Evaluation

Audience Feedback
I created a questionnaire to gather feedback on the final product. I have shown the results in the form of a pie chart.

What genre did you think this film is? (Horror/Adventure/Romance/Comedy/Thriller/Sci-fi)

There is a division between horror and thriller from these results. This is understandable as is a murder in the film and the main character does act as though he is a mass-murder which is a common theme found in horror films and in thriller films. Perhaps, from these results, my film shouldn’t be considered a thriller but a hybrid of thriller and horror.

At what part of the film do you think this footage comes from? (Opening/Middle/End)
From the results there is a good universal understanding that this was the opening sequence of the film. This means we followed the conventions of an opening sequence close enough that audiences can identify that it is an opening sequence.

Would you want to watch the whole film after watching this footage? (Yes/No)
Slightly disappointing but I understand, the short clip isn’t interesting and very slow paced. If more time had been put into adding music and using different types of shots to create suspense, perhaps more would have said yes.

Other comments?
"Slowed paced and didn't really thrill me." Arthur Cook

"I really liked it there was good acting, good camerawork and good mise-en-scene." Emma Horton

"The camera work wasn't done that well, there were some scenes where the camera was shaky." Callum Baker

"I found it slow, but I liked the ending." Jake Martin

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

The media product was aimed to fit the conventions of a Thriller movie. In the media product the convention seen in Thrillers of having a murderer and a victim was used. During the two minute footage we follow the killer as he picks out a victim and eventually kills him. We show the murder in an ambiguous way; it is not conclusive that the lead character we follow is in fact the murderer but it is heavily suggested. The face that someone was killed is also a convention of a Thriller.

We tried our best to leave the film open-ended and open for interpretation; by not directly revealing who the murderer was brings a kind of murder mystery element to the media product, which is found in most Thrillers.
When a point-of-view shot is used in real media products it is to stop the audience from seeing certain aspects of the scene. Point-of-view shots help create tension by limiting the view of the audience. As the shot is in first person, the audience also gets to feel the pace of the scene. In our media product we utilize both of those points. The last scene wouldn’t have been so effective if it was shot in a third person view. The fast movements in this shot reflect the pace we wanted the audience to feel; fast pace to replicate panic. In the majority of Thrillers the setting is normally an ordinary one and also involves common situation which later on become distorted. We’ve followed this trend in our media product by having a somewhat normal situation which then becomes distorted. We’ve set the media product in a school and start out with a fairly normal situation of a person walking into that school. The person sees a couple of students and picks up the rubbish one of them dropped. Based on those events alone, you wouldn’t expect there to be a murder after those events. We have taken a rather ordinary situation and distorted it.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?
Student
The students in this film are supposed to be bad students. This was done deliberately to add to the plot of the film. The stereotype we played on was that of the bad student. The students haven’t got their shirts tucked in, their ties and top buttons are undone and they’re seen to be littering. The very brief interaction with the teacher of the film was suppose to show a lack of respect for teachers and those in a position of authority in general. The whole impression that we wanted to portray of the students was that of not-caring about and not-respecting institutions. Hopefully this was achieved by using the stereotype of a bad student.
Teachers
Teachers are not shown in a good light, possible the worse light achievable as the teacher in this film is a murder. We followed the representation of a teacher by dressing the actor in a suit which is commonly worn by male teachers. However, the teacher in this film is unconvincing as the actor was too young and was dressed in a suit to big for him. Perhaps different casting could have added more authenticity to the film.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
As this media product was made on a small budget the type of media institution that would distribute it would be a small company using a small budget. The media institution will want to advertise the film to as many people as possible using little funds. They will also want to primarily reach as many of their target audience as possible.

One of the cheaper options of advertising to a mass audience would be to use the internet. Advertising on the internet is relatively cheap compared to other means of advertising. It also reaches a huge audience. There are so many websites out there for all different types of people, with the correct research we could conduct our advertising in a way that it directly address the audience we’re aiming at.
The most notable film which has used the internet to promote its movie has to be the Blair Witch Project. The Blair Witch Project also had a small budget like our film and used the cheaper option of the internet to promote their film. The people behind the Blair Witch Project’s marketing created the illusion that the film was a real life account. The film was recorded using cameras that everyday people use and not big expensive Hollywood cameras. This made it more believable that the Blair Witch Project was real. People were fascinated by the concept and paid to go and see their movie. Blair Witch Project has gone down as one of the most profitable movies ever made.

By following a similar technique that the Blair Witch Project used, by taking advantage of the internet, could bring our movie similar success. Due to the low cost for the promotion and the possible high profits of the media product more companies would be willing to take the risk to fund the distribution.

Who would be the audience of your media product?
This is the top 10 from the imdb top 250.
Source: http://www.imdb.com/chart/top

Rank	Rating	Title	Votes
1.	9.1	The Shawshank Redemption (1994)	490,586
2.	9.1	The Godfather (1972)	393,048
3.	9.0	The Godfather: Part II (1974)	232,811
4.	8.9	Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo. (1966)	149,500
5.	8.9	Pulp Fiction (1994)	397,903
6.	8.9	Schindler's List (1993)	263,260
7.	8.8	12 Angry Men (1957)	110,360
8.	8.8	One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)	203,323
9.	8.8	Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)	266,253
10.	8.8	The Dark Knight (2008)	437,765

By looking at this table from IMDB in the top ten all time best films X were voted to be the best thrillers and countless more can be found in the top 250 films. This suggests that thrillers are highly mainstream and highly acclaimed. According to this research, our film’s audience can be anyone who watches films as the thriller genre is very mainstream. However, because our film has a young cast this may restrict the film to the young mainstream audience.

How did you attract/address your audience?
For any movie to have a murder happen within the first two minutes is pretty interesting. If this was a full length movie this would keep the audience’s attention high right from the start. The media product makes the audience question the movie. Question such as, did he kill that student? Why did he kill that student? Who is he? What is he doing at a school? The audience have their questions and they want to continue watching to find out the answers.

It was quite simple to gather the audience feedback as I simply asked those from my sixth form to complete a short questionnaire after view the final product. I collected the results and presented them in a pie chart.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
1. 5.1 Mega pixel Camera
This is a simple digital camera which can be used to take photos. I used this camera to take photos during filming to contribute towards the blog. If I didn’t have access to this camera I could have used a camera phone.

2. Microsoft Word
I’ve used Word for many years now, so I didn’t learn anything new. An alternative would have been openoffice.org software.
3. Blogger.com
This is the website which this blog is hosted on. Due to blogger.com I didn’t learn anything new. An alternative to this could be another blogging website.

4. Tripod
I learnt how to set-up a tripod and how to attach a camera onto one. An alternative to a tripod is to simply hold it free hand.

5. Internet
I used the internet for research on different types of thrillers and other information. I could have alternatively collected the data by looking in books.

6. Adobe Premiere Pro CS3
I learnt a lot using this software. I learnt how to log files, how to move videos files onto a timeline. I leant how to cut and move around video files and I learnt how to sync sound levels (although it was done badly). If I didn’t have access to this software I could have used windows movie maker.

7. Adobe Photoshop CS3
I used this for various different image-editing throughout the project. If I didn’t have access to this software I could have used paint.

8. Camera (No image)
The camera was used to film the whole production. As I was acting I didn’t use the camera and thus didn’t learn anything. An alternative to this camera could have been a more expensive camera like the PD-150.

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
The most important thing I had learnt during the progression of the media product is how crucial time is. We had to film twice and do twice as much paper work. The original idea was scrapped because our external actors couldn’t be called upon on demand. Many times when we were ready to film, our actors were in lessons. This isn’t their fault and was merely an underestimation to how long it would take to film.

The original story was quite complex and was going to utilize flashback effects and had many different scenes. Ultimately what worked for us was a simple idea which was shown in a chronological order avoiding any complications. Sometimes simplicity is better. Some of the best ideas come to a group during filming. The last shot was thought of during the filming and is the best shot, in my opinion, of the whole media product. It really shows how you can’t plan everything and that it’s sometimes better to stray from the original plan and improvise.

We did learn the importance of taking multiple shots from different angles for the same shot. Once all the film goes back to editing it becomes very easy to edit as there is so much choice. This was a skill developed from the preliminary task.

Final Product

Pre-Production Report

Before my group was able to film, we had to create certain pre-documentation to allow the filming process to be planned and easier to film.

Audio Treatment

The audio treatment states what is heard in each shot and whether it is non-digetic or diegetic. This was written by me.

Cast & Crew List

This is a small document which states all the cast and crew and which scenes they feature in. This was written by me.

Equipment List

This is another small document which lists the equipment needed and what scenes and locations they're needed for. This was written by me.

Film Brief

This film brief explains all the characters roles, location and summarizes the story. This was written by me with the help of Daryoush Zand.

Location Recce

This document has photos of all the locations used and has details about sources of power, sources of light and the permission required to film there. This was created by Dan Fox.

Production Schedule

The production schedule is a list of all the tasks done throughout the production. This is created before we start anything so we have a schedule to follow thus increasing efficiency. This was created by me.

Risk Assessment

This document is a list of all potential risks and how to prevent them thus increasing the safety of the filming process. This document was created by me.

Script

The script is the core document required for filming. It directes the actors and informs them of what to do and what to say. This was created by me.

Shot List

The shot list explains what is seen in each shot and explains the camera movement and angles used. This was created by me.

Storyboard

The storyboard is a hand drawn representation of the film with details of what happens in each shot. This was created by me.

Essay – Why do people watch Thrillers?

Films are everywhere in media. Bombardments of the latest movie trailers on television commercials, every other bus stop shelter has an advert for the newest movie. Sitting down to watch a movie in the cinema there is a 20 minute segment exclusively to movie teaser trailers; in some cases that’s been my favourite part of going. Each country invests millions of pounds into creating movies and they get even more money in return, as long as the film does well. The film industry has been as strong as ever even in today’s financial climate. But what is all the fuss about? Why do people watch films?

Escapism is what comes to my mind first when I ask myself that question. When watching a movie a person can temporary forgot and ignore real life issues. As the movie progresses the audience, should, become engrossed into the plot. They grow a mild attachment towards the characters, as long as the performance is good. The audience feels empathy towards the characters. By having empathy with the characters on screen the audience experience and feel what the character does in the movie.

I know the main reason why I watch a film is normally because I’ve read a great review about that movie. So recommendations are a nudge towards watching a movie. But why do I listen to the review? Why does a good review to a movie give me the incentive to go out of my way to watch this movie? For me, and it’s different for every person, I go to watch a movie for the soul aim to be moved and inspired; for my eyes to be open and to see the world in a different perspective. I get a great satisfaction when I’ve watched a movie which changes my view on life. I get a better understanding for the reasons behind people’s actions and this develops me as a person.

This applies to everyone; people will watch a movie to get some kind of emotional climax at the end or during the film. This high point of emotion can be a variety of outbursts from crying, to laughing (sometimes both), to being shocked, to jump out of fear and to be scared. People get a fulfilment after leaving a movie after having an emotional outburst.

The cinema environment is a memorable one. The features found in a cinema contribute towards escapism. Whilst watching the movie it is suggested the phones are switched off, cutting off communication with the outside world. No talking is highly advised and enforced by other movie watchers. The actual film room is completely dark which helps create an atmosphere that you’re alone and all that’s left is you and the film.

During the 1920s depression going to the cinema became a common event. As the world outside cinema was only getting worse, inside had no boundaries. Anything could happen in the world of cinema. Cinema allowed the people of the 1920s to escape troubled times and that element of escapism is with us today.

In modern society it has become the norm for young boys to ask out young girls to the movies. It’s one of the acceptable gathering places for teens and young adults. This is due to the media, in films the guy takes the girl out to the movies. This was probably done initially to boost box office sales; the tactic work. As guys and gals go to the movies it gives them a talking point to talk about. They can discuss their expectations of the movies, gossip about the casts’ affairs and talk about previous movies they’ve seen. After watching the movie together, this creates another talking point they can discuss after the movie or at a later date.

Having a talking point doesn’t just apply to dating teens, but to everyone. I’ve had countless conversations about movies that I’ve seen or want to see. I could talk for hours about movies and playing out famous scenes. Discussions are a social event, so films have a social element to them.

Films play a huge part in human society. They make us laugh, they make us cry, they make us feel. They give us a chance to escape reality and at the end of the day, it’s something to talk about. So, why do people watch films? So many reasons.

Conventions of Thrillers

Before I could start filming I looked into different types of thrillers and found the different conventions.

Narrative
The narrative to a thriller normally involves some sort of crime or some sort of adventure. The aim of the narrative is to simply thrill.

Characters
In thrillers there is normally a protagonist and a villain. The protagonist is trying to achieve a certain goal whilst the villain is either in the way or is trying to prevent that goal being achieved.

Settings
Thrillers are normally set in big vacant areas such as a forest or the countryside. The exact opposite can also be found in thrillers as they can be set in built up urban areas. So there is no real limit to the setting of a thriller.

Themes
The themes found in thrillers normally reflect the issues of the time. That could be issues with crime, politics, war, immigration, terrorism and injustice. For instance, it could be argued that the thriller, Bourne Identity, tackles issues to do with corruption within the government.

I looked into iconic successful thriller movie. Here are my notes from various thrillers:

Psycho
first shot – establishing shot
Scene with the money – No dialogue is used; everything is told through camera shots.
Another shot in car – the audience hears what is happening at the places she’s left behind.
String music used throughout
They introduced loads of possible suspect serial killers

Silence of the lambs
First shot – we see a girl running through the woods
Slow paced
Ambience music is used

The Shining
First shot – establishing shot
No music is used
Slow paced
Normal situation

Scream
First shot – establishing shot
Killer is revealed

Thrillers

What is a Thriller?
Thrillers are a genre of film which has the aim to thrill its audience. There is no limitation towards the budget of the film to create a thriller. From a blockbusting million pound budget film to a small media project can both be thrillers. There are many conventions in thrillers, some need to be followed and others are flexible and adaptable. There are tons of sub-genres of thrillers such as horror thrillers, psychological thrillers and action thrillers. All are slight variations of a typical thriller but have a common goal of thrilling the audience.

Online Research - What are thrillers?
According to filmsite.org:
"Thriller and Suspense Films are types of films known to promote intense excitement, suspense, a high level of anticipation, ultra-heightened expectation, uncertainty, anxiety, and nerve-wracking tension. Thriller and suspense films are virtually synonymous and interchangeable categorizations, with similar characteristics and features."
Source: http://www.filmsite.org/thrillerfilms.html

According to Wikipedia.org a thriller is:
"Thrillers are characterized by fast pacing, frequent action, and resourceful heroes who must thwart the plans of more-powerful and better-equipped villains. Literary devices such as suspense, red herrings and cliffhangers are used extensively."
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thriller_(genre)

Sub-genres Found in Thrillers
There is an ongoing trend of Thrillers combing with other film genres to form a new hybrid sub-genre. The benefits is that the new hybrid genre will draw in fans of both Thrillers and the other genre. Leading to potentially increased sales. For instance, if a Thriller is combined with romance than that movie can draw in more females to see the film.

Information about sub-genres on Wikipedia.org:
"Most thrillers are formed in some combination of the above, with horror, conspiracy, and psychological tricks used most commonly to heighten tension. Combinations are highly diverse, including:
Science fiction thrillers: Jurassic Park, Sunshine.
Techno/political/conspiracy/military: Robocop, S.M. Stirling's Draka novels.
Legal/forensic/psychological/: Thomas Harris' The Silence of the Lambs novel, Seven."
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thriller_(genre)

Information about sub-genres on filmsite.org:
"Thrillers are often hybrids - there are suspense-thrillers, action- or adventure- thrillers, sci-fi thrillers (such as Alien (1979)), crime-caper thrillers (such as The French Connection (1971)), western-thrillers (such as High Noon (1952)), film-noir thrillers (such as Double Indemnity (1944)), even romantic comedy-thrillers (such as Safety Last (1923))."
Source: http://www.filmsite.org/thrillerfilms.html

Conventions of an Opening Sequence

To get a better understanding of opening sequences I analysed various sequences from blockbusting films.

Trainspotting

The film starts with this shot which explains which filming company has created this film. The name of the company (Channel Four Films) is then followed by “presents”.
This is the shot we see of the actual film. We can see two men running away from another two men dressed in suits. The audience is to assume that the two running away have done something wrong. As they run away they’re dropping items on the floor signify that they have stolen goods. This scene creates a fast pace film straight from the start.
The tension increases as a car pulls out blocking the path of the lead character.
The lead character rolls over the car and looks into the car window, which is directly at the camera. The film pauses and the written code of “RENTON” appear on the screen. The narrator introduces himself in the form of a voiceover.

Summary
This film has created a fast pace from the start and effectively introduced the lead character by using editing techniques and voiceovers.

Memento
This film starts with the title “MEMENTO” in a blue font and a black background.
The background fades and we see the image of a hand holding an image of a murder victim. As the introduction continues the title fades out and the names of the actors fade in then out. Majority of the cast and crew’s name is shown at the start.

Summary
This is an interesting way to start a film as nothing much really happens. However, the audience wants to know what the importance of the image is.

American Beauty
The first shot is this shot above. The quality of the shot is poor signifying this is a recording. It is clear that she is talking to someone as she keeps looking past the camera as if there was someone there.
This establishing shot happens after the last scene and the voice of the main character and narrator starts as he sets the scene. This shot slowly zooms in as it establishes the main location of the film being the house of the narrator.
We then change scene into the house and have a shot looking down at the main character. The narration continues throughout.

Summary
This film uses a unique way to introduce the film with a recording of a girl. The film then moves into a more conventional way of introducing a film by using an establishing shot. The narration contributes towards setting the plot and the scene of the film.