Sofia's Evaluation

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

In order to create a tension and suspense building thriller opening, conventions are challenged and developed.  A typical thriller opening includes "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo." This opening follows the conventions and expectations of a thriller opening. 

 The scene begins with a package being opened with a knife. Straight away we see conventions of the thriller genre which include a knife and a mysterious package. The man is wearing gloves which connotes danger and crimes being committed.

 The male character is surrounded by darkness so that the audience can focus on his facial expressions. His face is lit up with bright lights to attract attention. In thriller openings darkness and shadows create enigma which creates mystery and fear. In addition a variety of shots such as close ups and long shots are used throughout to entertain the audience and keep them interested. In thriller openings close ups are used to emphasise an object of importance which may foreshadow future events.  As seen in the screen grab below, typical costumes for thrillers include dark clothing which hides a character's identity and causes the audience to focus on them. 

My media project develops a variety of conventions of media projects but also challenges them.


In the first scene we immediately show conventions of thriller openings. This is because the film is set at night time which therefore creates a dark and brooding atmosphere. As the car approaches the audience feels a sense of fear and vulnerability which is also portrayed in the female character. The quick pace of shots as the male character approaches the door is a technique that many use within thriller openings because it increases the viewer's heart rate and makes us feel anxious. The soundtrack begins when the male character enters the house. The slow non - diegetic music shows a sense of pain and distress. Thriller openings want to make the audience feel fearful as they are watching because this intrigues them and gets them hooked.  The music changes as the female character drops the plate on the floor. We hear a loud smash which shows the audience. The following shot is of the male character clenching his fist connoting anger and frustration. The non diegetic music puts the audience on edge because of its eerie and apprehensive sound. In addition, we used high angle shots to convey the importance and strength of the male character. He is conflicting the pain and violence onto the female. She looks insignificant and dominated by her partner.

However, our thriller opening also challenges thriller expectations. The female character finally escapes from the male and she runs up the stairs, shown in the screen grab on the left. In many thriller openings the female character is the victim throughout but in our opening we see the characters shift. But we are soon disappointed when the male character follows her upstairs and abruptly closes the door behind them because we know that something will happen.
In addition, we have used a close up of wine being poured into a glass. Wine usually symbolises socialising and relaxation which calms people down. On the other hand, it portrays escapism from reality. We decided to use wine in our sequence to juxtapose the positive connotations which frightens the audience.

We decided not to use dialogue throughout the opening. The effect of this allows the non-diegetic music to establish the mood and atmosphere without using dialogue. It also makes it more thrilling because it makes it seem as though the female knows that something is going to occur, suggesting that it's been going on for a long time. The only sound we hear from the female is a scream, which causes the scream to seem more distressing.







2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My media product represents social groups in many ways. Firstly, a gender hierarchy is represented in the thriller opening immediately. This is because the victim of the domestic violence is a female showing that she is weak and insignificant to the unidentified male character. The man wears a smart suit which shows that he hold a high status within a business so he has a strong personality that can be very dominating. This causes the female character to fear him and his power. We show this my using many high angle shots of the male looking over the female character. The audience feel intimidated and tense. This is a negative representation of women because she is portrayed as being fragile and insignificant. This makes it more appealing to our target audience (young females) because they create a personal connection with the charter and feel empathy towards her. On the other hand, towards the end of the opening, the female escapes and inverts the power so that the man is seen as powerless as he can not control her anymore. In addition, the female character is serving the male dinner which creates a dark imagery because she is seen as his maid. The female character wears a turquoise, elegant dress which is a typical representation of a women. The colour turquoise connotes femininity, joy and friendship. However, she is wearing no makeup and does not have a hairstyle which shows that she is ashamed of herself and the bruising she has on her face and body. The audience see that the couple are of middle class because they live in a semi - detached house in a quiet area. Also, the car from the first scene is professional looking showing that the male character makes the majority of the money.

The film "Safe Haven" is based on domestic violence and how the female character escapes eventually. The screen grab on the left shows that the male character has much more power over the female and is higher up in the hierarchy.  The man is wearing a suit which is common within a thriller because it connotes his authority.      
However, similar to my thriller opening, the female character gains strength and stabs the villain so that he cannot inflict anymore pain onto her. The target audience (young females) feel a sense of pride and relief when the female finally retaliates.

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

There are three stages involved in the process of a film getting from an idea to you as a spectator watching it. These stages include Film Production, Film Distribution and Film Exhibition. I believe that our film does not need a low budget distributor because I think there are many ways to release the film to the public such as social networking and independent cinemas. Firstly, we would need to contact as many independent cinemas around the area as we can. There is one called the "Orion" in Burgess Hill and a few I know in Brighton such as Picturehouse. Independent cinemas show low budget films like ours. We do not need a distributor as we would have to pay them large amounts of money which we do not have. The last few years, the accessibility of films has become easier to watch because of the increase in devices such as smartphones, tablets and games consoles. Internet streaming has also become popular which includes Netflix which has taken the world by storm. You can view films and TV programmes at any time of the day. 

The best time to show our film would be on Wednesday's, this is because there is not much competition from the high budget films and it is also cheaper. I believe that Youtube is also a great way of uploading the film to the public. Social networking has become so massive these last few years and its a great way of advertising the film to its target audience. The first step would be to create our own Youtube Channel so we can upload other videos related to the main film. In addition, a Facebook page and Twitter account will also need to be produced to keep in contact with the audience, advertise the film and to receive feedback. Facebook and Twitter are important because our target audience is 17-24 who will all have an account with one of these pages, so we can grab their attention. Also, film posters are vital because they have various purposes which make them a vital tool for the success of our film. The main purpose is to advertise and inform the audience  through important information such as release date, actors and suitability with reference to age (BBFC certification.) Film posters use illustrations, lettering, colouring and a layout to

entice an audience into seeing the film. They focus on visual elements such as, powerful photographs and graphics to make posters attention grabbing and something the audience would want to see. These visual elements can also give the audience an insight into the themes and genre that will be portrayed throughout the film. In conclusion, I believe that we do not need a distributor to successfully release our film to the public. Youtube, Facebook and Twitter are great ways to advertise out thriller film and to grab the demographics attention. Connecting with independent cinemas will give us a chance for the audience to view the film in a cinema environment not just at home even though it is a low budget film. 

4. Who would be the audience for your media product?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVwvZa9D1n4

5.How did you attract/address your audience? 

Audience feedback is very important when wanting to attract the target demographic. In order to get feedback I posted on Facebook asking the public, specifically young females, what they thought of our idea and the name of the film. We received some great, useful feedback that helped us to create a successful thriller opening which you can see in the screenshots. The protagonist of out thriller film is a young female which instantly appeals to the target audience because they can relate to her and already have a connection with the character. The story is based on domestic violence which sadly many females can relate to. It is a very touching storyline which causes the female viewer to respect the protagonist and to build an emotional attachment to her. We believed that using domestic violence could be a risk but it worked out well because it has a deep meaning to it. The way in which we used fast paced shots created tension and suspense which makes the audience want to watch more. Making the male the villain (we used Props' theory) is a stereotypical representation of domestic violence because the main stories are about men causing the violence because of their strength. The female viewers may feel fear and hatred towards the character so interest is created making them want to watch the whole film, which is what we want. Also, the female character is wearing a pretty, green dress that is very feminine. The female character has a very bare face, with dark eyes and bruises. This makes her look damaged and hurt. It also enhances the man's power and creates a stereotypical woman victim. Her hair looks scruffy and neglected, which will establish how she doesn't take care of herself causing the target audience to feel sorry for her. Her hair is up, so that the bruising around her neck and shoulders are on display to represent the pain and lack of confidence she has which many females can relate to.

6.What have you learnt about technologies from the process of contracting this product?
Here is a link to a video where I talk about the answer to this question, including photos and evidence from the blog.

http://youtu.be/U4N2XMSAqCI


7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learned in the progression from it to the full product?

During this experience I have learnt many useful techniques that I can carry through to A2 media. However, I did come across a few difficulties in research, planning, filming and editing which I had to overcome with my group. 

Firstly, we studied the rules that are followed within thriller films. The screen grab on the right shows that we posted examples of shot/reverse shot, match on action and the 180 degree rule on our blog. I learnt how to ensure that our final opening looked professional which meant that we had to follow these rules to gain the most marks we could. In order to show that we understood these techniques we had to complete the preliminary task. 

The Preliminary Task.

The specification states that this must be:

‘ A continuity task involving filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character with whom she/he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue.’ The sequence must last no longer than one minute.

This task should demonstrate:

• Match on Action
• Shot/Reverse Shot
• The 180 degree Rule

You will also have to incorporate Music, lighting, dialogue (recorded separately on a lapel mic and voice recorder)  and sound effects into your film

All filming and editing must take place on campus, using College equipment. 

Each group will set up a blog onto which you will record  the entire process 

I found this task really helpful and extremely interesting. I learnt many techniques that I used for our final film opening. It was quite difficult at first because this was our first proper task in Media and we really wanted to pass this so we could go on to our thriller opening. Leading up to editing our preliminary task, we had to go through many different stages of research and planning. Firstly, we had to research different thriller openings which I explain in more detail below. Also, had to research different locations, storyboards, risk assessment, and allocating roles.The camera work was relatively simple because we had been taught about how to use the cameras, different shots and angles so we had a good understanding of filming. However, when we got to editing it was challenging because I have never used Final Cut Pro before so we had to start from scratch. Ultimately, it was not that difficult to use but we did receive help. After the task we gained important techniques for editing moving image and sound which gave us an advantage when editing our final piece.

planning which helped us to create a successful thriller opening. Our research and planning techniques really improved and we knew what we had to do for our main task. We ensured that we had an organized and up to date blog that we could work from. Everything we did in the lesson, I took photos of and uploaded them to the blog as evidence so we could get as many marks as possible.     

In addition, we had to study different thriller openings to broaden our knowledge and to help us to understand the conventions and expectations of the genre. I look at the usual suspects, the girl with the dragon tattoo, drive, the sixth sense, the dark knight rises and prisoners. Before completing this task I didn't  not have a very good understanding of thriller films because I tend to watch romantic comedies, there is a big difference between the two genres. However, when watching these openings I took detailed notes and wrote a good analysis for each which was useful because I learnt a lot about the different conventions and expectatitions.

  

Once the preliminary task was completed, we had to think about our main task which was to create a thriller opening. We already had a few ideas which we wrote down on a spider diagram and decided which idea would best suite our target audience and which would be most effective. Every member of the group liked the idea of using domestic violence as the main theme. It is quite an emotional subject which we thought we could use to really speak to the audience and connect them to the opening. From this I learnt how to go from ten ideas to one idea and to decide which idea would be most powerful and successful. I was in charge of audience feedback so I posted a few questions onto Facebook which targeted our audience (young females) and we received some really useful feedback that we used in our opening. During the planning, I learnt how to create two different anamatics which would display our storyboard clearly. I had to use many skills such as editing, scripting and camera work. When filming our main task we took many photos and uploaded them to the blog so that we had as much evidence as possible. Also, during filming we had to film a few match on action shots which was quite a challenge so we had to record them a few times. From this, I learned that when filming the more shots you record the better because when it comes to editing you can choose the best one to use in the actual opening.

When it came to editing we felt confident because we had practiced editing in our preliminary task so we knew how to use the software. Firstly, we had to upload all the footage onto Final Cut Pro and save it into our folder. This helped us to stay organized and to not to loose anything, we knew where it all was. During editing we came across a few problems. The main one was that we filmed during the day so it was light outside. However, the film is set during the night time so the lighting had to be quite dull. In one of the shots the window is visible but it looks to light outside. Some other shots were filmed at night such as the car scene so we could have lost marks on continuity. Sophie showed us a skill which we used in a few other shots. This technique was to change the colour of the background which took quite a while. From this I learnt that continuity is very important in order for the opening to be realistic and believable.

In conclusion, I learnt many things during the two tasks. The preliminary helped me to build my confidence in creating an effective thriller opening. So when it came to the main task I had a good understanding on what we had to do (research and planning) and how we show evidence on the blog. I believe that we created a tension building opening that really targets young females and victims of domestic violence. Everyone that has watched it has said that they were touched by the storyline and they felt very anxious throughout watching the opening, they would watch to the end of the film.

Sofia's Analysis of Thriller Titles

Redlights

Immediately, we are shocked by the loud opening sound that creates a dangerous, eerie effect which sets the scene. The white font used is bold to make it stand out and to grab the audiences attention. There are flashing images behind the text which really builds the tension and disorientates the viewer because they cannot focus on one thing in the frame. The background is black which is typical for a thriller title sequence because black is synonymous of crime and isolation which tells the audience that the film is full of danger and fear causing us to want to watch more. 

The screenshot on the right shows an image of a shadow of hands. Shadows are commonly used in thrillers to create enigma and to make the audience fear what is going to happen next. Also, the image of hands creates a connection with the audience because it feels as though someone is reaching out to the viewer for help and desperation. The non diegetic music used is powerful because it uses instruments such as drums and brass instruments which are used to create a crescendo. Its also quite fast paced to increase the viewers heart rate and to ensure that they are feeling anxious and afraid. 

I really like the image of the light being reflected onto the text because it represents the title of the film which is "redlights." The reflection disturbs the scene because it shines onto the text which stuns the viewer because the text is not clear. This may foreshadow future events that will occur in the film and that it has a confusing storyline. 

The font of the title is called Futura which is a very effective font because it stands out and it has a light effect on the dark background. It is situated on the right of the screen and the reflection of the "relight" is placed on the left of the screen so we can see the title clearly. The text slowly fades away, letter by letter as the red light is shown. The next shots are at a fast pace and use flashing imagery to disturb the audience. The music builds and foley's are added to make the title sequence more thriller and to attract the target audiences attention. Title sequences need to focus on appealing to their target audience because in the end the film is going to be bought by them and each shot is created to build as much tension as possible.

A few shots are used with a white background to make the scene more interesting to watch otherwise the black background could become very repetitive. Also, patterns are added to change the way the text is presented which attracts the viewer and makes them want to watch more. I believe that the black and white colour theme is quite sophisticated yet very good at thrilling the audience. White is known as a pure colour whereas black is synonymous of darkness and fear; the two colour juxtapose one another.

In the last few shows of the title sequence we are given more information about the film because newspaper articles are shown as well as moving imagery representing UFO's. The audience are now given more context to the film because before there was no information given.

The non diegetic music slows down to lead into the first shot of the film and to decrease the level of tension. The music stops suddenly and all we can hear is a plane which makes us wonder what the significance of this plane is. 

Are you afraid of the dark? 

This title sequence may be quite short but is really effective and quite disturbing. The sequence begins with a dark, odd scene which includes a boat. The audience wonder what the boat is representing and why is it there. We begin to ask questions which keeps us interested, we want to watch more. It feels like the camera is being held rather than on a steady tripod. The effect of this is that it feels like someone is watching and is taking you on their journey through the title. A blue filter is used which normally connotes calmness and purity. However, in this scene the colour creates an eerie and mysterious effect that puts the audience on the edge of their seat.

The non diegetic music is really effective because it uses a variety of instruments to create a spine chilling film opening. In addition, sound effects are added such as laughing, water and swings. All of these effects represent children and happiness. This makes the sequence even more unnerving because it is taking an innocent image of a child and converting it into a haunting image which is shown in the screenshot on the right. Here, we see a child's toy in a slanted angle making it look possessed. As we see the toy, the music builds to show the importance of this doll and how it builds the tension of the scene.

The low angle shot of the door and the handle again represents a child because young children are small so they have to look up to the handle in order to open the door. Light is shining through the key hole which makes us think that there is something very important behind the door. This is because lights are used to make things stand out or used like a spot light which represents importance.

The shot of the door leads to the last shot of the film title. The black background makes the red text stand out. The text is slightly curved which looks like a sad face to connote misery and sadness. I believe that the colour red is used to represent blood or danger but to also link to the match on fire in front of the text. By using fire in the title sequence it shows that the film is going to be explosive. On the other hand, the idea of fire is feared by children and many parents are careful when it comes to hot tools etc. This links with the child's laughter and toys previously shown. This creates an evil, sinister theme to the film.

Rubicon 

The sequence begins with images of codes, lines, numbers and letters which we link with the idea of being undercover and solving mysteries which are typical of the thriller genre. The non diegetic music is quite slow yet gripping. Sound effects are added on top of the music to represent the sound of the technology which is being used in the scene. The music builds and gets louder and more instruments are added such as strings. The font used for the actors names is black or white and quite small yet bold. I have noticed that in all the thriller openings that I have studied, they all use black and white text. I think this is because both of the colours are good representations of the thriller genre because they are useful in creating an eerie effect. The shots move at a fast pace to ensure that the audience are entertained and that they keep focused throughout the film. Also, the audience look for hidden clues in the title sequence that give them more of an understanding of the film. The image of planes is used in many different ways during the scene, such as in a crossword. This makes the viewer feel like they have accomplished something so they carry on watching. 

The music slows down as the title comes onto the screen. It looks as though the title was part of a secret code or something that should not be found. This makes the title look important and dominant. "Rubicon" is in yellow which is a bright colour that is typically used to represent happiness and sunshine. However, we are manipulated because we know the film will not have a positive outcome. Also, the text is lit up so it does not blend in with the background. Another idea is that the title looks like it has been written with a highlighter because the previous shot used yellow lines connecting words, numbers and letters. We tend to highlight important facts, again, conveying the title is significant. The music comes to an end and the text fades away which leads into the director and writers name. However, the colours used are different because black and white are the dominant colours. It seems as though black and white are typical colours to use in a thriller opening so they use them to appeal to their target audience. 

This title sequence does a good job of using non diegetic music to build tension and pace. I believe that title sequences should really entertain the audience because they need to watch till the end of the film. Thriller openings tend to use the colours black and white. The title's font is really important because the more unique it is the more interesting it is to look at which will attract people to watch the film. The font will be used on movie posters and trailers too so it needs to be appealing to its target audience. 

Audience Feedback - Film Title

Risk Assessment

Evidence of Editing

We've been using certain editing techniques such as a fade to black, and cuts to show the suspense that builds up throughout our sequence. We have also altered lighting in places to correct any continuity issues that we have seen.

Audience Feedback

We received some great feedback from the audience which really helped us while filming. Some people said that we should have the man as the victim whereas we planned to have the female as the victim to represent the idea of domestic violence and to appeal to our target audience. Also, the use of dark lighting was suggested which we have taken on board. We filmed during the late afternoon so outside was dark which created an eerie effect.

Animatic 1

SCRIPT!

We have decided to keep the majority of the sequence silent to emphasise the tension and suspense. The only part of the sequence with dialogue is when the tension is at its highest which is when the female character triggers the male characters anger causing the female character to become scared and desperate to be unharmed. Also, the non diegetic music will be a big part of building tension and also screams from the female character will help to increase the thriller aspect.

Thriller Title Ideas

We have many ideas for the title of our thriller. However, we have not decided on a final idea yet because we have been discussing which title to chose from and have asked for feedback from the public.


Here are our ideas:
Open Wound
Damaged and Distraught
ALICE
Trapped
Bruised
Battered
Broken
Survivor
Abuser
Stalker


We have finally decided on the title "Survivor." This is because we believe it amplifies the struggles and trauma the female character, Alice, has experienced and how she still manages to survive.

Anamatic 2

Creating storyboard!

Sound Planning - Sofia

In order to create tension and suspense we need to compose dramatic music including string instruments. We will be using Garage Band which I am able to use because I have had experience with the software. The use of dramatic music will cause the audience to feel anxious and its a good representation of the thriller genre. In an opening sequence of a thriller film there needs to be non-diegetic music to grab the audiences attention and to entertain them immediately.

We will use the sound of the plate falling to the floor, screams and the door shutting because they are all diegetic sounds that do not need to be changed. However, if the sounds are not loud enough then we may have to edit them to make them louder and more effective. I think it would be a good idea to enhance some of the sounds to show the importance of what is happening in the scene. This will shock the audience and keep them focused on the opening.

There are many tutorials on YouTube on how to create music from Garageband. I will be looking over these during the weekend and make some notes which will help during post production. I may begin to create some music in the next few days so I can practice and create some really effective background music for our opening sequence.

Location and Props - Sofia

We have decided to film our thriller opening sequence in my house. This is because we want a realistic environment surrounding the characters to make it more realistic to watch. I live in a quiet and secluded area which will look gloomy and mysterious in dark light.  However, the others in the group do not live in Burgess Hill so we will have to make sure we organize days that we are all free to film. We have decided to film outside my house too, when the male character is coming home and gets stopped by a neighbor. The time of day we are going to film is in the evening when it is quite dark outside which gives us opportunities to create shadows and enigma.

I have given permission for my group to use my house and the outside of my house.

PROPS

 In order to create the bruises and cuts on the female we need to buy some stage makeup which you can buy from Poundland and many other places. I have a lot of eyeshadow palettes including colours such as purple and black. Also, we need to buy a cheap plate for the male character to throw at the victim to create tension and fear.

We need:

Saucepan and Wooden Spoon

Plates

Pasta

Microwave

Wine bottle and glasses

Car

Makeup (eyeshadows/fake blood)

Costumes (Suit for the man and casual clothing for female)

Table

Chairs