Feedback

In order to see what my possible audience feel about my thriller I asked several people their opinions. In addition to this our whole media class watched each others thrillers and told us their opinions on it.

Ellis Baker: I really enjoyed it, I thought the use of colours in the dream sequence was effective in showing her on drugs. Also, the fast cuts at the end showed a good portrayal of the lead character's life.

Lewis Bayley : I thought the long tracking shot at the beginning was effectively done. Also, the incorporation of a large variety of shots was good. The acting throughout was very believable, and I feel that it was a successful film.

Olivia Haggar: I feel that the choice of music, although unusual for a thriller, was effectively chosen and matched what was on screen.

James Perry: This is a really good piece of work for AS, really good use of the effects of I-Movie.

In our class review, I was nervous as I didn't really know how people would react to the film or if they would understand what I was trying to portray. I can happily say that it got a very positive response. People were impressed with the use of props. Lots of people stated that their favourite part was the bit in the garden and it effectively showed that she was high on drugs. The only criticsim that was giving was about the width of a "cocaine" line, but the actual film and editing had a good response. I am very pleased that the hard work paid off.

Obviously, there are areas that could be improved such as the vertigo shot, but as a first attempt at a real film I feel that it was a success.

Evaluation

In what ways does your media product, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

My thriller does conform to some of the conventions found in thrillers. It is set in accessible locations, which is usually the case in thrillers. The characters involved in my thriller are average high school students. There is nothing bizarre or unusual about their characters - they are just everyday people as in the case of most thrillers. Also, I carefully selected the actors to play the roles. I feel that they convincingly played their roles to the best of their ability to portray the characters they were meant to convey, which can be an issue when producing a film without professional actors.

It does challenge several features of traditional thrillers. This is because of the type of thriller I have aimed to produce (a cult teen thriller). Usually in thrillers, the music is used to create suspense throughout the entire film. I have used music to develop the character and to an extent to narrate what is happening on the screen for the opening scene. Also, I have used music with lyrics, which is usunusual but I wanted the lead character to be seen as though she was listening to the music herself (diagetic music). It is only when I reach the dream sequence that music is used to create suspense. Instead of building up to something happening. I have used the opening to disorientate the audience as what is going on. This is not a usual feature of thrillers.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Our film has a clear representation of youth. In our thriller, the youth are represented in a very negative light, only being as involved in drugs, alcohol, smoking and they are somehow linked to the murder. Some of these activities such as drinking, are often associated with the youth of today, so my thriller has conformed to the stereotypical representation of youth. However, it has been taken to the extreme.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

I feel that some media institutions may distribute my product - the most obvious being the film industry. Trailers and possibly a premiere would be developed and organized for the film to promote the product effectively. Obviously the trailer is pivotal in the success of a film. A trailer has a limited amount of time to reach out to its target market, therefore the clip must be of high quality and be able to entice the audience to want to view the entire film. Film premieres allow the film to be publicized around the globe, not only giving actors publicity but also the film company itself. Due to technological convergence, the internet can also play an important role in the distribution of the product, allowing people to view the trailers online either by their own choice of viewing or being forced upon them through pop-ups on popular sites such as Facebook. Also, some companies promote their film through podcasts, where they interview actors, directors and people who have already seen the film. These are made accessible via the internet. An example of this is "Sunshine", where Danny Boyle (the Director) did a five minute interview, which was accessible for people to watch online.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

Our film is aimed towards ages 15 and above, and possibly no older than 30 as some of the content maybe frowned upon by older generations. The reason I feel that our thriller would be aimed towards people over the age of 15 is because of the reference to drugs and alcohol, which would be persistent throughout the film. Due to this content I would classify the film as a 15.

How did you attract/address your audience?

I attracted my audience through the content of the film. My target audience often are attracted to risky behaviour so to have a film that revolves around all these types of behaviour and showing these activities would interest the targeted audience. Also, the choice of music appeals to the target audience involved.

The fact that the thriller is based around drugs and alcohol mainly, would appeal to the possible audience ( as named above) as they are more likely to be able to identify with the issues covered and probably more curious about them.

If the film were to be released I would try and attract them through the usual ways such as trailers, interviews, podcasts, premieres and reviews in magazines and newspapers.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of construction this product?

I have learned how to do a Vertigo shot/Dolly Shot, which was a tricky and took a good 15 minutes of filming as at the the same time as moving the camera out, you have to zoom in on the main focal point. This distorts the background but keeps the main focus(Beth) at the same point in the screen. Also, I learned how to edit and create different effects like slow motion through the use of I Movie.

I learned how to cut the music up into segments and how to integrate the actions to match what is happening on screen and the importance of this to emphasize what is occurring on screen.

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

Since my preliminary task, I have learnt various things not only in the production and development, but the importance of team work and co-operation. In the editing of our prelimanary task some of our shots were left and held for too long. This was not the case in our thriller. In order, to keep the audience interested I ensured that shots were not held in one spot for longer than 3 seconds so it did not drag on. In the editing I learnt how to add various effects like the change in contrast and how to insert titles. Also, I managed to incorporate a variety of shots, which were not included in the preliminary like the vertigo shot (which was especially difficult).

Another way I feel I've progressed is through overcoming difficulties and adapting the original plan. An example of this was the locations. Due to the locations for the dream sequence being quite difficult to get to, especially with all the film equipent and props, we changed the location to my back garden. This actually enabled us to incorporate the trampoline, which I feel is effective in the dream sequence.

Addcited -Thriller

Costume and Make Up Ideas

For Beth's costume, we decided to have very neutral colours and feminie dress. This is trying to convey an innocent character, who would not be a usual suspect for murder. Also, on first glance, she would not be stereotypically classed as a drug addict. Beth's make up is normal for any average teenager.

Robin's costume is typical of the indie teenager. His clothes make his character stand out even from a distance. His hair especially makes him stand out as an "out there" character. His clothes and hair, would lead the audience to believe that he is into drugs and alcohol, which many teenagers are associated with.

On the first appearance of my character, I am also dressed in clothes similar to Beth. This is because my character is meant to be Beth's alter ego, the similar clothes would give a hint to the audience that our characters are connected in some way.

In my second appearance in the credits I am a representation of a teenage girl going on a night out. I am dressed in a black short skirt, black tights, a black boobtube and black high heels. Also, the darkness of my outfit shows the darkness of my character. My make up is being done on screen, to show the amount of care and effort that teenagers put into their appearance.

In my final appearance, my character is seen in a state, showing the contrast between what she looked like earlier. Also, it shows the out of control side of Beth's character and the addictions she is involved in.

British Board of Film Classification

The British Board of Film Classification is an independent, non-government body, which has been classifying films since 1912 and videos since 1984. There are 7 categories: U, PG, 12A, 12, 15, 18 and R18.

U- Universal is suitable for all ages over the age of four. U films should have a positive moral framework and with any mild violence there should be reassuring counterbalances quickly after. There should be no reference to drugs, discrimination, weapon glorification or dangerous behaviour. Also, only mild references to sexual activities (kissing) and very little bad language. Since children are easily influenced these films should make it clear what is right and wrong, and to try and discourage unwanted behaviours. Recent examples of this classification are High School Musical and The Hannah Montana Movie.

PG- Parental Guidance is suitable for any age, however, it alerts the parents that there may be some disturbing scenes which are unsuitable for younger audiences. The advised age is around 8 as they could cause upset towards the viewer. The film must have no reference to drugs, discrimination, weapon glorification or dangerous behaviour, similar to U films. They are allowed mild swearing only, discrete mentions of sex and can have more adult themes such as crime, as long as they aren’t seen as a positive. One example is Night at the museum.

12A and 12- Both of these have to comply to the same criteria except 12A is only used for cinema. For films that are 12A, an adult must accompany children if they are under the age of 12. There may be some mild passing reference to drugs and dangerous behaviours. Moderate nudity, sexual activities (as long as its not above what the average 12 year old would know), use of language and violence are acceptable. Mature themes may be approached as long as they are done so in a form acceptable to young teenagers. An example of this is Planet of the Apes.

15- Suitable for anyone over the age of 15. Reference to drugs and weapons are allowed, as long as not to glorify them. Strong language is permitted, as is sexual activity. Any themes are allowed to be approached as long as they are in a manner acceptable for 15 year olds. Any type of horror is permitted except sadistic or sexualised. An example of a 15 is the Butterfly Effect.

18- Only suitable for adults. There is no specific guidelines as adults are allowed to watch whatever they please. Exceptions may include: if the material breaches the law, explicit images which are unjustifiable and something that may be a risk to society. Pulp Fiction is an example of an 18.

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R18- Only sold in sex shops to people over the ages of 18. They may not be sold over mail order and may only be shown in specially licensed cinemas. Certain things may not be allowed such as the encouragement of illegal sexual activities for example sex without consent, paedophilia and rape.

Plan For Filming

Day 1: Milford

Location: Milford Common

Props Needed: Bike, Over The Shoulder Bag, Headphones, Mobile Phone, Small Bag of Icing Sugar and a Bottle of Vodka.

Equipment Needed: Car (for tracking shot), Tripod, Dolly, Ply sheets (for Vertigo Shot) and Camera

Actors required: Beth Walton and Robin Mountford

Day 2: Dream Sequence and Death

Location: Hills of Dundee, Canal and the Woods

Props Needed: Knife, Phone and Red Food Dye

Equipment Needed: Camera, Dolly, Tripod, Ply Sheets for smooth Tracking shots

Actors Required: Beth Walton, Robin Mountford and Hannah Fyfe

Day 3: Credits

Location: Hannah’s House and Outside

Props Needed: Pint Glasses, Shot Glasses, A collection of alcohol, Icing Sugar, Credit Card, Make Up, House Keys, Cup Of Soup and a Cigarette

Equipment Needed: Camera and Tripod

Actors Required: Hannah Fyfe and Matt Marlow

Location Ideas

Synopsis for "Addicted"

The aim for the opening of this thriller is to disorientate the viewer and to introduce the main characters. In this the audience are introduced to a blonde girl in a rural setting played by Beth Walton, who is obviously involved in drugs (which is one of the main themes within the film), Robin, who is her friend is murdered, and Beth’s alter ego, Hannah Fyfe (this however remains unknown in the rest of the film). In the credits it shows the audience clips of drugs, alcohol and smoking; 3 things that are associated with today’s youth. The drugs and the alcohol are the main focus of the film.

In the rest of the film you see how the lead character has been introduced into the way of life and the psychological effects it has on her. At the end it turns out she has developed schizophrenia and has an alter ego, which kills Robin.

Music Ideas for Thriller

Music in thrillers is usually used to create suspense and tension, also it more often than not to give a indication of when something is going to happen. However, in my thriller I initially wanted to give indication to the characters life style and personality. Also, something that would tie into what was actually occurring on screen. Through this it leads the character into a false sense of security as the will not be expecting anything to happen. In addition to this, I would like it to seem to the audience that the main character is listening to the music as well.

Possible ideas are : Nine in the Afternoon: Panic!At the Disco

After Every Party I Die: IAMX

Time To Pretend: MGMT

In the second section, I'd like to use a change of music to indicate to the change in her state of mind. With this music this is when i want to try and build up tension, and start to indicate to my audience that something not right is going on. Also, this music will have to continue to the credits and also have an rave feel.

Possible ideas are: Born Slippy: Underworld

Insomnia: Faithless

Through the Loop: Pendulum

Storyboard for Opening Scene

The credits will be a series of close up shots all to do with alcohol and drugs, which are the main focus of the film.

In my film, I intentionally used the lack of speech to show her isolation and the only time you hear her speak is in desperation. This is to reinforce her confusion and thus reinforce the confusion of the audience.

Ideas For Thriller

Ideas For Thrillers

I wanted to incorporate some features in my media, which may not be typical to the thriller genre but do show the audience the emotions and feelings of the characters, most of which, I collected features from various other films, even if they have not been classed in the genre of thriller I still liked several techniques in the films.

One of the ideas I enjoyed was the representation of the feeling of being drugged up in Baz Lurhmann’s “Romeo and Juliet”. In this he shows the obvious acting of it but incorporates the characters feeling of disorientation and confusion through a series of changing locations and the music accentuates his confusion, through having several music tracks mashed up together. This is something I hope to incorporate in my opening to a thriller. The rapid change in locations whilst the lead character is on drugs, also I feel that music can establish a mood so instead of using it to confuse the viewer I want to it to set the tone for later events. Another aspect I think works for the representation of drug use is the bright colours and changing the saturation rates in the drug sequence to make the colours vivid.

One other method used in a variety of films is the Vertigo shot. It originally was used in Alfred Hitchcock’s film “Vertigo” to portray dizziness. It involves pulling the camera out as you zoom in on the main focus of the screen; causing the background to distort but the main focus to stay the same. I feel that trying to incorporate this shot will successfully show the feeling of the character after taking the drugs. However, it is rather difficult to establish and get to a good standard, so I don’t know whether it will be possible or not.

For the idea of titles and when the credits have appeared since the main focus of the film centres around drugs, I may incorporate something similar as to seen in cult teen drama “Skins”, of a series of close ups on alcohol and drugs for the actual opening credits.

Finally, I liked the idea used in many thrillers to have the ending at the beginning. Not only does this allow something to actually happen in the opening but creates a sense of confusion.

This gives several examples from films of vertigo shots and there different uses.

Overall, I want to begin to establish the main character, her situation and the life that she has chosen to indulge in.

Textual Analasis of Fight Club

Fight Club Opening

In the entire opening credits of Fight Club, special effects have been used. Computer imaging has also been used to generate a constant pull away shot to run through what appears to be the synapses to someone’s brain. This has relevant to the rest of the film where it turns out the lead character(the narrator) is a schizophrenic. Also, the music in the opening credits is fast pace technological rock, adding to the sense of panic. As the credits come to an end, a series of extreme close up of hair follicles, sweat and a metallic object (a gun) is used to establish the scene. In addition to this the music fades away and instead the music is replaced by what the narrator is thinking. The narrator, who has a gun in his mouth, and the rest of the opening scene is told through the narrators thoughts as another character (Tyler Durten) harasses him.

The first shot the audience is able to properly see in focus is a close-up of the narrator; this directly shows the terror in his eyes and detail such as the sweat dripping off his head. Also, it enables the audience to see that the bottom half of his face is obscured by a gun. Due to this, it automatically drags the audience in as they begin to question what is going on. The next shot seen is an establishing shot, which shows the audience exactly what’s going on but still they disorientated, as there is no sustained plot at this point. Several point of view shots are used from Tyler’s point of view. A high angle shot is used to show Tyler's dominance over the narrator. As the camera moves out it reveals a dark, bare room, which is generally stereotypical of a thriller. The lack of bright colours and ominous surroundings creates an air of darkness that the opening scene creates. Throughout the entire scene, the audience is unable to completely identify Tyler. This use of mid-shots creates an air of mystery about Tyler and his character, so it enables the audience to question who is Tyler Durten, which is the opening line to the film. The final shot with the characters in site is effective. It is a medium low angle shot of Tyler’s torso but in the reflection of the glass the audience can see what he is looking out over. The rest of the shots are fast moving shots creating imagery in time to with the narrator is saying.

Unfortunately, I am unable to upload a video on to the blog since it has been taken off youtube due to copyright issues.

Conventions of Thrillers

Relatively Normal Settings

In thrillers, the setting is never somewhere completely out of the ordinary like a mystical island. The setting is normally in a place, which is accessible to the audience adding a sense of realism to the film, making the film more connected to its viewers. Examples of settings are cities, small towns or holiday locations. In numerous thrillers, the film is set in the suburban areas of America, which is similar to where the majority of the target audience live so they can identify easily with the film. For example, in the film Donnie Darko, the entire film is based in a small town in America. Rather than having the lead character going looking for adventure, instead the events and happenings are situated within the small town.

Relatively Normal Characters

Another stereotypical aspect of Thrillers is the type of characters found in them. Usually, they are middle class people; more often than not have some connection with the law. Either they are involved in crime solving, such as in Se7en where Morgan Freeman plays the part of a detective, or have some kind of run in with the law, like in The Usual Suspects. Characters are seen as relatively normal people in relation to other films. This is again to achieve a sense of realism.

However, characters often have a suspicious complex giving them some kind of unknown. This is usually kept unknown throughout the majority of the film. In Se7en, Morgan Freeman is kept distant from the audience, which raises suspicion with the audience, thus creating tension and suspense.

Twists

In thrillers the plots always consist of some kind of deception, be it through a Mcguffin, or deception of character. Psycho shows both of these conventions through the use of the money to motivate the plot and the character of Norman Bates turning out to be a schizophrenic. Due to the plot always having twists it keeps the audience focused and on edge. Also, it keeps the audience questioning what’s going on, often disorientating the viewer through the misleading hints throughout the film.

Music

Throughout every genre of film music is used to establish the tonality of films, thrillers are no different. Thrillers’ music often focuses around a singular melodic idea, which is either repeated for an indicator of suspense or developed into a full piece of music. They are often very simplistic melodies with clashing dischordal harmonies. These melodies are often what directors rely on to create the suspense rather that what’s going on in the film. A famous example of this is Psycho - throughout the entire film, the music is based around the sharp violins that go in time with the stabbing motion.

Suspense

This is vital in any thriller, whether it be a crime-thriller or a psychological thriller; there is always an air of suspense. Through keeping the audience on edge, the audience remain engrossed in the film. This suspense is often created through the various methods above. One film that is exceptionally successful at keeping suspense throughout the entire film is Funny Games. Throughout this entire film it managed to keep me on edge this was achieved through the named methods above as well as the lack of music. Usually the music allows the audience to predict whether or not something is going to happen. Since the director takes this key element away, it means the audience can no longer rely on the music to indicate when something significant is going to happen.

Lack of resolution

Another aspect that directors have recently adopted for thrillers is leave the film open ended, suggesting a hint that whatever is classed as the “villain” is still out there. Through keeping ideas unfinished, it makes the audience question whether or not they are still out there. The Usual Suspects does this magnificently, not only does it suggest that someone is still out there but also leaves the audience questioning whether the entire film is a lie made up by the lead character, who is the villain.

Continuity Piece

In our continuity piece we tried to explore a variety of shots, most of which included straight angle shots but we did manage to incorporate some low angle shots as well. Although it is relatively short, it does incorporate all the necessary components required for the exam board. An improvement which could be made is to edit out the overlap of voices. However, if we did this, there would be a sudden jump, thus meaning it would lack continuity. Despite this and the smile at the end, which did not reflect the mood we were trying to establish I feel for a first attempt it was a success.

If the video doesn't work above here is the link : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtGu7UuPNvQ