Commentary
Friday, 10 February 2012
Thursday, 9 February 2012
Evaluation - Question 7
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
In our progression from the preliminary task to the full product we have developed a number of attributes and create our own personalised editing style. One of the main aspects we aimed to improve from our preliminary task was the use of HD cameras. From looking at the work of previous years we realised that the same ideas and camera angles can look considerably more effective. Also although the piece was longer we put a higher emphasis on developing an engaging plot in order to make it more effective and draw in the attention of the audience. Additionally we noticed that many of the previous AS media thrillers could have been improved by the use of more adult and professional actors so we endeavored to use adult actors. However we could only find one but I think that it was still successful and effective.
In our preliminary task we used coloured freeze frames to create a styalised theme for our piece, we felt that this was successful so we transferred it into the title sequence of our opening. However we developed this by putting the freeze frames onto shots of photographs, as seen above.
In these two frames one can see the improvement of using a HD camera rather than a standard hand held camera with a maximum of 480p. The HD shot of the barbed wire is far more crisp and defined and was commented on frequently in our audience feedback interviews.
Although we were happy with the framing on our preliminary task it could have been improved for example in the above shot the space that the two walls take up is un even although the two characters are centralised and the doors behind it almost create a vanishing point. in our thriller opening we tried to balance the scenery within the frame and centralise the character; This is illustrated in the shot above.
Evaluation - Question 6
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
The editing software we used was Imovie. We had only ever previously used it for our preliminary task however I feel we have collectively become considerably accomplished in various aspects of editing. For example a consistent feature that runs through both pieces is our use of colour saturation in the freeze frames to create our own unique style.
We also used continuity editing and match on action; as you can see we compiled and selected our footage in a way, which makes chronological sense and fits together to prevent any jumps in movement.
We also use transitions to make our footage smooth when changing scene or adding in title clips such as fading to black. Additionally in this piece we slowed down the footage when spinning the coin in order to add to the tension, it also returns to normal speed when the victim catches it and the music kicks back in, we thought that this was successful.
We used two HD Cannon 550d cameras in this thriller and used new ideas such as manual focus changes and more experimental and purposeful camera angles. We also used tripods to steady all our shots, which I think worked effectively because the shots did not judder besides the final zoom out however we still used a tripod and this was due to the camera and we think the weather conditions. We also made sure we put into practice the 180-degree rule because when we got on set we realized we did not take it into account when designing our storyboard. This can be seen if one compares our storyboard to the final piece.
Here you can see that we tried to incorporate the golden mean into this shot by putting the car and road in line with the golden mean. Although it does not fit exactly with the correct angle we still feel it was successful in helping to frame this shot.
We learnt that lighting is also very important because it effects how well footage appears and it gives you the option of including and excluding what you want which is useful for a thriller film. We also learnt how to import and export footage from the cameras to the computer and onto the editing software and how to burn our footage onto a disc using Idvd.
Evaluation - Question 5
How did you attract/address your audience?
Retrospectively we could have considered interviewing other people outside of our year group however I believe they fit the profile of our target audience as they are over the age of 15 and would be able to see it and are also they type of people who are interested in other thrillers and dramas. We addressed our target audience by using characters and social groups representative of themselves. They are all over the age of 15, which is in line with the rating we have given it. We felt we gave the impression that a more complex plot has just begun which would engage the audience and get them asking questions and therefore get them interested in our thriller. Also we tried to use more psychological elements rather than just violence in the way that we chose to leave the actual murder itself to the imagination and the audience has to piece together the story themselves. We believe that our audience wants to be challenged by a plot therefore would feel some involvement and a sense of empathy with the characters. Also they would want to be entertained without being disturbed by gratuitous violence and graphical scenes our thriller. Bellow you can see that we addressed this criteria by choosing to exclude any graphical detail of physical injuries to the victim.
Evaluation - Question 4
Who would be the audience for your media product?
In order to determine whom our target audience would be we conducted a number of interviews. After assessing these interviews we found that our thriller needed to have a ‘sense of mystery’ and include psychological elements in order to ‘hook’ the audience in to wanting to continue watching. By looking at a number of thrillers we determined that the target audience are mature people of certain maturity to understand the concepts in the film that generally occurs from the ages 15 onwards hence our rating of 15. However we think that people past a certain age would not be as interested in the thriller genre as a whole so we didn’t particularly aim to incorporate them into out piece. From looking at ‘Shutter Island’ we found that 15 would be a good certificate because it opens our film up to a wider audience and because of restrictions it would not be distasteful or overly graphical. Also it allows us to work on a more complex level including psychological elements, which a more mature audience would enjoy. To ensure we got this rating we didn’t use any bad language, excessive violence or sexual content. The only mature theme that features is the dead body however it shows no detailed injuries.
Evaluation - Question 3
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
We would choose Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation to distribute our media product because although it is based in the USA it has a subsidiary in the UK, which would aid the distribution of a British film. Also it has had many previous successes and already established contacts. Lions Gate has also distributed many thrillers including British films before such as ‘The Bank Job’ directed by Roger Donaldson. Lions Gate is a North American entertainment and distribution company. It’s headquartered in Santa Monica, California. As of 2011, it is the most commercially successful in independent film and as a television distribution company; because of this it would be easy for them to distribute our company on a large scale. They also do a wide range of films from comedies to horror as well as thrillers so our film fits well with their range.
Evaluation - Question 2
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
In our thriller we represent two social groups. The first being the detective who is middle aged, well dressed and is a symbolic embodiment of established society. For example we filmed the detective from low angles looking up to him, which have him an authoritative presence in the scene. The actor we have chosen has characteristic features of someone who is experienced and therefore competent in the role.
The other social group we feel we represented were adolescents who frequent a cheap diner at night. Also we felt it was important that we represented this group because they are significant to our age bracket and this would possibly help to encourage this social group into seeing and enjoying our production. We therefore styled the victim in a contemporary and casual manner. We also thought that our three characters each represented the typical roles of a thriller of ‘good’, ‘bad’ and the ‘victim’.
Evaluation - Question 1
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of a real media product?
We produced a 2-minute opening for a thriller movie, which was aimed as a certificate 15 age rating because we found that typically thrillers were in the range of 15 to 18.
Typical conventions associated with the thriller genre are:
· Segmented plot developments
· Hero, villain and victim characters
· Isolated, Dark settings
· Psychological elements
· Strong and symbolic props
· Tense musical score and sound effects
· Focus on significant details
· Strong contrast in lighting
· Close ups
Regarding plot development a typicality would be turning an everyday situation or setting into the unexpected for example in ‘No Country For Old Men’ the main character is out hunting and the audience assume this is the standard recreation for the setting however he stumbles across a cache of money, the circumstances of which lead to the endangerment of his life. In our thriller we used a duel narrative so the audience would have to piece together the story themselves, this also incorporates psychological elements.
Also the characters usually consist of someone who represents good, another evil and innocent victims. In our piece we used this convention by involving characters who represent each of these, the detective – good, the murderer evil and the victim.
A characteristic setting would be a desolate location that is usually quite dark and sometimes-dramatic weather, which is used as a pathetic fallacy for example thunder at points of incident. We could not afford to use effects to create atmospheric weather conditions however we did use an isolated location and altered the colouring of the shots to make them appear more dark thus creating a more sinister look.
As a distinction between thriller and horror movies the props used as murder weapons are generally more sophisticated, controlled and emblematic which usually results in a less horrific and graphical outcome. Sometimes the mere presence of a weapon for example, creates enough tension and impact without it actually having to be used. This helps to create suspense because once it is used for example, if someone is shot all the tension defuses. We used ‘police tape’ as the culprits signature as we felt it gave the feel of a wider plot than the confines of an opening.
The musical score for a thriller is typified by the use of stringed instruments played chromatically in monotonous drones. However sometimes there are modern variants which incorporate contemporary or contextual music from that period, for example Tarantino uses a mixture of rock n roll and surf music which is typical of the era it was set in and creates a definitive and stylised soundtrack for the film. For this piece I composed our own music and did keep to the conventions of producing an eerie atmosphere but used ore contemporary instruments such as guitars etc.
A significant detail we used was the spinning of the coin on the table. We used this as a signifier to display to the audience the anxious nature of the character.
As we filmed outside for the first half of our opening we did not have the facilities to make any adjustments to lighting although we did adjust the balance of light in each of out clips later on Imovie. Also in the diner scene we could not make many adjustments either because it is a public area however we feel that we didn’t need it because it already had the atmosphere that we were trying to create.
In my opinion we used close up shots successfully to show details and emotions. For example we used a focus change on the car door mirror which put emphasis on the character because the focus moved from the mirror itself to the detective.
In the first two minutes of a thriller the setting should be established including location, era and culture. The main characters are often established with initial impressions to give the audience someone to connect with. Also an aspect of the plot that bares a certain amount of significance which is enough to engage and hook the audience must be revealed for example in ‘Shutter Island’ the audience learns at the beginning who the main character is, the location and that a patient has escaped the mental asylum. This is enough to draw the audience’s attention but not to reveal too much which leaves them asking questions. All these aspects can be achieved through the use of close ups on the main character(s) and establishing shots for the location and setting. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr5rFsMjgx8&feature=fvst .
The titles in the opening sequence must include the companies that went into the production of the film and also the director, leading actors and by definition the title of the film. The editing is usually paced quite quickly in order to establish all the different elements in a condensed period of time. The main theme of the musical score is usual played at the start to create the atmosphere and mood of the film therefore there is limited sound other than dialogue.
Not all thrillers adhere to the conventions I have previously detailed and by breaking these, a degree of impact can be created. The opening of ‘inception’ breaks the conventions of establishing a setting and also doesn’t follow a chronological structure and uses a part later in the film. The opening scene is placed in a dream although the viewer is not aware of this and hence when the characters exit the dream the true setting is revealed. Also as previously mentioned some thrillers don’t use a musical score written specifically for that film and instead draw on music written by artists for example in ‘Rock n Rolla’ the director uses modern day rock bands like ‘The Subways’ and ‘The Black Keys’ which help to create a particular directory style and theme for the film. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ag6Xcsahmn0&feature=related
We found the Coen Brothers production of ‘No Country For Old Men’ to have an effective thriller opening because it establishes a main character in a desolate landscape; we tried to incorporate this into our thriller by choosing an isolated location to emphasise the remote atmosphere. We were also influenced by ‘V for Vendetta’ directed by James McTeigue in the way that the opening uses a duel narrative with two different main characters that merge together. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCiGyaSPRhI We did this by shooting two scenes in different locations one, with the victim in a diner and the other with the detective at the crime scene. However we still maintained a sense of Isolation in the diner scene because it does not feature any extras. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kqoJevTIIQ
Here you can see the detail of barbed wire in ‘No Country For Old Men’ and our thriller opening as well as the police car.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krq0cm493mE&feature=channel_video_title
Shot List
Shot List
- Establishing shot of the car.
- Close up of Barry in the car.
- Medium shot of Barry opening and closing car door, low angle.
- Long shot of Barry walking across the across the field.
- Extreme close up of coin.
- Medium shot of booth.
- Close up of victim.
- Medium match on action shot of leg coming through door.
- Long shot of the field.
- Long shot in the cafe.
- Medium shot of café of decoy.
- Over the shoulder shot of Barry and the murder scene.
- Medium two shot featuring Barry and the corpse.
- Close up reaction shot of Barry.
- Close up visual match of victim.
- Long shot of the scene as a whole, zooms out.
- Medium shot of victim, focus changes to show killer behind.
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