Rough Cut-Miss Miller

Rough Cut-Miss Miller

 

The purpose of a rough cut is to gain visual feedback of how the sequence has done so far. The rough cut is the best way of getting feedback because it gains a lot of different opinions that can help the group as a way of making it better through peoples opinions on the rough cut.  The rough cut also only can be changed through the editing stage of the sequence.

From the rough cut presentation we got both positive and negative feedback and the use of feedback gives the group a chance to improve on problems that are in the rough cut for example from the feedback that we got we needed to improve a problem within a scene where a group member shouts 'go' that shouldn't be there we can assess this problem by having this feedback and from the feedback we received constructive criticism as we still need to improve the final sequence through the use of sound effects and an eerie sound track that can be used also the credits in the sequence need to be spaced out more so the audience can clearly identify who has done what in the sequence.

We also had some positive feedback through the use of our point of view shots that the audience thought had a unique impact on the thriller sequence and as a group we were impressed by the feedback that we got due to the fact that it can make our thriller sequence to a better standard through stamping out the problems that are in the sequence.

To summerise all feedback both positive and negative is useful to my group for example negative feedback helps us on areas that we need to improve on and positive feedback let's us know where we are doing well on the assignment. Feedback to the group is crucial because it helps on areas that need to be improved and that other areas that we may have not noticed can get improved as well.

 

Opening Scene Narration-Miss Miller

Opening Scene Narration-Miss Miller

The start of our groups thriller sequence starts off with the victim walking down the street and she cuts into a backstreet to speed up her journey. As she is walking through the back street she feels something or someone is behind her she begins to feel paranoid and she looks behind to see who or what is there at this moment of time. The use of a tense sound track will be used with a suspenseful sound effect because it is oftern conventional to the thriller genre when someone is isolated. The victim then leaves the back street but and again she behind to see the killer with a hammer in his hand this will have a dramatic or emotioinal effect on the audience as they will be shocked when they see someone with a hammer in thier hand. In addition it then goes to a POV shot in the victims point of view from this analysis you can tell the victim is extremely worried at this point. As the sequence continues  the victim tries to lose the killer and eventually turns into a forest/field as she enters the field you can hear the heavy breathing and the sound of the victims heart she notices the killer she then attempts to lose the killer by trying to run through the forest but then she falls over a wooden log she then begins to crawl over to the nearest tree and the sound of the soundtrack speeds up as they audience feels the anticipation that the killer is going to get caught. In addition the sequence continues and the killer is looking for the victim but is unable to find her but the victims phone starts to ring and the killer notices this providing the shock of the thriller sequence and showing the high angle at the point to show the victim. The ending of the sequence shows the killer grabbing the victim and the last you see of the sequence is the killers mobile phone ringing on the floor with the victim and the killer no where to be seen.

Overall the sequence will contain numerous codes and conventions that will make the thriller sequence better for example the iconography of the hammer will provide a shock for the audience as they do not expect a weapon like that also another element that will make the thriller sequence better is the uses of point of view shots especially from the victim view as this will give the audience a feeling of what it is like to be in her situation and what it is like to be to get chased. The sequence will be made more conventional by the use of a chase scene and the location of the thriller sequence that we've created.

Production Roles-MissMiller

Production Roles-MissMiller

Group-

Devon Thomas

Tom Tovey

Scott Arbuckle
Sophie Ledwith

The idea of production roles is to give people specific allocated roles to help ensure that the thriller sequence will run in the right manor. The main roles that are necessary for creating a film are producers,directors,actors,director of photography and the editor and these are essential within any film or scene that someone is creating. For example the producer will oversee everything that is going on in the sequence. Having specific roles within any film will make the filming and editing stage easier because everyone that is involved will have a clear overview of what they are doing.

The producer of our groups sequence is Devon. The producer is the person that overlooks everything in the sequence and this entails arranging the location that we are going to film in also they change certain parts of the sequence if they do not like different scenes in the film. We decided that Devon was going to be the producer as we thought she would be the best person at leading a group for example she decided the location of the thriller sequence and she got the other actor from outside our group to take part in the sequence and organizing the time that everyone will meet at.

The director in the sequence was also Devon. The director is the person that controls the making of the sequence and they have a guidance on how the actors act in the sequence. We as a group chose Devon to be the director as we thought  she would be best as checking the each individual clip to check if they were good enough or if we had to redo certain clips to make them better. 

The actors in our group was Tom who was the killer and Sophie who was the victim. Sophie was the victim as we feel it was best to have a stereotypical blonde victim which is conventional to the thriller genre also Tom was better suited to be the role of the killer because he is the tallest member of the group and the most confident and comfortable to be the killer from our group members.

Tom also had the vital role of the editor within the sequence and the role of an editor is to cut down clips and to put each and every clip into a specific order so the thriller sequence would make perfect sense and another responsibility of an editor is to add all the different sound effects that we are going to use for example heavy breathing will be added in at the editing stage as well as a heartbeat sound as the victim is running away from the killer and Tom was given the role of the editor as he knew how to edit from editing the preliminary task so he already had an idea of what was needed to be done.

I was given the role of the camera man and this was to film each and every scene in the sequence also the responsibility of the director of photography is to put the camera in the different positions that were appropriate to make the overall film to a better standard. I was also appointed the music producer with the influence of my other group members to establish what would make a good soundtrack that could be included within our the thriller sequence that was created.

We all as a group took the roles of MES coordinators and screenplay writers as we all had different ideas that can be included within our thriller sequence for example Devon had the idea of the victim getting followed into the forest and Tom had the idea of the dark clothing for the killer as well as myself had the idea for the hammer used as the item for the killer to chase the victim with. Also every group member had different ideas that were implemented into the sequence as a whole to make the film more efficient and to a higher quality.  

Risk Assessment-Miss Georgiou

Risk Assessment-Miss Georgiou

Why is it important to consider risks before filming?

It is crucial to consider risks before filming because it keeps people aware of what safety procedures to follow when filming. In addition it's important to keep the health of everyone in the group and most importantly the actors potential hazards could include the actors tripping over in the location of the forest so making sure the path is clear is inevitable to prevent this hazard from happening. 

How did the risk assessment assist the group?

The risk assessment helped the group through the process of filming as we made sure we cleared the path from all the leafs and twigs that were on the surface of the forest also it assisted us with trying to stop the hazards from happening. The risk assesment also helped the group in taking care of the camera for example whe filming we made a plan carefully film when the camera is on the tripod and to not walk around with the tripod when the camera is on it.

 

Filming Schedule-Miss Georgiou

Filming Schedule-Miss Georgiou

Why is it important to have a filming schedule?

I believe it is massively important to include a filming schedule as it helps to get everyone who is in the group organised to arrive on the specific meeting point on time also it's important to have one as everyone has a clear idea of when to film as a result the group members will not plan anything else to do on them specific days and ultimately the filming process should if followed correctly speed up the process of filming and having a schedule as it also makes filming easier as well as it makes sure group members will get to the meeting point on time resulting in a much more efficient film when following a schedule. 

Following Schedule/Changes that were made. 

Unfortunately we did not quite manage to follow the specific schedule that was made due to some difficulties upon filming. When first thought out as a group we only put two days aside to complete the task of filming but instead we needed five days. We followed the schedule for the first two days of filming but due to the incomplete film we then had to set another further three days to film this was because we decided to film in a better location to the location that we first filmed in. The first day of filming was successful in the new location but the second day when we were due to film in the forest it was unfortunately too dark to film so we done this scene on the fifth day of filming when the light was okay to film in.

Opening Credits-Miss Georgiou

Opening Credits-Miss Georgiou

The purpose of opening credits in any films is to give the audience the people who are in the films (the actors) and the director who has directed the film also normally the most famous actors will be the starting credits also opening credits can establish the genre of the specific film. The music added within the credit segment build up a considerable amount of suspense and experiences a contrast between good and evil. 

The opening credits in the film Seven are very consistent with the white credits this creates a certain level of enigma and the white credits stand out with the dark background and the seems to be handwritten jerky credits which symbolises fear for the audience. Also the creepy high pitched music within the opening to Seven is very quick which creates dramatic excitement for the audience.  Also the in sync music and the credits at the same time creates a impressive effect for the audience as its a fantastic way to put the credits across to the audience. The credits of Seven also display the quick jerky credits that we as a group feel would benefit our thriller sequence if we influenced this within our own thriller film as this can create numerous different effects for the audience for example an anxiety and uneasy effect for the audience.

The other film I analysed within the thriller genre is Hannibal and from right at the start of the opening credits from this film is displays the use of red which is widely known to represent blood or murder within the thriller genre. Also Hannibal's opening credits are black and white bold credits distinguishes the difference between the killer and the victim. The Hannibal credits are also quite shaky and this displays the sense of fear as you can see the shaky footage from the credits.

Following the group discussion we feel it's best to have bold handwritten font as it creates mystery towards the start of the sequence. The colour of the opening credits will be in a dark red font as it represents blood which is a key theme towards the end of our thriller sequence also it represents danger. The red colour font will extremely stand out when the victims credit appears on the scene as it can show a clear representation of the victim to the audience.
                                                                                                                                                        

Planning Sound-MissMiller

Planning Sound-MissMiller

Sound is important within any film genre. Sound is crucial within the thriller genre as it enhances the suspense and tension within the film also it gets the audience more involved and interested within the film and we aim to use sound to our advantage to make our sequence more intense and suspenseful throughout the duration of the film.

The sound of the phone ringing will be very important within our sequence as it creates the final piece of drama in our sequences do this is also classed as diegetic sound and this fits in with our narrative. The ringing phone will be very effective as it creates a sense of surprise as the audience will not know what has happened to the victim. This will have a dramatic effect on the audience as they will be in a state of shock at the end of the thriller sequence also the ring of the phone is conventional to the thriller genre as it creates suspense as well as other codes and conventions as the audience can tell the victim was killed at the end on the sequence

Another sound effect that will be used within our groups sequence is a quick paced sound track this is non diegetic and is added within the editing stage and the sound track will create excitement and suspense within the viewers watching the sequence also a sound track that is suspenseful allows the audience to give back a response of shock or an emotional response.

The use of on screen sound is influenced within our thriller sequence throughout the film for example the footprints of both characters when walking through the forest on the stones as well as the concrete on the alley way scene and the camera is very likely to pick these things up also it is very realistic as it would happen in any film that is created and the audience would expect the on screen sound to fit in the situation.

To summerise the sound that  is going to be used in our groups thriller sequence

The non-diegetic sound of both the heart beat and the heavy breathing of the victim and the sound of these puts a more dramatic effect on the audience to put across the characters emotions as it will display a petrified effect to the audience as you can clearly see the facial expression on the victim's face. This can connect to the audience because if they were in that situation they would be displaying the same emotions as the character with the quick heart beat and the heavy breathing.

Planning Cinematography-MissMiller

Planning Cinematography-MissMiller

Cinematography is important within the thriller genre as it will determine how each and every camera shot is produced. Cinematography is all about how it can make the audience more interested within the film by the camerawork in addition it explains the narrative in the background and we as a group aim to use a wide variety of camera shots within the thriller sequence.

A key camera shot within our groups thriller film will be the low angle shot as the killer is holding the hammer, this shot will make the killer look far superior that the other character in the sequence it also shows the strength the the character has in the film. In contrast the high angle shot will be themed at the victim to show the weaknesses that the victim possesses.The high angle shot is very stereotypical as it makes the victim look defenceless and exposed at the same time and this shot will mainly be used when her phone is ringing and as she is hiding from the killer to show the victim in the limelight as she cannot defend herself from the killer also the high and low angles shot show the differences in power between the characters.

Another camera shot that we will incorporate within our sequence is the establishing shot and the long shot to highlight the setting and characters in the sequence. The establishing shot will be used at the very start of the film as the victim is getting followed by the killer and we chose to use the establishing shot at this moment of time to get the audience a sense of the surroundings and an idea of what could happen in the film. The establishing shot is conventional to the thriller genre as is explains the narrative and surroundings that is involved within the sequence.

In addition our group will use the close up shot and the extreme close up shot in certain circumstances for example the close up could be used as the killer is hunting down  the victim and it will be used to focus on the intense facial expression that the killer has upon hunting the victim down also the close up is conventional to the thriller genre as the audience has a better understanding of what happens to both the characters also the close up represents suspense and drama at the end of the thriller sequence for the audience it gives them a sense of the characters emotions that are displayed for example when we use the close up shot on the victim is can clearly be shown that she is in a state of danger

Overall the variety of camera shots will extremely enhance how effective our thriller sequence will be in terms of the codes and conventions within the thriller genre for example we aim to provide the viewers with shock,surprise and suspenseful elements which are introduced by the camerawork and inevitably it will make the film the best it can possibly be.

Group Storyboard-MissMiller

Group Storyboard-MissMiller

The purpose of the group storyboard is to gather a final narrative on what to do for the thriller sequence that we are creating. The group storyboard task was to combined three individual storyboard into one final group storyboard also to pick the best parts of each different storyboard.

We incorporated each different idea from my group by first having a 20 minute discussion on our individual storyboard and from this discussion it enabled us to produce and incorporate different scenes from the individual storyboard for example we took Devon's camera shot for the first scene and then we took the narrative description from Tom's storyboard to form a perfect first scene for the thriller sequence. 

From Devon's storyboard we incorporated her mobile phone idea in the ending scenes as the phone rings and the victim struggles to turn off her phone as the victim is hunting her down, we thought as a group this will be a great way of creating suspense and tension from the audience point of view we also took the end scene from Devon's individual storyboard when it just focuses on the phone ringing on the floor this appeals to the audience by the audince wondering where has the victim gone and what has been done to her.

From Tom's storyboard we incorporated the theme of the backstreet as the very start of the sequence. We took the backstreet idea from Tom's storyboard because we feel it would create mystery and shock as the sequnce begins also the backstreet is very conventional to the thriller genre as you do see numourous chase scenes from films that start in an isolated street. Tom's idea of the backstreet was a good way to start the sequence as it creates a level of enigma as the victim cannot see who is behind her as she looks round the corner

The inspirations that we took from famous thirller films were Scream and Halloween we as a group took the idea of a masked killer as we thought it would create shock and mystery to the audience as they wouldn't know who the killer is for the duration of the film also we took inspirations from the strangers as that film uses an hidden secluded area to create tension for the audience as its hard to make out who is in the area at the time.

Finally the group storyboard task has helped us to produce a final plan of how we are going to film each and every scene and how much time we are going to spend on the different scenes also thr storyboard task has enabled our group to plan when and where we are going to film the sequence that will be created.

Character Planning-MissMiller

Character Planning-MissMiller

In our groups thriller sequence it contains two characters. The first character who is thought to be the main character is the Victim and we aimed this specific character to be very stereotypical to the thriller genre. The other character we have in our short thriller sequence is the killer and the theme of this character is to be deranged and to portray a threatening meaning to the audience.

Female Victim

The purpose of the female victim is to portray the effect of vulnerability to the audience through the stereotypical typical blonde female victim. The female will tell a story of how easily it is that a young female could get stalked by someone unknown and what the worst could happen to the female also the victim will display an naive personality as well as an innocent one. This is conventional to the thriller genre as it tells a much different narrative as well as the main narrative. It's conventional to the thriller genre as it's a stereotypical to have a blonde female victim. The audience will be able to have a relationship with the characters as the victim is a typical blonde vicitm that you will be likely to see in any thriller film.

The Killer
The killer is there as the threatening personnel. The killer is the person that ideally contributes the most to the suspense within the film. The killers portrays a level of fear across to the audience as well as clear pure power that it's conventional to the thriller genre to have also in the sequence this character acts as a stalker following this female victim every where she goes. The killer is key to the sequence because it's important how confident the character actually is. The audience can build a relationship with the killer as the killer is tall and has a hammer in his hand which represents the status and power that the character could have.

Planning Editing Styles-Miss Georgiou

Planning Editing Styles-Miss Georgiou

Editing is vital to the thriller film because it plays the part of building up all the different codes and conventions within the thriller film for example the use of a montage helps to build up excitement of the scene because of how quickly the shots are juxtaposed together. Editing is important to the thriller genre because it helps to create the enigma,suspense and shock to the film as well as its important to the sequence that we are creating.

In the thriller sequence that we are creating we are going to use a wide variety of editing effects including the Kuleshov effect which means two shots are put together to give a third meaning, we are going to use this when the victim is being stalked by the killer, From the audience perspective you can clearly see that the victim seems agitated by the person stalking her through the forest and you can see the killer with the weapon in his hand adding a sense of anticipation from the audience these would be the two shots added together with the third meaning of the shock that could happen to the victim by getting murdered. The editing style is conventional to the thriller genre as it always adds an unexpected shock and surprise as well as the unexpected anticipation and enigma from the audience.

Another editing style that we will use will be timing of shots and this editing style means where some shots are editing quicker or slower to introduce a level of emotional impact or it is used to show suspense in the scene. The timing of shots editing style will be crucial to our sequence for example its crucial to get the facial expression of the victims face as she is running from the killer in a fast editing style as well as the slow editing when the killer actually finds the victim, the victim will be vital to the timing of shots editing style so the audience can see the emotional impact of the victims facial expressions as she is running away also this editing style is conventional to the thriller genre because it creates a emotional feeling that is portrayed by the audience for example the audience will hope to feel the tension that is displayed all throughout the scene.

The third main editing style that we will use will be the wipe effect and this will be used right at the end of the scene where the screen fades to black to end the sequence. this will create a dramatic effect on the audience as they will know and come to realised that the victim has been murdered by the killer. This editing style will help to make the effect of shock and surprise for the audience. The wipe effect will be effective because it will be interesting to see what happens to the killer and it brings a level of unexpectancy that the audience will not anticipate. The wipe effect is conventional to the thriller genre because of the conventional it portrays across such as the shock and surprise from the audience.

Planning Mise-En-Scene- Miss Georgiou

Planning Mise-En-Scene

Mise-En-Scene consists of five various elements. Mise-En-Scene is important within the thriller genre because it displays everything that is shown within the film including the actors,the specific background, the lighting that is involved also it helps the audience to understand the contents of the scene. Mise-En-Scene helps to build a relationship from the characters within the film to the audience.  

Iconography/Setting-

The setting of the thriller film that we are creating is going to be in a dark alley way followed by a dark forest this will help to create a tense and suspenseful atmosphere for the audience and anyone can relate to the setting that we have used within the thriller genre. The iconography that will be involved will be a hammer that is used by the killer to kill the innocent victim, the hammer will be used for the killer's weapon also a phone will be used as an item of iconography to build a relationship with the audience.

Lighting-
Low key lighting will be very consistent within the sequence to create a suspenseful and tense atmosphere for the audience. A dark atmosphere will help hide the killer's identity and a hidden identity helps to keep the tense surroundings in the sequence also Low key lighting creates enigma for the audience as it is key to keep the hidden identity of the killer. Low key lighting is also conventional to the thriller genre as most thriller movies are set in the night to build up shock and suspense.

Costumes- 
The killer's clothing is going to be of a dark colour as it helps to keep the identity of the killer undetected. The dark clothing and a masked killer will help to engage the audience as most killers wear dark clothing in thriller films because it is conventional for example in the thriller film 'Scream' I believe it's vital to keep the identity of the killer a secret as it helps build up a surprise to who the killer actually is. The victims clothing will be of a bright colour as it is conventional to the thriller genre, bright clothing is an initial sign of vulnerability and innocence also its stereotypical to the thriller genre as it's a sign of a clear simple target for the killer.

Body Language/Facial Expressions-

The facial expressions of the victim will represent an anxious expression as well as the victims body language also it helps to express the victims scared emotions. The facial expressions are pivotal within the sequence that we are creating because it helps keep the key theme of tension in the sequence. The body language and facial expressions will help to build an relationship with the audience as it allows the audience to sympathise with the victim whereas the killers facial expressions will be hidden.

Individual Storyboard-Miss Miller

Individual Storyboard

The storyboard was created because it helps us give a better understanding to the narrative description of our groups thriller sequence also the purpose of the story board task was to make it easier for the groups filming task and to outlay exactly how we are going to film the sequence of the film also the story board contained a lot of key information that is important to the task for example it contained what camera shots we are going to use, the location that we are filming in along with the sounds,iconography,narrative and the editing that is going to be used within my groups thriller sequence.

On the first storyboard I have produced indicates what the opening narrative is going to be about for example the victim is walking through the alley way also the first storyboard sets the scene up for the audience that is watching the sequence. The first story board includes a series of camera shots that are vital to the sequence for example the establishing shot is used in the first scenes to set the location of the alley way also the first scene indicates the isolated victim which helps the audience because its very conventional to the thriller genre to have a isolated person in a thriller film which is always the victim also I have used a tense sound track just to build up a certain level of suspense towards the audience that is watching.

The second storyboard is the building up to the final few scenes also its an anxious wait to see what is going to happen to the victim as she continuously looks behind to see where the killer is. This storyboard has a level of relation to the audience as they anticipate what is going to happen to the victim because of the close ups and point of view shots that are involved also the tense sound track as well as the phone ringing has an impact to the audience because they are shocked as well as they are fearful because the killer begins to find out where the victim has gone. The second storyboard also consists of a montage to build excitement to the ending of the sequence.

The third storyboard is the ending of the sequence and it's the panning out of the murder that is involved and this story board is to where the suspense happens because the killer finds the victim behind the bush also the slow editing that is involved within the scene helps to illustrate the confusion and  shock to what has happened to the victim as well as the fade element that is involved to end the scene off to a dramatic conclusion it also creates emotional impact to the audience also it empathises the sympathy towards the victim as the audience knows she is dead. The sound track is important in this final scene because its slow paced representing the realization to what has just happened towards the audience.

I have taken inspiration from the film Halloween as that has a antagonist which I'd like to include in the sequence that we are creating because I think it is essential in any thriller film to have a antagonist also I have taken inspirations from the film Scream as I feel they used certain sound effects that are appropriately used for a dramatic effect and this can be used in the sequence that we are creating to get a response from the audience.

To summarise the storyboard task will help our group to how we are going to plan the sequence of events also to how we can film the sequence properly without any mistakes or forgetting anything that we have previously thought of. The storyboard task also will help our group in creating a specific narrative that we as a group agree to follow.

Preliminary Task-Miss Georgiou

Preliminary Task.

The group consists of three people for the preliminary task which was a task that was set to get my groups used to the surroundings of filming a scene. In the group was Tom Tovey, Devon Thomas and Scott Arbuckle. Tom was the camera man in this situation filming myself and Devon speaking to each other as the task was set to do also I was the character that walked into the room at the start of the task. 

The purpose of the preliminary task was to explore the various camera angles that could be shown within our own opening sequence to the thriller film also the whole purpose of the task was to film someone walking into a room and speaking to someone in a minute conversation also it got the group to work as a team as we are going to be working together for the thriller sequence that we are creating and it got the group aware of a filming environment for getting filmed in the actual sequence.

From the task as a group we learnt the different camera angles that could be involved in the sequence that we create also we got used to how the tripod works on the camera but at first this was something that we struggled to work out also we struggled to plan what we was going to say to each other in the time that was given as well as this we had the struggle of moving the camera when filming also we had to repeat some of this because of background noise and to try and get the same exact position of the camera from each time of moving the camera.

The advantages of the preliminary task meant that we could get used to getting filmed in a certain environment that can be appropriate to the real task as well as another strength being we can work out how the camera is used on the tripod. Another strength of the preliminary task was it set out all the stages that we have to go through upon making the real opening sequence. A further strength of this task is it got us familiar as of how to edit a certain clip by using final cut pro.  A weakness of this task is that it gave us a very short amount of time in completing the task as well as not knowing what is going to be said in the actual task.

The preliminary task also will help to assist the opening sequence to a thriller movie by going through all the stages required to make a opening scene and the preliminary task will assist us by the group making better use of the planning stage to gain an advantage when doing the thriller sequence.

If we were going to do the preliminary task again we as a group would plan what we are going to say in the first instance instead of making it up on the spot which causes the task to be unprofessional and not of a high quality.

Target Audience Results-MissMiller

Target Audience Results

This post is about the questionnaire data that our group found out about the target audience and these results will give our group a clear indication as of what to base our thriller sequence about and we asked the questions to 40 random people to get a spread results of the different questions to make it fair also to get accurate results of each of the questions.



 The first question which was 'how old are you' indicates that out of the 40 people we asked 47% are the ages between 16-19 and this is suitable for the thriller film that our group is creating for the opening sequence. It fits in perfectly for our target audience because we are aiming the sequence at this age boundary.  

The second question indicates that the male gender were more inclined to take the questionnaire with a 60/40 split and it indicates that males like the thriller genre more that females as the results show and this is conventional to the thriller genre because males like the key themes included more than females.

The third question shows that chase scenes was the top answer which is conventional to the thriller genre. The quick fast pace of the chase scene is key to any thriller movie because it creates the suspense that clearly people of the general public enjoy also Enigma and shock was 25% each which is influential within any thriller films and these type of themes will try to be included in our thriller sequence.


The fourth question that our group asked was 'what age certificates do people prefer watching' the most common answer in this question was the age certificate of 15 with 33% because the 15 rated category implies the right amount of explicit content for any one over the age of 15 also the 18 rated certificate was a high percentage because of the themes that are created within the certificate. The 15 rated category is our target audience so it's very ideal that this would be the top answer for our group analysis.

The fifth question was 'what do you expect to see in thrillers' and set at night was the highest answer this is very conventional to the thriller genre due to the fact that most thriller are set in the night because its seen as a more scary experience also the victim and death is highly chosen because its highly involved within the thriller genre and its a key theme that's used in almost every thriller film that is our nowadays.

The type of sounds people want to here in the thriller genre are soundtracks. This has 48%  of the questionnaire analysis. Soundtracks is key within the thriller genre because it creates a high level of suspense and it involves the theme of shock because of the high pitch of the different soundtracks. Soundtracks will be key within our thriller sequence because of the suspenseful story line that we have which includes a killer and victim.

This question was about what characters would people like to see within the thriller genre. From the results a mental character was the highest and this is conventional to the thriller genre because the mental character is usually the killer in thriller films especially in really intense thriller films.

The highest result in this was famous actors, this is because people like to see thriller films with well known actors that are usually experienced in what they are doing also famous actors was the highest vote because of the high profile that they contain also its conventional to the thriller genre to have a high amount of famous actors in these films. Young actors was a third of the result and this is very conventional to the thriller genre because young actors are commonly the victims for example in the film Halloween, a young actor as a victim also will surprise the audience.

In addition psychological thriller was the highest result in this question about sub genres. It is evident that psychological sub genres is a element that we could try to include although it will be very difficult because of how short the actual thriller sequence is but our sequence could contain the conventions that are within the psychological thriller genre.




The last question was about setting and the most picked answer was a dark forest location and this is very key to our group narrative because this is where we plan to set our opening sequence also a dark forest location is good because it's isolated linking back to suspense and drama that could be involved and clearly a dark forest location is good to use because nearly 50% like to see thrillers in dark forests.




To conclude the questionnaire results that our group have gathered indicates a better insight of what to include in our groups narrative. The results infer that people that we asked liked to see a dark forest location which will dramatically help us in creating the sequence as well as people liking a soundtrack within thriller films because they can create elements of surprise and suspense that will be included within our groups thriller opening sequence.

 

Group Narrative-Miss Georgiou

Group Narrative

The purpose of a narrative is to create a story line that is suspenseful for the the audience in the thriller genre also it's to draw the audience into the story line. The narrative is a series of events that contains suspense,shock and surprise in the thriller genre. We discussed our narrative to each other throughout our lesson followed by telling each other the positives and negatives of each one of our narratives. 

My narrative was the first one we discussed and this of which involved a paranoid child which was ignored by his parents this ended in the ghost murdering the child in front of the family with a butcher knife. An advantage of this idea would be it would contain a lot of suspense and shock and it would draw the viewers in also there is a teenage victim that would help the younger audience if they were able to watch the sequence itself. A disadvantage is you cannot film a ghost and it will be difficult to fake a death with a butcher knife also we do not have the equipment to create this idea as it will be hard to get people who want to act as parents within the opening sequence to a thriller film.

The second narrative that we discussed was Tom's and the narrative is about a couple staying in a house in the mountains, the first night there are noises from upstairs so she goes to find out what is making the noises, she finds a locked room which the house owner doesn't want her to see. This happens for a few nights and then one night the male goes missing, she then goes onto find that her husband has been taken and murdered in the room even though the husband didn't believe that the room existed, as she tries to rescue him she is trapped in the room herself. Advantages to this narrative is that it is quite simple therefore it will be easy to film. However it is a very long opening sequences therefore we could not film it all.

The third narrative was Devon's and the narrative is that a male and female are walking late at night through a forest and they hear noises, the man goes to check for danger and leaves the woman alone. She waits for his return yet he does not come back for a while, she feels as if she is being watched so she decides to head out of the forest. As she is walking the noises return and she starts to run, as she is being chased she trips over a figure on the floor. It is her boyfriends dead corpse. Advantages to this narrative is that it would be easy excess to the location and the story line is very simple. However it will be hard to film during dark hours as the lighting will not be very clear.

The first professional theory that we looked at was a Russian critic called Vladimir Propp and he expressed the fact that every film has a different character with a function for example a hero's function would be that they would seek a goal during the film with deliberate interruptions along the way and the villains function would be to try and block the supposed quest from the hero.

The second professional theory that our group looked at was Todorov and he thought that there were five stages of the narrative and that there should be an equilibrium. Todorov thought that a  film should have a change of events for example disorders then problems then there is an attempt to fix this problem that has happened and after the problem has been resolved there is a new equilibrium. Todorov also believed that certain films were all about the narrative and the equilibrium and disequilibrium that was involved. 

The third theory that we looked at was a person called Aristotle and he believed that a film should include an exciting incident, a dramatic question, a goal set for a character, an antagonist and a protagonist, high stakes,a well thought out resolution and either sympathy or empathy in the film.

To summarise I believe our groups narrative will follow Todorov's theory as I think it would be the most successful one for the groups narrative as our groups narrative involves a equilibrium and an attempt of a change of actions also I believe the theory of Aristoltle would be a good theory to follow as it has an antagonist and protagonist that is already in our narrative .

Opening Scene Analysis Halloween- Miss Georgiou

Opening scene analysis-Halloween

How does the opening sequence of 'Halloween' inform the audience of the conventions of a thriller film?

In this post I will be analysing the different techniques and conventions that are displayed in the opening sequence of halloween and how they will help me to create my narrative idea for a thriller opening sequence.

The purpose of a thriller opening sequence is to engage the audience from the start of the thriller movie for example in Scream 4 you see two stabbings in the opening few minutes and this is used to shock the audience and to make them to keep watching to see what is going to happen to the victim and the killer in this situation. In addition a opening sequence is used to create a sense of drama such as a victim and killer is usually used in these type of thriller films for example in Halloween its self when you see the conventional female victim. The purpose of a thriller opening sequence is also to portray suspense as this is vital to any thriller opening scene because it keeps the audience entertained and they would enjoy it more if more conventions are shown throughout the opening scene such as surprise,shock,enigma,mise-en-scene and tension furthermore the critical theme to a opening sequence is to create a suspenseful storyline.

Halloween Analysis

Conventional to the thriller genre-

Halloween's opening sequence is conventional to the thriller genre through firstly the suspense from the fast paced piano sound and this is use to see what is going to happen next in the scene.

The opening sequence from Halloween is conventional to the thriller genre because of the stereotypical female victim that you would usually see in a thriller film also the masked killer which has a hidden identity is conventional to the thriller genre because it's signs of enigma and unpredictability to see what the character  is going to do next.

The low key lighting is conventional to the thriller genre because the shadows involved displays obsession and mystery to the audience in the opening sequence.

Camera Angles-

A Point Of View (POV) shot was used when the the hidden identity of the killer was walking up to murder the sister. This builds up shock to the scene because you don't expect as the audience that a little child would murder a sister also the POV shot builds up the rest of the thriller movie because you want to know what happens to the victim and the killer.

A handheld shot is used when the hidden identity of the killer walks in the room to get the knife as this stage it's very intense as you do not know what the little kid is going to do.
A high angle is used when the camera focuses on the victim when she is dead and outside of the house it makes it look small which represents that life is taken away from the victim.

Editing-

The slow paced timing of the shot is when the camera focuses on the sister to see who the figure is at first this creates a sense of surprise to the audience because it's the element of unpredictability at what the masked killer might do.
The jump cut at the end of the opening sequence signifies that the supposed parents were confused when they pulled off the mask from the little child in addition it's what the audience expects at the scene because of the child has a axe in his hand with blood on it of course they are going to be confused as of what is going on.

Sound-

The pitch from the sound track identifies the fact that it intends to make the audience to focus on the upcoming action and events in the next sequence of the film. The soundtrack from low to high creates suspense and enigma from the whole scene as the audience expects action to happen . The non diegetic sound at the very start of the sequence identifies the mystery as you expect the scene to be in a class room or some sort of teaching environment but it's very conventional to the thriller genre to surprise the audience.

Narrative-

What we learn from the narrative is that the killer when is the child creates a sense of enigma as the killer is thought to be a man especially in thriller movies and the audience learn the level of surprise that is fluid within the film and the setting is very conventional to the thriller genre because it builds up a sense of mystery and tension to the audience because the suburban location gives the audience a false sense of security. The narrative gives the audience a relationship between them and the characters as you'd expect the child to be a killer when he picks up the knife in the scene futhermore it gives the audience a emotional response between the character and themselves.

Characters-

Firstly the couple at the start is very typical to the the thriller genre as a couple is commonly seen within a thriller/horror movie and the little child is conventional to the thriller genre because of it's halloween and the children normally dress up on Halloween and of course the little child is the killer in the end. The parents are conventional to the thriller genre because they are confused at the situation with the child and the knife this is also how the audience would expect that sort of situation as of course they would be worried as of what is going on with the child because of the knife and the mask on the child.

To summerise the film Halloween will help to assist us in creating our opening sequence as it's a clear narrative that has enigma and suspense and this is the basis of the sequence that we want to create also it will help plan our opening sequence by Halloween's use of sound effects that are appropirate to the film, this has helped us plan carefully where and when we are going to use certain sound effects to our advantage as well as the POV shots have assisted us in creating our opening sequence as we plan to influence them as we feel it can create the hidden identity which is vital within our opening sequence.

Inspirations for the opening scene-MissMiller

Inspirations for the opening scene.

In this post I will be discussing the various different ideas I have for my opening to a thriller movie. I will take inspiration from the clips that I have already analysed for example inspirations from Saw,Scream,The usual suspects and The shining. I will try to incorporate different elements and conventions from the clips and try to add them in within the opening to our groups thriller sequence. You need inspirations before you create a sequence becuase it allows you to get a feel of how good a real thriller film is and how we can try to include element of their work into our groups thriller sequence.

Research into Cinematography-

For this micro element I analysed the film Scream 4. From the sequence that I looked at from Scream 4 I have taken inspirations from their use of the point of view shot in cinematography and this specific point of view shot was inspiring as it helped created a level of tension and suspense that I would like to include in my groups thriller sequence. We will try and incorporate the POV shot when the victim is running away from the killer by the gate of the forest and the point of view shot incorporates the element of the viewer not konwing what is going to happen in the next part of the scene. The point of view shot in cinematography helps the overall sequence as most thriller films do have numerous point of view shots becuase it creates suspense within the film.

Research into Sound-

For the micro element sound I analysed a sequence from the film The Shining. From the mirco element sound I took insiprations from the shinings use of silence as it maintains engima throught that part of the scene. I believe it's a very good way to to create anticipation from the audience as they excite the audience by making them jumped adding the shock element to the scene. I believe our group should try to incorporate the use of silence to the sequence as it's conventional to the thriller genre because it raises the viewers adrenalin at some point in the scene. The use of silence inspired me as it puts clear empathsis on tension at the audience and I believe any thriller film will need this type of element added within it as it creates the tense atmosphere that is needed in a thriller film in order to shock the audience.

Research into Editing Styles

For editing styles I analysed a scene from the thriller film Insidious and I took inspirations from the uses of slow editing within Insidious. I took inspirations from slow editing that is used within Insidious as it will help to imply a dramatic effect on our groups sterotypical blonde female victim. The slow editing creates an effect on the audience by them drawing their own conclusions of what could happen next after the effect of the slow editing.

Research into codes and conventions

From looking at the thriller film Halloween I have taken inspirations from their use of Hidden identity which we hope as a group will be very fluent in our groups thriller sequence. Halloween's use of hidden identity is conventional to the thriller genre as is creates signs of enigma and unpredictability of what is going to happen to that certain character to the audience. We plan to use the hidden identity of the killer as we feel it's going to create the mystery to who the actual killer is in our groups opening sequence to a thriller film.

Research into Characters

From looking at the thriller film Scream I have taken inspiration from their masked killer and that it gives the killer the convention of being powerful and to have that hidden identity in the film especially because I feel it's important for our thriller film to have a masked killer to keep the suspense right till the end of the film also the character of the victim used in Scream is sterotypical the blonde female victim that I think we should use in the opening to the thriller sequence and using a sterotypical victim/killer will get a reaction from the audience that is expected from the thriller genre.

Research into Mise-En-Scene



To summerise from the inspirations I have looked at we have taken the inspirations from other films simply because they are very successful for example we take the inspiration from the thriller film insidious as it has a sterotypical blonde female vicim we feel it would be ideal as a group to follow the convention of a blonde female victim.









Research into Sound in Thrillers- Miss Miller

Research into sound in thrillers.

In this post I will be analysing how the different sound techniques are portrayed within the movie clip from 'the shining' Here's Johnny scene and how the sound has a special effect on the audience also how its conventional to the thriller genre. 

Firstly in this Here's Johnny clip you can strongly hear the eerie threatening sound track from the point where Johnny is walking with his axe (0;00-0;10) and this is non-diegetic sound. The effect this has on the audience is it adds a considerable meaning to their emotions that they would be feeling for example you expect to audience to feel a sense of insecurity because of the fast paced sound track and the axe that johnny is holding. The non diegetic sound track is conventional to the thriller genre because of the enigma and suspense that is created in this part of the scene also it's conventional to the thriller genre because of the concern that you would expect on the facial expressions on the audience. 

In addition the split silence on (0;30) when Johnny walks up to the door with the petrified women on the other side represents a level of danger because of the horrifying killer and the typical women victim in thriller films furthermore the silence symbolises anticipation from the audience because you as the audience expect the killer to excite you by doing something that makes the audience jump or by shocking them in some way. The silence in this clip is conventional to the thriller genre because of the clear empathises on suspense and tension for the audience also the silence in conventional because of the audiences adrenalin at this point in the clip. The silence will make the audience feel anxious as they know the killer is dangerous in this scene.

Thirdly the parallel sound when Johnny is repeatedly smashing the door down at the victims door and this shows the victim is in a state of discomfort because she knows the killer is coming and is in control of what is going to happen to her. (1;18-1;50) In relation to the audience you would think that they are in suspense and anxiety at what is going to happen to the victim also this is conventional to thriller genre because of the violence ans suspense that is in this park of the scene also it is conventional because of the element  of diegetic sound from the dialogue. 

Furthermore the non diegetic sound track that switches from high pitch eerie sound effects to low pitched sound represents the indication of anticipation that is built up by the killer Johnny and the female victim. the high pitched sound effect represents the killer and the slightly lower pitched sound effect represents the female victim but in this case in the film the audience experience a unexpected shock as female victim strikes the killer with a butcher knife and sometimes this is conventional to the thriller genre. Also the sound track in conventional to the thriller genre because it creates drama and empathises on the killers dialogue 'Here's Johnny' the dialogue creates mystery and surprise because of what occurs next in the scene the audience will feel this way as they would want to know what happens to the victim in this situation.  

To summerise different styles of sound was used by the director in this clip to make the audience wait in suspense to what is going to happen next in the overall film and the sounds used is conventional to the thriller genre because it makes the audience feel a level of mystery and surprise which is involved in the film clip from the shining.
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDpipB4yehk - video you tube link

Research into the history of thriller films-Miss Georgiou

Research into the history of the thriller genre.

The definition of thriller is that there is an an idea of a suspenseful story building up to a very exciting ending that the audience ends being thrilled at. Thrillers aim to make the audience feel a sense of anticipation,expectations,uncertainty,surprise,anxiety and sometimes terror which is only in the 18 rated stage normally.

1920s-1930s-

- In 1928 the first spy thriller film was created by Fritz Lang the film was called 'Spies' and this film helped to inspire the James Bond series in the future.
-A director call Alfred Hitchcock made Britain's first sound thriller movie in 1929 called 'Blackmail' and it was recognised as a film that brought a lot of tension throughout. The narrative involved a detective who was interested more in his work that his daughter.
- Between the 1920s and 1930s there was various other British directors who created thriller films such as Walter Forde,Victor Saville,and a very young director called Micheal Powell. Forde made nine films throughout these years and Victor made seven films between 1932-35 whereas Powell made five films throughout this time.

1940s-

-In the 1940s Hitchcock continued to make thriller films that had a a lot of suspense in them. He produced two films and one was a Oscar winning which was 'Rebecca and the other film he created was called 'The Foreign correspondent' also in 1941 he made a film called 'suspicious' this was about a women in danger of her own husband and as you can expect this created a slight worry to the audience as they couldn't anticipate what was going to happen and these films were the most successful thrillers of the 1940s along with 'The Third Man' in 1949 and 'Sorry Wrong Number' in 1948 which was about a women overhearing a scheme on the phone which involved her murder.

1950s-

-In the 1950s Hitchcock continued to add thriller films to his collection and he made a film called 'Technicolor' and 'Strangers on a train' which was released in 1951 which was about numerous fights which ended up with both characters getting murdered.
-Other movies by the director Hitchcock were 'To catch a theif' in 1955 and another film called 'Vertigo'
-Another director who made a classic film within this time period was Robert Aldrich's 'Kill me deadly' in 1955 also a unique crime thriller was made called 'Touch of evil which was released in 1958 which involved a kidnapping and police corruption in the narrative.

1960s-

-A thriller film called Psycho was made yet again by the director Hitchcock and it was about a lonely person and a mother fixated hotel owner and this film was famous for a specific scene which was known as the 'Shower scene' in this time period they wasn't allowed to show someone getting stabbed in graphical images.
- The film director Terrence Young's created a film called  “Wait Until Dark” in 1967 and it was  famous because the film was about a victimised blind woman in her Manhattan apartment and a evil con man searching for drugs that they think is in the womens apartment.
 -The film series called 'Harry Palmer's spy trilogy' were inspired by the James bond 007 film series

1970s-

In this period of time there was numerous thrillers that were violent which include 'Frenzy' in 1972 and this was given a rating 'R' for explicit content. Another thriller film made in this time period was 'Play misty for me' and this was the first British thriller film about a person being madly obsessed over an idol, this film was done by Clint Eastwood in the early years of the 1970s. other thriller films in this time period include Duel by Steven Spielberg and this was a low budget entertaining movie for the audience that was allowed to be viewed on TV straight away. This was about a businessman that was terrorised by a driver.

1980s-

 -Firstly in this time period this is when Thriller films really started to do well with the first thriller of the 80s which was by Brian De Palma and this is about a high priced call girl who witnessed a murder also in the early 80s a thriller film called blow out the plot in this film was when a assassination. Body Double followed on the thriller genre in the 1984 and this was about a actor spying on a women, this film was rated 18 and is only suitable for an adult audience because of the content involved for example the stronger language and the use of drugs.

1990s-

-The 90s thriller period started with the film Misery in 1990 and this thriller film was about a person who is rescued from a car crash situation by a obsessive fan, we can infer from this that the thriller film is only suitable for the 18 rated because of the blood headline writing and the story line behind the film.
-David Fincher made a suspenseful film called 'Seven' when the plot entailed a search for a violent serial killer who made seven deadly sins. This is rated 18 at the time of 1995 because of the violence and gore that was involved the BBFC did not think it was suitable for the younger age categories as well because of the intense scenes.

2000s-Present-

The thriller genre of these years has brought many greats suspense and adrenalin films for example in the early 2000s a thriller film called The Other was produced by a man called Alejando Amemabar the plot of this film was about a women who lived in a dark house with two photosensitive children and she believed that her home was haunted. This film will attract the audiences attention because of an element of surprise that is added to the film at the ending because of the cruel twist. Another film in 2010 created a mass amount of tension for the audience and this was the film shutter island, the film was about a disappearance of a murderer who escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane. Shutter island was cleverly directed by Martin Scorsese for the use of different sound effects that displayed suspense throughout the film. other thriller films in this time period include the conjoring,disturbia and the saw films, these films were famous within the thriller genre because of the shock that was produced in most scenes. 

 

The image below shows the rankings of how well certain films do in the thriller genre. As you can see from the image the 'Saw' series do very well in the thriller genre industry with five Saw films being in the top 20. Within the 'Saw' series it always carries elements of suspense and surprise as well as horror and bloody scenes that are involved and Saw is recommended and makes untold amounts of money when ever a new one is released this is because people who watch thriller film always know that the Saw films always contain a lot of different codes and conventions within the thriller genre. Hannibal is the thriller film that has made the most money of all time in the thriller genre at this current date and I also believe this is because of the high profile studio 'MGM' this is regarded as very high profile also Hannibal is rated the best thriller film because it provides something different to the ordinary viewer for example it implements a crime based narrative as a certain character is wanted by the FBI due to the circumstances that are involved. I believe Hannibal was rated the best thriller movie because of the enigma that is involved and this is what people want to see in thriller movies as well as the gruesome scenes in Hannibal.  Another film that has done well in the thriller industry is the film Seven with over 100,125,643 dollars made and this is because of the detailed and interesting narrative for the viewer with unexpected twists and turns that are involved and I think the Seven series has done well because of the use of the narrative for example hunting a serial killer could intice the audience to wathc the film.

 

Conventions of the thriller genre-MissMiller

Conventions of a thriller film-The Usual Suspects-Ending Clip

In this post I will explore the different types of conventions based around the film scene in what I have chosen (The Usual Suspects). Conventions are usually something that is included in every single thriller film as they all hope to have similar conventions to make the film the best that it can be. Conventions is way way in which something is normally done.  

Firstly the eerie piano type sound effect when the man drops the coffee between (0;15-0;20) builds a intense level of pressure between the character and the audience because of the slow focus on the coffee mug dropping and smashing down on the concrete floor also its a clear indication to the audience that something of shock might happen after this scene. In advancing to around the 30 second mark of the clip you can hear what is thought to be a numerous number of thoughts and thinking when the character is looking at the suspicious sign on the wall. This could imply to the audience a link that clearly shows surprise and shock between the character while he dropped his coffee because he has obviously realised something intriguing. In relation to the thriller the eerie music creates suspense and builds up pressure to see what is going to happen.

Furthermore the four quick succession of gunshots between 1;00-1;04 represent Shock and tension as you don't expect this at that point in the clip and within the shootings blood is a common theme and this is conventional to the thriller genre because it's something that you will expect within thriller films, the blood makes the scene feel realistic and believable for the audience as it is commonly used in a gruesome shooting film like this. In addition it relates the the thriller genre because of the complete shock of the shooting that was at a very fast pace with the used of fast editing that really would shake the mentality of the audience.

The iconography of the broken plate and the A4 piece of paper of the suspect builds up a sense of unpredictability as the officer pieces together to find the suspect. The audience are out of the known and this is conventional withing the thriller genre because you do not know what is going to happen with the suspect, the use of the broken plate symbolises the mystery of the puzzle that the officer faces while trying to catch the suspect and this builds a relationship between the viewer and the characters as you'd expect a piece of iconography that builds up suspense in the thriller genre.

The unexpected shock ending manipulated the audience in a unanticipated way as you do not expect this character of the suspect to disappear,it portrays a major sense of shock for the audience also it builds up a relationship between the audience and the character. The high key lighting highlights the fact that the suspect is getting away in an unexpected twist that the audience was not expecting. The expectations in this thriller movie is that you expect the suspect in question to get caught especially as he walks out of the building in a mid afternoon summers day and the use of this turn creates a surprising shock that is unanticipated by the audience and sometimes a shock ending is conventional to the thriller genre especially the high key lighting which is involved in this clip and the low key lighting creates a relationship with the audience as the high key lighting is something that is not expected as it makes the audience thinks. .

To summarise from the film the usual suspects ending clip I would like to include an unexpected ending to our groups thriller film as it would get a reaction for the audience and a shock that would highlight them not knowing what was going to happen next in the film also I have found out a film like the usual suspects uses various conventions that relate back to the thriller genre this is to as of why the film is so successful in the thriller industry because the amount of codes and conventions that are used for example all the different types of sound effects.