MTF Thriller Audience

Thriller Audiences have always felt two main entertainment feelings when watching a thriller..... suspense and tension. Both of these themes make the audience sit on their seats to the very end of the film ensuring that the review of the film is positive comments because they were entertained all the way throughout the film. 

Our film was a psychological thriller which was set with dramatic themes which made our film so realistic. This type of conflict is often between the characters is often played on the mentality of a person. It distributes emotion as well which cause the thriller to be realistic and sets the genuine theme of the film. 

There is always a plot with psychological thrillers this plot is the need to always unravel the great "Mystery" this plot can go on for the entire duration of the movie causing the audience to always be entertained by the movie. Psychological Thrillers is the best suitable sub genre for our film as it attracts teenagers aged 16-19 and can attract much maturer audiences. Examples of psychological thrillers are "shutter island".  typeThis type of thriller the conflict between the characters is often mental and emotional rather than physical which would attract perhaps a female audience slightly more than a male audience. Psychological thrillers also have some kind of mystery to work out and there can also be an element Althof horror in them as some can be very disturbing. Therefore would attract an older, more intelligent audience because if the audience were not able to work it out, they might find it boring. Examples of psychological thrillers include Shutter island, Phone Booth, Blue Velvet and Suspicion.  of thriller the conflict between the characters is often mental and emotional rather than physical which would attract perhaps a female audience slightly more than a male audience. Psychological thrillers also have some kind of mystery to work out and there can also be an element of horror in them as some can be very disturbing. Therefore would attract an older, more intelligent audience because if the audience were not able to work it out, they might find it boring. Examples of psychological thrillers include Shutter Aisland, Phone Booth, Blue Velvet and Suspicion. 
This type of thriller the conflict between the characters is often mental and emotional rather than physical which would attract perhaps a female audience slightly more than a male audience. Psychological thrillers also have some kind of mystery to work out and there can also be an element of horror in them as some can be very disturbing. Therefore would attract an older, more intelligent audience because if the audience were not able to work it out, they might find it boring. Examples of psychological thrillers include Shutter island, Phone Booth, Blue Velvet and Suspicion. This type of thriller the conflict between the characters is often mental and emotional rather than physical which would attract perhaps a female audience slightly more than a male audience. Psychological thrillers also have some kind of mystery to work out and there can also be an element of horror in them as some can be very disturbing. Therefore would attract an older, more intelligent audience because if the audience were not able to work it out, they might find it boring. Examples of psychological thrillers include Shutter island, Phone Booth, Blue Velvet and Suspicion. This type of thriller the conflict between the characters is often mental and emotional rather than physical which would attract perhaps a female audience slightly more than a male audience. Psychological thrillers also have some kind of mystery to work out and there can also be an element of horror in them as some can be very disturbing. Therefore would attract an older, more intelligent audience because if the audience were not able to work it out, they might find it boring. Examples of psychological thrillers include Shutter island, Phone Booth, Blue Velvet and Suspicion. 

Evaluation Question 1-7 (Text)

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

Our media product incorporates many of the key conventions of real media productions ranging from the genre specific story lines to the use of fast paced yet chilling music. From the very begin very beginning of our film, the elements such as tension and suspense were being  mold together. Using quite stark establishing shots in terms of cinematography, the goal was to incorporate the quite drab and grey coloring of the location to add to the sense of realism that we were trying to convey in the film. In this instance some similarities can be seen with existing thriller films such as The Last Seduction (1994), which uses an establishing shot of the New York skyline. The opening to our film has been influenced by some of the films and TV series that I have seen and analysed during the preparation for my own thriller. One of the main influences was the opening of one of the Arrow TV series episode, I was influenced by the way this film uses edit in the opening scene. The uses of a TV commentator builds up the tension and help to get across the genre of thriller and in addition creates enigma for what is to follow.

We felt that our choice of score from early on in the film creates the feeling of tension and suspense. The quite chilling atmosphere created by the subtle echoes of humming foreshadows the danger that is due later on in the narrative. Also the use of an urban location brings out this sharp visual representation of the urbanity of the setting, which adds further to the realism

 In the film we used quite a lot of close up to medium shots, many of which are from a low angle perspective. Our reason behind the use of such intense shots is to emphasize the position and status of some of our male characters. Conventionally the identity of the perpetrators are usually concealed but not in this instance as we wanted to allow the audience to visually see who the antagonists are, which allows us to integrate them more into the further developments of the plot. We focused mainly on using the low angle shot which is notably used in the planning of the abduction to connote their power and status within the ranks of the abduction ring. The prominence of the low angle shot identifies with the codes and conventions of films such as Casino Royale (2006) where low angles are used in the blackjack scene to create jeopardy and tension.

In our opening we’ve used many different story line based conventions of a thriller film, such as at the end of my opening, the main character is kidnapped. Choosing Joyce Guray in our lead role as Lucy Stephens gave us an edge to the characterization of her. We casted her as she looks quite innocent and vulnerable and her facial features really stood out in the eeriness of the dark alleyway. We created this quite dark tension through the use of buildup. She is seen wearing quite innocent looking clothes and we aimed for her costume to connote fragility. The build up to the abduction incorporates a slow motion edit and a close up shot to emphasize the importance of her remaining moments before she is abducted. The actual abduction employs the conventions of the thriller genre as the lighting in films such as Case 39 (2006) low-key lighting is prominent.

Although the abduction isn’t a murder which is the most common crime that happens in thriller, it still makes the viewer nervous and question what is happening. Another typical thriller convention used are the themes portrayed by our opening, that being the themes of identity etc... The theme of identity has been explored in the way that the person is dead with no way of identifying the killer. Films in the thriller genre often involve some sort of twist in the plot of the story. This convention is one of the main in making a film a thriller. Our film conforms to this convention. Moreover we structured the codes of suspense and tension through the planning of the abduction.

Using images is quite a generic form of prop that is commonly used in conventional thriller films. Often used in spy/espionage films pictures, maps, images of locations are all very much core elements embedded into many of these films. In the case of our film we created a portfolio/collage of images so that the audience has a pre-determined image of what the victim looks like and the context behind the execution of the abduction. This something, which we felt, was integral for how the film progresses as it introduces not only the victim Lucy but also 3 other perpetrators. Other props that are used also is a laptop. Using the laptop we thought was appropriate for contemporary cinema and its something which audience’s especially our young demographic can identify with using. Social media like Facebook to track the location of Lucy. Such technological advancements in our modern age has influenced us to use it in our film. In scenes such as that of myself in the car the medium close up shot denotes myself speaking into the phone. The location and the setting of a car is something, which is very generic and is used as to signify a getaway as exhibited in films such as inside man by Spike Lee (2006).

 For the opening titles we created our own animated indents. Representing independent production companies such as “Gunnersbury films group” suggests that a lot of guerrilla stylized production was involved and that everything was shot on a low budget, which connotes that, our film inter-grate’s more realism than the artificialness of a typical Hollywood film.  In terms of the sub-genre of our  film,  we would classify it as a crime thriller. This particular genre is a hybrid type of both crime films and thrillers that offers a suspenseful account of a successful or failed crime or crimes. These films often focus on the criminal(s) as oppose to a policeman. Crime thrillers usually emphasize action over psychological aspects. Central topics of these films include serial killers/murders, robberies, chases, shootouts, heists and double-crosses. Some examples of crime thrillers involving kidnapping and murders include, Seven, A Perfect Murder, No Country For Old Men, Firewall, Hostage, Silence Of The Lambs, Kiss The Girl and Copycat. Overall we believe that our film conforms to the forms and conventions of a normal thriller, this is because our piece is structured around many of the genre specific conventions that one would relate to a thriller movie. These include the storyline with a few twists along the way to keep up the suspense and a few other conventions. The one way we see our film challenging the convention of a real media product is by the main character. As our film is a Crime-Thriller these sorts of thrillers normally centre around a policeman or an investigator.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

In my piece, the plot revolves around a young teenage girl called Lucy Stephens who is the daughter of a wealthy businessman operating in the Middle East. One evening Lucy decided to meet her boyfriend who has been absent from her for 2 months due to the fact that she is prohibited from having boyfriends, which is the reason for why she meets him so far and in such a secluded location as an alleyway, but little does she know that her boyfriend is involved in a deadly plot to kidnap and hold her for ransom due to her father’s dodgy exploits in the Middle East. She is taken from an alleyway after being set up by her boyfriend and is taken to an unknown location. To all the kidnappers meticulous planning they forgot the handbag that Lucy had dropped trying to scrabble out of kidnapping thus giving detectives a very important piece of evidence.

Our media product in a way stereotypes black youth. The cast of the film is made up of people from different ethnic backgrounds; however black youth is prominent in the film. The film presents black people in the light that they are meticulous and smart in planning the kidnapping. However in a different view aspects of youth culture present the stereotypical image of black youth to be ‘hoodlums’ and this can be seen through the use of mise en scene, costume in particular and through the casting of Jerome as one of the kidnappers who looks quite menacing. Due to the themes explored and the way the characters are shown to behave in this movie I would say that this makes the film appeal to a young audience, I also feel that the hybrid-genre of the film makes it very appealing to a wide variety of people.

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

I feel that with a large Hollywood budget that my film would suit the mainstream cinema. This is because the storyline and aura my film creates is very similar to that of many movies. The storyline, I feel is one that would not only grip the smaller indie film appreciators who would often go to a smaller independent cinema such as Picturehouses but also those who go to a more mainstream sort of cinema like ODEON.

As far as my film being a TV movie goes, I feel would be the least appealing route to go down. This is because straight to TV films have to often have a lot of backing from the broadcaster that is showing them. Investing a lot in to advertising the film and other things. I feel that this would be the least viable route for my film to take along with my film being an internet only release. The latter is a bad option because it extremely limits the amount of exposure the film will receive as many less people would probably see it than if it were released on another type of media. However releasing it on the internet would be an option to consider as our target audience spend a lot of time on the internet, on mediums such as Facebook and YouTube. Therefore by releasing it on the internet we will be directly targeting our audience and there is a possibility that our film could go viral.

Given the budget my film would have if I were to make it, I would defiantly look down the independent film route. There are many reasons for this decision. The style in which the film is shot would most defiantly appeal to the indie film market and the level of acting would be unsuitable for  a major Hollywood blockbuster were the level of acting is more important to some that the storyline, I feel this is the opposite in the indie film world. I would get my film played in Picturehouses; the reason for this is the size and location. Although it is an indie cinema it is generally a large one and are normally placed in the middle of busy area with bars that locals go to and attractions for tourists so it would draw a high audience. I researched local independent cinemas in the South East of England with the locations and reviews to see if our film could be released for a percentage of our profit. Rio Cinema, Burnham-on-Crouch Small independent cinema first built in the 1930s. Tickets are priced at £2. Prices for sweets rival big brand supermarkets such as Tesco. Soho Curzon Cinemas are art houses spread across London that show big releases and independents. Curzon would be great to release our film as it would be released across London and would also be available to watch online with ‘Curzon Demand’, a feature that allows viewers to pay and watch films online.

Our possible distributor Vertigo Films would distribute our film because of our high level of originality. The company is known for producing and distributing original and unique films, such as the low budget but hugely successful ‘Monsters’. If we present to them our original ideas and experimentation with shot types such as the live action stalking scene, they may be interested to digitally release our film and possibly present it at film festivals for feedback. I personally believe Vertigo Films would be the best and most enthusiastic distributor for our film due to the films they have worked on in the past. Vertigo Films would market our film effectively with the large internet campaigns it has for films it distributes such as ‘Monsters’ and ‘Horrid Henry’ with updates on social-networking websites and videos uploaded on YouTube. Vertigo Films would also help us create a professional flash website and will present our film amongst their flash film list on their website.

In terms of funding, the UK Film Council was a certain possibility for grants to fund our film and receive a digital release using their facilities. Unfortunately, the UK Film Council was abolished in 2010. The National Lottery is the most appealing funder for our film as it has funded many successful films and has a large audience appeal. It would be perfect for us to have the National Lottery to grab our target audience and use with the money for a digital release. First Light funding help young people develop on their skills with workshops and also focuses on funding and working with beginning filmmakers to help them into the business. This funding would be good for us to receive help but it may not distribute our film for a cinema release.

Post release I feel there are many chances for merchandise and other things related to the film. Nowadays most films also have a game that go with them. I feel that this film would be able to produce a game and also there could be a prequel to show what happened to ‘Lucy’.

Who would be the target for your media product?

Certificate Appropriate

 My film is going to be a 15. This would mean that the amount of people who could see it would be limited but I don’t feel that the amount of people who we are stopping from seeing it would make up a large part of our overall audience. Also the main reason the film is being made a 15 is because of the use of strong language, violence and implied threat that is maintained throughout the production. I found that my film would mostly appeal to men over 15 (the age seems to be pretty equal in this genre) and from social groups AB or C1.

Whilst doing research in to my target audience I used the ‘Pearl and Dean’ website to see what groups of people based on class, gender and age went to see films of a similar story and genre to my own film. In doing this a then made comparisons between the data a retrieved and found that with this group of films there are certain trends in the audience. The two films I used during my research are Exam and Spiderman 2.

How did you attract/address your audience?

I have used many different techniques to attract and address my audience, when I was deciding what techniques to use I referred back to my audience profile and used certain things in my film to try and attract the type of people who would enjoy my film.

One point in my film where I tried to shock my audience is Lucy started to run away from the kidnappers,  it leaves the audience shock, and worried for Lucy’s life and wondering if she can escape or not. This links back to the generic conventions of a thriller, the main of which is the build-up of suspense and making the audience feel uneasy and nervous.

In addition I attracted and address my audience my using casts similar to the audience age groups which I was targeting, this I believe will allow my audience to relate more to the casts.

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

The camera equipment that I used for my filming was quite basic. I feel this was one of the main drawbacks of it in the end but also the best factor about it. The camera was a basic hand-held digital camera, and I used a basic tripod. The digital camera was very easy to use and was lightweight which made filming very easy. The Tripod I used had variable heights which was quiet useful while filming to check out different angles and camera heights. The disadvantages of the camera I used were that the quality of the video that the camera took. The footage was quite bad quality and took away from the professionalism of the piece.

During filming there were no real issues to begin with. I filmed me whole piece and I had then realized when uploading my piece to Adobe Premiere CC that some of the dialogue were too low. We remedy this problem through the use of the iPhone voice memo.  The app is effective in capturing speech with clarity and precision where the camera hasn’t. From the microphone I exported the recordings of character dialogue into areas of the product where speech seemed quite. It is through the use of the microphone that allowed some of the actors to lip sync in some areas of the film.

To begin with I had no experience of using adobe premiere, but after editing my piece I feel I can now use the program efficiently. I can use all types of different cuts between to two different scenes like cross-fade etc. Another function I’ve learnt on adobe is the ability to change the music on the film from the original audio to any other sound track. In addition to adobe I also used Adobe after effect to create the typo text in the establishing shot of the Glaxo smith Kline building. Moreover, I used windows live movie maker to add the titles and the name of the people who took part in the production. I had pre knowledge of windows live movie maker so it was rather easy to make the necessary edits to my film using the programme.

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

Before my main task I had to produce my preliminary task this was a simpler version of my main task. In this task I got a lot of experience of what goes into making a film even if it just the opening.

I learnt that the planning is the most important part of the process. I made my storyboard and working script before I even thought of filming my piece. This came in useful as when it came to filming my piece I knew what every part and what would happen, the camera shot I would use and the setting. The storyboard helped me know what order I had to edit and it and how it should run after it is complete.

I have learnt when certain shots are right to use and when. Such as the use of a high angle to show dominance etc… The main thing I learnt from my preliminary task was the ability to use the camera, tripod and macs. If I never done my preliminary, I believe that my main task would have been 10 times harder to produce.

Overall I feel that although my piece lacks professionalism, with the quality of the camerawork and the quality of the camera itself, the actual piece and all the work I have done to make it starting from my research and planning has not only fulfilled the task but gone above what I expected to be able to do.