Final Edit

Evaluation

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

The main source and film production focus is on the opening of a film, its opening credits and the titles. In our thriller we have focused on the typical conventions that make a good opening to a thriller. In our thriller we have focused on some of the conventions as we have used Suspense and tension to build an atmosphere from the bringing of our thriller to draw the audience into the film, as I feel that keeping the audience on the edge of their seats from the beginning of the film gets the audience attention for the rest of the film as they want to know what’s going to happen next. We has also stuck to keeping the victim a woman as women are seen as more vulnerable and also it keeps the audience’s sympathy. We didn’t choose to use a male for a victim as we wanted the victim to be vulnerable. Throughout our thriller we have used non-diegetic sound to build tension between the characters and the audience. We learnt that following the guide lines of theses conventions you can produce a good thriller and tick all the boxes.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

In our thriller we tried to represent particular social groups by having young characters so the audience can relate to them, also we wanted the audience feel that they can put themselves in the characters shoes and feel like they were them. In our opening sequence we have tried to aim our thriller at the age range around 14-18 year olds as we wanted to aim our thriller at a young audience as we felt that the film industry aims its films at younger people as they go out more than the older audience. We founded this by doing some research into it as we made a questionnaire that asked members from the public. To convey this in our thriller we have two young characters aged 17, we have done this so our audience can relate to them. We have presented the female character as a hard working student who is from a middle class background. The female character has been noticing strange things but she doesn’t know that she is being followed. The male in our sequence is stalking the female in our sequence. We have presented the mise en scène in our thriller by having dark clothing to make the boy more threatening also it was important that the props, surroundings and location. We have stuck with typical stereotypes as having the stalker dressed in black clothing to make him seem more threatening to the audience, as we have the girl dressed in light clothing to make her seem vulnerable to the audience. In our thriller it was important to use that we got the connection between the audience and the character’s correct as I feel that if you can connect the audience and the character’s that the audience feel more attached to them as if something was going to happen in the thriller this would be a shock to the audience also I think including typical stereotypes in the thriller the audience are aware of them as intensely by dressing the stalker in dark clothing intensely makes him the stalker  in the film and it makes the audience feel vulnerable .

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

 I think that Paramount pictures would be a good distribution company for our thriller as Paramount pictures is an Independent company and also it distributed Psycho in 1960. Also this distribute would help us reach our target audience as Psycho is aimed at the same target audience as my thriller. Paramount Pictures is an American film production and distributed company which was founded in1912 by Gulf+Western , Paramount pictures

original name was  'famous players studio' but later in 1914 was named Paramount studios. Paramount is also one of America's oldest existing film studios, this shows that paramount pictures is an reliable company to distributed my thriller.

Paramount Pictures has also distributed Hitchcock other 4 films Rear Window 1954, the trouble with harry 1955, the man who knew too much 1956 and  Vertigo 1958. Paramount Pictures has also Distributed films such as Eagle eye 2008 directed by D.j. Caruso  and Bless the child 2000 directed by Chuck Russell.

  was founded in 1912     Rear Window distributed  in 1954      Psycho was one of Hicthcock famous things in  1960  




Eagle Eye distrubed in 2008

 

 On the Paramount Pictures website I found out some interesting information about their new films that are currently in the progress of making and also there old things which they have done in the past. Also the website tells you more information about what they do and also information and there films and press releases. http://www.paramount.com/

 Who would be the audience for your media product?
Before we decide on what we were going to aim our thriller at, we did some research on the target audience by producing an questionnaire, from the results we founded that the most popular answer was between female and male 14-18 year olds .I think that this was the most popular age range as around this age teenagers are more likely to go out to the cinema as they are more sociable at this age. We decided to aim our thriller at people over the age of 15 as our thriller is young and fresh also that the most popular outcome in our questionnaire was round that age range also I think that the older generation wouldn't see our thriller as they aren’t as sociable as they are much busy with jobs and families, also we have used young characters in our thriller as we want to relate to the audience.

 I think if we were to give our thriller an age rating I would rate our thriller at an 15 as I feel that anyone younger than this age would frighten them this is what we didn't want to achieve is to frighten young people as we want our thriller to be enjoyable but has an thriller thrill to the film as I feel that people above the age of 15 can enjoy and get more experience out of the film.

Age rating certificate

Results from questionnaire

How did you attract/address your audience?

We attracted our audience by having the characters in our thriller as young college students as some people from our target audience could relate to them. Also we have set the storyline to a natural realistic storyline as we felt that the audience could relate to this as it is a part of everyday life. Also it was important to me and Sophie to be able to get our audience to be able to connect to our film as we wanted our target audience to relate to our characters.We also did some research into films that are aimed at the same target audience as our thriller. I looked at Psycho directed by Alfred Hitchcock 1960, which is a story about how a women steals $40,000 from here employees client and then she encounters a young motel to long under the domination of his mother.  We think that our thriller is similar to Psycho as it is about an stalker and also the women is seen at the man victim and also the directed as used the women as an vulnerable women also Hitchcock cut the main female actress shocking near the beginning of the film, this caused an big stir in the media in 1960’s as it was very shocking to see an big star of the film cut very early in the film, also Hitchcock used very tension music in the shower scene to build an atmosphere to the audience also this shocked many viewers of the film, now Psycho is one of the best well known thriller known today.

This is the trailer was the trailer they used to promote Psycho, The trailer is very dark and also they have used rapid shots to attract the audience also they have filmed the film in black and white to show the different contrasts. I also think that the black and white colour scheme throughout the film creates an atmosphere between the audiences as you can’t see the characters true colours. Hitchcock has used young character in his thriller as the audience can connect with them to make them more vulnerable and also to make the audience vulnerable and shocked.



Shocking shower scene from Psycho which shocked the audience in 1960



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

I have many old and new things whiles making our thriller, I have learnt how to use a camera correctly and equipment propitiatory as before I didn't any much about how they work and what things you can achieve with simple equipment such as a tripod. I have always learnt how to achieve a good white balance and how to position the camera to achieve professional standard angels. Also I have learnt how to use the software whiles editing our thriller, as in the preliminary task I didn't know a lot about the software only the basics, but whiles editing our thriller I have learnt how to insert different transitions and how to use the arrange of tools on the software and also how to create professional titles and how to create credits. One of the things I learnt using the software was how to cut footage into parts to create different effects with the footage to build tension in our thriller also we went how to change the sound on the software by turning it up at different steps in the footage to add more tension to the thriller and also how to add certain sound effects to the footage to give the footage an professional cut to the footage and also the sound effects add suspense to the clip .Whiles filming our thriller we did re-film some of our thriller an couple of times to make sure that we got the perfect footage for our thriller as we wanted to create an  professional  standard in our thriller as we want to make our thriller the best it could be by re-filming and changing things in our thriller to get the correct standard. I think from re-filming certain parts of our thriller has helped me learn how to use the software as I feel more confident on using the software . I now know how to use the correct tools and different transitions and how to create different effects to the footage. Also whiles filming our thriller I have learnt how to use two different cameras with tape and memory card and how to import and cut certain clips from the footage and how to set the balance and widescreen.

  

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

Looking back at our preliminary task, I feel that I have come a long way since then as I have learnt new skills and learnt how to manage time to create an good thriller, I feel since from the Preliminary task that I have learnt to understand how media works and how to create films with different camera shots, sound, mise en scene etc. Also I feel that in the preliminary task we didn't fuller complete a full produced film as we had a short period of time with the preliminary task as we do for the thriller, as for the thriller a lot of planning and research went into it to create and perfect piece. I also think that we have learnt a lot since the preliminary task as we did research in what costume, set, props ,lighting etc for our thriller also we were more organized also we made an timetable when we were filming to make sure we knew what we were doing and also how we were going to present our thriller by deciding on what shots we were going to use and writing every detail on our storyboard.

Sound for the Thriller

For the sound for our thriller we have research into the sound and carefully looked at the sound as it is important part for our thriller as the sound builds up the tension and atmosphere for our thriller.
Throughout our footage in our clips there are voice overs of us speaking in the background and sound we don’t want in our thriller. In the editing progress we re-moved the unwanted sound from the footage by using adobe premiere, we wasn’t sure how to re-move the unwanted sound put we manage to so some research on how to remove sound from clips, in this progress we learnt new skills in editing.

We spent a considerable amount on time on researching sound for our thriller by looking at past thriller videos on YouTube and also we looked at some copyright websites but we didn’t have much look with the copyright websites. We later found a copyright soundtrack on an YouTube video we liked as it built atmosphere and tension we converter the track in Mp3 form for our video.


We also did some research into an sound effect for our the door scene, we came across 19 different sound effects, some of the sound
effect werent suitable for the door scence, we later fount a prefect sound effect for the door scequence.

Updated characther profile- Victom

Character: Emma Brown

Actor: Sophie Dainty (George Spencer Sixth Form Student)

We had to adapt our characters due to Casey Vickers being unavailable when we were re-filming. Sophie decided to take the role of Emma Brown as Sophie is reliable and available if we need to re-film any of our thriller at any time. Although Sophie didn’t have any experience in acting Sophie is a suitable alternative to use in the thriller.

The character of Emma Brown is currently and had working student and is currently unemployed. Both Emma Brown and Sophie Dainty, who is acting this character, are both the same age and have similar interest. Sophie hasn't had previous experience acting but she will be reliable to use in our thriller. Sophie will also be able to help with filming as she is studying AS Media Studies.

Feedback from draft of thriller

From our draft of our thriller we got feedback from the class and the teacher, the feedback helped us to make some changes to our thriller and also they gave use feedback on things they like.
one of the feedbacks was were to cut the story of the ex-boyfriend as the storyline is to long for our 2 minute shot so we have decide to cut the ex-boyfriend storyline to just an stalker as it makes the thriller more realistic. Also one of the feedbacks were to re-film the shot of the letter scene as the lighting is to dark and also was to add more to the letter scene by filming an shot of the stalker cutting up the letters from the newspaper and see him making the letter but we are going to use a range of shots but not shots of his face so the audience can’t see the stalkers emotion. We also need to cut the effect of the blur as it makes the shot look out of place also we are going to cut the scene of the footsteps shorter and slower to make it look more dramatic. We have decided to change the editing decision by cutting between the girl and the boy to make it more dramatic.We are also going to add more to the credits and change the credits to make them longer and more effective.

Thriller Draft

This is our first draft for our thriller task, there are still changes to be made to the video but we shall make changes to them after we have had feedback. We felt in this draft that there is more to be done to improve the video as we need to add more to the credits and edit some of the footage as we re-shooted some of the footage as the camera was wobbing and the lighting was to bright.Also we changed one of the transations in our thriller as we didnt think we looked right for our thriller.

Editing

For editing our thriller we used Adobe Premiere Pro, we choose to use this software as it was the software that college use and also Sophie has the programme at home so we can do some extra editing at home. We wasn’t very confident using this software as we only used it briefly for the preliminary task, but we learnt skills and experimented with the software to help us for the thriller task. I have taken screen shots of use editing to show how we edited and to use the programme.

Once we finished filming we imported our video clips from the camera onto Adobe Premiere Pro, We looked at our story board to place all the clips into the correct order and added transition .Me and Sophie decide that the opening credits is going to be a shot of the victims running but the camera is acting as the person to build tension between the audience and the character.

Whilst looking through the clips me and Sophie discovered that some of the footage needed re-shooting for the thriller. We paused on Editing whiles we went out and re-filmed some of the scenes for the thriller.

re-Fliming

On the 12th of march we re-film our thriller as we decided to change some of the scenes in the thriller, unfortunately i wasn’t available on the day to re-film as i had work commitments .Sophie and our actor Alex completed the filming on the Saturday .Although we had Casey Vickers who played the victim in the thriller, was unavailable on the day so Sophie took the role of the victim and she said she managed to pull of an good acting skills to achieve the high standards we were aiming for. Sophie said it was difficult but she overcome this and managed to film just her and Alex by working together, the day was a bright and warm day so the lighting was prefect for filming. The night before filming we created and schedule so Sophie and Alex knew what they were doing in the day. I am proud to say that i Sophie and Alex need an amazing job!

Time	What is happening?
4.00pm	Make sure all of the props are collected together ready for filming
4.10pm	Meet Alex in Stapleford
4.15pm	Walk to the location
4.20pm	Set up equipment and get the actors in place ready for filming
4.30am	Begin filming
4.45pm	Set up in other location on the field
5.00pm	Finish filming on the field
5.10pm	Move locations to the canal
5.30pm	Film on the canal
5.45pm	Check through each shot, to make sure we have got all the shots we need
6.00pm	Dismantle equipment
6.15pm	Walk home with the equipment

Time Table

Time	What is happening?
10am	Make sure all of the props are collected together ready for filming tomorrow
10 .30am	Meet Sophie Casey and Alex in Stapleford
11 .00am	Walk to the location
11 .15am	Set up equipment and get the actors in place ready for filming
11 .30am	Begin filming
12 .00pm	Set up in other location, on the bridge
12 .30pm	Finish filming on the bridge
1 .00pm	Move locations to the canal
1 .30pm	Film on the canal
2 .00pm	Check through each shot, to make sure we have got all the shots we need
2 .30pm	Dismantle equipment
2 .45pm	Walk home with the equipment

On the day of filming we thought it would be appropriate to create a timetable for filming so we are organized and know what we were doing during filming and also saving time. Also it gave use guidance and helped us to stick to timing.   

Results form Questionnaire

In our research we founded out that thriller's aren’t everyone’s types of films, as this may be because they aren’t relaxing like a chic Fick and that thrillers draw the audience attention so you are focused. Also most Thrillers are aimed at certain audience group.

Thrillers can be  intrigue and mystery with a tint of a twist, or they can be hints so the audience can work out what’s happing . Thrillers are generally particular aimed and popular with the under 25's and have a female as the victim.

Chart



This graph shows that people 50+ tend to enjoy thriller movies this may be as they have more time to enjoy them or the thrillers they have watched may be aimed at their specific age range. Normally thrillers are aimed at people under the age of 25 but this could be different for each thriller film.



Internet Research into Genre

 Thriller is a genre of literature, film and television that uses suspense, tension and excitement as the main elements. The primary subgenre is psychological thrillers. After the assassination of President Kennedy, political thriller and paranoid thriller films became very popular. The main example of thrillers is the Hitchcock's movies. The cover-up of important information from the viewer and the fight/chase scenes are common methods in all of the thriller subgenres, although each subgenre has its own characteristics and methods. Common methods in crime thrillers are mainly ransoms, captivities, heists, revenge, and kidnappings. More common in mystery thrillers are investigations and the whodunit technique. Common elements in psychological thrillers are mind games, psychological themes, stalking, confinement/death-traps, horror-of-personality, and the obsession. Elements such as conspiracy theories, false accusations, paranoia, and sometimes action are common in paranoid thrillers. Some argue, though, that thriller genre is simply a pseudonym for the horror genre, both using suspense and atmosphere to cause feelings of dread in their audiences. A thriller is a villain-driven plot, whereby he presents obstacles that the hero must overcome.

 

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thriller

www.filmsite.org/thrillerfilms.html

www.findmeanauthor.com/thriller_fiction_genre

Actor's Profile- Sophie

When choosing our cast for our media producation , we neede to select people who have expreince and enjot acting. We want the characthers to feel comfortable and we want our cast to enjoy taking part in our  thriller.



 Ex Boyfriend

Alex Redford (Mick Anderson)

Character: Mick Anderson (Ex-Boyfriend)


Actor: Alex Redford (George Spencer Sixth Form Student)


In our thriller there is  Little dialogue spoken in our sequence and both characters  face arent  much seen. In our Thriller  we have two main characters, the male and the female characters. When selecting the male character we both looked into a variety of different actors and styles  who would do the role to play Mick Anderson.

Mick Anderson is a well-educated man, who currently works at a high street shop (Topshop) and has pride in his appearance. Both Mick Anderson and Alex who is playing Mick Anderson. The characther and the actor both relate as they havehave similar interest and are around the same age. Alexhas had  experience in  acting as he has took part in school producations and producations outside college. He has studied GCSE Performing Arts and now is currently studying A Level Drama. The experience that Alex has gained from pervious producations  makes us feel confident that he is suitable for the role and also we think that Alexwill make up the Characther of Mick Anderson.

Victom

Casey Vickers (Emma Brown)

Character: Emma Brown (Girlfriend)

Actor: Casey Vickers (Bilbrough College Student)

The character Emma Brown is currently a hard working student, who currently is unemployed. Both Emma Brown and Casey Vickers, who is acting this character, are both the same age and have similar interest. Casey has had previous experience acting and has studied GCSE Performing Arts and now is currently studying A Level Drama. She has also been involved in out of college activities, including professional acting classes and group work. The experience that Casey has is perfect for what we needed in our media sequence, and I think that Casey can create a good representation of the character Emma Brown. Casey is also studying Media Studies so this will be beneficial when filming our sequence.

Location- Sophie and Emmie

When we started planning our thriller, the location was very important as it sets the scene and also it’s establishing the shot. We can up with many ideas for location , we came up for some ideas for filming in an a banned  warehouse and  train track  we didn’t use in the end as we thought they wasn’t appropriate for our storyline and also we thought that it was out of the public eye so it wasn’t very realistic. We decide to film by the canal as the scene as there were many arcs if tress and woodlands also it is in a public area so the audience can relate to the character also we thought this would be a good place to film a stalker sequence.



Canal bridge

 As we are doing an establishing shot to set the scene, the first image of the bridge is where number characters will be standing on the bridge train spotting, this immediately sets the scene and the audience can relate to such place. The bridge by the canal will be a very important shot, as it is the first shot that the audience see.

Canal Riverside

The main location in our opening sequence will be the footpath alongside the canal and this is where the stalk will take place. Most stalker thrillers take place in a dark, secluded place so this is why we choose the canal for the main action to happen. During our thriller sequence we wanted to stick to the traditional stereotypes and use this as one of our conventions. Although there will still be passes by, this location will be fairly rural so is perfect for filming.


On the day we took pictures on the day of filming to show evidence that we created this thriller ourselves, also we have taken images to show the location on where we filmed and also the characters who took part in the thriller.