This is our storyboard for our thriller opening. It is a just a brief plan of what we think the storyline of our thriller should be. When we start filming we may change scenes around to make sure the storyline comes across clear to the audience.
Storyboard
This is our storyboard for our thriller opening. It is a just a brief plan of what we think the storyline of our thriller should be. When we start filming we may change scenes around to make sure the storyline comes across clear to the audience.
Evaluation - Alana Abrahams (Individual)
Evaluation Questions
1. In
what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and
conventions of real media products?
I feel that our media
product uses forms and conventions of real media products in many different ways.
The music we used was very similar to what you would find in a real thriller
film. It had the different sounds and instruments that are stereotypically used
in thrillers. It creates an atmosphere of suspense and mystery that also very
common in thrillers. The setting that we filmed in uses conventions because it
is stereotypically set in a type of forest with nothing around. The shots that
we included in our thriller, for example a close up, are regularly used to show
the emotions of a character or an item someone is holding. It emphasizes what
is being shot. Our media product develops real media products during our titling.
When editing our product we used jump cuts for the transitions of scenes which
is found in almost every thriller to keep the pace fast and leave it
mysterious. At the start we added a 3-5 second clip of the production company, “Paranormal
Productions”, using a plain, black background with plain white writing and a lightning
strike effect with sound. This develops usual conventions because normally they
are between 10-15 seconds long and use lots of different sounds and effects to make
it look better. We went for the simplistic option, keeping it in with the theme
and not making it too long so that it drags on. This keeps it less boring for
the audience of the film.
We haven’t really challenged
the conventions that much in our thriller but one way we have is that we
introduced the whole of the “evil” character straight away. Usually in
thrillers, at the beginning, you only see parts of the bad character or even
not at all.
2. How
does your media product represent particular social groups?
The ages of the
actors and actresses in our thriller are meant to be 16-17 years old so the
main social group that I think we represent is teenagers. We tried to portray
the characters as quite suspicious to create a bit of mystery and adults/older
people always stereotype teenagers into being up to know good or just being
mysterious in general. We played up to this stereotype so we could represent
teenagers and young adults more accurately and it would make their age more
recognisable to the audience.
3. What kind of media
institution might distribute your media product and why?
We would want a small
independent production company to produce our film. An example would be ‘Sabana
Films’ who are located in Bristol so it can be kept local and they specialise
in low-budget films because they aren't a very big company. We would choose
this kind of media institution because it will be cost-effective, if less money
is used in the production then a potential higher profit could be made, more
money can be spent on the marketing of the product so people get to know your
film or a better cast.
4. Who would be the audience of
your media product?
Our film is rated a 15 so
the audience for our thriller would have to be 15+. I think that the specific
age range is 15-21 because the film represents/includes teenagers and I don’t
think adults would react or appeal to it in the same way as teenagers would.
The typical film that a teenager watches usually includes teenagers as they can
relate to the film better.
5. How did you attract/address
your audience?
In the picture above is Emma
(left) and Sophie (right).
Emma is 17 years old and a
fan of all things thriller, but her favourite sub-genre is thriller/horror. Her
favourite films include Psycho, Woman in Black, and Halloween. She prefers
films that aren't gory, just ones that make her jump.
I asked Emma what her
thoughts on ‘Our Little Secret’ were and she said this: “I loved the opening, I
thought it was full of suspense and looks like the type of film I would go to
watch in the cinema”.
Sophie is 17 years old and very
interested in media. Her favourite thriller sub-genres are thriller/crime and
thriller/supernatural. Her favourite films include the Paranormal Activity saga,
The Sixth Sense, Carrie and The Omen. When I asked Sophie what she thought on
our thriller opening she said “The camera shots are really good, especially the
close ups. I like the ghost girl sort of theme and I would definitely love to
watch the rest if it ever got produced”.
6. What have you learnt about technologies
from the process of constructing this product?
From constructing my
product I have learned about the different technologies on offer that I can use
to help with the production and filming.
On the Mac computers that we
used for the editing of our product, we used software called ‘iMovie HD’. This
software aided us to cut clips and add visual or sound effects to them making
the film seem more realistic and professional to the audience.
To help us keep the camera
steady when filming and for any panning scenes we used a tripod. This keeps the
camera still so the scene doesn't look shaky and helps when want to film at
different angle and heights.
7. Looking back at your
preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it
to the full product?
Looking back at our
preliminary task, I feel that the part that we have most progressed on is the
camera angles and shots. I feel that I have learned what camera angles are
available to use and in what situation/setting it is appropriate to use them.
When filming our preliminary video we were unsure of what shots would be the
most effective to use and didn't any research into the types of shots there
were but before we filmed our thriller we decided to do little bit of research
first.
Conclusion
Overall, I am very pleased
with how our finished product turned out but if I did again I would change the
way we did some things because after we had filmed our scenes for the first
time and went back to review/edit them we realised that it was too dark and you couldn't see what was happening in the scene clearly. We went out to film again
but during the day so it wouldn't
get dark and we knew that if we wanted the scene to be darker then we could change it with the iMovie software. As well as changing the time, we also changed the setting that we filmed in. Our original plan that we put onto our storyboard was to film it in a graveyard because it fit in with the story but a graveyard was too hard to access and we found that we wanted more trees /greenery to make it look more like a scary forest setting. It took a lot of time and hard work but I think we have produced a good final thriller opening and I am very happy with the research/planning that we have done.
Evaluation (individual)- Maddie Quirke
EVALUATION
1). In what ways does your media product use,
develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
I think that our final media products uses forms of
conventions of real media products as we used our research and planning to
create the same atmosphere and genre themes as any other thriller film. One
example is the camera shots, we included shots like a close up to ensure that
you could see the characters face- which would therefore display the emotion
and reaction that the character may have, which would give the audience a clue
to what type of genre may be. This may be if the character was to looks frightened
of something we know that the film is going to be scary which then leads to the
idea of the genre being a thriller/horror. We also used a long shot to show of
the characters from the back- this implied that they were running away from
something and that there was something to fear.
Another
example in which we incorporated a typical thriller form was the music; we
chose to use a piece of music that sounded mysterious and scary. We did this as
we wanted to create a frightening atmosphere that best suited with the piece of
film, making the film a lot more realistic and scarier. This created a positive effect to the film as
it gives the audience a clear idea to what genre the film is based on and would
hopefully draw in a bigger audience.
Near the start of the sequence we show the title of
the film and use a thunder effect to shudder the film title- which instantly
creates a creepy atmosphere. We also chose to use simple white font and a black
background; we did this so we didn’t take too much attention away from the
background music and effect but we also thought that it created a much darker
atmosphere- therefore making the audience believe that something bad was going
to happen.
At the start
of the opening sequence we use a shot to show the characters lower legs and
feet, you can also easily identify that the characters are two girls and by the
clothing that they are wearing that they are younger- maybe in their teens.
This almost implies, along with the scary/mysterious music, that they are quite
stereotypically vulnerable and that something bad is going to happen to them.
In our original plan we wanted to film in the dark,
however after doing some filming we regretted that you couldn’t see the
characters as it was too dark and weren’t able to access the right equipment to
film the opening sequence in this poor condition. So we had to improvise and
find a new location where we could film in the day. After finding our new location
we filmed on a day when we had bad weather so the sky was dark but we still had
natural light, in able to see the characters when filming. This wasn’t as good
as it was to if it was pitch black in a graveyard however it was a good
alterative as we still had dim lighting and the new setting created a
frightening atmosphere.
So for the setting we filmed outside in a secure
and quiet area where there was a lot of tree area- practically a forest. In a
stereo typical thriller film you know that when someone is a forest they are
usually running away from something or somebody which makes you feel the
characters fear. We also wanted to be in a quiet area as we wanted the opening
sequence to be silent and didn’t want any unwanted noise to affect this. Being
filmed in a forest like area it makes the audience think that we are in the middle
of nowhere, which is never good. It gives the audience a chance to develop
ideas to what is going to happen to two vulnerable girls in the middle of
nowhere- all by themselves.
Finally after the suspense is heightened with the
mysterious opening title and sequence we know that something bad is going to
happen. We later reveal this in an over the shoulder shot when you see a tall
figure stood behind a character- oblivious. The audience were able to identify
that the new character is something evil and scary, maybe insinuating that the
characters should fear them. It may also show that the characters may be
related to this new character and isn’t just a random figure after them.
At the end of the sequence we show a close on the
two main characters screaming and in the background we play a chant ‘no more
secrets and lying, I know where you’re hiding’. This insinuates to the audience
that the figure chasing the characters knows them and may have a bad past with
them. Using the words ‘secrets’ and ‘lying’ we know that the characters are
hiding something and will be later revealed in the film. I believe that this
will make the audience want to carry on watching the film to discover the big
secret.
2). How does your media
product represent particular social groups?
In our thriller opening sequence it is 2 teenage
girls, by themselves in the middle of nowhere. We represent this type of social
group (teenage girls) to be quite vulnerable to be by themselves, outside of
the public. This also represents the female gender to be a lot less independent
and weaker than a male. By using camera shots, for example a close up, you are
able to see the fear in the characters face, this again shows that the female
stereotypically gets more scared than the male. We intentionally wanted to
represent our female characters to be stereotypically more vulnerable to males
and show that females are frightened easier. Our character that the two teenage
girls were scared of was typically a lot bigger and taller than the two teenage
girls; we did this so that the characters looked more threatening and held the dominant
position in this position. It is harder to identify their gender, because you don’t
see their face; however the character has long, curly hair and wears boots so I
think that this gives it away more that it is a female character.
3). What kind of media institution might
distribute your media product and why?
If a media institution were to distribute our film I
would say it would be a film distribution company like Momentum pictures. I
think this as it is an independent British film company and they release films
purely for the growth and not for major income, unlike companies like 20
century fox and Paramount pictures. If we were to distribute the film it would
be of low budget as we have filmed in local locations, used little props and
have used all school equipment for our filming and editing. I believe that
Momentum Pictures is a very successful film distributor as it has distributed popular
films like; Sinister, the Woman in Black, Safe Haven, P.S. I love you, The
Kings Speech, Amelie, Just Friends, The illusionist etc. Some of these films
have won Momentum Pictures BAFTA’S and Oscars, which shows that they are successful.
To advertise our film we would directly rely on the media, first putting it on
websites like IMDB and rotten tomatoes and then social networking like Facebook,
twitter, you tube etc. This way the film is shared around so more and more
people can view the film and give honest opinions about it.
4). Who would be the audience for your media
product?
As our film is a thriller- horror genre we did
research on similar films like insidious and sinister. They were both rated age
15 by the BBFC as both films contained strong horror, language and violence
which we wanted to include in our film. We wanted to make our film scary,
violent and horrifying; however we did not want the rating to go anything above
a 15 as our main target audience is teenagers (15+). We also wanted both males
and females to enjoy our film and will show violence and however we will not
show explicit contents that would cause us to break the rules and conventions
of the film rating 15. Thrillers are very popular as it is said to bring the
audience:
- · A high level of anticipation
- · Ultra-heightened expectation
- · Uncertainty
- · Anxiety
- · Suspense
- · Excitement
- · Tension
- · Terror
5). How did you
attract/address your audience?
This
is Tara Haythornthwaite (left) and Ashley Russell (right) and they both fit our target audience as
they are teenage girls as they are both 17 years old. They both attend sixth
form and they both enjoy watching television.
Tara’s favourite films include Scream,
Sinister, The house at the end of the street and Friday the 13th.
She really likes horror | thrillers as she likes the tension being built up and
feeling the excitement after something important has been revealed in the film that
she may be watching.
After viewing our film opening she said:
“I really like the film opening, it straight way
built up a strong tension and felt the fear of the girl running from the
chaser, it was great!”.
Ashley’s favourite films
include the women in black, fright night, insidious, cabin in the woods and Texas
chainsaw massacre. She also likes to watch horror | thriller weekly as she
likes the high level of anticipation that the films have and believes that the
suspense makes the film much more interesting to watch.
After reviewing our
opening sequence she said:
“I loved it! At the
start it gave you that stereo typical creepy music and then the suspense
gradually got higher and higher. I would definitely watch the film if it were
to be produced”.
6). What have you learnt about technologies from the
process of constructing this product?
When first
joining the Media class we had never used any of the media equipment that we
were first introduced to. However we soon got the jist of things after filming
out prelimary task, we got to know the camera recorder a lot better and were able
to use it in different settings (like zooming in and out). When filming our
thriller we used little equipment as we only needed simple technology. The two
pieces of equipment we used was the camera recorder and tripod for some of the shots.
The camera recorder gave us a very clear picture and we were able to adjust the
zoom in and zoom out button very easily without blurring the shot. The tripod
was useful as it gave us a steady shot preventing it from being wobbly if hand
held. After filming the opening sequence we were able to use an Apple Mac to
edit our shots and join them together. We also learnt how to cut some shots
short, add sound effects and add effects like fading in, words enlarging etc.
Once doing this the first time it was really easy to used and ended up being helpful
for our opening sequence.
Overall this technology has helped us build up a
lot more knowledge on how to use the different equipment. Although at times the
filming could be difficult, when choosing the right background/setting, we were
able to fix this by using the Apple Mac to edit in effects and a sound track.
7). Looking back at your preliminary
task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the
full product?
It is evident after comparing our Preliminary task and
Thriller opening sequence that we have learnt a lot and gained a big amount of
knowledge. We have been able to develop our ideas by using a range of shots and
different equipment. In the Preliminary task we chose not to use the tripod,
however after using it in our Thriller opening sequence you can tell the
difference between the shots and see that the Thriller shots are much more high
quality and steady. Also in our Preliminary task we chose to speak in it but in
our Thriller we decided it was best not to. We believe that the silence in the
Thriller is a lot more effective and gives it that greater suspense and
creepiness compared to if we were talking. The only two part of the thriller where
you hear the two girls is when they are screaming near the end but that’s just to
show their emotions, not to interact with each other and at the end you hear
the scary voices saying ‘no more secrets and lying, I know where your hiding’
which signifies what the film is about. Finally the editing is a lot more
effective as we learnt how to add sound effects and different transitions of
shots.
CONCLUSION
Overall I can say I personally have learnt a great deal of
knowledge of media work and technology since starting AS level Media Studies
and have highly enjoyed filming both our Preliminary task and Thriller opening
sequence.
Evaluation - Lauren Westlake
Evaluation
1. I believe that our final media
product uses forms and conventions of real media products because like other
thriller films we have used the same camera angles that they would ensuring we
create the same atmosphere and look as them. From our research we discovered
all the different types of camera shots that a typical thriller film would use,
for example panning and close ups. From which we then incorporated into our
opening thriller sequence. Also our film typically used thriller conventions by
in our opening sequence we had a lot of screaming, which is stereotypically
found in thriller films. Also the music we used was very mysterious and created
a lot of tense atmosphere within the media product. I believe this was
effective as the music related to our thriller a lot and without it the sense
of anxiousness towards the films would be much less.
2. As the characters in our media
product were around 15-16 years old I believe that the social groups we
represented were teenagers and young adults. Although the characters are very
sly and mysterious as they are hiding a very big secret, I believe this can be
perceived in some ways an accurate representation of young adults and some
teenagers. This being as they are stereotypically scorned by many members of
the general public as being associated with getting up to no good and causing
trouble.
3. The types of media institution
that I would like distribute our product would be a small independent production company. I would like a company like this to produce it as they are most likely to specialise in low budget films, like ours. A reason why as a group we would choose this is because it will cost less money for them to make the film, which means potentially a higher profit could be made which we can therefore spend on developing new ideas for the film and for next time maybe more famous actors. Also we can spend the money on marketing getting our film more recognised by our target audience, making us more popular and making more money. An example of a small production we may choose to use is South West Film who focus on clients in the Bristol area. The company specialise partivcualry in film and marketing and therefore could be very useful for us .
the marketing of the product so people get to know your film or a better cast.
4. As our film was rated as 15 this
would mean that you would have to be that age or above to watch it, therefore I
believe the products target audience is of teenagers and young adults who are
looking for a good thriller, with an element of mystery and anticipation
throughout.
Ways we attracted out target
audience was that in our thriller the characters are around the same age as
what we predict our target audience to be therefore we felt they would enjoy it
more as it could possibly be relatable to them. Also another form of attracting
the target audience was that the music that we used in the product was of a
fast paced beat therefore making it more interesting and exhilarating.
For more information about what people of around the age of 15+ liked in a film I asked a few people their opinions of some quesations I asked them.
First of all I asked Sam who is aged 17 years old. She told me that her favourite type of films is thriller and horror. She said she paticularly liked the thriller genre as it 'gives you a rush and excitement and is enjoyable because it leaves you wondering what will be happening next'. Then I asked Sam what typical conventions she would expect in a thriller film and she answered with 'I would expect to hear scary and creepy music which add to making the atmoshpere very on edge'.
Next I asked a 17 year old boy Jack who said his favourite type of films is also thriller. When I asked Jack what typical conventions he would expect to see or hear in a thriller film he answered 'Alot of makeup used to make the characters look scary, and alot of special effects making the film have alot of action'.
For more information about what people of around the age of 15+ liked in a film I asked a few people their opinions of some quesations I asked them.
First of all I asked Sam who is aged 17 years old. She told me that her favourite type of films is thriller and horror. She said she paticularly liked the thriller genre as it 'gives you a rush and excitement and is enjoyable because it leaves you wondering what will be happening next'. Then I asked Sam what typical conventions she would expect in a thriller film and she answered with 'I would expect to hear scary and creepy music which add to making the atmoshpere very on edge'.
Next I asked a 17 year old boy Jack who said his favourite type of films is also thriller. When I asked Jack what typical conventions he would expect to see or hear in a thriller film he answered 'Alot of makeup used to make the characters look scary, and alot of special effects making the film have alot of action'.
5. From constructing our media
product I have learnt many new skills on the forms of technology. For example I
have learn how to use a video camera in order to produce a film opening camera,
creating different shots and angles in order to create a professional look and
create typical thriller convention features. Also I have learnt to use iMovie
to do editing for our media product on an apple mac computer. This has helped
me as without learning to do this we would not have been able to add music and
titles to our scenes. Also it was useful as we could cut and crop scenes to our
satisfaction, creating a smooth running film.
As an overall conclusion I believe our thriller film is
effective as it does include typical conventions of a thriller genre however if
I was to do this task again there are many things that as a group we would
decide to differently. However the main part that we would do differently to
improve upon next time would be the time of day we film. This is because the
first time we started filming our thriller it was in the dark and although at the
time we could see everything clearly on the camera, once we got back to do the
editing the video clips were very dark and it was unclear what was going on
within the scenes. Therefore we had to film it all over again but this time in
the daytime so we were able to see everything going on in the scenes, but to
add effect we darkened some of the scenes on iMovie to make it seem darker than
it actually was. This did lose us a lot of time within our work, although we
were still able to complete it in the given time.
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