Cool Violence

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wdjuS17DGlA

Looking back at your Preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

I feel that the continuity and editing has improved greatly and therefore the action in my final product flows a lot better as I have progressed and improved my camera and editing skills since filming this preliminary task. Also, I learnt to use the camera and editing tools with more confidence I gained the ability to be more creative with the available technology. 

I have also learnt that technology is not always as reliable, therefore it is important to save work and check it regularly. 

I feel that I have also learnt the importance of thorough planning, as without my Storyboard and notes filming and editing my final product would have been very difficult.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

I have learnt how to use Imovie; how to cut, reorder, add transitions, titles and sound effects to clips with ease and this has enabled me to be very creative with my final product. I was able to create the short, sharp hallucinations by cutting the clips and I also made some of the inserts Black and White so the audience could  distinguish between the hallucination and reality with ease.

Although, I did not use music in my final product I learnt how to use the programme GarageBand to create pieces of music and transport them to Imovie, where the music could be cut and copied to fit in with the clips.

I also learnt of the importance of regularly checking the clips after filming on the Video Cameras, as some of the clips had to be re-filmed and I did not realise this until after we finished filming. If I had checked what I filmed sooner I would have saved a lot of time.

Also, through planning my product on this blog I have learnt how to upload pictures, music and video clips onto posts to make them more eye-catching and interesting.

How did you attract/address your audience?

I used a lot of Enigma codes in my media product to draw my audience in and encourage them to continue watching. Also, Thrillers have a strong sense of mystery and the use of enigma codes enabled me to create this through the use of props such as the Birthday Card, which should make the audience question who the sender "George" is and the tablets Emma take should intrigue the audience and they should question why she is taking them.
I also handed a questionnaire out in order to find out what the target audience expect from a Thriller and I took into account the information this provided to create a protagonist who I believed the audience could relate to. Teenage girls can relate to the protagonist and a majority of people can relate to the feelings of apprehension she shows in my product.


Here is the feedback I received from an audience who viewed my final product:

1) Would you continue to watch the film after seeing this opening?
Yes: 100%
No: 0%

2) What Genre do you think it is?
Thriller: 90%
Horror: 10%
Romance: 0 %
Comedy: 0%

3) Was there anything that could be improved?
Sound: 40% - "The sound with the microphone is my only suggestion"
No Improvements needed: 60%




4) Who do you think the film should be targeted to? 

• "Either 12A or 15, and for both males and females."
• "Teens, probably about 16-20. Most likely females because of the main characters."
• "Probably 16-30 year olds, for both genders."
• "Teens both genders"
• "Teenagers, and younger adults of both genders"

5) What did you think of it?

• "All in all, I thought it was very good in the way that there were a variety of camera angles, allowing the people to come across well. Also, it was good by leaving it on a cliff hanger."
• "It's quite spooky."
• "Loved the voice over, the camera work was very professionally done and the black and white shots slotted in with the main shots made it very creepy."
• "Very good, I particularly liked where you changed location by going around her head"
• "Lots of suspense. I really wanted to watch more!"

Who would be the audience for your media product?

I researched the audiences of thriller films on the internet by looking at the BBFC ratings on http://www.bbfc.co.uk/ and I looked at the ratings of the of the 'TopRated Thriller Titles' on http://www.imdb.com/chart/thriller and found that the majority were either certifcate '15' or '18' therefore I decided to aim my product at teenagers and adults of both genders.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

During the opening of my final product my protagonist is unaware of her underlying mental illness. However, later in the plot she discovers that Schizophrenia is the cause of her hallucinations. Therefore to suggest the presence of the underlying mental illness I have added short, sharp inserts, which could be interpretted as mental the protagonist's mental images. I was inspired to do this after seeing the opening credits of Seven, in which the cuts are jerky and erratic because I think it indicates instability to the viewer.
There could be issues involving the representation of mental illness but other than a few hints, used to intrigue the viewer, I have not represented the social group stereotypically or offensively.

In what ways does your media product USE, DEVELOP or CHALLENGE forms and conventions of real media products?

Prior to creating my final product I looked at the typical conventions of psychological thriller films. I particularly looked at these films:

 

I used the convention of the protagonist battling with a mental and emotional enemy rather than a physical one; which is evident in the film 'Fight Club'. I was inspired by this and decided to use it because it enabled me to experiment with supernatural elements, for example hallucinations.
I also used a voice-over, to help the audience feel a stronger connection to the protagonist by allowing them to hear her personal thoughts and feelings. Again, I decided to use this after watching 'Fight Club' because I felt that the audience could feel more empathy for the protagonist and have a deeper understanding of the workings of the mind, which links to the psychological aspects of my chosen genre. 

I also developed the use of the Enigma and Action codes, like the ones used in the opening of 'Silence of the Lambs' because I wanted the audience to be intrigued and want to find out more about Emma, the protagonist. For example, in 'Silence of the Lambs' the audience become aware of the setting through the costume used; as shown below "FBI" in bold letters is printed on a minor characters hat. Action Codes like this answer the questions posed by Enigma Codes.

 I developed this by using props that could provide clues about Emma's life that the audience are not initially aware of and to hold the audience's attention with Enigma codes by intriguing them and encouraging them to question elements of the text. For example I used props, such as the Birthday card from 'George' that should intrigue the audience and lead them to question who George is. Also, the welcoming letter is an action code that reveals to the audience that the protagonist is getting ready to start a new Sixth Form and the tablets taken by Emma could suggest an illness, however it should create suspense by leading the audience to question if it is a physical or mental illness.

Whilst researching the genre and watching many psychological thriller films I noticed the convention of tense, non-diagetic music throughout the opening sequences. I challenged the use of music in my opening sequence as I chose to just use a simple, repetitive voice-over as I thought that the silences in between the voice-clips created an eerie atmosphere and heightened the suspense.
I developed the use of the jerky imagery used in the title sequence of 'Seven". I thought that the erratic, fast paced clips added a mysterious quality to the opening sequence. Therefore, I decided to include inserts of the character Jane to suggest that she is mysterious, ambiguous character and to enhance the tension and suspense of the opening sequence.

My Final Product

Distributors

These are my ideas for a name and logo:

I began by translating words related to the Thriller theme into various languages, like death, prisoner and the mind, because I wanted the name to be ambiguous and perhaps not obvious at first glance, as this is the case for many Thriller plots. Eventually I came to the conclusion that 'Insomnium Productions' would be appropriate as it fits in with the genre of my film and is unique.

For the logo, I wanted a mysterious image that linked to the name. I started off by trying to out the title in the skull area of a simple outline of a human head as I thought that the link with the mind would fit in with the Thriller genre. However, I then started to draw human faces and I eventually created a dark, tired, face and put the title down the side of the face to keep it neat and simple, yet the face gives it a creepy, mysterious edge.

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

I researched lots of different distribution companies and tried to find any that specifically distributed thriller films and also I looked at companies that distribute Independent, unique films.
I found the company 'De Laurentiis Entertainment Group' which has distributed independent thriller films, for example 'Blue Velvet' and I think this kind of company would be ideal for the distribution of my product.
Also, the company 'Optimum Releasing' would be ideal as it has distributed other independent thrillers such as; 'Dead Man's Shoes' and their image is that of a modern, independent new release distributor, and I believe that my film would fit the bill.
By taking inspiration from these distributors I created my own; 'Insomnium Productions'. I thought that the name fitted into the 'Psychological' style of my product. 

Sound.

I have been experimenting with different uses of sound in my product.
Initially I thought that a voice over would be most effective because then the audience would feel a strong connection with Emma, the protagonist. Also, a convention of a psychological thriller is the focus on the human mind and I think that a voice-over could give the audience a deeper insight into the protagonist's minds.
I have also tried different pieces of music in the background by creating music with suspense and emotion on a programme called 'GarageBand'.
I have also tried using this piano cover of Ellie Goulding's version of 'Your Song', originally by Elton John:

However, I think that the simple voice-over was the most effective as the silences inbetween gave the opening an eerie tone, which emphasizes the thriller genre.

More clips..

These unedited clips include me practicing the tracking shot around the back of the actresses head. It was difficult to do it effectively without catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror but eventually I managed to get the shot I wanted.

Raw Clips from filming

These are some of the raw, unedited clips from filming. 

Props;

I have had to create two props for my opening scene:

• A letter from 'Southgate Sixthform'.

• A birthday card from Emma's old "best friend" George, which will later be revealed to have been written by Emma's mother. The card is ripped up to intrigue the audience, they can question why it has been torn and ripped in two.

The Settings.

My opening scene will take place in:

• Emma's bedroom
• Her bathroom
• Hallway of her house
• Dining room
• The roads she walk on the way to Sixth Form
• The Heath she walks through

Here are some pictures of the Settings:

I placed some of my old things in the room that I used to have as a child. Again, I did this to emphasize her naïvety and child like life. For example, I placed the toy horse next to the mirror, as seen in the picture above. Also, I placed this poster (picture below) as it is child-like and fits in with Emma's social problems and also contains significance in that she cannot get rid of Jane, she seems to want to prove that "A Friend is Forever". Also, I have a couple of mirrors in my bedroom and I am going to experiment with possibly inserting a few subtle reflections of Jane in the background of a few shots to enhance the sense of a supernatural force hidden behind the ordinary exterior.

My Storyboard:

Overview of my opening sequence;

I want the following sequence of events to happen in the opening of my film:

• Emma, nervously, getting ready for her first day at her new Sixth Form.
• Emma's mother giving her her medication- Emma believing they are for her "weak immune system" when in fact they are to stop her hallucinations.
• Emma looking at a birthday card sent to her by her old (imaginary) best friend George. It will be later revealed in the plot that she unknowingly wrote it herself.
• Emma seeing Jane for the first time.

My plan is for these events to intrigue the audience and build a foundation so that throughout the plot secrets of her medication, her old best-friend and new best-friend can be revealed to the audience.

Meeting the Audience's Expectations.

A few months ago I conducted a survey to find out what the target audience expects from a thriller.
To see the results please click here.

My protagonist is female, as suggested by the audience.
Also, I learnt from my survey that the audience expect an unhappy, cliff-hanger ending and the ending to my plot is a cliff hanger (as it is unclear whether Emma has truly let go of Jane) and it is unhappy in the fact that Emma has lost two of the closest, and only, friends she's ever had.
The plot includes many Red Herrings, which are the clues to George's and Jane's real existence that prove to be false.
Death plays a part in the film in that Emma takes an overdose after she believes she has murdered Jane- this affects the protagonists mental state greatly.

Character Functions;

In my opening two minutes I want the audience to feel a connection with the main character Emma and I want to make some of her personality traits very apparent:-

• Outcast- Has been treated badly by people in the past.
• Shy- as a result of being bullied previously.
• Does not have any strong relationships, not even with her mother.

Character Functions

Heroine- Emma

Donor/Helper- Psychiatrists (give Emma advice to be rid of Jane)

Object of the Quest- The boy Emma likes but is rejected by, and to be wholly accepted by people.

Blocker- Jane

The Narrative Structure of my chosen idea;

As in most thriller films, my plot revolves around the single protagonist Emma and her own personal battle she has to fight on her own. The battle is a psychological one against Jane, a seemingly unbeatable opponent who plays with Emma's thoughts and mind. Also, Emma has a 'back-story' which is revealed in parts throughout the text to deepen the psychological aspect of the story and the reader shall be able to understand Emma more specifically and see how her previous experiences have shaped her perceptions on life. The solution of the problem never becomes fully clear, as we have a cliff-hanger ending in that we never discover if Emma is ever truly rid of Jane.

To also fit in with the thriller genre, I want this text to be a first person narrative. Therefore, the audience can develop a relationship with Emma and fully understand the workings of her mind. I could achieve this with using voice-overs, like in 'Fight Club' so the audience are always aware of the protagonists thoughts, feelings and perspective on the situation she faces.