How do film websites use convergence to increase audience awareness and participation in order to promote and sustain interest in the film and/or its franchise?

 

 

'Cutting It' - Technical Analysis

"Cutting It" was a BBC TV drama series that was set in Manchester. It was based on the lives of people running a hairdressing salon and ran for 4 series between 2002 and 2005. This is a technical analysis of a scene involving Sarah Parish (Allie Henshall) and Jason Merrelles (Gavin Farraday). 

Camera Shots, Movement and Framing

• The two shot was used when they were conversing in the taxi which conveyed their intimacy and allowed the audience to make the connection between the two characters. 
• The ariel shot was used after the accident to convey Sarah's vulnerability. This demonstrates a contrast of them being framed in the taxi and being exposed after the crash. 
• The extreme close up of the ring was symbolic. It could be seen as foreshadowing - Jason is holding onto their relationship when he fiddles with it which is symbolic of what might happen. 
• A point of view shot of Jason running towards her caused tension because he wanted to know if Sarah was alive or dead. There is no other point in the sequence where a handheld camera is used; the urgency of this shot stands out. 
• The crane shot in the doctors office allowed us to see the appointment but not hear it. It could be interpreted that the information that she is being given is so surreal that she is watching herself receiving it like she doesn't believe it's happening. This shot also signals that the desk is a barrier between the two characters - this shows their differences (life and death).
• The close up of Sarah's face when she's crying builds suspense because the audience don't know if the news is good or bad. 
• The exterior shots of the hospital pan to follow an ambulance. This shot establishes the location and gives a clearer idea of what they were talking about in the taxi. 
• The alternating shots of the couple allow the audience to see both of the characters. In Jason's shots Sarah is visible but in Sarah's shots Jason isn't visible. This could be because she's the main character or, alternatively, because she's not as interested in him as he is of her. 
• Another close up is used when the couple are holding hands and when he is adjusting his wedding ring - this reinforces their intimacy and togetherness. 

Sound

There are 4 key sections within the soundtrack of this sequence:

1. Verbal Soundtrack - This makes up the main part of the sequence as it's the dialogue. One of the many ways to show the character's thoughts and emotions is through dialogue. It also mixes in with the background noise.
2. Sound effects - These are the natural sounds, pauses and silences. The skidding of the car shows the audience something bad has happened even though you can't see Sarah being knocked over. Also, the sound of people talking when they got out of the taxi conveys that they're in a public place. Finally, when Sarah is hit Jason's heartbeat slows and this sound is heard. 
3. Music Score - This includes the themes, bridges and motifs. From when Sarah walks away from Jason to when the office scene ends a music piece is heard which eventually fades out. The music has a slow beat but it's primarily the lyrics and melody that demonstrate to the audience that they should feel sad. It's the music score that makes the scene more predictable. 
4. Ambient Sound - This is the general background noise. In some cases it's louder than the diegetic sounds. It's bridged as it's non-diegetic before the hospital scene and during so that the audience can make the morale decision as to whether Sarah's died or not. The music is generally synchronous when the non-diegetic sound of the heart beat is playing and Jason runs across the road. 

Editing

The editing was split into three key sections:

1. Shot types and length - in the cab there was a two shot and close ups of their faces when conversing. The cuts were slower at the consultation. The shot was shaky when it was point of view and it fades to black at the end. 
2. Visual effects - slow motion was used in the running to show Jason's futile efforts and to enhance the drama. Additionally the wedding ring was recoloured to make it stand out. 
3. Sounds + image - sharper shots in the taxi when conversing. 

Film Industry - Exhibition

In the Summer of 2007 cinema attendances rose to the highest point in 40 years. Blockbusters and good films brought people back to the cinema. Exhibitors need to move to the digital projection system. They also need good films that capture people's imaginations. In the 21st century they face piracy which is a main problem. Since 1984 multiplex cinemas and good films have driven the rise in cinema audiences. This is because before cinemas were run down with only a single screen. This lead to obstructed views, people being cramped and it being generally unhygienic.

Cinema Location
Older multiplexes were out of town because it wasn't economically viable to put them in the city centre. This meant that they had good parking. Nowadays, this has reversed and the majority of cinemas are in the city centre.
Curzon cinemas are 'niche' exhibitors because they have identified specific audiences and interspersed specialised films (e.g. independent, art house etc). They compete against the major cinemas by finding the 'niche' audience.

Audience
Baby boomers (the older generation from WW2) are an increasing part of the changing audience of cinema goers. 'Film bookers' decide on what films goes where by thinking about the films commercially not by personal preference. Each cinema takes on it's own merit; out of town cinemas are seen to be visited by mostly a younger audience and the in town cinemas used more by a discerning user. Films are booked 3/4 weeks in advance and the decisions are reviewed after the opening weekend of the Monday.
Two years ago Vue did a detailed analysis on customers at various sites called 'mosaic profiling'. This allowed them to identify who their customers are in each area. For example, at one of their London branches they found that they had a large Turkish population so they showed a popular Turkish film which increased their audience members.
It has been found that people usually decide which cinema to go to based on many reasons:

• Is it easy to get to? (Access/parking)
• Are the viewing times suitable?
• Is it an old cinema? (Obstructed views)
• Do you have to que for a ticket?
• What is the brand?

The brand of the cinema is actually placed at 7 or 8 in the top 10 list of why people choose to go to a cinema. It has even been found in a poll that 75% of people didn't know the name of the cinema when they left.
Curzon cinemas attempt to differentiate between themselves and their majors by challenging an intelligent film (showing a special screening).
With the arrival of digital projection, sporting events, live concerts and events can be shown in cinemas. 3D is likely to change things because it becomes more of an event/experience. The cinema is almost accessorising it by making it more interesting - and they can charge more.
Digital screen network will help niche exhibitors like Curzon reach a wider audience than their typical 25-45 age range by using tools like the digital screen network. Cinemas are attempting to differentiate themselves from home entertainment by becoming a more event based experience with better quality films. It has been said that people will always want to watch films because people enjoy sharing the experience in an auditorium full of people. Cinemas are an important part of the community.

Key Features

In the following drama sub-genres I have found some key features that appear frequently. These key features help the audience to distinguish the topic, audience and genre of the drama - thus aiding them in deciding if they want to watch it.

Information from: http://www.godnose.co.uk/downloads/alevel/genre/features%20of%20soap%20opera%20.pdf
                                  OCR Media Studies for AS textbook. 

Information from: OCR Media Studies for AS textbook.

Information from: OCR Media Studies for AS textbook.

Information from: OCR Media Studies for AS textbook.

THE FILM INDUSTRY

During our viewing of the Film Industry DVD I was able to make notes on the production and distribution roles within the film industry.



The role of the producer is to find the idea, script writer, director, cast and see the film all the way through. The person in this role is described as being 'in the middle' of the production because they are looking at the bigger picture. Additionally, the producer oversees other aspects of the production such as finance. Two elements that this role entails is to protect the director and make everything possible.
Nick Powell talked about the 4 'blocks' in producing:

• developing
• raising money
• making it
• taking it to the screen (distribution)

THE IDEA:

It is imperative that to make a worthy script the narrative must be good and well told for the screen. All scripts start with a big idea that poses the question: what is the writer trying to make reference to? Moreover, the script is described as a blue print that inspires the director - so a beginning, middle and end must be established and each of the characters thought about carefully. One importance that is discussed later in the DVD is matching the narrative to a current 'fashionable' topic to increase the popularity of the film. 

THE PACKAGE:

The package is where the director and producer plan who is going to be involved, how they are going to produce the film and how much it will cost; crew, cast and cost. They must find a production team and get the key film makers on board, as well as work out the cost. What's more, the casting of the actors is crucial and often the casting process runs alongside the scheduling process. Finally, 'script development' is the drafting and redrafting of the script about 12-15 times until the director is happy. Elements such as speech, setting and characters are developed and re-developed. 

ATTRACTING INVESTMENT:

UK film producers can go to various places for finance: TV companies (BBC film, Channel 4 etc), regional development funds and a group of 3-10 financiers (people who have invested stocks and shares which then invest into other projects). Typically, multiple partners will be used for a film because they don't 'own enough of the pie' to make crucial changes and control the project - which is what would happen if the film was independently financed. Essentially, they can opt for a co-production deal which is where the producers look abroad for investment - this can be found by searching for companies with previous experience in a particular genre or topic. 

PLANNING:

The producer's role when planning the shooting schedule of the film is to break it down and find what will be the hardest scene to film. For example, this might be a scene with an inhospitable location like on a moving train at night etc. These are usually the scenes that are planned out first because they will take the longest to film and therefore time needs to be allowed for them. They then find people that are on the 'same page' as them and have similar ideas.
The director's 'right hand' is the cinematographer because they have to convey what the producer is thinking whilst still including their own creativity. 

BUDGET:

The budget is significant because the film is based on the finance plan; it affects what the producer can actually do with the film and could restrict them from doing some more expensive things. The budget is broken down into a finance plan table with the cast, location, extras and props which is then filled after the script analysis. This allows everything to be budgeted for accurately and correctly to ensure no money is wasted. 

The 'above-the-line' cost is the creative talent package which pays for things like novel rights, producer, writer, director and the major actors. The 'below-the-line' cost isn't the people driving the sales, it's the people that put together the shoot; setting it up, designing it and photographing it.

AUDIENCE:
Some questions that the executive producer should ask of every film are:

• Will this be played in a multi-plex or art house?
• Will this be a local film or played in every cinema in the country?
• Who are we making this for?
• Will they pay money to see it?
• Will the audience cover the cost that it took to make the film?
• Have we produced something the market place will understand?

The audience is so important because if the film isn't what they want to see or if it doesn't meet their expectations then they will not pay to go and see the film. Ultimately, the profit made from the film will decrease drastically as word will spread that the film isn't worth going to see.

MARKETING:
Marketing is considered a hidden cost because it's not often thought about, despite the large sum of money that goes into marketing. The genre has importance when considering the marketing of the film because particular genres are suited to particular events in the year - for example, Halloween films like Saw and Christmas films like Elf. The 'need to see' is their way of enticing the audience based on the genre, concept and director - these make the audience feel as though they are missing out if they don't see the film. The most significant difference between the USA film industry and the British film industry is the fact that the US producers begin to think about marketing and selling their film from the outset of making their film, however UK producers think about it after the film has been produced.



The role of the distributor is to bring the film to the market place through the use of a release plan. There are a couple of different ways that distributors can acquire films:

1. Seek the films out and acquire the rights to them.
2. Visit film festivals and get the film to be seen by as many people as possible.

MARKETING:
The distributor finds the film's USP - unique selling point - or hook. For example this would be the shark that attacks people in Jaws. Genre is important because the audience need to be able to identify the genre.

TARGET AUDIENCE:
The most frequent cinema goers are 15-24 year olds and families. However, the distributor needs to attract as many people as possible.

RELEASE DATE:
The release date is very important because the film must be released when people have the chance to go to the cinema - like the summer holidays etc. The school holidays are popular because films for a younger audience can be released as they will have more opportunities to visit the cinema during this time. Big franchise films like the Da Vinchi Code and Spiderman are usually made with a release date in mind.

FILM RESEARCH:
Film research happens because a lot of money is spent making the film and they can't risk loosing money that they have spent on it. Essentially, it involves questionnaires being taken by their chosen demographic which aids them in knowing that the film meets the audience's expectations. Test screenings are also used for the distributors to be able to interpret if the film has met the audience's expectations. This then allows the distributors the chance to let the producers, directors and the studios what they need to do to improve the film.

MARKETING BUDGET:
The budget is decided on using a mixture of guess work and experience. However, once the budget is estimated the actual percentage spent on marketing is 25-30%. The marketing budget is stretched as far as it can go.

ADVERTISING/PUBLICITY:
The advertising/publicity side of things involves three main sections:

• Advertising (media - TV newspaper etc)
• Promotions (media/radio promotions etc)
• Production cost

On the other hand, another way to publicise the film is through the premier; if a big name actor appears then they will cause interest.



THE MARKETING CAMPAIGN:
Distributors often find it hard to get their message to stand out because there are so many marketing campaigns that people will see solely on their way to work - let alone during the day! Some different marketing campaigns can be done through the use of: public relations, the internet, mobile phones, posters etc. But, posters are still the most important marketing tool for a film. Synergy is important because the distributors must create something that the audience can relate to - like bold fonts that are clearly recognisable. It is the public that has to make the connection between the various marketing campaigns.

THE POSTER:
The poster art is vital because it must sell the film topic and genre. The best posters tease the audience by making them aware of the film. A good poster should reveal images that can be known nationally in order for the film to be instantly recognisable.

THE TRAILER:
The trailer is important because it's the public's only exposure to what they'll buy in to when they do to see the film. When they see it before another film in the cinema they are experiencing it in the same format (size, sound and technologies like £D etc) as they will be when they actually see the film - so it could act as a form of persuation.
The three different types of trailer are:

1. The Teaser (before the production)
2. The Main one
3. The Shorter version

The perfect trailer has no dialogue because the visuals should do all the work as the action tells the story. However, it comes down to the mood and tone that should be set; comedies often use voice overs but thrillers/horrora use captions because the voice plays with the mood. Something that's silent has more impact. If the film is in a foreign language no dialogue is used to cover up the fact that it's foreign. This is essentially because they still want people to go and see the film for what it is - instead of miss it because of the hastle to read the captions. 
A TV trailer is different - they use the finished film so that a lot more scenes can be used. The TV spot is always short so they only have 15-30 seconds to get their message across. The information that needs to be included is the film's title, who's in it and when it opens.

DIGITAL/MULTIMEDIA:
There are two basic uses of the internet; the first is the websites that are made for the film. These can generate interest in it. Secondly, the viral campaigns that are made (like games, quizes and videos) can be sent from person to person and thus further increase the film's interest.

PR/PUBLICITY:
You can get free publicity for a film through the written reviews of it in newspapers and magazines; if the review is good the likelihood that people will come and see it is increased. It is important how the film is reviewed generally however - not just by one person.

TRACKING:
They are tracking the public's awareness of the film - the percentage of people aware and if they're interested in seeing it. Advertising Campaigns are usually started 6 weeks before the film is due to come out, two weeks after this the tracking figures come out.
Word of mouth is king because the most powerful persuasion for someone to see a film is for a friend to say 'come and see this film'. The distributors can push all their money into a film but the word of mouth takes over - if people haven't had a good time then they'll spread the word that people shouldn't go and see it. Distributors create a 'buzz' by doing advanced screening programmes - where they show a premier to target audience members - so that they can go and tell their friends about it and spread the word.
The opening weekend's three day figure is very important; Friday is the opening day, Saturday and Sunday follow. If the film hasn't made most of their money back by Monday then the film won't be financially successful. This is why Monday is known as 'make or break' day.

Evaluation

Evaluation Script

MEDIA
evaluation 

1) In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
When researching current thriller productions I looked for conventions and stereotypes within the thriller genre. I felt that it was important that I had a solid understanding of what these were before I began to produce my opening. My initial idea was to challenge the thriller conventions in order to make my thriller opening more unusual, however it soon became apparent that time restrictions wouldn’t allow me to experiment further with this approach. With the idea that I’d be adopting the conventions of the thriller genre I began my research.
My primary audience research conveyed that a male psycho and a female victim would be the best two characters to cast. This research was targeted largely on my target teenage audience which gave me the idea to cast actors and actresses my own age as these two characters to make them more relatable, or in some cases not relatable to cause shock.
One film that I researched and was inspired by was Fatal Attraction. I analysed the bathroom scene and I thought the director’s use of costume to demonstrate violence was exceptional. He chose to dress the three characters in all white – except the male who was wearing black trousers and a white shirt. This clean crispness of the white enhanced the blood stains after the brawl which made the tension increase for the audience. I also studied Helmut Nickel’s black hats white hats theory and I immediately knew I wanted to follow his theory that the antagonist should wear black and the protagonist should wear white – therefore showing their contrast. I mixed these two costume ideas together to get the final ideas for Efa and the MM’s costumes. So, this is one way that I have used the conventions of real media products.
During my research I also analysed film titles and looked at the typography and conventions of them. These were a massive inspiration to my final media product as they aided my understanding in the conventions of a real media product title. I thought that the spacing between the letters in the Alien title was particularly effective in creating a sense of isolation and entrapment. I also thought that the red font colour of the Panic Room titles were effective in creating a sense of danger. So I used the thriller conventions of these two titles from real media products.
Another way in which I have used thriller conventions in terms of the typical iconography is the water overlay at the beginning. I found the Psycho bathroom scene particularly driven by the use of running water and drains which increased the suspense of the scene. I decided to use this iconography in my thriller opening and conform to the thriller conventions that I found.
Finally, one way in which I challenged the thriller conventions slightly is through my use of locations. During my research I found that an indoor location to convey entrapment usually prevailed. In a way, the woodland setting conveys a wide space because it’s outdoors but I believe it actually emphasises the fact that Efa is trapped due to the natural barriers and obstacles created by the trees. I didn’t come across any other thrillers like this when researching despite the fact that I’m sure there are some that also use this technique.

2) How does your media product represent particular social groups?
In terms of gender representation some might say I have been slightly stereotypical by making the psycho a male and the victim a female due to the “strength” males vs. females. However, I felt that it was important to represent the two characters fairly but still make it clear that Efa is the innocent protagonist. I mentioned earlier about Helmut Nickel’s black hats white hats theory and that I put Efa in a white shirt. White has connotations of innocence, purity and cleanliness which is how I would describe her character. Pair that with her blonde wavy hair and her character is portrayed as quite an angelic figure – therefore the murder of her is made more shocking to the audience because she didn’t deserve it. As well as the white shirt I put her in a red coat as it has connotations of danger, violence and death – all of which feature in my opening. I represented her character in a way that made her look weak by using high angled camera shows that looked down on her and appear inferior. At the outset I did want to experiment with the concept of a femme fatale but after my primary audience research told me that a small percentage of people wanted one I decided to focus on other character types. However, this could have been a good character for me to include due to the explicit ways in which I could have represented her.
Following the gender representation route and Helmut Nickel’s theory – I decided to put the MM in all black – except for the white mask. This is because black has connotations of mystery, endlessness and secrecy which give the audience the perception that the MM is a psychotic character. The reason that I chose to use a white mask as opposed to a black one was to create a sense of twisted perception of his character due to the initial fake kindness that he would show to his victims before killing them. It’s obvious that this perception is twisted in my thriller opening as he says “run” straight away which isn’t conveying kindness at all. This psychotic danger is further shown when he is carelessly stroking the knife. I think this really represented his true evilness as he seemed to be handling the knife in a familiar way, touching the ridges as if it was second nature.
It could be suggested that I have represented the working class in quite a negative way due to my use of the Daily Mail as a newspaper. I used this newspaper because the stories are often politically and ethically incorrect, using facts that sometimes aren’t realistic. The paper is a tabloid paper that disguises itself as a broadsheet – this could possibly be reflected in the way that the MM is an evil character who disguises himself as a good character (implied through the use of the white mask). So, it could be said that if the MM was to buy the Daily Mil – as it is him that is cutting it up – he classes himself as a ‘working class’ citizen and therefore could portray them in a slightly negative light.

3) What kind of media institution might distribute your product and why?  
Personally, I would use new media outlets to distribute my media product as these are the most effective in getting my target audience (teenagers) to see them due to the increase in internet usage in the 21^st Century. Sites like Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and Blogspot can be used to distribute my media to various audience members – specifically teenagers. Although very unlikely due to the short length of my thriller, it could be funded by an independent company like Working Title Films or Warp Films because it could be described as innovative. From here, it can be developed into a feature film and possibly played in a multiplex outlet because it’s a mainstream thriller. I don’t think that it would be aired on television because my thriller conforms to the thriller conventions, making it more likely to be aired in a smaller, independent outlet. Overall however, I am inclined to stick mainly with the online media outlets like social networking sites and Youtube due to the small scale production of my thriller. I believe uploading my thriller to Youtube will gain it more views overall because when someone ‘likes’ a video on Youtube it will appear on another person’s timeline who is subscribed to them – thus increasing the amount of people viewing it.

4) Who would be the audience for your media product?
In terms of audience, I decided that the best target audience for my thriller would be teenagers 14-17 years old. This is because this age range of people took my survey and therefore I was able to tailor my thriller to suit their viewing requirements. 58% of participants to my primary audience research were 14-17 year olds – 65% of these were female. So, I could suggest that my thriller is specifically for females aged 14-17 because these are the majority of people that took my survey and therefore who I have made the changes for. One of the main changes that I made to make my thriller appealing to this particular demographic is having a female victim and a male psycho. This appeals to females because they are able to relate to her character’s emotions of panic and fear. Another way that this particular demographic would find my thriller appealing is the editing involves many jump cuts and which is similar to editing that exists in current thriller films now. These jump cuts encourage the younger generation to think and act faster. I believe that the audience for my media product would watch other thriller films such as 127 Hours – this thriller was watched by 48% of cinema goers aged 15-24. This suggested to me that people of this age group prefer more of a gore/suspense thriller which is why I included these 2 elements in my thriller.

5) How did you attract/address your audience?
In the rough editing stages I was able to preview my thriller opening to a group of people within my target age range – 16-17. They answered surveys on the technical quality and appeal of my thriller like “are many camera angles used” and “are there any parts that you disliked and why”? From here, I was able to alter my thriller accordingly to ensure that it attracted my target audience. A large number of respondents stated that they thought the shots where Efa looked worried were “irrelevant” and “broke the flow” of the thriller. Therefore, I was able to remove them to ensure that my thriller ran smoothly and appealed to my target audience. Another response that I received was that the effects that I had applied to my clips made them look somewhat “unrealistic” so I was able to alter the effects to make the overall appearance more like night time. Additionally, the biggest change that I made was the outset of my opening. The overlay of the water running off the knife and diegetic bag packing scene was altered after I was advised that diegetic sound would make the thriller’s suspense and tension increase. However, despite these three queries the feedback I received about sound, lighting, camera angles camera shots and everything else was quite positive.
Another more implicit way that I attracted the audience was through the unsteady extreme close up shots of the newspaper. I thought that having random words like “single stab”, “devastating” and “Efa, 17” would help build the narrative further and help the flow of the opening. This attracts the audience by making them curious as to what happened to Efa and therefore raise their feeling of suspense. 

Editing Process

In total it took me around 5 weeks to edit my short Thriller film "Run". During this time I faced some problems that slowed my editing down and I also produced a rough edit. After producing my rough edit I received some feedback that allowed me to see areas that my target audience (teenagers aged 13-18) didn't enjoy as much - this was mainly the woodland scene as people felt the clip duration was too long as the music had sped up. Below is a screenshot of what the finished editing track looked like:

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In total I used 3 different video layers and 6 different audio layers to build up how the shot appeared. My favourite bit that I edited was the very beginning when Heather was packing the bag and I layered the shot of the running water and knife on top (as well as the title). I thought that it worked effectively in creating suspense because the audience are able to foresee something happening to her character. However, my least favourite part is the second to last shot where Heather is seen walking through the woods from two different angles. I don't think this works as well because it almost breaks up the story because it doesn't fit with the other parts. Overall, I don't think this affects the finished product too much.

FINAL THRILLER OPENING EDIT

This is the final edit of my G321 Foundation Portfolio Thriller Opening sequence. I will be creating a directors commentary to discuss and explain my editing choices. 

Preliminary Task

This is our preliminary task from a couple of months ago. It was filmed and edited in October however, due to the footage being wiped off of the Mac I had to re-edit it today. Our intentions were to experiment with the camera, tripod and shot angles. I feel that this turned out quite well as the different angles and shot types are smooth and create a good continuity film. 

We started by brainstorming the narrative and then finalising our ideas. Sophie plays the spy, Tom plays the note writer and Abi plays the note receiver. As I didn't act in this short film I edited it using iMovie on the Mac. We did had difficulty filming with the tracking dolly because the carpet was bumpy and it made it go wobbly. However, this didn't effect our final media product too much. My favourite shot is the extreme close up and pan to the left from Tom's face to Sophie's face in the background. The soundscape is the Pink Panther theme tune which I believe works really well with this piece. 

Key Concepts

With regards to the four key concepts my thriller opening has been inspired by the research tasks that I have carried out and other thriller films that I have watched since beginning the course. In this post I will be explaining the different key concepts and where my ideas stemmed from.

Genre
The genre of my film opening was in the brief that I was given. So I knew that I would be doing a thriller film at the outset. Essentially, to aid me in fitting the thriller genre I completed audience research.

Audience
My thriller research conveyed to one that my main target audience would be teenagers aged 14-17 and adults over 26 years old. However, when thinking about audience I also had to consider how my audience would be viewing my thriller opening. Primarily, I decided that it would be online due to the small scale of my production - thus, my thriller will be uploaded to Youtube once it is finished. I believe the majority of people that watch my thriller opening will already have an interest in thrillers - this is because 71% of my audience said that they enjoyed watching thriller films. I took this into account when producing my thriller as I was able to use more subtle thriller conventions that a keen thriller film audience member will be able to identify. 

Representation
I was inspired by Helmut Nickel's White Hats Black Hats theory when thinking about how I was going to represent the characters in my thriller. I felt that by putting Efa (Heather) in a white top she would be conveyed as innocent, pure and clean - this would be paired with her blonde hair which has stereotypical connotations of angelic behaviour to represent her as the 'good' character. In contrast, I decided to put the Masked Murderer (Sean) in all black clothing to demonstrate the opposite - that he is evil, dark and concealed. Again, this would be paired with his black hair to convey the ultimate evil character. As mentioned in a previous post, I was going to paint the Masked Murderer's mask black but I eventually decided to keep it white as I felt that it emphasized his twisted behaviour by suggesting that he chooses to believe he is a good person (as he chose the mask). In the woods scenes I decided to put Efa into a red coat, this conveys danger, death and violence to the audience. 

Semiology
Semiology is the theory of the functions of signs and symbols. I found it quite difficult to include signs and symbols in my thriller opening as well as the directors did in other thrillers that I watched. One could suggest that the white mask is a symbol of a pure, hidden evil as the white has connotations of purity and the mask is concealing the Masked Murderer's identity. Additionally, the natural setting could be a sign of the of the Masked Murderer's life. The multiple trees that entrap Efa convey his cunning ways of trapping innocent people - this is mirrored by the branches, leaves, ivy and roots all being wrapped around in an almost suffocating way. Additionally, the low lighting signals to the audience that the goodness - represented by the light - has left the Masked Murderer and he is now evil due to the crimes that he has committed. 

Final Props List

Debra Hayward Talk

Newspaper Clipping

After I'd established that I wanted to add an extra scene with a newspaper clipping I had to make the newspaper. I used Adobe Photoshop CS3 to import the template of the Daily Mail newspaper and then started to input my own front page story. Below is a screen shot of my work using Adobe Photoshop CS3. On the right hand side in the bottom corner the layers that I used are visible. I had to use multiple text and picture layers to make my newspaper look as realistic as possible. On the left hand side the tools that I used can be viewed. I used the cut, text, rectangle, crop, zoom, hand and mouse tool. Essentially, I have used Photoshop a couple of times but it took a while for me to get used to it as at home I have paint.net. The reason I decided to use Adobe Photoshop CS3 is because I wanted to use a range of different programmes when making my thriller opening.

Here is the original copy of the newspaper that I found on Google:

I liked this newspaper because the title was large and bold which gives the audience the opportunity to read it clearly. Also, the story in the top banner suggests elements of violence with "spanked" but it adds a more relaxed feel to violence. 

Extra Scenes

After reviewing my footage I decided to add 2 extra scenes due to the fact that I felt my thriller opening was to ambiguous. So, I have decided to add one shot of a newspaper that I made being thrown onto a table. On the newspaper there will be the headline "Masked Murderer Strikes Again". I decided to use the word "Strikes" because it is quite a vicious word so it suggests to the audience that the Masked Murderer is a violent man. Additionally, I have decided to use a template of the Daily Mail newspaper because it is a very well known newspaper. What's more the Daily Mail quite commonly reports on stories that are quite significant as it's a national newspaper as opposed to just a local newspaper. This demonstrates that the story is quite big and thus enhances the impact of the opening.

Furthermore, I have decided to add another scene after the newspaper being thrown onto the table of the Masked Murderer cutting out the article and hanging it on the wall (where he already has multiple articles of his previous murders). I believe that if the man is wearing some type of gloves it is suggested that his finger prints - and therefore identity - is being concealed. Moreover, I was inspired by the Se7en film opening to use light and dark to convey the good and evil in the MM. Therefore, I will use a shot where the light is scarce to demonstrate that he has very little good in him.

Finally, I have decided to use a closing shot of the blood running off the knife. This is the shot where the title will appear (Run). It will further enhance the red colours that convey the danger and violent nature of the MM. This will fade out to a black colour (which is where the opening ends and the film continues). Below is an extra storyboard for these shots.

Shot List

There is only one shot which is not accounted for on my shot list as I got my inspiration from seeing the newspaper lying on the table. I decided to add a shot of a made up newspaper with a headline which describes what happened to Efa. I am thinking about including it after the Title part of the sequence.

In depth: Locations

I chose to film in the woods because my audience research told me that 74.2% of people thought it would be the most effective in creating a sense of isolation and entrapment.

Dialogue in "Run"

Crucially, I have decided to make my thriller opening without any dialogue except one word; "Run". Essentially this means that I will be using non-diegetic sounds - music - instead of diegetic. I feel that with my thriller opening this will be more effective in terms of building suspense because a sense of panic will be able to be achieved through the use of music. Additionally, during my thriller research I found many thriller openings used only non-diegetic sounds, which I felt worked more effectively than scripted dialogue. I think that if I was to write a script or use diegetic sounds the overall soundscape would seem fake and set up.

However, as previously mentioned I have decided to use one word in my opening; "Run". I have decided to do this because I feel that the music will create an appropriate sense of tension - which is what a thriller is supposed to do - and the speech will break this sense of tension. Thus, the audience are left anticipating what might happen as they have been broken from their initial emotions/thoughts. The Masked Murderer (played by Sean) will be the person saying "Run". It will be said with quite a rough/husky voice as I want the Masked Murderer to appear like a violent or psychotic man. Essentially, I will need to make sure that this is done well in order for the effect that I want to be correct.

One film that used solely non-diegetic sounds - i.e. music - was the Psycho opening sequence. Although I didn't particularly think the opening sequence for this film was very well produced I liked how the sound (combined with the lack of moving film images) created a sense of urgency and therefore suspense. I would like to get a sense of this in my thriller opening. Significantly, I am juxtaposing all of my other thriller opening research tasks by doing this but I wanted to challenge some of the typical thriller conventions.

Capturing the Footage

Today I captured the footage that I filmed so that I could watch it back and identify any parts that I need to re-film. Essentially, there are a few scenes which I think I need to re-do in order to make the overall appearance and audio better. One scene that I need to re-film was the scene where the character of Efa (Heather) is screaming. Although the screams that Heather produced on the day were sufficient I feel that, to really make my thriller effective, they need to be louder and more high pitched.

Additionally, another part that I feel needs to be re-filmed is when Heather is looking slightly off the camera in the hallway. At the time when I reviewed the footage on the camera the shot looked alright but after seeing it on the computer I think it needs to be longer and she should be looking even more away from the camera. I may have think about reshooting the whole scene as currently the place where I filmed it is unavailable to be filmed in due to unforeseen circumstances.

I am very happy with how the beginning scenes looked in the woods. I especially liked the scene to the right which portrays Efa running away from the Masked Murderer. There are a couple of extra shots that I'd like to experiment with in this woodland area too as I think high angle and low angle shots can be used more to portray Efa's weakness compared with the Masked Murderer's strength. Furthermore, I began to lose the light during the filming of some parts therefore I would like to re-film the darker parts as I don't think they are in focus properly and don't look very good.

Again, I am very pleased with how the scene turned out with the Masked Murderer inspecting the knife and then looking up (see the stills to the left). It is a shot that I hadn't intended on creating on the day but Sean managed to make it look very eery and I thought it worked incredibly well. I will definitely be adding this in to my thriller opening. Perhaps I could match the part when Sean looks up to a loud beat in the music to make the tension and suspense rise. I was impressed that Sean and Heather managed to grasp what I had imagined for the part where the Masked Murderer pulls his mask off as I feel that the scene looks incredibly effective and creates a plot twist - which is what the audience want to see according to my audience research.
Overall, I am pleased with how most of the footage turned out but I will be re-filming some sections on Saturday 10th November 2012 to ensure that the thriller looks smooth and effective throughout. I must make sure that I keep the continuity by keeping Heather and Sean in the same costumes and keeping the same props. By doing this, the film will hopefully look better and I will be able to edit my film next week.

Primary Audience Research: How can I make my thriller appealing to my audience?

Editing Software: Final Cut

Final Cut is an editing programme that users of the Apple computers or laptops can download instead of using iMovie. It is the editing software that I will be using to edit my thriller opening. Previously I have used the Sony Vegas Movie Studio 10.0 Platinum Edition but now I will be using the school computers to edit my thriller. After watching a few short tutorials I have picked up some basic skills that will help me when editing.

Importing and Inserting on the Timeline
To import clips to Final Cut you click on the 'File' button, then 'Import' and then 'Files'. A shortcut for this is the command key and 1. I can do this for the music, video clips and any photos that I wish to import to Final Cut. After these have been selected and imported I can drag them onto the timeline. Just click and drag them to the timeline and release the mouse. This is the basics to importing and inserting on the timeline.

Cutting and Merging Clips
To cut the clip you click on the timeline where you want the clip to be cut. Next you have to get the razor bade tool by pressing the 'B' button on your keyboard. Then you click on the spot where you originally clicked on your timeline and the clip will cut. Additionally, to get back to your original cursor you can click the 'A' key. One way to merge the clips is to drag the end clip next to the first one - this method is very difficult to get the clips to sit exactly next to each other. So, an alternative method is to use the 'Snapping' tool (which is situated just under the video box on the right side). The 'Snapping' tool  allows you to drag the clip close enough to the other one so it snaps next to it.

Adding Music, Deleting Audio and Rendering
Adding music is similar to adding a video clip; you just drag and drop it onto the timeline. A red line should appear at the top of the timeline which means that the audio track needs to be rendered. To render a track you click on the 'Sequence' button, hover over the 'Render All' Button and then click 'Both'. This should render your track. Essentially, to delete the original audio you must lock the video section by clicking on the pad lock and then click on the audio section you want to delete and press the delete key.

Adding Effects
Adding effects is very simple; click on the effects tab at the top of Final Cut and find the effects you want to add. There are different ways to alter and change the various effects once they have been applied.

This was a short Beginner's Guide to Final Cut. Hopefully, this will allow me to edit the basic parts effectively and quickly. All information was attained from a youtube video which can be seen here.

Filming Day

   

On Friday 2nd November I filmed my thriller opening sequence. Heather (Efa) came to my house just before 3pm so that we had a long time to shoot everything I needed. She was wearing her red coat, white blouse, jeans and boots and had her hair down - as I asked. Sean (masked murderer) was wearing his black smart trousers, black coat, black shoes and white mask. For my opening few seconds I shot the house scene with Heather. It took a total of about 20 minutes and all ran as planned. Next, we walked to the woods next to Marriotts Way which took us about 10 minutes. Once I have walked around the location that I chose to shoot in prior to this date I found the places that I wanted to set up the tripod in. When we began filming it became apparent that it was going to take a little longer than I had first anticipated due to the fact that Heather and Sean took a while to get in to the character roles that they were playing. Eventually I managed to get almost all of the shots that I wanted in time for the darkness to set in. I did experience some problems when shooting that I hadn't thought of; one being that it got darker a lot sooner than I had planned for. This meant that - as I hadn't brought a light source and due to the heavy tree coverage - I was unable to shoot a couple of the minor shots in good enough lighting. To overcome this I will try to make the clips that I managed to film a little bit brighter in editing. Another problem was that there were people kept passing where we were shooting despite the fact that the area is rarely used. This slowed us down by about 10 minutes - which would have helped when we ran out of light! One last problem that I faced was that Heather had difficulty screaming for one of the shots that I needed. Although this became a little problematic I stepped aside to let her prepare herself for the shot and (after watching the footage back) I feel that I may have gotten one scream/yell that I can use. Overall, the filming took me about 3 hours in total to finish as I had to film a couple of extra shots today (Sunday 4th November 2012) inside my house.

 

Animated Storyboard

This is my animated storyboard to give me a rough idea of how the shots will look and if the music track goes with the film clips. I had to add more angles and shots in because the opening wasn't long enough. I think my finished one will be longer still due to the fact that I will film things from different angles and perspectives so I'll have more opportunity to experiment when editing. Overall, this took me just over 2 hours to make, edit and upload to Youtube. I made it using paint (for the drawings) and Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 10.0 (to edit). I used Jake Sanderson's music track in the background and edited it slightly so that it fitted better with my opening. Overall, I think that it turned out quite well and helped me with how I'm going to film and edit my actual clips. 

Music/Soundtrack

This is a piece of music that I have found to be the non-diegetic soundscape for my thriller opening. I decided to use it as it builds tension and suspense very well. The composer - Jake Sanderson - has given anyone permission to use it as long as he is credited somewhere (see evidence below). I will edit the track slightly to fit my film better. To do this I will use the Sony Vegas Forge Audio Studio 10.0. At some points I will also have silence and some speech so I will have to cut the track and make it quieter in some areas. Jake used Finale Printmusic to compose this track.

EVIDENCE:

Locations

My audience research told me that it would be more effective to have a woodland location in my thriller. So, taking this into consideration, I have decided to use the 2 closest and least populated woodland areas. I had to choose somewhere close as if it rains I need to be able to get home quickly so the equipment doesn't get damaged. Additionally, I had to pick areas that weren't populated because of noise pollution and the fact that  Sean will be wearing a mask and carrying a knife so I didn't want to get into any sort of trouble for having a harmful weapon.

LOCATION 1:

This location is about 10 minutes walking distance from my house. It's quite a small section of woods next to a disused concrete enclosure. I don't think there'll be many people around at this time except dog walkers or cyclists. However, as I'm filming mainly in the afternoon I expect that many people will be at work so hopefully there won't be many people in the background. This area is also quite sheltered by tree coverage so I believe that if it rains a little bit we will be quite sheltered. 

LOCATION 2:

This location is also a 5 minute walking distance from my house. It's another small section of woods next to the TM pond. I know that there won't be many people at all in this section of the woods as many people travel to the other section to walk their dogs etc. This area is less sheltered so it would be harder to escape from the rain if it did rain.

LOCATION 3:

This is the house location in my house. I included the bag in the photo so I could see where to place it. I feel that it will work well, however, I have to take the sign off my door as it spoils the shot! I think the white doors work well in enhancing the innocence. The red bag also conveys that she is in danger. 

This is where the scene in my house will be when the kettle is boiling. I included the flask so I can see where it will be placed in the shot. 

This is a high angle shot of the flask. I was just playing around with what it would look like when filming. I'm unsure if I will use the flask in my actual production yet as it doesn't fit in as well with the continuity of the film. 

Revised Filming Schedule

Due to difficulties with the mask arriving from Amazon in time I have had to revise my filming schedule to later this week. I decided that Wednesday would be an appropriate day as the weather looks promising on the BBC website and it is now darker more early on in the afternoon for my dusk shots. Below is a rough filming schedule for the day and the weather report from the BBC. I'm hoping that it won't be raining for too long around midday as I want the woodland to be looking wet and dull but I have to be weary of damaging the equipment.

Transitions, Editing and Inspirations

In my thriller I have decided to use a range of different transitions and effects in order to build suspense and tension. I have decided to use jump cuts in some areas to speed up the shots of the action - this makes the actions more hidden and the audience feel mystery. My inspiration for this was the Se7en opening sequence, which I thought used jump cuts effectively to create tension. For the scenes that flash back in time I have decided to use white fade outs and white fade ins. Essentially, this signals to the audience that the action is happening at a different time as this is well known indication. I have seen this done in many films and TV programmes so this is where I got my inspiration from. Furthermore, I have chosen to do a black screen with a black fade to some white text because I thought the Body of Lies opening was extremely effective when it showed the bible quote. I thought instead of showing a bible quote - as it has nothing to do with my thriller - I would almost make it seem like a thought in the back of Efa's mind. Lastly, I am using a match cut between Efa's scream and the kettle because I thought the Psycho shower scene's match cut was particularly effective in keeping the continuity of the film smooth.

Rough Filming Schedule

This is my rough filming schedule. I decided to film on Monday as the weather seems promising for the right lighting and overall look that I want. I also wanted to be very careful that I filmed before halloween as I am doing a small bit of night time filming and don't want noise pollution or people in the background of my shots. Additionally, I was wary that filming a video with someone in a mask and cloak with a knife around this time may be a bit risky as I wouldn't want onlookers to think that my cast are dressed for halloween or that we are using the knife to hurt anyone. 

I have decided that I will film the scene in my house and the daytime scene in the afternoon - before dark and then film the dusk/night time scene in the evening as the clocks go back and it will be getting dark sooner. Below is a table with my suggested filming time, location, props and people. Moreover, there is a screenshot of the weather forecast however, I will have to wait and see the actual weather on the day.

Props and Equipment Planning

This is my props and equipment list. I made 2 separate lists to ensure that I didn't forget anything. I will be borrowing the equipment from school on Friday 26th October 2012 and returning it on Monday 5th October 2012. I won't need any lighting as I am filming in the daylight and editing in the night time effects. Also, I won't be using the tracking dolly as the ground is too uneven in the woods so it won't have the smooth effects that I want in my thriller.

Props

• Luggage bag
• Crumpled clothes
• Kettle
• Cloak
• White mask
• Knife
• Flask 
• Map
• Red coat
• White blouse

Equipment

• Tripod
• Sony Handycam HDR-HC9
• Mini DV Tape

Character and Costume Planning

Efa

Efa is the young woman who witnesses the masked murderer murder someone. I chose the name Efa because it has a meaning of "alive" - which is ironic because she is running away from death. Efa will be played by my friend Heather. She takes drama for a-level so I cast her as this character because I know that she will play the character effectively. I want Efa to be an unassuming and gentle character - thus enhancing the suspense that the audience will feel towards her. I chose a female victim as opposed to a male one because my audience research told me that most people thought that having a female victim character would be more effective in creating tension. Heather has blonde hair which has connotations of innocence and an angelic persona so I think this will work well if I leave her hair down and possibly in curls. In terms of costume, I want Efa to be wearing something white in the initial flash back scenes as this conveys her to be innocent when she witnesses the murder. However, when she is in the woods in the latter parts of the thriller I will put her in red and white. This is to demonstrate to the audience that she is in danger but she is still the innocent character. An example of her outfits would be as below:

Masked Murderer

The masked murderer is a psychotic male. I chose to make the murderer a male because my audience research conveyed that people thought a male psycho would be effective in creating suspense and tension. I chose for the murderer to be masked because I felt that by hiding their expression the tension would be increased because it is unclear to the audience who the murderer is - thus their identity is concealed. I have cast my 15 year old brother - Sean - to be the masked murderer because he has been in various drama productions and I feel he could play the character well. He won't have to do much in terms of facial expression because he will have a mask on for the whole film except the last scene - but the audience will only see his mouth. I want the masked murderer to be wearing a dark costume which conceals his identity. This means that my characters will be following Helmut Nickel's black hats white hats theory. I will buy a black cloak and a mask for Sean to wear in the scenes that he is in. An example of what this would be:  

Thriller Film Storyboard

This is a scanned copy of my thriller story board. I planned out the basic shots and transitions that I wanted to do when filming and editing. I can use this to help me when I'm filming. I used a working title of "Run" as I am yet to brainstorm title ideas.