making sure that we had printed off the photo that we needed to use whilst filming and then with telling the person who was going to be in it what to wear so he was ready to start filming as soon as we got to the location. We then figured out how we were going to make him look older than he was in the first location. We decided the best way to do this was by making him look as if he had a beard. We then discussed how we would make this happen. We then decided that using different types of makeup is the best way to make it look realistic. We then got a picture up of how we wanted it to look and started to create it. After we got the beard looking realistic we then started to film him walking towards the door to the living room. We did this by filming him from behind then filming him from the front this meant that we could get the continuity that we needed to make it flow and not jump. We then filmed his hand on the door to show that he was opening the door and after we filmed that we filmed him from the other side of the door walking through the door and as he walked towards the photo frame. We then filmed him from behind walking towards the photo frame which meant that we got the shots and angles we needed to make sure we had a range to work with. To make it look like he was walking we filmed him walking from over his shoulder as well as this then showed the audience what he was walking towards. To film the photo frame we filmed different angles and shots to show the photo in different ways. We first showed it from over his shoulder to show that he was looking at the photo which kept the continuity and then just with his hand holding it and then zooming into it. However this was hard to film because we could see the reflection of the camera in the photo frame therefore we had to film it multiple times to make sure that we got the best shot we could. The last thing we shot in this location was when there was something behind him we used a 180 degree panning shot to show him turning around which was effective because it looked as if it was him we did this because when the audience is watching this it looks as if they are him or there which creates the conventional atmosphere that is linked with thriller films such as suspense.
Extra filming we had to do after we edited the opening to minutes-
Whilst editing we realised that there was a jump between the title page and the next setting therefore we decided to add in an establishing shot of a street and a house to show where the setting was this meant that there was a break of sound which meant that there wasn't a clear cut between each setting which helped the continuity. Another part that we had to film after we did the editing was the face that appears down in the bunker. We decided to add this in as it wasn't clear what was happening down in the bunker so adding this in made it clear what was going on and why there was a panic.
To help us film the parts we need on time we have created a production time table to which will help us know where we are filming on what day, when we are filming, what props we need, what casts we need and costumes they will be wearing and the production schedule will help us know what we are filming in each scene.
Above is our story board on how the opening two minutes is going to be set put. Our story board includes how long each shot is, what the shot is, what sound is going to be in the shot and what the story line is about for each shot.
In our opening of the thriller we have decided to film in an abandoned bunker in Hartlip. We have decided to film there as it is an unknown and not a typical setting. This means that the atmosphere of the film will be mysterious. The fact that it is abandoned gives the feeling that it anything can happen. Also where it is placed is in the middle of nowhere therefore the audience will be drawn in to see what the bunker has to do with the rest of the film due to it being not a typical setting. As the bunker is in Hartlip it is easy to access which is one of the reasons the why we chose to film there. This is because myself and Beth don't live to far from the setting and therefore we are able to go to the bunker quite easily. Also this means that the bunker is close to my house which is the other place we are filming a bit of our opening thriller. This is because filming can be done due to the location of the bunker is close. Another reason why we chose to film in my house is because it is plain and quite basic therefore it looks like the time of year we are setting the film in.
Costume
The costumes that we have chosen to be in the opening of our thriller are quite similar.
We have decided to have all three boys in jumper, jeans and some trainers as the time of year we have set our flash back in has these types of clothes in. Also we have chosen this type of costume for the boys because it is winter and therefore they need to be dressed for winter as the setting will be icy and it wouldn't look right if the boys were dressed for summer.
For the girl we have decided for her to wear a skirt, denim jacket, plain top and ballet pumps this is because it is a bit of a simple outfit and therefore fits into the time of year we are doing the flash back too.
Cast
The cast for our opening two minutes is consisted of three boys and one girl. This is because boys are typically stronger and braver than girls and therefore shows the boys being boisterous. Also the reason why we have chosen one girl is because they are typically seen as weaker and have less power over things and this is betrayed in the opening two minutes.
The names of the cast are;
Ayo
Charlotte
Scott
Kyan
Props
For our opening thriller there isn't a lot of props that we need. One prop that we need is a nokia with a flash light this is because these are the types of phones that were in the time of the flash back and therefore we need to use this to make the time of year that we want to film in believable. We need a flash light on it because when they go in the bunker you can't see anything therefore the cast need a flash light to be able to see. We also need a photo frame with a photo of our characters in it. The way we will do this is when we first the first bit we will take a picture of all four of them and print it off. To help us with high angles we are going to use a selfie stick so we are able to get the shots high enough. Lastly we need something to make loud noises so that we can add them into our opening two minutes.
To decide what type of production company we would use for our film, we decided to research three different companies and chose the best two to represent our film. The three I researched were Hammer, Warner Brothers and Big Talk.
Here is the information I found out about each of the production companies.
Big Talk BigTalk is a British production company that was found in 1995 by Nira Park. This production has released films such as 'Hot Fuss' and 'Shaun of the Dead' which are comedy/thriller based genre films. This tells us that this production company is good for our film as it has elements of the thriller genre within it however it also has comedy which
may suggest to us that it isn't a good choice of production company due to having comedy genre throughout their films. Taking this into account this production company is classed as a hybrid genre of thriller and comedy. Therefore this could be a potential production company for our film. However looking further into the website it states that 'Comedy is, and always has been, the beating heart of Big Talk' therefore this makes it clear to us that this production company is the best for our film as it is based around comedy and that is not the genre of our film. http://www.bigtalkproductions.com/
Hammer Hammer is a independent film production company and was found in 1934. The most popular genre that Hammer produces is the thriller genre however it is known for producing film genres such as science-fiction, thriller and comedies. The most recent film that the production company has helped to produce is 'The women in black, black angle of death' which was a follow on from 'The women in black' this film got titled the biggest indie horror film which also made of $130m worldwide therefore this is a good production company for our film as our film follows a similar story line to 'The women in black' as there is some sort of gosht in both our film and 'The women in black'. Also the most popular films that Hammer has helped to produce is 'Dracula' and 'The Mummy'. Due to Hammer working with Warner Brothers which is one of The Big Three in previous films it has a big target
audience which knows the production company and their logo therefore it will bring a large target audience to our film. Using Warner Brothers alongside Hammer means that it will take it overseas and therefore will make our film go viral over the world. This tells us that Hammer has got the right target audience for our film this is proven by their upcoming film in development 'Shomer' which follows the thriller genre.
Warner Brothers
Warner Brothers is a American production company found in California in 1923. Warner Brothers is known for being one of The Big Three and is a large production company. This means that Warner Brothers has a lot of fans and therefore makes our target audience wider due to the fans recognising the Warner Brothers logo. Warner Brothers specialises in video games and television which means they have a wide range of genres therefore this is another reason for having a mass target audience. The length of the Warner Brothers production company means that everyone is familiar with the Warner Brothers production market and ident as it is recognisable worldwide. The fact that this production company is from America it means that it will take our film over the world due to America being so big therefore will make our film well known over the world. http://www.warnerbros.com
After researching these three production companies, we decided to use Hammer and Warner Brothers as they are a good combination for our film. We decided to use these production companies due to their mass target audience and having some of the most worldwide thriller films being produced or have produced. Therefore taking this into account we thought that this collaboration would be the best for our film as Hammer is well known and has a mass target audience and Warner Brothers has a mass target audience worldwide and therefore can take our film overseas.
We did a questionnaire to find out what peoples' preferences were when it came to thrillers and films. We did the questionnaire on survey monkey and sent it out to 10 people. When the results came back we looked at them and analysed the questions.
This question was to find out what kind of thriller different people liked to watch and why. This helped us because we can use the strengths of these films that the people told us were the reasons why they watch the film they said. The results showed a wide range of thriller films for different reasons. One main thing that came up was about the story line and how it creates suspense for the viewer. This could be a strength that we use for our opening thriller because from this is the most common reason the people we sent our survey too said that they watch thrillers.
In this question we wanted to see how many females answered our survey and how many males. This helped us see what the difference between each of our results would be and who we would target for our opening two minutes. The results came back as 60% female and 40% male as you can see from the picture to the left. This meant that more females answered our survey which meant that most the results were by females.
In the next question we asked what kind of hero they would expect to see in a thriller. All of the results that came back said that they expected the hero to be a male. This is clear because they all mentioned that that is what they expected. This will help us with trying to figure out what kind of hero we want in our opening two minutes because they have all agreed on one answer.
The next question we asked was how old each of the people were that were responding to our questionnaire. This was so it could help us figure out what type of target audience we were looking for. This would help us because by looking at their age and what types of thrillers they liked we can figure out who and what age our thriller will be aimed at.
In this question we asked how many people they thought would be in a thriller. From the results we found that that a typical thriller convention is to have a good storyline which has characters in that have a bad past therefore from these results we would have to use the storyline to create suspense for our audience.
In this next question we asked what they expect the antagonist to be like. Looking at the results it told us that the audience would expect the antagonist to be a girl or a gosht therefore to make our thriller follow the typical conventions of a thriller we will use this guideline to decide how we wanted to present our antagonist to attract the right audience.
We asked how often they watch thrillers and how often they buy thrillers. From asking this questions we found out that only four people watch a thriller every fortnight and only four people buy a thriller every month and then another four people buy a thriller every other month.
The next question we asked was how they think we could build suspense throughout the film. Out of the ten people we asked seven people said that it was the soundtrack that created suspense throughout the thriller and the other three people said it was the silence. Therefore we decided to concentrate on using music and sound effects to create suspense for the audience.
Taking all of this into account we decided that our target audience would be male and older the 15 therefore meaning late teens and early adulthood. This is because this was the majority of the results and we thought as a group this would be best for our thinner opening. Also we are going to use the results of the other questions to help attract our target audience. For example using sound to create suspense.
I am going to be working in a group of three which is going be with Beth and Ayo, here is our ideas that we thought about for our opening two minutes of a thriller.
Above is mine, Beth's and Ayo's prelim video that we filmed and edited.
To start this we discussed some ideas that we thought would be good for a short video. We had to make sure it wasn't to complicated however showed some techniques. we then decided on a clip idea which was of Ayo stealing food from the diner. We chose Ayo over myself or Beth because stereotypically men are more like to steal or commit a crime more than women are.
We started this by filming Ayo walking into the building by using 'match on action' shot this meant that we had to film Ayo walking up to the door, then pause, go the other side of the door with the camera and then video him walking through that side. Whilst doing this figuring out where the camera had to be wasn't overly difficult however we had to make sure that it continuous. We also decided to use a shot reverse shot and panelling shot to show the discussion between myself and Ayo. After we had filmed the other shots such as the 180 degree rule of the food showing what Ayo was thinking about stealing. Which then led onto another match on action shot which showed Ayo running away. Once we had finished filming these shots we then uploaded it to IMovie to begin to edit it.
In IMovie we was able to edit our mini film to make it better. We started this by dragging each clip that we filmed down the bottom and put them in order, we did this by dragging them left and right and clipping bits out of it that we didn't want in there. After we did all this and all the clips were in the right order
we played it through and realised that whilst we were
listening that we could hear a lot of background noise therefore we decided to
cut out all the noise until we got to the conversation and put in background
music which could fit into the clip. The music we chose was called ‘Fuck the
Police’ we chose this because we thought that it fitted into the storyline as
it was about what is right and which is wrong. We edited it so that it sounded
like the music was coming out of Ayo’s ear phones and when he took them out the
music drained out. In the beginning we added the sound in then realised that we
had to mute the background noise so that it was clearer. After editing clips I saw
that the 180 degree rule wasn’t used to its full effect therefore when I do my
opening of a thriller I will make sure that I use it to create the right effect.
When Ayo is running away we decided to add the music back in as it foreshadows
that he is breaking the law and is a symbol of his character. After editing the
video we put in a title page. We did this by adding in a black background and
choosing a font that we thought was suitable for this clip. We then decided on
the title of ‘What’s Yours is Mine’ this foreshadows the clip as he believes
that if other people can have something so should he which shows a twist on
what is right and wrong.
I looked at two different peoples opening of thrillers to see what things I could criticise about it so that when it came to doing my thriller opening I can make sure I didn't do what they had done. One of these was State of mind and the other was Blanc.
State of mind
In the opening of State of mind used lighting at the beginning that meant you cant really see what was happening in the scene. This meant that I need to think about what kind of lighting I am going to use for my opening to make sure that the audience is able to see. Another thing that this group didn't think about but I will try to is about the Mise en scene and where it is set. This was because the filmed the boy getting out of bed and opening the certain which were pink and floral therefore this wouldn't be a typical room of a teenage boy which means that they didn't really think about where they were filming it as they might of just filmed in the first room they went into. Also when I do my filming I will have to think about how the Mise en scene links into the scene and the characters. another thing they made a mistake on with the Mise en scene is that the boy walks to the door without a coat on but then when he walks out of the door the other side he has a coat on. This means that they didn't think about showing him getting his coat on as it is a normal thing to do. This helps me because I will make sure that the continuity is good and that I don't miss out anything. Another mistake that this group made which they didn't realise is that the genre is a thriller and when the boy reversed up his drive and then turned around it was slow which caused it to be dull and boring. This meant that they didn't think to have the car already turned around to make this scene go a bit faster as it hasn't got a massive impact on the actual opening. Whilst I am doing my opening I will keep in mind that it is a thriller and therefore I need to make sure that I don't lose the audiences interest. Within Mise en scene the group didn't think about costume which link into the group not following the conventions of a thriller. This is because the costume of the stalker wasn't scary therefore didn't cause any effect on the audience. Therefore this means that I will use this to make sure that in the opening of the thriller I will choose a different type of costume for the character that the audience should be scared about. The titles that are shown when the boy is walking down the street are hard to see which indicates to me that I will need to play around with where I can place the titles and what colour to have them in so that the audience is able to see. also I learnt that having the titles at the end made this groups work look like a trailer therefore I will think more into where else is good to put the titles.
However in this opening there was good parts as well that I am able to use in my opening of a thriller. these were the continuity and the sound. the continuity was good because they didn't cut from one scene to another and it flowed from shot to shot throughout the clip. the sound in this groups opening was good because it created the atmosphere that is connect to the genre of thrillers. the group did this by having slow music which was opera like. this created depressive around which makes a contrast therefore it became thrilling. another thing the group did with the music was that it was slow music until it got to the man that was stalking the boy and then it picked up. I will use these things that I have picked up on in my own thriller as it helps create a certain atmosphere and keeps the audiences attention.
Blanc
Where this group had placed the titles on the first shot was good however you couldn't see them as the colour and font was a bit blurry and wasn't clear. This meant that it is hard for the audience to know what they were meant to be looking at. Another thing about the titles is that they dragged out a bit to long because they did this it seems like they needed something to make it to the time they needed for the opening. From this I will take that not to fill gaps with things that will bore the audience. This group also over used slow motion which is an editing technique. This meant that most of the opening clip was full of slow motion. This meant that because they over used slow motion it loss the effect. Another part of the Mise en scene that isn't effective is the lighting. This is because it is to light to be the first thing in the morning as it shows the boy just getting out of bed. This means that in mine I need to make the light suitable to the time of day I want it to be set in. I can do this by using editing to make the lighting either darker or lighter. The sound that is in this opening is music which doesn't fit in and it changes throughout the opening scene. This has helped me because I will look more than just one bit of music if I am going to use music to make sure that it fits into the scene correctly. Lastly the man who is the stalker has a crow bar in his hand which is swinging however when it cuts back to him its up his sleeve. This is effective however showing it swinging before and then not showing how it got up the man's sleeve doesn't use continuity well. This means that with my opening I will need to make sure I pay attention to the little parts as well as the big parts to make sure that it is shown well to the audience that this is a thriller.
Something good that this group did was that a part of mise en scene. This was the costume of the stalker. This comes across as scary as it creates a sense of mystery. Which makes the audience intrigued to carry on watching due to not know what the mask has to do with the stalker or the film. A camera shot which is good in this opening two minutes is the first shot this is because it is effective and doesn't give to much information about the film therefore makes the audience want to watch it more.
