Final Thriller

Evaluation draft deadline mon 22nd 9am, final deadline mon 29th 9am

Thriller Film Opening Sequence Evaluation - 1500-2000 words
PowerPoint uploaded to moodle

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge conventions of real media products?
What conventions of professional products have you used in your own film? (narrative conventions, character conventions, genre, camerawork, sound, editing, special effects, mise-en-scene? Use screen grabs of your own sequence to illustrate each example where you have followed conventions or gone against (challenged) conventions. Also use images from the films that have influenced you where relevant.

2. How does your media product represent particular social groups? (gender, age, ethnicity etc.)
Compare a character in your sequence to a character in a professional film (use images). If you have included a villain/victim character, does the character follow conventions of characters in professional films. For example, is your villain male? Is your victim female? Therefore how are you representing gender?

3. What kind of media institution would distribute your media product?

Discuss similar professional films and their production companies (use images of the films and logos). Which production Company do you think would distribute your film? (if it was professional and if you had made the full film).

4. Who would be the audience for your media product? (BBFC and target audience) Use images from a similar product with a similar target audience. Remember that target audience is not the same as classification.

5. How did you attract/address your audience?

Refer to Significant moments in your sequence where you have tried to generate a response from the spectator (a close up to encourage identification with a character, music that encourages the spectator to feel suspense, tense, visceral reaction etc.) What techniques have you used to encourage the spectator to want to see the rest of the film? (Clues about narrative, character, etc.) Use screen grabs of your own sequence.

6. What have you learnt about the technologies from the process of constructing your product?

(blog, camera equipment, editing software – Final Cut Express, istopmotion, Garageband etc.) Use screen grabs/photos of all these things. Be very specific about tools/effects/techniques learnt not just ‘I have learnt a lot about the software’

7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to your final product?
Discuss your second preliminary task that you did in a week before starting Thriller. Discuss what you have learnt since then about construction of micro elements in order to create meaning, how to use different techniques, practical skills etc. How have you built on your knowledge that you learnt from the prelim task? Use screen grabs of your prelim task and your sequence where relevant.

Response to feedback

we agree with all of the soundtrack comments and will work on it and take help from what was said. however we disagree with the mise-en-scene comment because they meant it about the costumes and we wanted the costumes to use imagery.
to respond to the comments we will create a sound track with tension building in all of the parts said.
it is important to get feed back from your target audience when producing a film because we need to know what we did right to appeal to the audience and what could be changed.

rough cut feedback

Group S2-49:

For the Text messages at the start we think you should just show the text itself without the typing bit, but we think that the texting is still very significant to the sequence.

We also think that your soundtrack should build tension from beginning to end and make use of your scream within this. We think that you should include some diegetic sound effects for the hitting of the baseball bat on the mans hand.

The last point we would like to make is that maybe your sequence shouldn't be as revealing to the storyline as it is, create more mystery.

Josh, Fil and Lydia

S2-50 Feedback:
Really good shots of the texting, but maybe add effects to the texting in the soundtrack to build up suspense. Texting could be just the shots of the texts themselves instead of the writing of the texts.
Soundtrack needs to be apprehensive and build up a lot of tension, for the meeting of the two characters.

S2-51 feedback:
Narrative is clear and shown well. The chase section between grace and sam lacks continuity and a bit of fluidity. With more editing and possible jump cuts the tension could be built. The sequence could benefit from more shots of grace prior to the meet up and a possible point of view from the murderer. Also, a soundtrack which builds up slowly to the chase section will make the opening more suspenseful. BIG POINT, when grace is jumping over the ditch, you can see sam in the corner of the shot standing still.

S2-52 feedback:

When cutting to scene of 'hotman22' the sounds has different volumes each scene and it hurts the ears. Scream was well done, and very effective, When hotgirl ran away she just ran in a circle which didn't make much sense. The spelling error made by hotguy which was corrected took away took away some of his menace.

S2-53 feedback:

sound needs sorting out, unrealistic chase sequence, scream sound needs sorting out, good use of editing, mise-en-scene doesn't work out that well, location was good , edit stream jump abit more u can still see sam, sam needs to play the part abit more. Yuu need 2 keep ur hand still when its on the floor

Rough Cut

We haven't made a soundtrack yet. We would like ideas for our soundtrack.

We would like feedback on:
If the text message bit is too long at the start?

organization.

we found that we were very organized when filming and getting the camera out because we were only filming in college so we had time to get all of the footage done. we found that most lessons we were filming to get different angles and shots to back up our footage.

we had to make sure that our actors were wearing the same clothing which we found difficult because we didn't know which lessons we would be filming.

once we finished our filming we had to work on editing which is very time consuming. our deadline is friday and it is monday. in this lesson we are editing, and now next lesson which is tomorrow we are going to do our sound track.

Costume

we have decided to have the male character dressed in a blue shark Jumper

this is because it is fierce and scary. also because we will not be showing his face we needed a eye catching item of clothing for his top half. it is from topman which is a regular, well known shop for teenage boys.

he will also be wearing jeans to look like a normal boy.

it is a dominating top because of the image on it and it will cause the audience to feel cautious of him.

the female character will be wearing an I heart L A top,

this is because it is a typical top for a teenage girl to be wearing. it will show that she is trying to impress the man when she meets him. it will make the audience relate to the girl because her clothing is casual.

Evaluation Questions

Evaluation Questions

These are the questions that must be answered in the Evaluation powerpoint.

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?
3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
4. Who would be the audience for your media product?
5. How did you attract/address your audience?
6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing the product?
7. Looking back to your preliminary task, what do you feel that you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

Target audience & certificate

Our film is going to be certificate 15 this is because there will not be any discrimination and also the sexual references will not be in detail, if there is any. There isnt any reference to drugs in our film, there is strong threat from the antagonist which contributes to why we have chosen to rate this a certificate 15. Also any imitable behaviour wont be shown in detail. The language will be strong but there will be no use of the strongest language (for example 'cunt') There may be some nudity in a sexual context but not in strong detail. There will be some sexual content however it won't be graphic. There will be violence in our film showing blood and images but no actual scenes of infliction.

Test Footage For Thriller

We filmed some test shots for our thriller. We didn't film in the location we are going to use in our thriller, but it is a Forest location.
When we film our real film opening we will not film the killers face otherwise it will give away the identity of him.

shot list

shot 1- establishing shot. a shot of the computer screen and keyboard. props- computer in computer room.

shot 2- medium shot. the girl from waist up sitting in a chair typing on the computer. props- computer in computer room. Actors- the girl.

shot 3- close up of the "antagonists" hands typing on the keyboard. you will also be able to see the screen as well.

shot 4- extreme close up of the computer screen with the words of the conversation.

shot 5- long shot of the bench that the girl will later meet the killer on.

shot 6- a long shot again of the girl and the bench.

shot 7- a long shot of the girl running away from the killer. it will also be a point of view shot from the killer.

shot 8- close up of the "antagonists" legs, seeing the "protagonist" running away. you will also be able to see his weapon (a baseball bat)

shot 9- medium shot of the girl in the forest, you can see the man in the distance.

shot 10- medium shot of the "antagonist" holding the baseball bat in a threatening way, also you will be able to see his top, which we have decided will have a shark on it to represent danger.

shot 11- the same as shot 9.

shot 12- same as shot 10.

shot 13- medium shot of girl fallen over in the mud with the antagonist in the background.

shot 14- same as shot 12.

shot 15- medium shot of the girl getting up off of the floor after she had fallen over.

shot 16- close up of the girls feet as she runs through the forest away from the "antagonist"

shot 17- extreme close up of the girls foot in the mud and the credits begin to appear.

shot 18- medium shot of the "protagonist" hiding behind the tree from the "antagonist". you can see the antagonist in the far background.

shot 19- medium shot of the girl hiding again but this time you cannot see the man in the distance.

shot 20- medium shot again of the girl peeping round the corner of the tree and you can see the mans feet behind a tree in the distance.

shot 21- again a medium shot but this time the killers hand is closer to her and on her shoulder grabbing her.

shot 22- another medium shot but the killers hands are round her as they grab her.

shot 23- close up of the killers hands around her mouth and the girl being pulled out of the screen by the killer and she disappears.

shot 24- a close up of the blood splattering across the tree.

fil and Josh

Planning for filming!

Costume

Girl

Dressed in t-shirt and skinny jeans because she is just an average girl who we want the audience to relate to and therefore wear things normal girls her age would wear.

Man

Dark clothes, jeans, jumper with a shark on, this

shows he has a dark character.

Props

we'll need a Computer/keyboard for the beginning with the instant messaging sequence,also we'll need Fake blood to put on the trees at the end which will have to be chocolate sauce/ketchup or just fake blood from a shop. Also were gonna need a baseball bat for the man to hold to scare the audience.

Lighting-effect and

equipment?

We'll be using natural light that there is on the day, if the weather is bad we may not film so we dont damage the equipment. There for we wont need lighting equipment.

makeup/hair

The girl will have her make up and hair as any girl her age would have it so that this helps the audience to relate to her.

list of equipment

Computer

camera

tripod

baseball bat

times and dates you want to film including a back up plan.

10th February onwards (lessons frees)

back up plan - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

locations (maps and photos suitability?)

Forest/field on long road

actors ( with images and suitability for character role)

Sam Wick/

Grace Mooney

Charlotte Baker

production roles - camera, actor, directors, producer, production co-ordinator etc. (provide definitions and assign roles to group members- suitability?)

Girl-Charlotte

Man- Sam/Grace

Olivia/Grace -Filming

test photos/ footage

analyses of thriller openings

Heat.

There is a slow establishing shot of the beginning. Sound effects of hospital environment were heightened, this makes it seem more intense and puts the viewer in the environment. Also the editing sped up when he entered the hospital.

No country for old men

No sound to begin with this makes it seem rural and isolated. The narrative is a police officer talking about quite personal things that have happened. There are simple establishing shots and different angles of the strangulation, it focuses on the faces and this builds tension. you can also hear the wind above anything in some shots which make the shots feel more rural and isolated also.

Carlitos way

This begins with a man being shot which is against the convention because this happens at the end. Also its filmed in black and white until he sees the 'paradise' poster which is in colour which emphasizes this is his dream.

Sin City

The Sin City music is very much like thriller music beacuse of the long bass and the diffrent sounds what make you feel intimadated.

Also the way the writing is in red gives the effect of blood. In our short film we are could to use red writing to give the effect of blood.

.

Today in media we pitched our idea for our thriller film opening.

People told us that we should not reveal where they are meeting as this could look unprofessional.

They also pointed out that we have not picked a location yet and should think about a good area to film in a forest. We thought about also adding some of the credits as typing up onto a screen. We were asked about sound and were thinking we could begin with the sound of typing but we dont think we will be using breathing like most sequences similar to this as this just sounds like a home made video and is not the feel that we are going for.

Everything else appears to be okay and we will go ahead with our filming.

BrainSTORM!!!!!!! part 2.

Micro elements for our thriller:

for the mise-en-scene in our thriller we are going to have to look carefully at costume. as stated before we are going to have to have one of our characters in lots of clothes to make them look masculine. the other person will just need to be in everyday clothes. we are going to use a baseball bat as the weapon for the killer to carry, we will also use a computer for the beginning of the sequence. we will need to use fake blood as well. we are going to film it in colour because we think it will give a better effect. the setting is the woods so there isn't really much we can change about that.
the lighting we use will be natural in the woods but when we are inside using the computers we may have to use lights.
we don't really need to look at make up because there wont be many (if any) shots of the characters faces.

for the camera work we will use lots of different shots. to start withe when we are in the room with the computers we will need to use the tripod, and will have close ups of the screen. then when it gets to the woods we will do hand held to help set the scene because it will be shaky to show what the characters are feeling. we may also use close ups of the victims face to show their expressions. we will also use long shots and pans of the characters running through the forest.

the editing will be quite simple because we will need it to have continuity and to be in chronological order. we will use lots of smooth cuts to get it to fit together well.

the sound is going to be important because we need it to set the scene. we will need to it set the mood for the rest of the film, for example in Jaws, we know that every time we hear the certain sound the shark is near. this is because it creates tension. there will be diegetic sound in our sequence because the characters will be breathing heavily when running, also there will be the sound of their footsteps on the leaves etc in the woods. we may also use non-diegetic sounds in it- like a theme tune.

we have decided not to use istop motion because after our children's film we realized it takes a long time to get it all together.
the only special effect we will be using is false blood and having the credits come up when a footprint is made in the mud.

BrainSTORM!!!!!!!

Macro elements of our thriller:
to start with only have us three girls in our group, so if we do the story line we want to do we will have to not show the face of one of the characters.
for the narrative we have decided to base it on Hard Candy where a girl and man meet on an internet chat room. will we use this as our title sequence, with the writing on the screen. then they will meet up and we'll have them running through the forest. we have decided to only have 2 characters because we have 3 in our group and need to be able to film. so because we're all girls we will have to have one of us wearing lots of clothes and masculine things to make them look more like a man.
the atmosphere will be dark and uncertain because of the fact that it is a thriller. when we are in the forest it will be darker than out in the open because the trees will hide the light which will hel to set the scene.

our ident

we didn't have time to do some of the things we wanted to do for example we wanted to add sound to the bear and we wanted to get the bear to move around then shrink to place.

Secret Window

This move follows the rules of thriller.
The movie is filmed in such a way you don't no who done what or what is coming next this is a good concept of thriller

Hard Candy

Hard Candy!

The start of this movie from 10 seconds to 18 seconds, when there is just the image of the screen. I would like to use something like this in our film. Such as an older person wants to meet a yonger person over the net. but neather of them no who the other person is.

I like the effect of this because of the way the story is set in writing.

review of previous students thriller

we watched a previous students video of a thriller opening and had to grade it using the marking criteria. we gave it a level 2 because it lacked atmosphere and they didn't follow conventions of a thriller because you could see the killers face. they didn't appear to consider mise-en-scene or camera work because they didn't use many different camera angles.

personal response

we have chosen to review Eden Lake for our personal response.

yea boy.

There was a sense of disgust throughout the film as this situation could occur to anyone. The way they torture the

man/couple is worse than you anticipate and shocks you. There is visceral reactions from the film as whats shown is not hidden from

the audience. You identify with the characters and this makes you have a stronger reaction. It creates a false sense of security because

at the beginning we feel we can identify with the teenagers, however once they begin to torture the couple we decide

against this.

when it gets to the tense part when the car comes onto the screen, the diegetic sounds of the car revving its engine makes us feel on edge.

Saul Bass Titles

Vertigo: As soon as the titles start to play, there is a image of and eye. This is also shown at the end of the opening titles. The eye turns red this could show that there will be blood in this movie. When the eye goes red then it seems like we are going into there mind.
The music follows the conventions of thriller. It starts off quite but then there is added brass music added in to make us jump

Capefear

cape fear is a thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese. it was released in 1992 on the 6th of March.

it starts with an establishing shot of the water which is calming and relaxed. the music at the beginning of the sequence is also calming and quiet and it also has diegetic sound of the water splashing against the bank to help reinforce the calming sense.

as the eagle soars across the screen the music builds and quickens. as the beat gets faster the eagle gets closer and then disappears. the music gets louder and quicker still and then has a loud beat as the title "capefear" is shown. the water gets darker as this happens and and eye appears on screen behind the water. the eye is flickering around the screen and as the music dies the eye disappears. then the music gets slower then fluctuates.

Subgenres

Genres commonly associated with film can be broken down into sub-genres. For example, films within the thriller genre can also be classed as a cross of two genres. For example:

- Supernatural thriller - eg Paranormal Activity
- Action thriller - eg The Fast And The Furious
- Romantic thriller - eg Fatal Attraction
- Crime thriller - eg Godfather
- Sci fi thriller - eg Star Trek

The genre of a film is not set in stone; films can be a hybrid of two or more genres. An example of this is Batman, a Action/Crime thriller.


Paranormal activity

Paranormal activity is a Supernatural thriller. The film contains many elements associated with a thriller, but also takes ideas from the supernatural genre, such as ghosts/spiritsthere are lots of little sub genres within the main genre of thriller. to start with there is the supernatural thriller where there is usually creatures that are not real involved. for an example of this sub genre there is paranormal activity. another sub genre is crime thriller which involves detectives, an example of a film which fits in this genre would be Seven. Sci Fi thriller would be Star trek. there is also drama thriller, action thriller and romantic thriller. the Sci Fi and action thrillers are now a lot easier to make because of the technology.

when it comes to deciding what we want to do for our thriller, we will have to take all of the sub genres into account and choose which one ours falls under.

Prelim task

Sound-

It starts silent and then the steady beat builds up to the main event. It creates tension because it represents a heartbeat.Then it stops and you hear a girl screams to show that she is scared. Then when it has a shot of the room you hear the music start again and the sound of liquid blasting out of somewhere. You hear a strange noise which creates a sense of superstition. Next a woman enters the room and screams to reinforce the horror.

Mise-en-scene-

Firstly he is on a bed and watching television, listening to music and wearing a football shirt which is a representation of the stereotypical teenage boy. the lighting is low because it is a small desk lamp- it shows that it is night time which helps set the scene because it is darker. also the fact that he is watching tele makes him unaware of what is going on.

then the creatures arms appear and pull the boy down through the bed. the blood then shoots through the bed which represents horror.

camera work

the camera work starts with zooming out to show that the boy is in his bed doing his activities. it then cuts to a mid shot of when the boy is pulled under.