Thriller opening- evaluation

Evaluation questions. 

Final Product:

What ways media products use / develop / challenge real media products: 

Before we even started to think of ideas on how our thriller opening would look we did research into different factors that are included in a thriller and the different aspects of what makes a thriller. These were the things such as camera angles, editing, sounds and mise-en-scene.  We first started with what a thriller is. This was a play, novel film that contains an exiting plot which will tend to involve crime or espionage. Meaning that in our thriller we needed to make sure that we excite the viewers this by keeping then clueless, by them thinking they know what is going to happen and then it taking a turn for the worse. It was important that we made them differences from other genres so that people know that it was a thriller that we were making and not something that people would say is like a horror. In order to make sure that we were able to make it a 'typical'  thriller film we watched the start of different thrillers. These were films such as 'Borgman', 'Invisible', 'Mr Brooks', 'Prisoners' and many more. While watching these we were to make notes on things such as the order of the credits, the music/ sound effects that were being used, ways in which the camera was placed and the way the shots were edited together.

This is one of the thrillers we watched:   ( Poster for the film & the film opening )

 

From what we gathered from watching these different openings to thrillers was that the title opening sequences have to be placed in a way that splits it from being a trailer to an opening of a film. Usually in a trailer the credits will come at the end or not at all, whereas in a opening of a film they will be at the beginning, but this will only show some of the credits as many will appear at the end of the film. The order of the credits show the importance of the people that have being shown in the film to those who have worked in the production side of things. This research was shown in our thriller opening as we would start with the least important then go to the most. Our order of this would go from who was staring in the film ( firstly starting with the actors that were less important, then going to those that were featured more ), to the maker of the music, then on to the more important things such as the producer, editor and the director.

Here is the difference between an opening scene and a trailer!

 The opening scene for ' Prisoners'

There are distinct differences between the both of them, this is where we got the research to find out the differences between an opening to a film compared to a trailer.







Compared to the trailer for the film 'Prisoners'

The music/ sound effects that were used in the different thrillers would either be intense music that would lead up to something, this to make a feeling of suspense/ tension ( this something that a thriller aims to do). Music/ Sound effects may be one of the most important things in the making of a thriller as it can cause the most emotion on a person, meaning that if you were to watch something without any music on you feel differently to you would if you were to listen to it with it. For example in one of the opening thrillers that we watched ' by appointment only' the non- digetic sounds that were playing was very sad. This was used to confuse the viewers on why this is been played at the start as they have only just began to watch and do not have a clear idea of what is going on. This is was helpful to us in the making of our thriller opening. We used music that would cause tension, that would keep viewers always expecting more. Also the other sounds that we used was digetic. The sound of lightening, this was to make the feeling of the thriller dark and creepy. We left the dialogue that was used short and minimalist as this is what most thrillers do at the beginning as they do not want to give much away. 

Mise-en-scene is very important in distinguishing what a thriller is. This includes things such as the costumes the scene, lightening and the props that have been used. In thrillers there tends to be a villain, hero and someone in need of help. Each of these will dress very differently ( an individual look ). To start with the Villain will dress in dark clothing showing that they are not very friendly or welcoming, whereas with the hero they will wear clothing which is bright and warm. This to show the differences between them. The one that is in need of saving will be dressed in something that may be quite revealing/ unclean , this to show that they are in some kind of trouble. This tends to be used in many films. As in our thriller we want the viewers to think that they know what is going on but then to turn out in something completely different. The Villains that are shown in our thriller opening are wearing suits, something that you would not expect from a villain, we used this to confuse the viewers as they would not expect it.

From what we gathered from watching and researching these other thriller films were that the editing can always vary. This from being quick and keeping the viewers on the edge of there seats, this was with the use of fast cutting to have a continuous flow of the story, Or it can be the other way around having slow editing, making it very mysterious and dark. Either way was to create tension in the viewer which is what a thriller aims to do. For our thriller we used slow editing, this was the use of slower cuttings, or to have long shots of a particular scene. At the start of the thriller opening we used camera ramping which is where a camera goes both fast and slow in some places. This was to make sure that the viewers would have a brief idea of what was going on but also to excite the viewers making them think about what is going to happen next/

We have used many different features of what a thriller is by looking through different examples. A Thriller is there to excite viewers with different features. The codes and conventions of thrillers are shown on this page.  Click here.

How does your media product represent a particular social group? 

Different films will represent different social groups. This can be from a wealthy background, the normal typical family or those that are struggling to be afford day to day things ( which would be seen as a lower social group) .  An example of a thriller film that represents a particular social group is the film ' Mr Brooks'. This thriller is resenting a high class social group, this due the clothing that they were wearing, the places that they went out and the house that they lived in. In order to represent different social groups it has to be filmed in the right area and the actors showing the clothes that matched with it.

Here is an example of two different social groups:

A high class social group: 

It is down to the costumes / the way that the actors acts and the environment they are in to what social group they are in.

Here we have men in suits presenting themselves well. - This is what we have choose to aim for. 

A lower class social group:

Here we see those in a lower social group, wearing different clothing to those in a different social group.












Our thriller opening represents a high class social group. This due to different factors. The costumes that the actors are wearing. The actors that are not shown as much are still wearing clothing that you would not expect to see on someone in a lower class. The main costumes that shows the representation of a high social group is the two older men ( main characters ) that are both wearing suits. This showing that they are well off as it has a sense of being like a business man. This would be different if we were to represent a different social group for example if it was a lower social group it the two men would be wearing a t-shirt and jeans. Straight away from seeing these two men in shirts/ posh trousers & shoes shows that they may be wealthy and a higher social group than others. 

Another factor that represents a higher standard social groups is the props that we used (mise-en-scene). The two main props that stand out from the rest are the snooker table and the 2 posh wine glasses at the end of the thriller opening. First of all the snooker table shows that they are not any ordinary men, as it not something that many people can afford in there house or to be playing it. Many would see snooker as a posh sport to have in a house. Also at the end of the opening the two men have two posh wine classes in there hands. This is also another thing that you would not normally expect someone with a lower social group to have. 

The scene that we filmed in was a posh area, with big houses and big drives. This shows that the people living in them must have been well-off themselves. The start of the thriller opening where the camera is camera ramping shows the street view of where the house is placed, this will be where the viewers first start to realise that it is in a well-off area and targeting a higher class social group. As we come to the end of the camera ramping and to the end of the street we come to the house were the thriller is mainly filmed, this a big house with a car outside. This is also what you would say someone that is of a higher social class lives in. The camera angles would show the different parts of the scene to show that it was of higher class. This from showing the street, the houses and those that were featured in the opening. It was important that we made sure everything that we did while film would represent this social group. Apart from that one scene where it showed the two girls that were kidnapped. This was shot in an ' outhouse' at the back of the garden. It does not show a clear view of what the two girls are wearing but it does shown them in not a very clean or welcoming environment. As we have not given much away about the two people that have been kidnapped we can not say what social group they were from as they are not usually in that kind of environment as they have been kidnapped.

A high class social group was the social representation that we were aiming for when filming our thriller opening so it was important to make sure that viewers were able to tell from the different features. 

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

Different thriller films are distributed in loads of different places. This places such as Netflix on the different channels on television, online or in cinemas. The places that these films are distributed on may depend on the age rating that the film is given, this because it may contain scenes that are not appropriate for a certain age category. For our thriller opening we gave it an age category of 15. This because it contains some scenes that would not be appropriate for the younger ages to see. This  then would effect the places that we are able to distribute our product.

The first place that we would choose to distribute our thriller to would be at a film festival. This is to start off and make places/ bigger companies aware of our film. Here we are able to see those who are interested in our thriller and who would like to distribute in there media institution. Another institution were we would like to distribute our product would be to Netflix, this is because there is many different film category's on here, including thrillers making it very easy for viewers to watch. From the research that we did the films that are put onto netflix are a range of ages, but to make sure that viewers are aware of this age category when watching it, it will tell them when they click onto it. The reason that we have chosen to distribute our product on the media institution such as netflix is because as the age category for our thriller is 15, the main individuals that tend to watch different films/ series on netflix are either around this age or older, this then makes it very easy for us as film makers to reach the target audience that we set out for as we are putting it in a place where it is easy for them to find and watch. Also another reason in why we chose to place it on netflix was because on netflix those that like thriller films will get and notification on the other thriller films that are on there. This meaning that those that have not heard of our thriller opening will gain there awareness through the recommendation, in which will be both beneficial to them and us and they get to watch this exciting new thriller and we get the right target audience and the awareness that we wanted.

Another place in where we would like to distribute our product is on a television channel.

The channel that we would air our product on would be BBC. This is because it is a very popular channel that airs many films after a certain time. As our thriller is a 15 this would be the perfect place to show as it would be at a time where the younger ones have gone to bed and where the older ones have sat down to watch the television. The BBC is seen as one of the most popular channels, this meaning that we gain a high amount of awareness. Even though this may not be as popular the ages that we are going for, there is always the older ages that are able to watch it to and may enjoy it just as much.

Our thriller would both be shown in different cinemas and eventually sent off on a DVD so those that enjoy it are always able to watch it. This also fits in with our age category as those of this age will tend to go to the cinema to watch films or either buy it on a DVD and take it home to watch. ( If you would like to have a look at our DVD cover please click here  to go onto our ' All about the Outhouse' page where you will find this) 

The places that we have chose not to distribute would be on the internet, this is due to the fact that there is not a high demand of watching films online when there is the alternatives of watching verity of films on media institutions such as Netflix.

Who would be the audience for your thriller?

Every film is given an age rating from the BBFC ( British Board of Film Classification). This is to determine who is suitable to watch the film. The list of the age ratings and what each of them include is shown on the page ' Thriller research'. For our thriller we chose to give it the age rating of a 15. This is due to the fact that some of the scenes that are shot in the thriller are not suitable for those that are below this age category. Meaning that anyone over the age of 15 are able to watch the film, on the other hand it would be up the parent/ guardian to whether there child watches it if there were to watch it anywhere other than the cinema, even  though they have been warned that it was not recommended for that age category. Even though the other age categories are allowed to watch them such as the age category of 18, we have choose it to be a 15 as this is the youngest age we choose to, also because we thought that it would appeal more to this age category that it would to the older ages. Even though our thriller is of this age category does not mean that older ages would not enjoy it. Anyone that has an interest of thrillers, or those that enjoy the feeling of suspense/ tension would enjoy watching the film. We aim to attract both genders to the thriller. Even-though girls may be more attracted due to the two main characters that are playing ( two men in suits).  On the other hand boys would be attracted to watch it as they are watching a film that can excite them and keep them on the edge of there seats. 

The reasons why we have choose to distribute in the places shown in the question as above. Such as Netflix and the BBC is because we think that these are the places in which will attract the audience that we are aiming for, Netflix we think will be a big hit for our audience of our age category/ audience as this is where most people of this age choose to watch there films. 

How to attract your audience? 

There are many different ways in which you can attract your audiences. We have used many of these ways in order to attract as many people as possible. We thought of the ways that would most fit with our age category and getting there attention. One of the ways we thought would be a good way of attracting our age category was through the use of social media. The social media sites that we have chose to use was Facebook and Twitter. These two sites are known to be used by teenagers, this meaning that we would be able to attract the age category we wanted through these sites. Also on these kind of social media sites we are able to receive comments and likes, this will allow us to see those who have an interest in our thriller and those who would like to make comments about it.These two social media pages were shown on our page of ' all about the outhouse'. Here you are able to see what the two pages look like and the comments that we received from launching them.

Another site that we hoped would gain a wide spread attraction was You-tube. This site also attracts the age category of our thriller opening meaning it would be the perfect place to make people aware of our product. The way that we would use you-tube is through the advertisements on the sides, when people are watching other clips. This meaning that they don't have to search for the thriller it will appear on whatever the search for, this will gain the awareness of people that would not have heard it through other social media sites as it will just pop up on there screens.

As we want to attract as many people as possible we have created many different types of merchandise. This from things like key-rings to things such as notepads and bobble heads with the main characters on. These will be placed in different kind of shops or even in some fast food places. For example in McDonald they will hand toys out in some meals in order to spread awareness of new films that are coming out. We think that working with other companies such as this will attract an audience and will encourage people to go and watch it.

The film poster will be the first thing that people will come across and will judge this to whether they think it looks like a good film to watch. Our film poster will is an image that has been taken from the film itself, so people get an inside of what the film includes. In order to attract our audience we will show these film poster on different bill boards around high-streets and roads. Also they will be placed outside the cinemas that they will be shown in to make people aware that this is were the film is being shown. The film poster is very similar to the DVD cover this meaning that people will know straight away what they are looking at. The poster/ DVD cover that we have created is made to attract the audience that we are aiming for and that they will be attracted to watch it from this.

If you would like to look at our extras for the outhouse click here.

what have you learnt about technologies?

Throughout this piece of work we have been able to extend our knowledge of technologies. This from the use to cameras and computers. With cameras there is a lot that goes with it, such as the editing and the camera angles. There are many different kind of camera angles such as establishing shot, wide shot, over the shoulder shot and many more. These are all used to create a different kind of effect/ emotion to the viewers. We took this research to our advantage and put them into our thriller opening. The most used camera angle that we used was over the shoulder, we used this because we wanted to create tension, this  by not seeing the individuals face just the behind of him and seeing what he is looking at. 

Another thing i have learnt about technologies is the use of creating a blog. This is going from making a simple working blog to one with videos in and hyperlinks making it easier for people to navigate around. This has all extended my knowledge of the internet and how to make and efficiently use a blog. 

If you would like to see some of the ways in which i was able to learn about technologies and how i was able to improve on my blog please watch these you tube clips below:

What have you learnt from the preliminary task? The progression you have made.

We have gathered a lot more research from making our first clip to the final one that we have made. We have aimed to improve on all of the different areas such as mise-en-scene, sounds, camera and editing. We came across a few problems when making the continuity piece, these were things such as the sound, the opening titles and the way that the camera was posited. The main problem of these was the way that the camera was positioned. As the first time we filmed it was on a Phone we did not realise that when we went to edit it, it would have two black lines down the side of it. We then took this took this problem to our advantage when we were filming the thriller. This was because the story behind our thriller was an individual that was filming himself for a story point of view.  The way that we wanted to show that we were filming from someones point of view was through the fact of the two black lines and that it wasn't being filmed by some high tech camera, it was just an individual who was filming it himself. 

One of the main things that we have learnt from filming the continuity piece to the thriller opening was the opening credits. We did more in depth research to see how other films have used the opening credits to make it look less like a trailer and more like the opening of a film. In the continuity piece there was opening credits, but not as many as there could have been and not in the correct order. As we have gathered that the order of them is important, that the most important name always comes last. This was one of the main improvements that we made in order to make it look less like a trailer and more like an opening.

We gathered that the mise-en-scene could have been a lot better in the continuity piece after looking at it now.  This including things such as the costumes, lightening and scenery. The costumes that were used in this piece of work did not show a clear understanding of a social group or showing who was who. So we improved on this when doing our thriller opening by making sure that each character fit the part that they were playing and fitted into a certain social category. This was improved by putting them in better costumes such as suits which can easily be said that they are wealthy are normal. Also the lightening that was used in the first piece of work was quite dark and we were unable to see clearly on some of the key things that were taking place, to make sure that this was improved on in our thriller we took many different shots from different angles in order to gain the best lightening after we came to a conclusion of which was the best angle would would edit the clips together making sure it would fit together.

Sounds are very important for creating an atmosphere in films, without them it can change the whole meaning of particular scenes. After filming our continuity we went to more depth of sounds that were used in thrillers. This showed us on the different sounds that create high suspense in thrillers. (which is what they aim to do). Although that the music that we used during our continuity went well, we wanted to make sure that the sound of it wasn't to loud. This meant that when editing on our thriller we would go through different heights of pitch to make sure we got it high or low enough as we wanted. 

Overall through the making of these last two films we have learnt a lot about what goes into each of them. We have learnt a lot about the camera angles, editing, mise-en-scene and sounds. We are happy with the progress that we have made from the continuity piece to the thriller opening. Both of them show the research that we have gained from doing this topic. we are hoping to extend our knowledge of the work that commences on in A2.

Short clip on the improvements/ Progression made: