Target audience results. Miss Miller

 

Research was carried out in our group about what people want to see and like about thriller films to put into our own clip. We questioned 40 people and asked them a number of open and closed questioned. We hope these results will take us further into our understand of this genre.

 



The first question and pie chart i want to bring to attention is the question  'what interests you in watching a thriller?'. No one said anything other than the 3 answers provided which were scary, suspense and tension. This is an indication that these are going to be the foundation of a good thriller.

This next question shows us that a lot of people opted to another option other than the the noises listed. When asked what other, people said footsteps or no noise at all. This is something we can take into consideration.

This next question is about where the audience would like the thriller to be set. Once again the other category dominates this question. People said that a normal house or area would be an ideal location which we do not have on the list. Examples of this ideal location includes Halloween and jaws. These take place in everyday locations.

The next question I would like to show you is on what sub genres people would like to see in a thriller film and most of them went for other. When asked what, many people said that they would like to see no sub genre. This indicates to me that we should not try to mix our genre with other things.

We also used a number of open questions. These were used so we can get an overall idea of what people see a thriller to be like with no prompts. One of these questions were 'what type of character would you like to see in a thriller film?' Answers that came back were mysterious and violent. Going back to mysterious, this links in with enigma and we can now make the connection in the sense that an element of mysteriousness keeps the audience on the edge of their seat. Another open question used is 'what would you like the purpose to be?' The main answer that came back to use is revenge. People very much took the approach of bad things come to people who are bad themselves. Now our group can take this purpose and mold it into our own narrative. Who and why would someone take revenge? This opens up new ideas to us.

I feel the research gathered will help us now develop a bigger picture and show us an insight into what people want to get from a thriller film. Hopefully we can take points like little sub genres and location ideas and create a thriller that people will enjoy. We have also discovered are key factors which are sacra, suspense and tension. I feel these things will be the core of our groups success.

Preliminary task. Miss Georgiou

My preliminary task involved me, Alex and Lucy. The purpose of our preliminary task was to really find our feet and get a feel for what we are in for. We had a first look at the camera we would be using and we discovered how best to film shots and our strengths and weaknesses. In our task, Alex filmed me walking down the stars and followed me down without moving the camera position which was continuity editing. I then met Lucy and we had a chat about school work in the common room. In doing this, we established which shots would be right for us. We used the reverse shot while talking. The 180 degree rule was used and was edited in a way that it will flowed fluently and lasted under 1 minute. In this task we really learnt to embrace the narrative style and learnt to be patient with our filming. If something isn't right first time, it needs to be repeated until it is what the group wants and I think that is the main thing i have picked up from doing this task. From this task, I feel my group has a more clearer insight into what we need to do to  create a chilling thriller that connotes our ideas and beliefs through a select number of techniques and camera uses we have picked up from the preliminary task.

Group narrative. Miss Georgiou

The purpose of a narrative is to enhance the audiences viewing pleasure.  A story is a number of events that take place in an order we deem understandable. Narrative is the ideas that go into a story that make it more understandable for the audience and incorporate how and why is that being portrayed to us in this way. Narrative includes cinematography, sound, location, camera angles, iconography etc.

Our group came together and discussed the ideas we each had in our own head. After discussing the advantages and disadvantages of each point and we finally came to a decision on what narrative we actually want for our thriller.

My idea

i have created a small plot. A couple go to a closed hotel. They didn't know this and they start to argue. The woman leaves the man stranded there over the winter and begins to lose his mind in the cold attic of the hotel. He then murders new guests in the summer with blunt objects while wearing a phantom of the opera mask that he had found. I got the location from the shining, the suspense of him killing from pet semetary, the mysteriousness from v for vendetta, the isolation plot from misery and the iconography from Texas chainsaw. Hopefully these ideas create an element of shock, suspense and surprise amongst the audience.

Advantages: . Easy to acquire iconography

                     . small group

                     . Detailed story line

Disadvantages: . Hard to find location

                          . Hard to portray weather

                          . It is not simple

Alex's idea

Their are a group of people who are dared to spend the night in and old abandoned house, however there is actually a maniac who lives in the house who lock the group in and slowly hunts them down one by one. Using all the techniques that I have mentioned, about the group of people who are trapped in an abandoned building in the middle of nowhere at night. This all creates the conventions typical in a thriller genre, in my film I would also like to attempt to break the 180 rule which has been done in "Psycho" which I would like to replicate, this would give a 360 view of the setting which will draw the audience in and help them empathise with the characters.

Advantages: . It is very conventional

                     . Taken ideas from classic thriller films

                     . Very simple

Disadvantages: . Hard to find location

                          . Might be slightly repetitive

                          . You would need a large group of people

Lucy's idea

When trying to imagine my own thriller, I had to think of films that made me feel the suspense and tension. Therefore I chose to look at what would become my 'Inspirations'The 'Saw' films were just one inspiration of mine. So was human centipede, insidious and harpers island.These are just a few inspirations of mine, this is as they all use conventions of a thriller. Such as low key lighting, realisticness and mysteriousness, these together build a strong thriller, which grip the audience from the outset.

To reach a first idea and plot for my opening sequence, I took my inspirations and thought about the main features, Characters and Location. Therefore these are my first ideas...

• Characters - 3 girls,Amy, Stacy, Hannah - 3 Boys Sam, Jack, Mark - 2 killers
• Location - Woods
• Time - Halloween night

Target Audience - Certificate 15 aimed at teenagers

A group of girls go camping on Halloween night. They start to hear strange sounds from outside, coming out of their tent the sounds start getting louder. The girls are scared and have no idea what to do. A group of boys jump out on them.Once the boys go home, the girls plan to go to bed, however the sounds start again, they think its the boys, although this time it isn't...

Advantages: . Easy location
                     . Can be filmed at any time
                     . Simple plot

Disadvantages: . Large group
                          . Too much dialogue

Our groups final idea is a mix between a forest and an abandoned building. We will be focusing on the element of surprise and will work on building a tension to hopefully keep the audience on the edge of their seats.       

Our group can consider 3 different narritive theories. 

The first is Vladimir Propp, a Russian critic in the 1920s. He liked folk tales and came up with the theory that every narrative comes with a group of stock characters in which it will always follow. Some of these characters include a hero, villains, helper, princess, father , dispatcher and donor. The film shrek is based on this theory as it is like a fairy tale.

The second theory is from Tzveten Todorov. He simplified narrative into different parts. A equilibrium at the start which means everything happy as it should be. Then there is an disequilibrium which means this peace is disrupted however at the end a new equilibrium is created.

The third is from Aristotle. His theory involves many key words such as exciting incident, Dramatic questions, character goal, antagonist/protagonist, stakes, sympathy/empathy and resolution. I personally feel that we should use this last theory as it creates many emotions amongst the audience such as sympathy and enticing story lines.

Opening scene analysis. Miss Georgiou

In this blog, i am looking into what makes a good opening to a thriller opening. The purpose of an opening is to set the scene and time frame. It also sets the mood and engages the audience in what the genre of the film is. In thrillers especially, the opening scene creates an enigma amongst the audience. I will be looking at the opening scene of Halloween and how the editing, cinematography, sound, characters, narrative and conventions make this a perfect opening scene.

The first analysis point is editing. The editing types used in the scene are fading, continuity and a straight cut. The one particular style that was effective in this scene is the continuity editing. This is were the shot is the same throughout and really links the audience with the scene. Also used in this scene was a montage of pumpkins. This connotes the fact that it is Halloween and just helps the whole audience really engage with the film.

This clip also contains cinematography. Two main features of cinematography are used in this clip. Point of view shot and a hand held shot.

These two points hold hand in hand as we step inside the killers’ shoes as he brutally kills his sister. The point of view is used in a hand held manner to give the audience a feel for what it is like and we can only see what he sees, enhancing the overall experience by allowing you to focus on events, solely from his perspective.

Another point i am analysing is sound. Once again i picked up two key points from the clip. These being parallel sound and off screen sound. The parallel effect is the sound of footsteps on the stairs in synchronised time with a piano sound. This gives the scene a weird eerie feel that makes you aware that something is going to happen, you are anticipating an event. The off screen sound is the ticking clock effect, not seen at all in the scene. This could portray the feeling that all time has slowed down, adding a feeling of suspense to the audience.

Character analysis my next focus.  The killer is kept very mysterious throughout the whole clip; the audience is given very little information about the killers’ physical appearance. This creates an enigmatic feeling about the character. The girl is another character seen. She is in her room at night. This immediately gives the audience a feeling of foreboding, this happens because it is a characteristic scene set up of a conventional thriller.

The narrative used is another point of notice. The location is in an ordinary suburban area that puts you at ease and feels very homely. It could almost be your town. The area is very stereotypical and in doing this makes you on edge and fearful even after the end of the film.

Using the clip the following points all link together.  Shock, surprise, and leave the audience in suspense, hidden identity, enigma, open door, quiet house, iconography, low key lighting, and a female victim.

I hope to take all of these convention and use my own analysis to create a chilling thriller which keeps the audience on the edge of their seats and keeps them looking over their shoulder in the dark when they hear a noise.

Research into sound. Miss Miller

This post is about sound and how it is used in the film 'Jaws' directed by Stephen Spielberg and released in 1995. Sound is used in all films as a way of enticing the audience. In thrillers, sound is used to create an intense atmosphere and plays a critical role in how the audience feel. Sound creates another element of real life into films as well so the audience feel more captivated.

The first sound technique used in this clip is the sound of the sea. The sound of the sea is continuous throughout this clip and connotes the fact this film is based at sea. Giving the audience a clue that the film is based a around a shark, This gives the audience a clue that a shark is bound to show up and leaves the audience 'on the edge of their seat'. The name giving to a sound that matches the image on screen is called a parallel sound.

The next sound technique is a non-diegetic sound at 60 seconds. A non-diegetic sound is a sound that is added in the editing stage. This is usually a backing track or a piece of music made to complement what is going on in the shot and makes the film feel a lot more real. In jaws I believe the sound makes the shark seem more scary. In this clip, we hear the famous orchestra piece played over the top of the scene to put the audience in suspense. As the shark grows closer, the sound becomes more intense and fast paced. This makes the audience shocked, surprised and in suspense. The tension of waiting for when the shark attacks creates enigma.

Another technique used is on screen sound at 0.28 seconds. This is when you can see and hear where the sound is coming from. The on screen sound is the swinging lantern in the boat, we can not only see it, but also hear it. The fact that we can only hear that shows that there is a element of silence and the sound is like an old creaky noise. Silence and old noises are conventional of a thriller film as it adds suspense to the audience. The audience will also wonder, once the noise stops, is something going to happen? Adding to the tension.

The final sound technique is a diegetic sound at 0.11 seconds. This is when we see the main character using dialogue to communicate with his shipmates. The purpose of using this dialogue is to pull the audience into a false sense of security. The characters talking normally connotes the fact that this could be an everyday situation. The audience can relate to this as it looks like a normal fishing trip. This can also bring the characters and the audience closer together. This technique used is conventional of a thriller as leading people into a false sense of security can create more of a fright and leaves the audience more in suspense.

This clip shows Parallel, non-diegetic, diegetic and on screen sounds to build an idea of a killer shark into one of the best thrillers of all time. I believe that without the sound in this film, it would not be were it is today as the sounds made in this film create unbelievable suspense. Jaws has showed me that you can create a really intense thriller film just through the sounds that you hear.



Research into the history of thriller films. Mrs Georgiou

Thriller is a broad genre of literature, film, and television programming that uses suspense, tension and excitement as the main elements.Thrillers heavily stimulate the viewer's moods giving them a high level of anticipation, ultra-heightened expectation, uncertainty, surprise, anxiety and/or terror. Thriller films tend to be adrenaline-rushing, gritty, rousing and fast-paced.

A thriller provides the sudden rush of emotions and excitement that drive the narrative, sometimes subtly with peaks and lulls, sometimes at a constant, breakneck pace thrills. It keeps the audience cliff-hanging at the "edge of their seats" as the plot builds towards a climax. Literary devices such as plot twists and cliffhangers are used extensively. A thriller is usually a villain-driven plot, whereby he or she presents obstacles that the protagonist must overcome. (wikipedia)

There has been a large number of famous thrillers throughout the years and this blog will describe how they have changed and what has been produced over the past 50 years.

The first main thriller film which was controversial at the time was Alfred Hitchcocks 1960 film 'psycho'  It was the first thriller film that really showed a murder scene in as much detail as possible for the time. Hitchcock used a number of techniques such as breaking the 180 degree rule, diagetic sound and iconography to create the thrilling murder scene. He managed to shock and surprise the audience leaving them in suspense. This was groundbreaking and really opened the floodgates to murder in thriller films.

In the next decade, directors started to realise that the audience liked to be scared. They wanted to be on the edge of their seat. This lead to more makeup being used to make something scary rather than the horror of killing someone. Williams Freikins 1973 hit 'The Exorcist' used two things to really entice the audience. He used award winning makeup and played on what people think are most scary. In this case the devil and how a child is possessed by the devil.



A short time afterwards, more groundbreaking movies were made such as the 1975 film 'jaws' by Stephen Spielberg. I feel he used 3 things to really push this film to the limit. The use of sound and blood like in psycho really put the audience on edge. Spielberg did not hold back with adding as much dramatic effects as possible. Another convention he used was using an idea that the audience can relate too. It was a fact that after the film came out, people were afraid to enter the ocean. It made people panic enough to think this actually could happen and he also used cutting edge technology for the time with a nine million dollar budget.

In 1980, Stanley Kubrick brought out 'The shining' This was a new direction for thriller films. This film proves that you don't need a real life situation or a lot of gore to keep the audience in suspense. This film was psychological and the director made the audience afraid of the character. The use on camera angles, iconography and mysteriousness created enigma among the audience and really opened up the playing field to future physiological thrillers.

The final film is Danny Boyle's 2002 film '28 days later' This film really represents modern day thrillers. Even though it is ten years old, thriller films have consisted of this material ever since because it works on the audience. It contains all the characteristics that stun the audience and scares them which leads them to wanting the small thrill over and over again. Some of the features you see in this film are the gore and urgency. It is based on a disease that makes people into zombies.

I will take all these films into consideration when making my own thriller film so i can have a greater understanding in how to really keep the audience on the edge of their seats. I will take the psycho's idea of murder, exorcist's idea of character, jaw's idea of real life situation, shining's idea of isolation and mentality and 28 days later's idea of urgency in a life or death situation. I have taken great inspiration from these films and they have really broadened my view of ideas I can use for my thriller. Looking at these I can also also estimate what people people want to see from a thriller. This leads me on to this table taken from wikipedia.

The first film on the list is Hannibal which was produced in 2001. This is part four in the Hannibal Lecter quadiology. Having escaped the asylum in "Silence of the Lambs," Dr Lecter goes into hiding in Florence, Italy. Back in America, Mason Verger, an old victim of the doctor's, seeks revenge. Disfigured and confined to a life-support system, he plans to draw Lecter out of his hiding place, using the one thing he truly cares for: Clarice Starling. (IMDB) This was the top grossing film because it was the sequel to the last top grossing film, silence of lambs 10 years earier if the audience loved the first movie then they would want to see a sequel.

Halfway down the list is the film seven which made 13,000,000 dollars in the first weekend. This is about two detectives, a rookie and a veteran, hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his modus operandi. (IMDB) The reason for this films success could be the star studded line up which includes Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman. Sometimes people are more likely to see a film depending on its cast.

Towards the bottom I see saw 3D. This film comes after a number of saw films and some say it is unsurprising to see it down there. The story line is As a deadly battle rages over Jigsaw's brutal legacy, a group of Jigsaw survivors gathers to seek the support of self-help guru and fellow survivor Bobby Dagen, a man whose own dark secrets unleash a new wave of terror. (IMDB) Looking at this, the plot looks old and shallow. This could be because they are running out of ideas. However earlier saws are ranked higher up the list because when it was fresh, it was an amazing idea for a thriller movie.

Research into conventions of the thriller genre. Ms Miller

Conventions are elements that are common within different film genres. These are patterns that can be seen/used in different films from the same category. For example in an action film, you would associate it with hero's and villains and fighting. Here I am looking at conventions in the thriller film 'ATM' I will be analysing 5 conventions. Sound, hidden identify, light, cinematography and iconography.

The sounds in this thriller film is very quick and sudden, most is onscreen sound, this is an example of an onscreen sound which took place in the film. This shows two cars crashing into the building. This is an example of a sudden noise which is conventional of many thriller films. Sudden noises can suddenly shock an audience especially if there is a great deal of suspense before. This is why in a tense scene, it will usually end in a loud sudden noise.

The next convention is the idea of a hidden iditny. This not only makes the auidence curious, but creates a sense of engima. Throughout this film all we see this a hooded killer. The auidence knows little about him and this makes him unpredicatable. This is why a hidden idenity is very common in thriller films. This is deffinatly an idea I would like to take into my own thriller film.

This connvention is light. This film was shot at night and only features low key light for a large amount of time in the thriller. Low key light is used a lot in thrillers as darkness doesnt allow the auidence to see the whole picture. This can help in examples like when a killer comes out of the shadows the audience will not expect it which will add to their shock and suspense

Another connevtion are certain uses of cinematgraphy. This is a high angle shot which allows the audience to see the small room. High angle shots in thrillers can help the audience esrablish what is going on and gather the overall seen in their head. By doing this audiences are usually afixeated on one thing, for example the man on the floor. People may be unaware of other dangers while looking at him and could be shocking moment which makes them jump.

The final convention used is iconography. In this film the killer uses a crowbar as a weapon which is found in the back of a car. This is an everyday object which has been turned into a weapson. The auidence can relate back to using one of these and can help them connect with the film. Weapons in general connote violence, harm and pain which you would easerly associate with thriller films.