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.

Props - Sophie

When planning our media sequence we need to find the correct props which will be appropriate for our sequence. Props are extremely important to create a good atmosphere and are a huge part of mise-en-scene. Throughout the whole sequence props are an important part as they add to the atmosphere and the representation the props create. The victim needs the most number of props, the props the victim will need is a dog, dog lead and a tennis ball.

Dog

In the first part of the sequence the dog will be essential, as this is what will create the main part of our sequence, we are displaying a normal everyday life and in this case the victim will be walking her dog. The dog will be available on the set day that we are filming so will be ideal to use him. We have other alternatives to use if anything goes wrong, we selected this dog as he is well behaved and co-operative with other people.

Dog Lead
In the first part of the sequence the dog will be essential, as this is what will create the main part of our sequence as we are displaying a normal everyday life and in this case the victim will be walking her dog. Therefore we will need a dog lead to keep the dog under control and to display to normality of the victim.

Tennis Ball

In the first part of the sequence the dog will be essential, as this is what will create the main part of our sequence as we are displaying a normal everyday life and in this case the victim will be walking her dog. We are using a tennis ball for the dog to play with during the sequence, this will keep him entertained and will show the shock of the victim within this sequence as she drops the ball and allows the dog to run away.

                              

Binoculars

As in our thriller sequence, we will be showing a normal everyday life, we want it to seem realistic. We are going to incorporate binoculars in, as there will be two members of the public standing on the bridge looking for trains this creates a normal atmosphere. In our sequence I believe this will add to the effect and this will hopefully be displayed to the audience. 

Risk Assessment- Emmie

Myself and Sophie created an risk assessment highlighting potential risks and hazards which could occur while filming.

Video Camera:
there is a risk of the camera getting broken and the lens smashing this could cause problems if this happend ,We will make sure, when handling equipment, that we do so gently and slowly, preventing any quick slips, trips or falls with the equipment.

Falling over:
We will ensure whiles filming that we and the actors are wearing  appropriate footwear  during all  filimng  and photo taking sessions ,

Caution of the River:

We will ensure that precautions are put in to place whiles fliming by the river as they may be a risk that someone may far in. Also we shall make sure that the actors are safe whiles fliming and are comfortable.

 Hypothermia:

During cold weather, we will ensure that all actors have sensible clothing whiles filming outsdie as we want the acotrs to be comfortable so they can give a good perfomance.

Public:

We will make sure as a group that we behave and repeat the members of the public during our filming process . We will choose fairly isolated areas during the day to avoid discomfort to the public.

Illness:
If a member of a group falls ill time needs to be used efficiently to remain on schedule. If its more than 2hrs we need to find replacement or a definite reschedule date will be set and be met without exception.

Costume Choice for the Characthers- Sophie and Emmie

Costume


Mick Anderson (Ex Boyfriend)

The costume is very important as appearance is the first thing some sees when they first meet someone also it shows the persons personality.

For the costume for the ex-boyfriend in the thriller , we decided for the ex-boyfriend to be in dark clothes as dark is associated with bad and also the ex-boyfriend is hide his identify.
for the costume:

• Black jeans
• Black Cardigan
• Black top
• Black Pumps



Black jeans





Cardigan





Black pumps

Emma Brown ( Victim)

 we have decided for the ex girlfriend to be dressed like this as she will be unaware of what is going to happen to her and her image will reflect that she is a busy, hardworking college student and doesn’t have much time for her appearance. What she is wearing will be suitable for walking her dog and the muddy surroundings. The dark clothing reflects her lack of confidence and her unawareness of  what’s going to happen .

• Black jeans
• Jack wills top
• Wellingtons
• leather jacket
  





Wellingtons and Jack wills top

 




Black Skinny jeans







Leather jacket

Characters Profile- Sophie and Emmie

Victim

Name: Emma Brown

Age: 17

Occupation: College Student  

Profile

·         Currently a hard working college student, studying Law, Economics, History and Maths. She intends to go to University to study Law and dreams to become a high profile lawyer.

·         She has had a hard up-bringing, living with her grandparents but has always had the strength to carry on and follow her dreams.

·         A shy girl, but has a good head on her shoulders.

Role in ‘The Day After’-

Emma is the main character and is the victim within ‘The Day After’. She is the ex-girlfriend of Mick Anderson. At the end of the opening sequence Emma becomes seriously injured, but what will happen next..?

Ex-boyfriend

Name: Mick Anderson

Age: 19

Occupation: Sales Assistant

Profile

·         Currently working in a high street shop (Topshop) and left school with 8 GCSEs. Had dreams to become a property developer but failed due to a serious motorbike accident.

·         Had a good upbringing, and attended a private school in Nottinghamshire. He was brought up in a small family and is the only child.

·         A confident and well-spoken man, but since his accident has become depressed and paranoid, this had a bad effect on his ex-girlfriend and their relationship broke down.

By developing an idea of what the characters are going to be like in the ‘The Day After’, it will help us to develop our characters in real life. By only having two main characters this will help us develop them to the best of our ability to be able to build up tension and apply the conventions we have learnt. Also this will help the audience connect with the characters and also it will make the audience can relate to the characters.

Thriller Research conventions and questionnaire- Sophie and Emmie

In today's lesson we have looked into conventions to achieve an good thriller.We looked into different conventions and how they work .


A thriller needs to stick to conventions to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Here are some of the conventions we are going to focus on in our thriller.

• Suspense and tension needs to be used throughout an thriller to keep the audience focused and interested in the film.
•   usually the victim is normally an women/child because the audience normally  sympathise/worry
• There is normally a villain to add tension
• Set in dark places
• Non diegetic soundtracks add suspense to a film
• sometimes films are left at cliff hangers
• Usually a  crime for a Acores  
• There is normally a twist in the film
• The lighting is normally dark and muted
• Normally over the top events occur
• The title relates on the characters psychological state.

Questionnaire
Today we completed  and created an questionnaire.Also we have collected results.

1. How old are you?
10-15
16-20 (3)
21-25 (5)
26-30
31+ (2)

2. Are you Male or Female?

Male (6)

Female (4)

3. Do you watch Thrillers?
All the time (4)

Sometimes
Rarely (2)
Never (4)

4. How many thrillers do you watch on a monthly basis?

0 (2)

1-5 (6)

6-10 (2)

11-15

15+

5. Which kind of thrillers do you prefer?
Action Thrillers (5)
Comedy Thriller

Horror Thriller (3)

Sci-Fi thrillers

Other (2)

6. Do you prefer thriller films to be...
Friction (9)
Non-Friction (1)

7. What do you think the best setting to the opening of a thriller movie?

City Centre

Canal (7)
Lakeside (3)

Other

8. What should happen in the opening to a thriller?
Murder (1)
Stalking (6)
Mysterious (3)

Other

9. Should the opening reveal some of the plot?

Yes (3)
No (7)

Day one - Thriller

Schedule

 Mind Map

Story Board

In toady's lesson we have choice who we want to work with in our thriller video, Me and Sophie decide to work together as we worked well in the Permieirly Task  as we thought it would be a good idea to work together in the Thriller. Today we did some research in what to do for the thriller and looked at other thriller opening sequence such as 'Se7en' . We also produced a story board for our thriller and noted down different camera shots and also we produced an mind map and a filming schedule so we are organised during the making of our thriller. We have decide for the back story for our thriller is going to be an young boy who is stalking his ex girlfriend , this creates an dramatic effect to the audience as some people may be able to relate to this. Also we have decide to film the thriller in black and white in the style of Alfred Hicthcock . Also in today's lesson we have made descions on locations, character's, costume, props , lighting etc.

Thriller Research task 11/2/2011

Se7en



Opening Scene




Se7en is a thriller directed by David Fincher in 1995, the film is a thriller but also an horror,  David Mills  and William Somerset are police detectives working in a crime-filled city, who become deeply involved in a case involving a series of sadistic murders. Each murder corresponds to one of the seven deadly sins: Gluttony, Envy, Lust, Pride, Sloth, Greed and Wrath. This film contains some famous actors such as Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman and Gwyenth Paltrow. Se7en made a gross profit of $100,125,000 in the box office. The budget for making this film was $33,000,000 .They are many thriller that are hybrid as there are action thrillers , mystery thrillers, Drama thriller and many more hybrid thrillers.
Se7en was created in 1995 directed by David Fincher, Mise en scene, Editing, sound and camera is used throughout the sequence. In the opening sequence of Se7en they have used a large range of editing choices to create big tension and atmosphere, and they have used short clips and close up throughout the sequel. In the first shot there is and close up of an old blank scrap book open with the page flicking from the wind also there is an shadow in the background also the lighting is dark so this creates an atmosphere also the blank book suggest that the book is an important object in this film as it may have hidden secrets. This builds a tension as it shows that the place is deserted as you don’t see anyone in the first 2 minutes of the film. You don’t see the characters face in the opening sequel but you see a character hands as he craves away his fingertips this creates a dramatic, shocking affect to the audience. Also in-between clips there are black blank screens this create tension and keeps the audience guessing on what’s going to happen next with credits on, they have used the colour black as this colour associates with death.  The shot then changes to a med shot, bird’s eye view of a detailed sketch of some persons hands this questions the audience as they have been certain sketching materials and it makes the audience feel vulnerable as they are unaware on what’s happing. Also there are use of shadows this creates an effect on the audience as there is someone there but you can’t see them as they identity is hidden.
There are also an med shot side view of an hand writing in an journal  with a black ballpoint pen this suggest many things to the audience as there are many secrets in that book which we don’t know, it questions the audience, also there are lots of use of blank text books throughout this sequel this questions the audience as there are many hidden things and we don’t no a lot about the character as the character face this shows that the character is hiding its identity for some reason but we don’t no what. Also the character in the sequence hands has bandages on his fingers this suggest that he has been craving at his fingers this is unusual also the use of events in this clip that he has a serial killer of some type as props used of photograph and cut out news paper articles suggest that the character is up to something but we don’t no what as his identity is hidden.
There are rapid shots used as the shots changes quickly also between the shot there are blank quick shots in between the video clips there are blank black screen shots of text and sayings in the sequence also the text from they have used is like craved writing this creates an dramatic effect as 'craving' texture as this is seen as quit shocking.
There are many editing decisions in this sequence as there a lot of fade, cuts, zooms, dissolves in this short clip this creates a dramatic effect to the audience as the shots are rapid and also the use of editing this builds up tension to the audience.
The use of sound in this clip is non-diegetic as there is sound of the in this shows that the location where the character is, is deserted also it builds a tension atmosphere as the use of wind can build a dramatic effect on the audience. Also there is use of sound effects of blade craving the end of the character finger tips this creates a dramatic effect on the audience as this is a shocking thing to see and also hear. Also there is non- diegetic sound of a rewind of a caste tape this creates an effect on the audience as the use of the tape creates an effect on the audience as it shows that the character is up to something susceptive as the charcrther keeps playing back the track.

Shutter Island
Shutter Island is a thriller set in 1954 directed by Martin Scorses, U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels is investigating the disappearance of a murderess that escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane and is presumed to be hiding nearby. Shutter Island contains many famous stars of today as Leonardo DiCaprio. This film was produced in 2010 and was a hug hit at the box office. As in the opening weekend Shutter Island made $41,062,440 in the box office. They made a Gross profit of $127,968,405 .
Shutter Island was created in  2010 directed by Martin Scorses, Mise en scene, Editing, sound and camera is used throughout the sequence. In the opening sequence of Shutter Island they have used a large range of editing choices to create big tension and atmosphere. There are rapids shots and flashes this builds an atmosphere to the audience as it effects the audience eyes also it brain washes the audience as there is a different blank scene behind the shots are they are merged together with the directors name .There is reparative use of the flashing in the opening sequence as there are different shots of images of ink and fire matches. Also they have used different shots of a light match also the lighting is dark and hidden as you can’t see anything apart from the light match this creates an dramatic effect to the audience the use of flashing photography keeps the audience focused. The use of lighting in the sequence is very bright and high key this creates an effect on the audience as it is bright and contrasted and the use of bright light suggest it is early in the Moring . Also the first shot of the sequence is a med shot of a male just woken up in bed and looks confused and surprised as he is looking around. There is diegetic sound used of the sound of vehicles in the background this shows that the character is in some busy city. The shot then changes to an close up of the characters face to shows the character emotions also there is bright lighting flashing in the characters face. The shot then changes to long shot of the hall way in someone’s house also the use of lightning throughout this sequel is very high key. The shot then changes to a med shot of an old music player playing an old recorder this creates an effect on the audience . The shot then changes to an flash back of the character dreaming as he tries to touch is wife or girlfriend or something who has died and she is holding an bottle of whisky to shows an dramatic effect as he don’t know what’s happing . The costume the characters are wearing are 1950’s style clothing this shows that the film is filmed back in the past. Also there are many props used in the opening sequence as there is the recorder player also there is the use of the whisky
bottle.

First shot in the opening Sequence

one of the shots in the opeinng squence



screen shot from the

 Sequence