Monday, 9 May 2011
Preliminary Video
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
This was the second recording in media studies done in a group of three with one filming while the other two act. It is basically a boy walking down a corridor walking into a room, zooming in on his shoes while he walks, sitting down then talking to a girl with over shoulder shots and making use of the 180 degrees rule.
My skills have improved in using a camera, underestanding different shots (such as long shots, close-ups, birds-eye view and worms-eye view, camera angles, the 180 degrees rule and film editing). Difficulties included using a camera as it was my first time operating a proffessional recording/filming camera and the way it needed to be set up, turned on and how to properly put the tape in was new to me.
Sunday, 6 February 2011
Evaluation
What Kind of Media Institution Might Distribute Your Media Product and Why?
View more presentations from ns04126815.In what ways does your Media Product use, Develop or Challenge Forms and Conventions of Real Media Products?
How do you Attract/Address your Audience?
- This thriller product is a psychological thriller. Like all thrillers is designed to give the audience excitement and suspense. There are 7 theories about the different elements that could make up a thriller. This thriller is made up mostly of ‘Heroic Romance’, because of the way he is an ordinary person with extraordinary beliefs affecting his lifestyle. ‘Partial Vision’, represented by the way he casually acts out his morning routine, similar to everyone elses yet differences because of his superstious actions and flashbacks of his past, all of this hiding important information that would explain the nature and reason of these things. ‘Question and Answer’, shown by the questions of, ‘Why is he superstitious? What made him this way? And what relevence do his flashbacks have.
- I chose to make this psychological genre of a thriller using the strange behaviour of the character in everyday situations to create subtle hints of suspense based on both of these theories.
- I based this thriller on these theories because they worked well with the psychological theme and suited the setting for the thriller. The opening scenes are in a normal house, so this worked well with the use of partial vision. The partial vision is created because the character goes through his every day routine, but this routine includes differences to the audiences expectation. This makes the audience question why and what might happen and introduces suspense and excitement. The audience only see part of the story in the characters actions as he goes about his routine of getting up in the morning clues of his superstitious beliefs start to emerge.
- The Heroic romance theory uses ordinary people in extraordinary situations, so this wouldn’t have been suitable for this thriller. There was also no way of using the maze, so this wasn’t included.
- This thriller is different from other thrillers in how subtle it is in suspense compared to Jaws or Se7en. In these examples you know from the start that it is a thriller through the use of music and the death of a person. This thriller is also created with no speech, which again is unusual for a thriller but emphasises the psychological theme.
- I used close up shots to emphasise details for the audience such as the shock in his eyes when he knocked over the salt. At the beginning I used a high angle shot, looking down on the character, which made him look smaller and implied he was insignificant. The shots were focussed on the character almost the whole time. This was because the thriller is based on the character and his actions. The flash backs were created by close ups of photos, to show that his past life was ordinary and explain the fact that his ex-girlfriend had left him because of his superstitions, without using narrative.
- I think that the opening sequence works well as a thriller because the audience are led to question what has happened and makes you wonder what will happen later in the thriller. The clues to the audience are given using camera shots.
- The main character was male which is common for thrillers, because this seemed to be more appropriate and have more impact for an overly superstitious person.
- The opening sequence focuses on the character rather than the events that happen around him. As this is a psychological thriller, the opening sequence had to quickly introduce the characters obsession with superstition and show his mental and emotional problems. The sequence shows that it is the character is scary, rather than the setting which is an ordinary house. Close shots on the character emphasise his emotions, and the high shot looking down on the character shows his lack of importance in his own mind. An over shoulder shot was used to show him cleaning the mirror, which then cut to a shot of him wiping the lens of the camera which seems to the audience that they are looking through the mirror at him. Mirrors are symbolic in thrillers to show reflections and imply that there are two sides which appear similar but may be reverse images.
- The candle was lit by the character to create flickering and shadows, which was then developed by it going out suddenly as an omen of dark spirits and the demons which he is frightened of later in the story.
How do you Attract/Address your Audience?
- To find out what people wanted I produced a questionnaire with 20 questions, these included, people’s ages, genders, hobbies, fears and what people wanted or didn’t want in a thriller.
- I analysed the questionnaires to find out what people wanted in a thriller:
- Most people wanted fast-paced themed music and dark lighting
- Most wanted the main character to be a male adult
- Most people preferred a thriller that was real but based on obsession and has a hidden message possibly a cliff-hanger
- People’s favourite thrillers were ‘Red Eye’ and ‘Se7en’
- Most people thought pain was scariest and the most scary room was the kitchen followed by the bathroom
- People didn’t like a thriller that was predictable or too scary
- Looking at what people wanted I decided my thriller would be an obsessed male adult with lots of hidden messages and hints at what’s going on
- The opening sequence was set in the kitchen and living room
- We used fast paced music and no dialogue to set the mood
- It is appropriate to the target audience because people can relate to the male main character
- The narrative is told through hints and flashbacks so the audience is left with hints and questions and it isn’t predictable or too scary
- It is not as scary as thrillers such as ‘Silence of the lambs’ or ‘Psycho’ because there isn’t obvious violence, but the tension was built through the main characters strange behaviour, which isn’t immediately explained.
- I wanted the audience to feel intrigued and curious and maybe a little nervous they were supposed to understand that the male character had reacted to events in his life and had gone from being superstitious to being obsessed in a dangerous way
- The target audience were asked what they thought of the film again using a questionnaire the full results and details are in section 11 of my blog
- The film worked because the audience didn’t immediately recognise it was a thriller so it had a subtle opening sequence, but it had a hint of mystery because people wanted to keep watching
- Most people thought the plot was interesting and would watch the film when it was finished
- People liked the camera work, thought the music added suspense and the actor’s facial expression worked well for a thriller
- Everybody rated the scene 3 and above out of 5
How Does Your Media Product Represent Particular Social Groups
Thursday, 3 February 2011
Section 1: THE THRILLER GENRE
Definition of a thriller
A thriller story or film is created and designed to create suspense, usually make people jump and to make the audience very tense.
Thriller Theory
What is a thriller?
Has tension/excitement and mystery to drive plot and create suspense.
Sub Genres
Psychological/crime/supernatural/action/erotic/horror/political.
Different types of thrillers (ingredients of thrillers)
G.K. Chesterton - The Transformed City
Thrillers transform urban settings into exciting and dramatic locations for stories.
Northrop Frye - The Heroic Romance
Thrillers throw ordinary people into extraordinary situations.
John Cowelti - The exotic
Thrillers take every day life and throw an exotic element into it.
W.H. Matthews - Mazes and Labyrinths
Thrillers often use the idea of a mysterious quest in a confined location that feels like a labyrinth, taking advantage of the human curiosity for mazes and puzzles.
Pascal Bonitzer - Partial Vision
Thrillers sometimes keep the suspense by keeping something important partially seen by the audience but obscuring all crucial parts.
Noel Carroll - Question and Answer
Thrillers can be constructed around a series of complicated questions that always lead to the audience being desperate for answers only getting hinted at what the answer could be leading to more questions.
Roland Barthes - Enigma Codes
Moments during a narrative which leads to the audience asking questions. In a thriller enigma codes are very useful for telling the story with lots of suspense.
Thriller Codes and Conventions
Music Gives Tension
A thriller story or film is created and designed to create suspense, usually make people jump and to make the audience very tense.
Thriller Theory
What is a thriller?
- Can happen in almost any movie genre.
- Sub genres can be - psychological/mystery/hybrid.
- Made to scare or make you jump.
- Creates suspense/twists/chain of events.
- Can get the audience asking 'Who did it?'
- Parallel plots.
Has tension/excitement and mystery to drive plot and create suspense.
Sub Genres
Psychological/crime/supernatural/action/erotic/horror/political.
Different types of thrillers (ingredients of thrillers)
G.K. Chesterton - The Transformed City
Thrillers transform urban settings into exciting and dramatic locations for stories.
Northrop Frye - The Heroic Romance
Thrillers throw ordinary people into extraordinary situations.
John Cowelti - The exotic
Thrillers take every day life and throw an exotic element into it.
W.H. Matthews - Mazes and Labyrinths
Thrillers often use the idea of a mysterious quest in a confined location that feels like a labyrinth, taking advantage of the human curiosity for mazes and puzzles.
Pascal Bonitzer - Partial Vision
Thrillers sometimes keep the suspense by keeping something important partially seen by the audience but obscuring all crucial parts.
Noel Carroll - Question and Answer
Thrillers can be constructed around a series of complicated questions that always lead to the audience being desperate for answers only getting hinted at what the answer could be leading to more questions.
Roland Barthes - Enigma Codes
Moments during a narrative which leads to the audience asking questions. In a thriller enigma codes are very useful for telling the story with lots of suspense.
Thriller Codes and Conventions
Music Gives Tension
- Loud
- Dramatic
- Fast pace
- Intense music
- Low key
- Use of shadow
- Mirrors - reflect soul and darkness of inner self
- Black and white - eerie and dark
- Flashbacks
- Disorienting
- Obtrusive
- Quick shots
Section 2: RESEARCH INTO EXAMPLES OF COMPARABLE PRODUCTS
Jaws - Opening
Narrative Structure
A group of Teenagers were camping on the beach at night. One of the boys goes over to a girl who then starts running telling him to follow her. They run past a long fence while she takes her clothes off to go swimming in the sea he slowly follows. When she is in the deep water she calls for him to swim as well, he has trouble taking his clothes off so he doesn't realise when she starts thrashing around calling for help. She then disappears into the water.
Thriller Codes and Conventions
Music gets faster and louder to increase the tension.
The editing of the video makes you feel like you are the shark which is slightly disorienting. This makes you uncomfortable which adds to the suspense. The shark attacks are sudden and frightening which adds to the fear
'Partial Vision' is shown by concealment of the shark and we only get to see through the eyes of the shark we never see the shark itself also it is dark under the water and you can't properly see what's there
Camera Work
At the beginning, the camera is under water moving forward and it seems to be seeing through the sharks sight so you can't see the shark. When the girl is swimming the camera shots keep looking up at her from underwater from the concealed shark's point of view. When she is attacked and she starts thrashing in the water the camera stays constantly focused on her.
Mise-en-scene
Starting at the beach gives us a good idea that the shark would appear here. The girl and boy that are singled out from the rest of the group make us think that they are most likely to be involved in the main event and something will happen to them. The long fence they run past almost resemble a long row of teeth or a huge fish skeleton, also during this scene the way the area changed and became darker, more isolated and suspicious relates to 'Transformed City'. When they begin removing their clothes it seems like they are removing all forms of protection, also because we could never see the shark it relates to 'Partial Vision'.
Sound
Non diegetic scary music which starts slow and quiet then gets louder and speeds up is played at the start when the shark is swimming (this music is now widely known) this music signals when something is going to happen. There are diegetic sounds of the harmonica played by a random teenager and the sound of the sea. The scary music starts off fast and then stops instantly becoming calm when it cuts to the camp.
Editing
Cuts started steady then began speeding up whenever something exciting is about to happen.
Graphics
Narrative Structure
A concealed person puts down their wallet in their house/apartment and then another concealed person steals the wallet. A woman working at an airport was trying to calm an angry couple who's flight got mixed up. The woman calls her friend who is in a taxi for advice on how to handle the situation. After the couple's flight is sorted out and the woman working at the airport hangs up her phone the friend in the taxi's dad calls. The friend leaves the taxi and enters an airport hearing that 'Red Eye' was the last flight to leave the airport and her flight has been delayed. A man in her queue starts arguing about his flight being delayed and another man interferes and stops the argument by just looking at the arguing man and talking calmly
Thriller Codes and Conventions
This film starts at night which is associated with fear.
There is a lot of argueing and fast action which increases the tension. The audience expects something to happen but doesn't know what.
'Transformed City' is shown because it is at an airport with a dramatic story.
Camera Work
Follows the woman who was in the taxi a lot and zoomed up on the face of the man who interfered with the argument
Mise-en-scene
When the wallet was put down the other hand that picks it up is wearing different clothing and takes it from behind. Concealed people represents ' Partial Vision'. Angry couple seemed to be backing the woman working at the airport into a corner. The woman in the taxi seems significant and the man who interferes with the argument seems to be related and likely a main character later in the story.
Sound
Diegetic sound gets louder but apart from that and non diegetic city noises there wasn't much sound.
Editing
The images and non diegetic sound compliment each other and synchronise well.
Graphics
The titles were bold but plain
Silence of the Lambs
Narrative Structure
Foggy forest near Virginia. A woman is running when she stops she is out of breath. When she reaches a net we realise it is an obstacle course and some man wearing sun glasses and a hat with FBI on it tells her to go to someone's office. When she reaches a building we find out she's at a training camp of sorts. She enters the building goes into a lift and when she exits the lift is asked to go see someone.
Thriller Codes and Conventions
Deep music with an obvious beat and emphasises her movements
Forests usually relate to something bad but this teases the audience because we discover she was just training.
Although she appeared vulnerable and possibly running for her life, she turned out to be an FBI agent.
Again this made the audience question what they were seeing and added to the suspense
Camera Work
Keeps camera mainly focused on the woman while she is running. When the camera is facing her side while she is running it looks faster as the trees go past quickly. We gain a shot of the building where events would take place.
Mise-en-scene
'Transformed City' Fog makes it eerie and gives a 'no way out' or 'no turning back' feel to the forest. She seems very out of place almost like an outcast. The way she ran and was out of breath many would assume she was being chased by something making her seem vulnerable. Later we find out she works for the FBI and the vulnerable image is erased and also she contrasts massively to the men in the building.
Sound
Eerie non-diegetic music in forest which grows darker as we move further into the forest building the tension telling you something is going to happen.
'Partial Vision' makes the Diegetic wildlife noises and gun shots make the audience think something is going to happen but the mystery is they don't what.
Editing
Fast cuts add to the tension and it's disorienting because she seems to be running very fast increasing the fear.
Graphics
Opening credits are big, bold and 'in your face', plus they are a plain black with white outline.
Narrative Structure
A group of Teenagers were camping on the beach at night. One of the boys goes over to a girl who then starts running telling him to follow her. They run past a long fence while she takes her clothes off to go swimming in the sea he slowly follows. When she is in the deep water she calls for him to swim as well, he has trouble taking his clothes off so he doesn't realise when she starts thrashing around calling for help. She then disappears into the water.
Thriller Codes and Conventions
Music gets faster and louder to increase the tension.
The editing of the video makes you feel like you are the shark which is slightly disorienting. This makes you uncomfortable which adds to the suspense. The shark attacks are sudden and frightening which adds to the fear
'Partial Vision' is shown by concealment of the shark and we only get to see through the eyes of the shark we never see the shark itself also it is dark under the water and you can't properly see what's there
Camera Work
At the beginning, the camera is under water moving forward and it seems to be seeing through the sharks sight so you can't see the shark. When the girl is swimming the camera shots keep looking up at her from underwater from the concealed shark's point of view. When she is attacked and she starts thrashing in the water the camera stays constantly focused on her.
Mise-en-scene
Starting at the beach gives us a good idea that the shark would appear here. The girl and boy that are singled out from the rest of the group make us think that they are most likely to be involved in the main event and something will happen to them. The long fence they run past almost resemble a long row of teeth or a huge fish skeleton, also during this scene the way the area changed and became darker, more isolated and suspicious relates to 'Transformed City'. When they begin removing their clothes it seems like they are removing all forms of protection, also because we could never see the shark it relates to 'Partial Vision'.
Sound
Non diegetic scary music which starts slow and quiet then gets louder and speeds up is played at the start when the shark is swimming (this music is now widely known) this music signals when something is going to happen. There are diegetic sounds of the harmonica played by a random teenager and the sound of the sea. The scary music starts off fast and then stops instantly becoming calm when it cuts to the camp.
Editing
Cuts started steady then began speeding up whenever something exciting is about to happen.
Graphics
- Dark and underwater
- Simple and bold text with an 'in your face' style
Narrative Structure
A concealed person puts down their wallet in their house/apartment and then another concealed person steals the wallet. A woman working at an airport was trying to calm an angry couple who's flight got mixed up. The woman calls her friend who is in a taxi for advice on how to handle the situation. After the couple's flight is sorted out and the woman working at the airport hangs up her phone the friend in the taxi's dad calls. The friend leaves the taxi and enters an airport hearing that 'Red Eye' was the last flight to leave the airport and her flight has been delayed. A man in her queue starts arguing about his flight being delayed and another man interferes and stops the argument by just looking at the arguing man and talking calmly
Thriller Codes and Conventions
This film starts at night which is associated with fear.
There is a lot of argueing and fast action which increases the tension. The audience expects something to happen but doesn't know what.
'Transformed City' is shown because it is at an airport with a dramatic story.
Camera Work
Follows the woman who was in the taxi a lot and zoomed up on the face of the man who interfered with the argument
Mise-en-scene
When the wallet was put down the other hand that picks it up is wearing different clothing and takes it from behind. Concealed people represents ' Partial Vision'. Angry couple seemed to be backing the woman working at the airport into a corner. The woman in the taxi seems significant and the man who interferes with the argument seems to be related and likely a main character later in the story.
Sound
Diegetic sound gets louder but apart from that and non diegetic city noises there wasn't much sound.
Editing
The images and non diegetic sound compliment each other and synchronise well.
Graphics
The titles were bold but plain
Silence of the Lambs
Narrative Structure
Foggy forest near Virginia. A woman is running when she stops she is out of breath. When she reaches a net we realise it is an obstacle course and some man wearing sun glasses and a hat with FBI on it tells her to go to someone's office. When she reaches a building we find out she's at a training camp of sorts. She enters the building goes into a lift and when she exits the lift is asked to go see someone.
Thriller Codes and Conventions
Deep music with an obvious beat and emphasises her movements
Forests usually relate to something bad but this teases the audience because we discover she was just training.
Although she appeared vulnerable and possibly running for her life, she turned out to be an FBI agent.
Again this made the audience question what they were seeing and added to the suspense
Camera Work
Keeps camera mainly focused on the woman while she is running. When the camera is facing her side while she is running it looks faster as the trees go past quickly. We gain a shot of the building where events would take place.
Mise-en-scene
'Transformed City' Fog makes it eerie and gives a 'no way out' or 'no turning back' feel to the forest. She seems very out of place almost like an outcast. The way she ran and was out of breath many would assume she was being chased by something making her seem vulnerable. Later we find out she works for the FBI and the vulnerable image is erased and also she contrasts massively to the men in the building.
Sound
Eerie non-diegetic music in forest which grows darker as we move further into the forest building the tension telling you something is going to happen.
'Partial Vision' makes the Diegetic wildlife noises and gun shots make the audience think something is going to happen but the mystery is they don't what.
Editing
Fast cuts add to the tension and it's disorienting because she seems to be running very fast increasing the fear.
Graphics
Opening credits are big, bold and 'in your face', plus they are a plain black with white outline.
Section 3: BRAINSTORM OF CONTENT AND CLASSIFICATION OF FILM
Classification
The thriller will be classification 15 because if it was an 18 we would lose the 15, 16 and 17 year old audience also i am only 16 years old so i cannot watch or create a classification 18 thriller. It is classification 15 because it has a psychological aspect to it which would only be suitable for people aged 15 and above.
It is a 15 because it is a thriller that is not too thrilling for people of this age group. No-one under 15 can see a certificate 15 movie at a cinema or buy/rent one at a store.
It is too thrilling for anyone under 15 because of certain aspects; such as the main character Tony who is very superstitious, OCD and weird psychologically.
The thriller will be classification 15 because if it was an 18 we would lose the 15, 16 and 17 year old audience also i am only 16 years old so i cannot watch or create a classification 18 thriller. It is classification 15 because it has a psychological aspect to it which would only be suitable for people aged 15 and above.
It is a 15 because it is a thriller that is not too thrilling for people of this age group. No-one under 15 can see a certificate 15 movie at a cinema or buy/rent one at a store.
It is too thrilling for anyone under 15 because of certain aspects; such as the main character Tony who is very superstitious, OCD and weird psychologically.
Section 4: AUDIENCE RESEARCH
Questionnaire
This questionnaire is what i gave out to ten people to get their opinion on what they would prefer a thriller to be like.
1 - What is your favourite colour?
Green
Blue
Red
Black
Purple
White
Other
2 - What is your gender?
Male
Female
3 - What is your age?
15-19
20-24
25-30
31+
4 - What music would best suit a thriller?
Slow paced
Fast paced
5 - What font best suits a thriller?
Thriller
Thriller
Thriller
Thriller
(We put the different fonts into the word "Thriller")
6 - What creates the most tension?
Theme music
Dialogue
7 - What gender would be best as a hero?
Male
Female
8 - What age would best suit a hero?
Child
Teenager
Adult
Pensioner
9 - What is your favourite thriller?
Red eye
Jaws
Silence of the lambs
Seven
10 - Which lighting would be best suited?
Light
Dark
11 - Which word attracts you most to a thriller?
Corruption
Delusion
Isolation
Obsession
12 - How do you prefer thrillers?
Realistic
Supernatural
13 - What is your worst fear?
Insects
Death
Dark
Height
Pain
14 - What objects remind you of comfort?
Blanket
TV
Jewellery
Photographs
Teddy
15 - What is the scariest room in your house?
Conservatory
Living room
Kitchen
Bathroom
Other
16 - Do you: (Circle as many as needed)
Throw salf over your shoulder
Count magpies
Avoid walking under ladders
Avoid pavement cracks
"Touch wood"
17 - What ingredients best suit a thriller?
Cliff hangers
Hidden messages
Gore
Heroes
Paranormal
18 - What is your favourite hobby? __________
19 - What do you dislike about a thriller? __________
20 - What location creates more fear?
Open space
Isolation
Enclosed
Green
Blue
Red
Black
Purple
White
Other
2 - What is your gender?
Male
Female
3 - What is your age?
15-19
20-24
25-30
31+
4 - What music would best suit a thriller?
Slow paced
Fast paced
5 - What font best suits a thriller?
Thriller
Thriller
Thriller
Thriller
(We put the different fonts into the word "Thriller")
6 - What creates the most tension?
Theme music
Dialogue
7 - What gender would be best as a hero?
Male
Female
8 - What age would best suit a hero?
Child
Teenager
Adult
Pensioner
9 - What is your favourite thriller?
Red eye
Jaws
Silence of the lambs
Seven
10 - Which lighting would be best suited?
Light
Dark
11 - Which word attracts you most to a thriller?
Corruption
Delusion
Isolation
Obsession
12 - How do you prefer thrillers?
Realistic
Supernatural
13 - What is your worst fear?
Insects
Death
Dark
Height
Pain
14 - What objects remind you of comfort?
Blanket
TV
Jewellery
Photographs
Teddy
15 - What is the scariest room in your house?
Conservatory
Living room
Kitchen
Bathroom
Other
16 - Do you: (Circle as many as needed)
Throw salf over your shoulder
Count magpies
Avoid walking under ladders
Avoid pavement cracks
"Touch wood"
17 - What ingredients best suit a thriller?
Cliff hangers
Hidden messages
Gore
Heroes
Paranormal
18 - What is your favourite hobby? __________
19 - What do you dislike about a thriller? __________
20 - What location creates more fear?
Open space
Isolation
Enclosed
Bar charts
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