The feedback received from our final finished product of our Thriller was mainly positive. We arranged for a group of 18 to 20 year olds to give their opinion on the storyline, shots, sound, tone and their overall verdict. All of the viewers agreed that the storyline was an intriguing opening to our thriller as it left enigmas in their minds. The most discussed topic was the shots we decided to use, and more specifically the point of view shot. A lot of them like this shot as they said it help set the tone of the thriller as a very cold, creepy film, which is what they would expect to feel at whilst watching a thriller. However we did get some disagreeing with the previous point, these people felt that the point of view shot was too random and confused them as it was very brief, they felt it was un-necessary.
The sound within in the opening was proved very popular as everyone agreed that the music added to the suspense of the thriller and liked how the stings matched up to what was happening within the scene. As well as this most of them liked the change of soundtrack once the title of the film had appeared they liked that the music speed up as the scene did. However the minority said they would have preferred the music to stay the same, as they felt the new non-diegetic soundtrack made it seem like there was supposed to be a change when their wasn’t. However everyone agreed that not having diegetic sound in the beginning and then introducing it after the titles had shown was a good idea as the first minute built the tension and the second half made it seem more realistic, air go creepier.
Overall we received good results as all agreed that we had made a realistic, “Thrilling” thriller as our plot, shots and sound set the tone of the film to suit the conventions of a typical thriller, without making our storyline predictable. All agreed that there is room in the film industry for a film like ours.
Friday 8 May 2020
Thursday 7 May 2020
Wednesday 6 May 2020
Tuesday 5 May 2020
Monday 4 May 2020
EVALUATION 4
Target Audience
Our thriller is aimed at both females and males aged 18 to 25, we decided this as we believe our hybrid of a psychological thriller would challenge the restrictions of a 15 certificate. Below is a couple of examples of the type of audience that would suit our thriller.
Name: Samantha Folan
Age: 20
Samantha is interested in a lot of detective/psychological dramas on the TV, for example “Waking the dead” and “A touch of Frost”
Samantha’s selection in music would be more meaningful songs and artists, possibly into classic rock and powerful opera.
Her selection in films are not just secluded to the hybrid genre of psychological thrillers, she enjoys all thrillers and often explores the genre of horror. She has an open mind when it comes to films and likes a gripping storyline that makes you think.
Samantha is grouped in the Advertisers social grades of “lowest level of subsistence” she is at this level as she is a student with a part time job. This gives her enough money to go to the cinema and buy DVDs as well as giving her the time to watch them.
As Samantha is a student she prides herself on her social life, one of the main things she likes to do with her friends is go to the movies. “Disposition” is the kind of film Samantha and her friends would enjoy, as it has all the elements that she would hope for: enigmas, violence and a gripping storyline.
Name: Lucas grandly
Age: 19
Also into TV dramas, rock music and Thrillers/horrors. Full’s into the “lowest level of subsistence” as he too is a student with a part time job. Both Samantha and Lucas have similar tastes in TV, music, films etc... As well as having similar lifestyles and social lives.
Lucas also goes out with his mates to the movies a lot and enjoys the kind of film that makes you think and ask questions. As well as this Lucas also enjoys a good, gruesome torture scene which “Disposition” offers.
Our thriller is aimed at both females and males aged 18 to 25, we decided this as we believe our hybrid of a psychological thriller would challenge the restrictions of a 15 certificate. Below is a couple of examples of the type of audience that would suit our thriller.
Name: Samantha Folan
Age: 20
Samantha is interested in a lot of detective/psychological dramas on the TV, for example “Waking the dead” and “A touch of Frost”
Samantha’s selection in music would be more meaningful songs and artists, possibly into classic rock and powerful opera.
Her selection in films are not just secluded to the hybrid genre of psychological thrillers, she enjoys all thrillers and often explores the genre of horror. She has an open mind when it comes to films and likes a gripping storyline that makes you think.
Samantha is grouped in the Advertisers social grades of “lowest level of subsistence” she is at this level as she is a student with a part time job. This gives her enough money to go to the cinema and buy DVDs as well as giving her the time to watch them.
As Samantha is a student she prides herself on her social life, one of the main things she likes to do with her friends is go to the movies. “Disposition” is the kind of film Samantha and her friends would enjoy, as it has all the elements that she would hope for: enigmas, violence and a gripping storyline.
Name: Lucas grandly
Age: 19
Also into TV dramas, rock music and Thrillers/horrors. Full’s into the “lowest level of subsistence” as he too is a student with a part time job. Both Samantha and Lucas have similar tastes in TV, music, films etc... As well as having similar lifestyles and social lives.
Lucas also goes out with his mates to the movies a lot and enjoys the kind of film that makes you think and ask questions. As well as this Lucas also enjoys a good, gruesome torture scene which “Disposition” offers.
Sunday 3 May 2020
Saturday 2 May 2020
EVALUATION 2
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
The most obviously similar character to ours is Bill Foster, played by Michael Douglas in the film Falling Down (1993, Joel Schumacher). His character is, on the outside, an ordinary man. He carries a briefcase, wears a white shirt and tie, and glasses. The idea being that everyday life (traffic jams in the searing heat, an ex-wife who won't let him see his daughter, irritating shopkeepers, bad burgers, pointless roadworks etc) has ground him down to his breaking point.
The fact that Bill is an ordinary man who is under skilled, and has never held a gun before, let alone shot a man; means that the audience sympathise with him much more than the typical "All American Hero" type character presented in other action films such as Die Hard (1988, John McTiernan). Towards the end of the film Bill says "I'm the bad guy? How did that happen?" which sums up perfectly how his character is presented, as the audience - having witnessed his breakdown - is inclined to agree with him.
The character in our film is similar in many ways. He wears glasses, carries a briefcase, and wears a shirt and tie. He looks like an ordinary man on his way home from work. The difference is, that instead of using this to get the audience to sympathise with him, we used it to shock the audience. This works because the idea that anyone you work with could be an emotionless, sadistic torturer is particularly frightening, and I think we pulled this off to great effect.
All things considered, our character is actually much more similar to the chara
cter Patrick Bateman, played by Christian Bale in American Psycho (2000, Mary Harron). Like Bill Foster, Patrick wears a shirt and tie and carries a briefcase; however unlike Bill, his shirt and tie are part of an expensive designer suit, while his briefcase is probably considerably more valuable.
The similarities between our character and Patrick lie in the fact that neither character shows any emotion while killing their victims. This is perfectly summed up by one of Bateman's monologues: "I have all the characteristics of a human being: blood, flesh, skin, hair; but not a single, clear, identifiable emotion, except for greed and disgust. Something horrible is happening inside of me and I don't know why. My nightly bloodlust has overflown into my days. I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy. I think my mask of sanity is about to slip."
The idea that our character shows no emotions on the outside and looks like a normal person, who goes to work every day with people who have no idea what he does in his leisure time, is what we wanted to portray. However, our character is more serious and not as tongue-in-cheek as the character portrayed by Bale.
To an extent, similarities can also be drawn between our character and that of Harry Brown in the film of the same name (2009, Daniel Barber). Although he is a much older character, the principal is the same, of an ordinary person driven to breaking point by the youths on the estate, and the deaths of his wife and friend. Again, however, they differ in the fact that Harry Brown is driven to his emotional breaking point whereas our character shows no emotions and we do not see what has driven him to torture his victims.
Overall, I feel that although we only had 2 minutes in which to portray a character, and a limited choice of actors, we achieved the desired effect through the use of costume and through Tom’s non-verbal-communication and role in the film.
The most obviously similar character to ours is Bill Foster, played by Michael Douglas in the film Falling Down (1993, Joel Schumacher). His character is, on the outside, an ordinary man. He carries a briefcase, wears a white shirt and tie, and glasses. The idea being that everyday life (traffic jams in the searing heat, an ex-wife who won't let him see his daughter, irritating shopkeepers, bad burgers, pointless roadworks etc) has ground him down to his breaking point.
The fact that Bill is an ordinary man who is under skilled, and has never held a gun before, let alone shot a man; means that the audience sympathise with him much more than the typical "All American Hero" type character presented in other action films such as Die Hard (1988, John McTiernan). Towards the end of the film Bill says "I'm the bad guy? How did that happen?" which sums up perfectly how his character is presented, as the audience - having witnessed his breakdown - is inclined to agree with him.
The character in our film is similar in many ways. He wears glasses, carries a briefcase, and wears a shirt and tie. He looks like an ordinary man on his way home from work. The difference is, that instead of using this to get the audience to sympathise with him, we used it to shock the audience. This works because the idea that anyone you work with could be an emotionless, sadistic torturer is particularly frightening, and I think we pulled this off to great effect.
All things considered, our character is actually much more similar to the chara
cter Patrick Bateman, played by Christian Bale in American Psycho (2000, Mary Harron). Like Bill Foster, Patrick wears a shirt and tie and carries a briefcase; however unlike Bill, his shirt and tie are part of an expensive designer suit, while his briefcase is probably considerably more valuable.The similarities between our character and Patrick lie in the fact that neither character shows any emotion while killing their victims. This is perfectly summed up by one of Bateman's monologues: "I have all the characteristics of a human being: blood, flesh, skin, hair; but not a single, clear, identifiable emotion, except for greed and disgust. Something horrible is happening inside of me and I don't know why. My nightly bloodlust has overflown into my days. I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy. I think my mask of sanity is about to slip."
The idea that our character shows no emotions on the outside and looks like a normal person, who goes to work every day with people who have no idea what he does in his leisure time, is what we wanted to portray. However, our character is more serious and not as tongue-in-cheek as the character portrayed by Bale.
To an extent, similarities can also be drawn between our character and that of Harry Brown in the film of the same name (2009, Daniel Barber). Although he is a much older character, the principal is the same, of an ordinary person driven to breaking point by the youths on the estate, and the deaths of his wife and friend. Again, however, they differ in the fact that Harry Brown is driven to his emotional breaking point whereas our character shows no emotions and we do not see what has driven him to torture his victims.
Overall, I feel that although we only had 2 minutes in which to portray a character, and a limited choice of actors, we achieved the desired effect through the use of costume and through Tom’s non-verbal-communication and role in the film.
Friday 1 May 2020
EVALUATION 1
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
When analysing the title of our Psychological Thriller, I collectively feel that such a name mirrors the conventions of an authentic media product. When contemplating the name, I feel it single-handedly anchors the themes, messages and values suggested, but with it comes a resounding sense of ambiguity which we were trying to convey throughout the two-minute sequence.
After some light research, I have accumulated a variety of films that belong within such a hybrid. Some examples would include Memento (Christopher Nolan 2000), Seven (David Fincher 1995), Psycho and Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock- 1960, 1954). Pre-conceived notions instantly imply that all 4 films offer something deeper that what is seen on the surface, which can be explored and ultimately broken down, until the viewer has a refined perception of the themes messages and values.
After considering if our title mirrors or challenges forms and conventions of real media products, I decided to move on to setting and location. Initially when reviewing the raw footage on camera, I wasn’t too confident whether the metropolitan scenes would reflect a psychological thriller, as all looming and pending danger would be silenced by the sheer amount of people. However, If anything, I felt this blemish eventually worked to our advantage when teamed up with the non-diegetic sound, and could thereby be seen as contrapuntal, as the musical score almost strips the safety and security from London that the audience would naturally expect.
However, the following scenes in the Brentwood suburbs particularly anchored the sense of grim trepidation and hopelessness you would see in the conventional psychological thriller. The sparse amount of people, juxtaposed to the previous scene seemed to work well, as the varied setting almost signifies the mind lapse that you see within Tom.
Although thoroughly stated within other Blog posts, the group has spent a significant amount of time developing the forms and conventions of real media products in terms of Costume and Iconography. Fundamentally, we based our protagonists clothing around Bill Foster, the fictional protagonist featured in Falling Down (1993, Joel Schumacher). This form of intertexuality I feel worked well, as Michael Douglas’ renowned role means that audiences should instantly recognise and appreciate our Thrillers forms and conventions, and thereby tackle it as a real media product.
Iconography similarly develops forms and conventions of real media products, especially within our chosen hybrid. The conventional psychological thriller typically centers around the human psyche, which is usually perceived as the metaphorical weapon at hand, however, we do use knifes, glasses and a briefcase. Such examples would include Christian Bales fictional character in American Psycho (Mary Harron 2000). On the surface, he is deemed a perfectly acceptable member of society, ultimately affluent, resourceful and intellectual (coincidentally, he does carry a briefcase). However, when the malevolent side becomes more prominent, he uses all these positive traits above, along with a similar assortment of weapons to commit crime successfully, all traits which are encapsulated in our thriller.
Cinematography and Editing was most definitely the most difficult factor to develop forms and conventions of real media products. Being that all four members of our group were still relatively unfamiliar with the shooting software and cameras, we strived to produce our thriller with innovative shots and editing. It doesn’t seem that we challenged the forms and conventions of a psychological Thriller either, as the general scheme was to execute shots that wouldn’t be too taxing, so they are fairly predictable within the genre. One shot I am particularly proud of was Taylor’s point of view shot with the hand-held camera, which was partly influenced by Jason Voorhees mode of action in the original Friday 13th (Sean Cunningham 1980). So in this case, the film does mirror a real media product, outside a different genre I would add.
Among other factors, I am extremely happy with the way our title font develops forms and conventions of real media products. The titles were merely a way of breaking up the course of the sequence, in fragmented states to possibly mirror the protagonist’s chaotic mind. The black backdrop is ultimately typical of a hybrid such as this as it connotes evil, however, the cold white, rigid serif font could convey something more innocent, and possibly how the protagonist wants to be perceived by those around him. Though, as the black mostly envelops the screen, pre-conceived notions should hint to the audience that this is a real media product, where psychological malevolence will consume.
When analysing how the typical real media director executes a story through the opening credits is vague, as within the psychological Thriller, the choice is so substantial it seems hard to narrow down what would develop or challenge forms and conventions. In a variety of aspects, we do challenge the conventional opening, as many directors try to maintain the ambiguity throughout their film until the climatic scenes towards the end. Some films use the opening as a catalyst to spur on action while others convey the notion instantly, similar to our sequence, so it really does seem to depend on the film. David Fincher’s 1995 Thriller Seven follows a similar format to unfolding the story as our psychological, as by the end of the opening sequence, the audience are aware there is a killer on the loose, with two detectives with reason to stop him. It does seem though, that both our thriller and David Fincher’s still remain ultimately ambiguous, raising questions from the start. So in this sense, our psychological thriller does develop forms and conventions of real media products.
In terms of genre, I feel the group has successfully mirrored the psychological Thriller throughout the two minute sequence, in a way that should reflect a real media product. We executed a variety of close ups, mid shots, and a master shot to introduce the protagonist, in a way where he looks formidable, slightly constricted and claustrophobic. Close ups ultimately promote Tom as an influential character, but concentration on the face should ultimate connote there is something wrong internally. This is also anchored by his very methodical, intricate and rigid non verbal communication, which is reflected within Falling Down’s main protagonist Bill Foster, who looks somewhat seized up throughout the film, to constrict interaction with the low-lives enveloping him.
When analysing the title of our Psychological Thriller, I collectively feel that such a name mirrors the conventions of an authentic media product. When contemplating the name, I feel it single-handedly anchors the themes, messages and values suggested, but with it comes a resounding sense of ambiguity which we were trying to convey throughout the two-minute sequence.
After some light research, I have accumulated a variety of films that belong within such a hybrid. Some examples would include Memento (Christopher Nolan 2000), Seven (David Fincher 1995), Psycho and Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock- 1960, 1954). Pre-conceived notions instantly imply that all 4 films offer something deeper that what is seen on the surface, which can be explored and ultimately broken down, until the viewer has a refined perception of the themes messages and values.
After considering if our title mirrors or challenges forms and conventions of real media products, I decided to move on to setting and location. Initially when reviewing the raw footage on camera, I wasn’t too confident whether the metropolitan scenes would reflect a psychological thriller, as all looming and pending danger would be silenced by the sheer amount of people. However, If anything, I felt this blemish eventually worked to our advantage when teamed up with the non-diegetic sound, and could thereby be seen as contrapuntal, as the musical score almost strips the safety and security from London that the audience would naturally expect.
However, the following scenes in the Brentwood suburbs particularly anchored the sense of grim trepidation and hopelessness you would see in the conventional psychological thriller. The sparse amount of people, juxtaposed to the previous scene seemed to work well, as the varied setting almost signifies the mind lapse that you see within Tom.
Although thoroughly stated within other Blog posts, the group has spent a significant amount of time developing the forms and conventions of real media products in terms of Costume and Iconography. Fundamentally, we based our protagonists clothing around Bill Foster, the fictional protagonist featured in Falling Down (1993, Joel Schumacher). This form of intertexuality I feel worked well, as Michael Douglas’ renowned role means that audiences should instantly recognise and appreciate our Thrillers forms and conventions, and thereby tackle it as a real media product.
Iconography similarly develops forms and conventions of real media products, especially within our chosen hybrid. The conventional psychological thriller typically centers around the human psyche, which is usually perceived as the metaphorical weapon at hand, however, we do use knifes, glasses and a briefcase. Such examples would include Christian Bales fictional character in American Psycho (Mary Harron 2000). On the surface, he is deemed a perfectly acceptable member of society, ultimately affluent, resourceful and intellectual (coincidentally, he does carry a briefcase). However, when the malevolent side becomes more prominent, he uses all these positive traits above, along with a similar assortment of weapons to commit crime successfully, all traits which are encapsulated in our thriller.
Cinematography and Editing was most definitely the most difficult factor to develop forms and conventions of real media products. Being that all four members of our group were still relatively unfamiliar with the shooting software and cameras, we strived to produce our thriller with innovative shots and editing. It doesn’t seem that we challenged the forms and conventions of a psychological Thriller either, as the general scheme was to execute shots that wouldn’t be too taxing, so they are fairly predictable within the genre. One shot I am particularly proud of was Taylor’s point of view shot with the hand-held camera, which was partly influenced by Jason Voorhees mode of action in the original Friday 13th (Sean Cunningham 1980). So in this case, the film does mirror a real media product, outside a different genre I would add.Among other factors, I am extremely happy with the way our title font develops forms and conventions of real media products. The titles were merely a way of breaking up the course of the sequence, in fragmented states to possibly mirror the protagonist’s chaotic mind. The black backdrop is ultimately typical of a hybrid such as this as it connotes evil, however, the cold white, rigid serif font could convey something more innocent, and possibly how the protagonist wants to be perceived by those around him. Though, as the black mostly envelops the screen, pre-conceived notions should hint to the audience that this is a real media product, where psychological malevolence will consume.
When analysing how the typical real media director executes a story through the opening credits is vague, as within the psychological Thriller, the choice is so substantial it seems hard to narrow down what would develop or challenge forms and conventions. In a variety of aspects, we do challenge the conventional opening, as many directors try to maintain the ambiguity throughout their film until the climatic scenes towards the end. Some films use the opening as a catalyst to spur on action while others convey the notion instantly, similar to our sequence, so it really does seem to depend on the film. David Fincher’s 1995 Thriller Seven follows a similar format to unfolding the story as our psychological, as by the end of the opening sequence, the audience are aware there is a killer on the loose, with two detectives with reason to stop him. It does seem though, that both our thriller and David Fincher’s still remain ultimately ambiguous, raising questions from the start. So in this sense, our psychological thriller does develop forms and conventions of real media products.
In terms of genre, I feel the group has successfully mirrored the psychological Thriller throughout the two minute sequence, in a way that should reflect a real media product. We executed a variety of close ups, mid shots, and a master shot to introduce the protagonist, in a way where he looks formidable, slightly constricted and claustrophobic. Close ups ultimately promote Tom as an influential character, but concentration on the face should ultimate connote there is something wrong internally. This is also anchored by his very methodical, intricate and rigid non verbal communication, which is reflected within Falling Down’s main protagonist Bill Foster, who looks somewhat seized up throughout the film, to constrict interaction with the low-lives enveloping him.
Tuesday 21 April 2015
Thursday 6 May 2010
Poster Analysis
Here in the top of the poster we have established what actors are starring in out thriller (Tom Vale and Taylor Gladwin). The font has been chosen to be put in black, which connotations resemble death or darkness, the font used does not join the letters. This makes it easier for people to read but it also has an element of creepiness. Tom Vales name also has a red background of blood whilst Taylor’s is in white. This could infer that Tom is playing the character who has danger centered around him, maybe meaning he is the villain. This come from the connotations of the colour red.
We have used an image of a knife to show the type of film that it is. It also suggests what props we have used in the making of the film and that it has some significance to the movie. As well as this, in the reflection of the knife the reflection of a person can be seen. This leads the audience to create their own enigmas to whether he is the villain or innocent.
This states the name of the film, again the colour of the font is red which represents danger and worry but also keeps with the theme of blood. Secondly the font it different, it doesn’t have the appearance to something that would be on a Disney film. It is plain, to the point and used in everyday life which is what most thrillers are set about.
The definition to the word disposition we found to be quite creepy, again this was used on the poster to suggest what the film is about, especially the last word ’torture’.
The colour scheme of the poster consists of whites, reds and blacks. We used white as it connotates innocence, isolation and perhaps a degree of psychological craziness. We wanted to contrast this with the use of red, which means danger, suggesting there is a fight between the innocent and guilty.
Lastly, at the bottom is shown the credits of who was in the making of the film. This includes the directors, editors, scripts and names of institutions and distributors.
The colour scheme of the poster consists of whites, reds and blacks. We used white as it connotates innocence, isolation and perhaps a degree of psychological craziness. We wanted to contrast this with the use of red, which means danger, suggesting there is a fight between the innocent and guilty.
Lastly, at the bottom is shown the credits of who was in the making of the film. This includes the directors, editors, scripts and names of institutions and distributors.
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