Initial Ideas for Thriller

Once we finally wrapped up the Preliminary Task, we took time from the conventional media lesson to devise ideas for our two minute Thriller. Fundamentally, the process was much more difficult that we initially expected, as we had to conjure up a concept that provoked audience response, with a sparse budget and no valuable resources. Furthermore, it appeared that as a group, we had conflicting ideas as to where we wanted to take the Thriller as a whole.

Though nothing yet is necessarily set in stone, we mutually held interested over a female antagonist- Someone who breaks the rules and regulations of conventional Thrillers, whilst similarly deceiving the audience with typical feminine stereotype qualities in the process.

We primarily decided that a conventional death was not necessarily needed within the opening two minutes of the Thriller. We pondered on whether to shoot something with an underlying messages of death, (torture scene etc) without giving too much information away.

So far, we as a group have arranged two ideas enveloped around the female antagonist…

Initially, we formulated a plan where the audience follows the conventional female on what appears to be the mundane stroll back home. The audience will instantaneously identify she is a conventional female through the Mise En Scene of clothing, naturalistic lighting, typical setting etc. Pre-conceived notions will go to their minds, formulated by stereotypes that this female is completely harmless, and if anything vulnerable. However, when she reaches home, the audience will see that behind the quaint exterior of her house lies a chamber so devastatingly solemn and ominous it will catch the audience off-guard, and therefore provoke audience response.

Two different films influenced this idea- that being Silence of The Lambs, and The Thing- based around the notion that evil can lurk behind any face, where all stereotypes are literally thrown out the window, thereby enhancing suspense and drama.

However, after careful deliberation, it seemed somewhat ludicrous. I personally felt the message was still very much valid, as well as solid, though scouting for a residency where the exterior is presentable, while the interior is dismal proved quite difficult. We were also drawn to a conclusion that following a females day-to-day routine was too dull, considering we only have two minutes to shoot the sequence.

Therefore, we mutually agreed that the second notion had a better foundation to work upon. It ultimately encapsulated elements from the stripped down primary version, with more layers, creating enigmas with an overriding sense of ambiguity.

In these opening credits, we plan to link an image briefly seen in a “red room” to a torture scene, shot in a warehouse. The audience should note that the man seen in the picture will be the same man who is strapped down to the chair.

The figure in domination over the male will questionably be undisclosed until the end of the sequence, with subtle clues that this sadistic figure is actually female e.g. laying out torture devices in a pristine manner, as a conventional women would in the kitchen with domestic utensils, clicking of heels?

The sequence conclusion could follow two variable tangents. One being where she executes the man writhing on the chair to almost signify what is to come. However, we could arguably leave the scene open with the man simply screaming for mercy, leaving the audience to question the fate of the victim so early into the film.

The fact the audience witnesses a woman performing horrendous misdemeanours I feel is vital. As men are renowned for impulsive acts of violence, while women are stereotypically passive and calm. Therefore, this should provoke the audience into questioning what has encouraged such acts of violence.

Like I said before, nothing is yet set in stone. Ideas can flourish and the sequence could be enhanced further. However, I am currently satisfied with the plot-line so far, as it seems driven and thought provoking, whilst entwining means of action, enigmas and ambiguity.

Previous Year 12 Thrillers

From watching last year's year twelve's thrillers, we noticed a few things which we though could be improved or avoided:

Firstly, we discovered that when the thrillers were filmed at night, the cameras were not very good. In many of the thrillers that we watched, they had tried to create a ‘scary’ or 'creepy' atmosphere by shooting at night, however it turned out that when we watched them it was simply difficult to see what was happening.

Some of the thrillers we watched included an isolated location, which is a good way of creating a tense atmosphere; however this is ruined when something which is out of place can be seen on screen. For example there should not be somebody walking a dog in the middle of an 'isolated' forest. Also, we should make sure that our iconography matches the genre, e.g. if a knife is used it should be a sharp butcher knife, rather than a butter knife.

Many of the thrillers included panning shots which were unsteady, somewhat ruining the quality of the film. We will practice panning with the cameras and also do multiple takes to prevent this from happening.

As mentioned in a previous post, when filming we will avoid using too much, if any, dialogue as the cameras are not good at picking up sound.

Another thing which we thought could be improved in many of the videos was the acting and casting. Many of the groups simply acted themselves, however it just doesn’t look right when teenagers are in a thriller, so we will try to use older actors who match the iconography of a thriller film.

"Cape Fear" - Textual Analysis

As the film begins, even before we are shown anything, there is a soundscape of running water. This immediately suggests that most of the film will take place around water - anchored by the images of water, and the fact that the film is called 'Cape Fear'. There is then a sound sting as the non diegetic score begins, which instantly puts the audience on edge.

The water rippling is accompanied by a contrapuntal score, as the water is calm while the music suggests otherwise. This creates many enigmas as the audience is wondering what is going to happen that makes the water significant.

The soundtrack then becomes louder and more dramatic as an eagle flies into view behind the images of the water. Again, enigmas are created as the audience is wondering how the eagle and the water are connected. Eagles also have sinister connotations, as they are birds of prey and fearsome predators, suggesting that the film may centre around a murderer or someone who preys on others.

The water then turns darker, and the music becomes even more dramatic as the title of the film appears. This suggests that the name of the film (which is a place) is important, and that bad things happen there. The text used for the credits also suggests a general feeling that something is not quite right, as they are shown in a slanted font.

An eye then fades into view behind the water, as though the person is in the water. This mysterious person is significant as they may be someone who is murdered and thrown in the water, or they could be the antagonist. who plays a significant role in the film. A shot of a mouth is then shown in the same way, which could be someone screaming. We are then shown the face of the person which becomes clearer. It become evident that the face is of a perosn laughing, which has connotations of evil and villains.

As the non-diegetic score draws out, we as an audience see that the lake turns a murky crimson colour, as if to reflect the suns evening rays. The sense that darkness is imminent revives pre-conceived notions of immediacy to mind, as in any conventional thriller, the darkness is almost an optimum time for misdemeanours to take place. The colour red also works alongside the conventional codes and conventions of Mise En Scene, as red typically signifies danger or a looming threat.

This sense of immediacy is heightened as the water begins to ripple, exposing a burly male who appears to have woken for deep sleep. The fact he is enveloped around darkness, as well as his peculiar NVC ultimately signifies he is a mysterious figure, who is somewhat cold inside, possibly looking for revenge. The audience then begin to ponder over who this mysterious man really is.

As this image fades, we are reintroduced to what appears to be the same man, writhing as the non-diegetic score continues in the distance. The fact the N-D score is repetitive, and the water has a yellowing tinge signifies that this lake has a notorious, lengthy history.

To anchor the notion of pain and danger written of above, the water then impulsively ripples to mirror a heart monitor seen in hospitals. The fact it frantically gets bigger, with red pigments oozing from the top signifies imminent death, or once again a pending doom the audience will have to wait for.

The repetitive non-diegetic soundtrack then builds to an optimum focal point of tension as the camera fades to the silhouette of a man, smothered by green water. The daunting score works alongside the NVC, as the fact he moves closer to the screen almost mirrors him walking towards the audience, which should provoke audience response.

Finally, the lake is completely consumed by a pool of blood, with a mere droplet falling in the background. This is a similar technique seen in Scream, where the white copy turns a blood curdling red as someone screams. Both examples portray to the audience that the circumstance of events have changed for the worst, as the lake is metaphorically consumed by danger and most prominently death.


In the next scene the first shot is a extreme close up of a girls eye’s, the shot fades from red to white In a negative. This infers that maybe what is happening is in the past, and connotation of the colour red perhaps means that she is the victim of what will happen later on. This shot is accompanied by a soft creepy soundtrack as the dialogue begins. The soundtrack then fades completely and the non digetic sound of a river or waterfall starts, this suggests that what will happen later will also have something to do with water.

The camera slowly zooms out to a mid shot of her whilst she is talking in a direct address. The set design of the room she is sitting in is all white, her costume is all white. The whiteness of the room and her could mean that she was the innocent victim or is insane. The connotation of the colour white normally associated with innocence or insanity which is being inferred to the audience here. Her polo shirt is done up to the top, so she could be a bit weird. Again this shows that she may have been through something and has been affected mentally by it.

When she talks she begins with the phrase ‘my reminiscence’, it shows that she used to think the place was a nice place to be and that the name of the lake (cape fear) was misleading. This again reinforces that the horror to come orientates about this place and that she is one of the main characters that has been affected by what has happened there.

The scene has been shot with no editing, and no music soundtrack this helps the audience come up with their own enigmas as it has them more entwined. This scene has used many conations with the colours it uses to create and involve the audience, its use of mise en scene, music and iconography all help the audience create enigmas about what is going to happen.


The camera slowly pans down the prison cell wall, where theirs pictures of malicious leaders of the past. These images instantly create a negative tone towards the film. The pictures automatically tell the audience that this man is the antagonist of the film. Whilst the camera is panning down the wall the loud non-diegetic soundtrack from the credits starts up again, it comes in suddenly to shock the audience and to reinforce the negative tone of the film.

We then see a close up of some books, one of them being the bible, the importance of this is that is tells the audience that he has certain beliefs, creating enigmas for what those beliefs may be. As the scene continues the music softens slightly until we see the man doing press ups. We see he’s a strong, muscularly man making the audience fear him. The fact that the music then becomes louder and turns into a musical sting reinforces the idea that he is the antagonist.

The push up movement that the actor is doing appears in a worshiping manner, as if he is worshiping the leaders on the wall, it makes the audience UN –easy as well as intriguing them. The camera then shows a close up of his back revealing his tattoos; the tattoo is a big, cross with the American style scales on either side, with the words truth under one side and justice under the other. The significance of this is huge as the scales are balanced telling the audience that he believes the truth equals justice. Then as he turns around we see that he is covered in tattoos fitting the stereotype of the classic tough criminal. The non-diegetic soundtrack then decreases in volume as the prison officer say’s to Cady “ok, the moment you’ve been waiting for” this informs the audience that he’s been in there a long time.

Cady then walks out his cell and down the stairs, as this is happening the other prisoners stare in silence giving the impression that they fear him. Another interesting point is that Cady walks in front of the prison officer representing that even the officers fear him. We see all this through a long, panning shot around the prison as Cady walks. The camera then shows a mid shot of Cady and the officer walking out through the gate, where the gate then shuts to end the scene.

The next scene then starts with the outside gate being opened and Cady walking out. As this happens the officer say’s “Anybody coming for you Cady? What about your books?” and Cady replies with “Already read em” this again reinforces that Cady has been there a long time and tells the audience that he has no one, he’s alone. The camera shows a wide, long shot as we see Cady walking out of the prison this is to establish the storm that starts up behind him; this makes the audience think that something bad is going to happen, as if Cady shouldn’t be released. The scene then ends with Cady walking straight towards the camera and the non-diegetic soundtrack building as he goes. Cady then walks straight into the camera blacking out the screen and the soundtrack comes to a sudden stop.

"Scream"- Textual Analysis

Approaching the time of devising ideas for our Thriller concept, Miss Cookson advised the class to broaden our knowledge on such genre by evaluating a thriller of our choice. After careful deliberation, I wanted to find a thriller that was somewhat renowned, with obvious connotations revolving around the genre. Consequently I came to the conclusion to analyse Scream, a conventional horror/thriller hybrid of the nineties, celebrated for his riveting plotline and notoriously well known antagonist.

Following the conventional nature of a horror/thriller hybrid, Wes Craven opens the film with a title sequence. Primarily, he uses a daunting sound of the howling ambient air, which should already send pre-conceived notions of fear and paranoia to the audience at home. However, the soundscape is instantaneously drowned out by a telephone as the heading “Scream” fades in. The fact the white caption turns a blood-curdling red would connote the stripping of ones innocence and most inevitably death, which is then reinforced by the prominent sound of a heart beat.

The final humanly scream (relating back to the film name), which evidentially derives from a female, smothers all these sounds as the audience are introduced to Drew Barrymore- a stereotypical “blonde” female the audience would conventionally see in teenage dramas etc.

The fact she is a mere adolescent, wearing a white sweater, should swiftly signify that she is the cliché naïve cheerleader, who is usually portrayed as somewhat arrogant within this hybrid genre. From her mere exterior shell, the audience will instantly assume she is sexually active, with the predictable jock boyfriend, which conventionally means she will be punished by death, just by the very nature of a horror thriller. The sparse opening sequence could almost signify the time she perished in the future, and how the white sweater (white title) turns to red (red title) as she is stabbed and screams (note how the non-diegetic sound of the wrenching heartbeat instantly cuts out, to ultimately signify death).

When analysing cinematography, it is imperative to note that most shots consist of close ups. The initial close up of the telephone immediately signifies danger, as the soundbridge of the telephone and screaming connotes that danger is somewhat related to the call. The fact that Craven uses close ups on the face implies a sense of claustrophobia, in a daunting means of no escape. It could also primarily signify her naïve frenetic age, and the fact she will not live up to the Carol Clover’s stereotype of the “Final Girl”, as she seems too provocative and nonchalant to outwit the pending threat spying upon her.

Mise en Scene plays a vital role within Scream, as in many ways it is used as a tool to deceive the audience. The fact that she wears white, and is enveloped around a pristine white room, could convey an almost safe haven of honesty and truth (which is therefore breaking the natural stereotype of colours to catch audience off-guard), which is then juxtaposed to the stereotypical isolation and eeriness portrayed outside through the proverbial ambient sound of crickets (a common theme used in the horror genre, similar to the howling wind, trees rustling and owls etc, as it conveys a sense of helplessness and segregation).

When trying to establish the mood and asserts of the genre, it is absolutely imperative that the Iconography is used to the utmost perfection, and Scream was no exception. I personally felt the substantial, metallic kitchen knives were the most prominent feature, as most conventional horror/thrillers are renowned for the antagonist’s choice of weapon (I Know What You Did Last Summer- fishing hook). Therefore, the knives almost convey what is to come- in terms of the treacherous deaths throughout the film.


What I personally discovered as a profound subconscious meaning, relating back to iconography was the popcorn on the stove and its undisclosed metaphor within the sequence. It appears that it mirrors the course of action, and when she ultimately discovers she is talking to a delusional psychopath, the camera cuts to the popcorn bulging. Accompanied by a menacing non-diegetic sound, we as an audience feel a natural growing correlation of fear and paranoia, which is a good example of key micro elements working together to force audience response.

Similarly to fellow directors who divulge in the genre of horror/thrillers (particularly John Carpenter, known as the king of horror), Craven uses musical stings throughout this climactic scene, especially towards the end where rapid editing is used to almost mirror her frenetic, almost chaotic mindset.

The antagonists attire is fairly typical within such a genre, wearing black to ultimately connote he is dark, mysterious and most prominently, a cold man, who will kill without hesitation. Before he is blatantly introduced to the audience, rapid editing and whip pans are used, as it almost conjures up an image of a predator, stealthy and universally powerful in the audience’s minds.

Inevitably, the audience see their new protagonist portrayed by Drew Barrymore, slashed in back by the antagonist. The fact she is killed momentarily before escaping the quarantine of her house is a fundamental technique used by directors, as they lure the audience into thinking the protagonist will find salvation. However, due to the very nature of horror/thriller, the nonchalant, sexually active stereotype must be punished- which is later referenced through the films natural progression.

"Saw" - Textual Analysis

As part of my research, I have decided to analyse the opening two minutes of the film 'Saw' (2004, James Wan):

The film begins with a shot of a blue light of some sort floating through the darkness. There is also diegetic soundscape which creates the impression of being underwater. Through the darkness, the face of a person can be seen faintly as the light floats past it. This instantly creates enigmas as the audience is wondering who the person is, why they’re underwater, and what is attached to the light (this proves to be crucial later on in the film). It also sets the tone of the film with low key lighting and cold colours.

The title of the film then fades in. The title is light blue – a cold colour – and twists and distorts before dissolving into the blackness. The way that the title distorts represents the twists later on in the storyline, while the ‘smudged’ font represents the lack of clarity that the main protagonists have in the film as they play Jigsaw’s ‘game’. As the title fades in, a metallic soundscape accompanies it, giving a sense of danger.

We are then shown the blue light again briefly, before cutting to the man’s face underwater. His face can barely be seen. He wakes suddenly, providing a sound sting to make the audience jump. The editing then becomes much quicker, cutting between his face and the light, as the light goes down the plug hole. There is a slight non-diegetic soundscape as this happens - which creates tension - as well as the sound of the man coughing and choking.

The dialogue in the next shot is filmed in one take in the dark. This creates yet more enigmas as both the characters and the audience do not know where they are. The lack of regular shot-reverse-shots also means that the audience does not see the other person at all, and so they instinctively do not trust his voice, especially since he seems to be much calmer, which would not be a normal reaction in that situation.

When the lights are switched on, the audience become aware of their surroundings. However, tension is built in the fact that the characters are blinded by the lights, and the shots are out of focus to represent this.

The iconography of the bathroom which they are in is typical of the psychological thriller/horror thriller genre and is in fact reminiscent of the film ‘Seven’ (David Fincher, 1996), another great psychological thriller. The walls are covered in grime, there are rusty pipes, and of course a dead body on the floor complete with a huge pool of blood.

Just from the first few shots, the film instantly hooks the audience by creating a moody atmosphere, keeping them on the edge of their seats using stings, and creating enigmas which are not resolved until later on in the film. This is what makes a good thriller opening.

"The Dark Knight" - Textual Analysis

At first glance at the movie poster of the dark knight (Director: Christopher Nolan. Date: July 2008) we notice the dark dull colours that create the poster and set the mood, this is accompanied by the burning colours of the motif of the bat. The dark greys used are usually connotations of death, sadness and darkness which make up the sky and tall building in the background. The vast amount of grey clouds could indicate and explosion such as the 9/11 expressing distress. The clouds furthermore could represent a type of smog that has covered the city for a while leaving the people in a depression such as how a long period of bad weather has on a city, in this case it could indicate some type of fight against the people.

The office block in the background could represent the city of Gothem where as the colour infers to us that the city may be in some type of depressed state or under threat. The use of the building also suggests the urban setting, which is very common amongst thrillers. It shows that what events to come will be occurring in everyday life to normal people.

The bat motif has been burnt into the building behind using strong burgundies, reds and oranges. The colour scheme connotes death, violence, blood shed and anger, maybe betrayal. The fact that the symbol has been burned into the behind building could suggest that the hero that the public thought protected them had betrayed them and is now perhaps the villain.

The body language of batman shows his strength and masculinity as he is slanted to the side in a low anger shot. This shows that he is in power showing his strength and domination of character. His costume is all black, with mask to cover his identity; it conjures mystery about the person who is behind it. The darkness could be a use of camouflage, inferring that he protects people during the night where he can not be seen. Consequently the use of the colour black could also suggest that maybe this figure is the bringer of death.

The title and credits on the cover are in a white normal font. White usually comes across as innocence or insanity, vulnerability. It could suggest the insanity of one of the main protagonists, or the vulnerability of the people who may be taken advantage of.

"Sweeney Todd" - Textual Anaylsis

Sweeney Todd poster analysis


When first viewing the poster “Sweeney Todd” (Director Tim Burton) we notice the deepness of the red chair that the antagonist is seated on. The brightness of the chair stands out from the rest of the dull, dismal surroundings; this is because the colour red signifies danger. Red is often associated with the with either danger or lust, in this case it is made clear that it is representing danger as the gloominess of the rest of the picture sets the tone of a dark movie. This is reinforced by the only other image of colour within the poster, which is a smear of blood, again in a deep red.

The expression on the antagonists face is another key indicator as to what genre this movie is, as it is not a happy smile but a sinister stare straight at the viewer. The impact of this is huge as it instantly informs us that he is not only the antagonist but the character we shall be following.

The gloomy, grey colours also help set the tone as they are usually connotations of darkness and sadness. The fact that it is an empty space behind the man gives the impression of simple, as if his life evolves around the chair and the barber’s knife that we can see in his hand. This indicates obsession

In the background there’s a big window where you can see the “Big Ben” building, this gives us a sense of location as it is clearly set in the middle of London, however it is also clear that he himself is not in a tall building indicating he’s in the cheaper side of London, backing this up is the dirtiness of the window.

The extended title “Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” tells the audience instantly of its hybrid genre of Horror/Thriller, and with the smear of blood behind it, it is obvious at first glance of the genre and tone of the movie. The poster successfully uses all the tools of a classic Thriller motion and appeals to its target audience.

Psychographics and Advertisers social grades

Psychographics-
Belongers: Savers, focused on the future, well known as “nest-builders”, stay at homers. They like to save their money.
Emulators: The young, generally between 13 and 15 years old. They lack in self-confidence and are often confused and vulnerable. Advertisers prey on their insecurities offering them role models, hero’s and reassurance of group acceptance.
Emulator-Achievers: Materialists, obsessed with looking rich but don’t actually posses much money. They enjoy designer labels and the finer things in life.
Societially-conscious: Pride themselves on personal rather than professional or financial fulfilment. Their sceptical of advertisings and often referred to as “Greying hippies”.
Need-Directed: Mainly concerned with surviving and not the luxuries, they earn minimum wage or are on benefits.


Advertiser’s social grades
A. Upper middle – Higher managerial, professional and administrative (directors etc.)
B. Middle – Intermediate managerial, Professional and Administrative (teachers, police etc.)
C1. Lower middle – Supervisory, Clerical, Junior Managerial, Professional Administrative (supervisor at Tesco’s etc.)
C2. Skilled working class – Lower management (Labour/plumbers etc.)
D. Working Class excl skilled – Semi and unskilled (Shop workers, brick carriers etc.)
E. Lowest Level of Subsistence – State Pensioner, Widows without another person to support them. Casual or lowest grade worker. (Part-time workers, students, non-workers etc.)

Target audience

We have decided to aim our thriller at 18 to 25 year olds, as we are giving it an 18 certificate. Our reasoning behind this is due to a torture scene that will take place at the beginning of our film, ultimately being to horrifying for under 18’s. Taking in to consideration our age restrictions of 18+ we have decided to place it into the psychographic group of Emulator-Achievers. We have chosen this group as we believe that most of our viewers will predominantly evolve from it. We have also looked into the Advertisers Social Grades from the Advertising Association; we decided to place our film within the Working class excl skilled and the lowest level of subsistence, as these two groups have more free time than the others and will appreciate our hybrid genre of a Horror-Thriller.

Genre Research

A genre refers to the method of categorisation based on similarities in which the film is constructed. Examples of genres are: Thriller, Horror, Crime, Romance, and Western. We watched the opening scene of scream (Director: Wes Craven, May 1997) on you tube, it was obvious of its genre. We knew this because of the opening credits, they used the colour red and black which shows the connation of death and danger. The music soundtrack used was eerie, building up suspense for the audience helping them to create their own enigmas. They have set the scene in the middle of no where, which automatically makes the subject become venerable. We know that something is going to happen to the protagonist as soon as we see her alone in her house. Typical stereotypical blonde who shows vulnerability, things start to go wrong in the house like the popcorn burning, and most importantly she is openly flirting with the calm creepy voice that continues to ring her house phone, who she lies to about not having a boyfriend. There is blood in the first scene, shots of knives and fire which are all associated with danger inferring that this is a horror.

A Sub Genre is not a known genre, it just break each genre down. For example Horror and Thriller are genres in their own right, psychological and detective are not. Genres can be combined with these to make sub genres like: psychological thriller, detective thriller. In class we watched Seven (Director David Fincher, January 1996), the majority of the class named it to be a psychological thriller. The opening credits where written in slanted jolty text, which inferred that something was not quite write, the montage that was shown showed a man writing, its seemed precise and perfect this gave us the sense of a type of psychological genre. There was continuing images of bodies, and machinery type contraptions. The music soundtrack was eerie, creepy, and quite mechanical it held suspense and mystery. The first scene was of a murder, they then have to work out what happened. This bluntly suggested it was going to be psychological.

A Hybrid is two known genres coming together, for example a horror thriller, or Action thriller. Films such as James Bond Quantum of Solace (Director: Marc forster, October 2008), Max Payne (Director: John Moore, November 2008), Eagle Eye (Director: D.J. Caruso, October 2008) would all fall under the category of Action thrillers.

Iconography is everything in the scene that can be used too set a mood and asserts the genre. It includes the setting, set design, props, costumes, NVC (non verbal communication), Lighting. In Seven (Director David Fincher, January 1996) we are able to tell the genre straight away by the iconography used. The colour scheme of the opening credits are dark, greys, black, whites. All of which suggest insanity, danger, and death. The first acting scene has been done in low key lighting, which sets the mood and sets the idea of a happy, up beat film. In the scene it is poring down with rain making it dull and miserable, this contrast of the following scene were the first dead body is scene, again reinforcing the fact that this is a Thriller. They have used props such as blood, the dead body, sick. The set design of the room is again dark, damp, old, not looked after, it looks like the occupant is lazy doesn’t care, hasn’t made any effort to wash up at all. A pile of dishes and empty cans ect litter the place.

Preliminary Task - Audience Response

On the cusp of the Half Term, our group had completed the Preliminary Task, and appeared all set for devising a two minute thriller. Beforehand, our teacher Mr. Sheriff insisted that we watched all 5 Prelims in order to accumulate a bigger picture of ideas when approaching such task. Therefore, during one media lesson, we sat watching our fellow peer’s thrillers, mutually conveying positive feedback in order to make a smaller quantity of errors in the near future.

Generally, I consider our Prelim was fundamentally accepted by the students as a whole. We provoked audience response through some less than admired acting, as well as effectively entwining the key micro elements of sound, mise en scene, cinematography and editing.

Our first and foremost form of feedback concerned dialogue. In hindsight, it appears that shooting large amounts of dialogue was a bad idea, as the cameras do less than a satisfactory job in picking up sound. Therefore, during our two minute thriller sequence, we will incorporate sparse dialogue, or perhaps none at all.

In terms of cinematography, the audience pinpointed one panning shot from outside a classroom that was poorly executed. The momentary jolt almost reminds the audience they are watching an unprofessional A level prelim, when the overall theory behind media and film to believe in the invisible art.

As Dave is seen walking into the classroom, the students quite fairly stated that a two shot, or a master shot should have been incorporated into the sequence to state both the protagonist and antagonist are in one room, sitting at the same table.

To finally conclude, we used Beethoven’s 9th Symphony to wrap up the Prelim as Dave walks from the classroom victorious. This is a key micro feature used at the beginning and conclusion of the prelim, which the audience said worked well, as the fast paced non-diegetic sound fundamentally mirrors the foreboding tension of the classroom scene, leaving the audience to question what the male lead will do next.

Our final response in relation to the prelim was the fade added in post production, which seemed well executed and used successfully. We were told by the Year 13 not to use extremely animated and vibrant fades such as Stars and Spirals as they look tacky and unprofessional, and therefore approached the fade in a subtle manor.

Preliminary Task - The Final Cut

Here is our completed Prelim:

Preliminary Task - Post Production

Once the prelim task had been shot, we were faced with the daunting task of piecing the shots together and making the production look professional. None of us had ever used the editing software before, so we were expecting a challenge; happily, there were current year 13 students on hand to help us out and give us advice. Once we had been shown the basics, the software turned out to be surprisingly user-friendly and we were able to edit our footage together with relative ease.

We did, however, run into some problems. First of the problems was actually with the footage itself. We discovered that two of our shots (the walk down the corridor) did not match up with each other, as I had stopped walking in one before I reached the point where I started walking in the next shot. Since we did not have time to re-shoot it and I was wearing a different shirt on the day when we started editing, we simply cut the first shot out. However, if this had happened in a crucial scene it would have been more problematic. From this, we learned that we should check our shots before we get to the editing suite, and preferably shoot the same scene multiple times.

Another problem which we encountered was that; somewhere along the line when uploading our footage, all of our sound was completely lost. We had to completely re-upload all of our footage again, and even then some of the sound was lost from the opening scene where I am walking down the corridor. We covered this up by putting music over this scene, however we learned the hard way that the year thirteen students had given us some very useful advice – get the shooting done early so that we have plenty of time to sort out any problems with the editing. The computers can often be very stubborn!

The only other notable problem we had was editing the match-on-action shots to perfection. It often took the judgement of two or three people to cut the shot in exactly the right place to create a smooth scene (hence ‘the invisible art’) and even then we didn’t get it completely right every time.

The comments of our class when they saw our Prelim were generally positive – particularly regarding our match-on-action editing when the door is being opened. The class did comment that perhaps we should have had a two-shot of the dialogue before the shot-reverse-shots (this was mysteriously lost on the camera when we uploaded it) and that there were one or two shots which could have been cut in later as there are moments where either me or James are looking blank before the dialogue begins.

Overall, I was extremely pleased with the outcome of our production despite the few problems which we had, and it was very satisfying seeing it all come together in the editing suite.

Preliminary Task - Production

We had good and bad points within the production of our Prelim filming. Some of the problems we faced were: The disagreements and different idea’s within our group slowed our production down, as we all had our own individual ideas on how our Prelim should be shot. As well as that we all needed to practice our camera skills, as no one among us had used a camera before, this took up a lot of time and took a lot of discussion within the group, which has ultimately resulted in our group becoming closer and becoming more of a team. Just as we were getting started we had trouble with reflections and shadows in the glass, this did prove to be a problem, however with careful thinking we managed to angle the camera at a tilt that solved the problems. Before we started shooting our group developed a storyboard as a guide to our prelim. This helped us a lot as it gave us a guideline of how to shot.

Lessons learned within our Prelim task were of the following: We learnt we must communicate more within our group to achieve the task thoroughly and efficiently, as we spent a long period of time debating camera angles and techniques. For our main task- our Thriller- we shall plan our shots out to a further extent to save time with the production. Saying this we shall also do several more takes at different angles to give us a wider range of shots.

Planning, shooting and editing was all very quick, I expected it to take a lot longer as none of us had ever done anything like this before. However i think if our group had spent less time disagreeing on what shots to use then we may have finished a lot sooner. If we shot our prelim task again I’d focus less on the storyline of the task and more on the accuracy and steadiness of the shooting. I’d practice my panning as it was very jerky and I’d try and make the entire task run a lot smoother and more efficiently. Overall though I’ glad we get the opportunity to do the prelim task as it gave us good practice with the camera’s and it showed us what we need to be careful of when filming our thriller. I’m sure the rest of my group would agree in saying that shooting the prelim developed our team skills, camera skills and our planning skills.

Preliminary Task - Pre Production

Prior to the independent group shooting process, our teachers Mr. Sheriff and Miss Cookson appointed us the mandatory prelim task to familiarise ourselves with the fundamental basics of camera use.

The prelim specifies that an utmost group of 4 have to demonstrate their knowledge in terms of the key micro features, in particular: Match on Action, Shot reverse Shot and the 180 degree rule. Such aspects as continuity were an important feature, as the “invisible art” cannot be achieved if the starring actor refuses to wear the same shirt more than once.

Primarily, we were trained to use the cameras, tripods, and editing software through present year 13 students, who have already experienced the trials and tribulations of shooting. Therefore, we formulated a substantial list of do’s and don’ts in the process of shooting and editing.

Before we were left to shoot the sparse prelim sequence, our teacher Mr. Sheriff exhibited some previous candidate’s prelims that are currently in year 13. For my part, I felt this factor of the course helped me grasp the purpose of the prelim as a whole, as it significantly encourages the group to visualise a finished production. Through such practice, I learnt that match on action cuts must be edited to the uttermost perfection, otherwise they mirror jump cuts. I also determined panning shots have to be shot with precision, otherwise, the movement looks somewhat jagged, and the whole purpose of the tripod seems unnecessary.

Initially, my group and I determined that story-boarding seemed somewhat pointless. However, when faced with the practical work of shooting, it appeared that story-boarding is just as much a significant framework to a finished process as the shooting itself. Without guided direction built through a storyboard, the shooting process was hindered. Therefore we erected a storyboard and shooting commenced.

Advice from Year Thirteen's

The year thirteen’s came to our lesson to offer advice on making our thriller.
1. The cameras are not good at picking up sound- try to film with as little dialogue as possible of none at all.
2. It is easier to find the location and then think of the story.
3. When choosing location don’t make it in school or anywhere local, it ruins the thriller.
4. When filming it film in the same season, time and place to keep continuity editing.
5. Get the lighting right so what you are shooting is visible. Shots appear darker on the TV screen.
6. Do not smoke, drink or swear, it does not make you look hard just childish.
7. Keep the 180 degree rule as not to confuse viewer.
8. Make sure you are pre-pared and bring ALL equipment to location with a fully charged camera.
9. Plan everything properly to save time and not having to film on multiple days.
10. When choosing people to be in the film chose close friends and people may let you down.