Question 7 - Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product? -

A lot of what we have learnt from our preliminary to our full product we feel was time managment. We feel our preliminary was slightly rushed which meant when we noticed mistakes or had a last minute idea that we thought '' This would look better if...'' . At the time of our preliminary we left no time to go back and do this. Where as in our full product we enabled plenty of time to go back if we made mistakes and also to re-film in order to perfect certain shots.

Our skills of using continuity editing were a major part of our full product. Because we chose to film in a house, extreme camera shots would be very hard to pull off without looking unbelievable, so we went to for more 'clever' transitions. We concentrated on mise-en-scene and lighting to give off the enigma and contrast of the two houses. In our prelimary it looked very amatuer because there was nothing much which connoted the conventions of a crime thriller.

Another key skill we all learnt was effecive editing. In our preliminary we literally cut the bits we felt were not needed and kept the ones that we wanted. In our full product we cut every little part we could that may make our film 'drag-on' this made our film flow a lot more smoothly with very sharp cuts.

Group - Final Cut

Here is the final cut of our opening scene:

Film Pitch

This was the pitch that we gave when we wanted to gain approval to shoot our film. It includes our audience research, images of our location reece, some shot types that we wanted to include, and the films treatment. 

Pitch

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Evaluation Q3 - Distribution

Once a film is created the producers negotiate a distribution deal with a company. In return for a cut of the box office and DVD sales, the distributors market the film, and print copies of it to distribute to cinemas. It is very important for the distributors to define the films target audience.


I think our film would appeal to a mass market and so I believe it should be screened in a multiplex cinema such as ‘ODEON’ or ‘VUE’ so that as much of the target audience as possible have an opportunity to see it.

I believe that our finished film would have such as mass appeal that it could go on general worldwide platform release, as it would be such a mainstream film.

Audience Research

Before we started filming our final piece we carried out some audience research, so that we had an idea of what our target audience wanted, and expected from a film of this genre. We set up a series of questions that people could answer on SurveyMonkey, an  Internet site that allows people to carry out free surveys. 

We used that data that we collected to influence our plot. When we asked questions such as "What do you feel best intensifies suspense in thrillers?", so that we could try and incorporate the answer into our plot. The answer to this particular question was "Music (quick beat)", and so we used fast paced music within our opening sequence.

Here are the other questions that we asked as part of our audience survey:

Audience Research

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Group - Risk Assessment

This is a copy of one of our call sheets. We filled out a call sheet before each one of our shoots so that there was a record of exactly what equipment we had taken out. This meant that the school always knew exactly where there equipment was, and allowed them to plan when each of the various groups would be able to use the equipment.

This is a copyof a risk assessment sheet. On this sheet we listed all some of the main risks that we, and the equipment would face when we were shooting. We did this so that when we got to the set, we had already identified the risks that we would face, and so that we would know how to deal with them in the best way.

Group - Preliminary Task

This is our Preliminary Task. We created this as a test, so that we could try out various camera and editing techniques that we would need when we created our final piece of footage. The criteria for this preliminary task was to film someone going through a door, and also a conversation. We were not expected to use any fancy techniques, other than camera angle and continuity editing.

Once we had filmed our preliminary task we felt that it has helped us as a group to learn what was expected of us, and how the creative process of creating a piece of footage actually worked. It also allowed us to see what camera angles looked good, and what ones would suit our final piece.

Group - Blog Proposal

For our evaluation with each question we have decided to use different for mats to answer them. Here is are proposed order, form in whic we will answert it and who is going to do it.

Question 1 & 2: Directors Interview: Within here we have set up questions in which one of us will answer posing as the director this will be scripted so will enable us to answer everything needed for the questions. I.T. will be using the editing software and camera.
James Cork has created and answered these questions.

Question 3: Blog Entry: For this we will do some background research as to what kind of distibution companies have worked with our genre of film. So that means looking back at our initial research at the kind of films that are similar to ours e.g. the Bourne series, Taken etc. Answered Jamie Cutts and George Douglas.

Question 4 & 5: Audience Interview/Survey: Here we have decided to use both these methods so we can achieve both qualitative and quanitative data and cover all areas of the question. The I.T.involved will be done with the editing process, filming and creating charts from the survey. This is answered by the whole group.

Question 6 & 7: Stills with a voiceover from both our prelimenary and final cut to show technologies and equipment used. Also we shall use this to explain any problems encountered and how we overcame them or improved from the prelimenary. I.I. will be used with editing and using a dictophone and blending these two together to form a DVD extra style commentary. This will be answered by George Douglas

Group - Storyboard

This is the storyboard that we drew when we were planning the story line of our final piece. It shows the main scenes that we think we will shoot, along with the characters involved, and the camera angles/movements. We will have this with us when we are shooting to use as a reference, however if we feel that we need to shoot other scenes or change some of the shots then we will.

James C - Possible Sound Effects

Here are some of the sound effects that we could use when we come to make our final piece. They could be used in conjunction with continuity editing to heighten the sense of verisimilitude within the opening:

Letter coming through letter box:
http://www.freesound.org/samplesViewSingle.php?id=32362

Grandfather Clock:
http://www.freesound.org/samplesViewSingle.php?id=32937

Ambient Noise:
http://www.freesound.org/samplesViewSingle.php?id=22335

White Noise:
http://www.freesound.org/samplesViewSingle.php?id=28024

Group - Evaluation of shoot 2

Our second shoot was on Friday 5th, and we went to James' house to get some scenes of our other character. We left school early so that we could make the best use of the daylight that we needed, and started filming at about 1:30.

The shoot went very well, and we managed to get the majority of the shots that we needed to get. We did however encounter some difficulties during the shoot, one of these was that there was always the usual household 'clutter' in the background of our shots. These unnecessary objects in the background were ruining our rule of thirds, and so we removed any thing that we did not feel was required in the shot.

Another problem that we found was that the layout of the furniture in the house was not how we needed it. This meant that we had to carefully move some of the objects (lights and tables for example) so that the location would lend its self to our shoot better.

I think that we had learnt from our previous shoot, because we did not have so many problems about were to place the tripod, or about working in confined spaces. We had also learnt about how light the room needs to be in order to get the best shots possible, and this came in very handy during the shoot.

I think that other than these problems all went very well on the day, however i think that we will need to go back to this location to get the final shots, and redo any ones that are not quite right.

Group - Evaluation of the Shoot 1

We went on our first shoot on wednesday 3rd march to Jamies house.

Overall the shoot went well and we managed to get the shots that we initially need and have left enough time to shoot any extra shots needed.

Some problems we found whilst shooting is continuity and having to be constantly aware of the positioning of the shot and props making sure the continuity was not obscure. Furthermore we had to make sure that there was nothing in the back ground that would be out of place for our story.

We also found that working in a confined space was sometimes tricky especially with the tripod but managed to overcome these with some careful manouvering.

I think that we have learned from this experience shooting indoors and will be able to to take with us to our next shoot.

Group - Location Shots

Kitchen shot where the man has breakfast:

Bedroom shot where the man wakes up:

When we are filming our opening in these locations, we will be sure to remove all unnecessary objects from our shots. We will need to remove all objects that interfere with the rule of thirds, or any framing that we use whilst filming. By doing this we will increase the quality of the shots, and the realness of character.

GD - Analysing and Opening Sequrnce - Die Hard (Tiernan, 1988)

Genre:

• This genre of film is an Action-Thriller and is about a New York cop facing terrorists in a hostage situation on his own whilst off duty.



• I think that the expectations of the audience for this film are fullfilled as the character comes across as a typical 'cocky' man who's a bit rugged but obviously knows what he is doing as he has done it for a long time yet will come across as heroic within the story as he goes beyond what his duties are and what hes been trained in showing great courage. Furthermore the setting is a typical urban area which is common for a thriller.



• I think that this film follows the characteristics of its genre exactly through things such as the characters and the normal settings which can help create tension as it makes the audience relate to where they are maybe. However picturing the her with a large teddy bear at the beggining could be treating it playfully as it goes against the typical hard image he has, yet also shows a possible weakness for the 'bad guys' to exploit which is always needed in a thriller or 'good guy' vs 'bad guy' film.

Film Language:

• The costume in this sequence i think conveys meaning as he is dressed very casually and would not be recognised as a hero which i think is good as the audience can then maybe aspire to be like him or show the that people like themselves can be a hero which will make them enjoy the film more and root for the hero. Moreover the gun which pokes out of his shirt which the man sees gives power to the hero placing him above the other characters and asserts him as someone who could help with the hostage situation later in the film. Furthermore as mentioned the character of the hero is very slick and witty but also hard boiled.



• The close up of the gun shows once again how Willis is the hero and the one in power over the ordinary citizens of the plane. However the long shot of hit waiting at the airport shows the audience how normal he looks and how similar he is to them which once again side him with them.


• The dialogue "Don't worry im a cop" after the man sees hes got a gun not only creates a character for Willis but also gives us as the audience comfort within Willis' character and the fact that hes done it for so many years shows us hes a proffesional which people will admire. The hustle and bustle of the airport shows what a busy place that city is and can help to raise tension with the audience knowing something bad is going to happen which may harm a lot of people and only the hero can stop it. The music which is jingling bells and drums is quite contrasting and creates a serious and harsh attitude.


• For Willis' character we learn immediately he is witty by outdoing his flying companion on years in his profession "trust me, ive been doing it for eleven years" copying what the man has just said. Whilst standing at the airport he lights up a ciggarette and from this you can see he is a very serious character and the smoking conforms to the part of a typical hard boiled cop. The way Willis looks at the cabin girl also gives us an idea of his character as a very heterosexual tough guy whos interested in all the things he should be which people will like about him.

Narrative:

• In this begginig sequence the narrative, like many action-thrillers, starts off as a normal day for the person/ hero involved which then suddenly will change later on in the story as they get more and more tangled up. This helps create a relaxed feeling for the audience so the drama intensifies later and also helps the audience to build a chracter idea of the main ones involved.


• The audience on this is very much placed with Willis as it follows him and shows how his day just gets worse and worse and is severely outnumbered, which in turn keeps us on his side. Yet the audience at points is also placed with the terrorists so as to understand what there plot is and what they are doing.


• As mentioned the audience can identify with Willis as he dresses very normally and has a typically normal job which people can understand and empathise with. However with people like the terrorists they are involved with crime and may very rich and of different nationality which the majorty of the audience would not relate to.


• The major themes within the narrative in this sequence is to establish the character of Willis and what he is and what hes like, furthermore it helps set the scene and why and how he gets tangled up in this mess.


• The tension in this sequence is made through the normality of his day yet all the while the audience know something bad is going to happen and the music helps to build up to this.

Representaion & Ideology:

• n this sequence i think that two social groups are represented here and both on the plane. The first is the more wealthy businessman type who ikes to brag about his success to Willis, he would not be so popular with the audience as Willis the normal, witty, heroic polis officer shows little interest in him and as we are sided with him brings the representation of the other man down. Especially when he outdoes the businessman.


• I think that the vallues of Willis' chracter are evident here as he has worked for the police force for so long it shows that he is committed and is proud of that which some people may aspire to do like him which is why he is the hero. Furthermore the fact he is holding a huge cuddly toy shows how he has an affectionate side for someone and that that is important to maintain which the audience will respect as well.


• The semiotics of this sequence show Willis in very dark or blue toned clothes which represent masculinity along with his rugged hairstyle and look which wil side the male audience with him. Whereas with the businessman his hair is neatley in place and is wearing glasses which isnt seen to be as masculine so may give a negative representation. Furthermore the attractive cabin crew memeber is wearing make up and smartly dressed with neat hair also so looking very femeine so creates that set structure of the feminine women being attracted to the masculine man which the audience will recognise and mostly like.

Media Audiences:

• The target audience for this film i think is the young adult male as it involves a lot of action and very heroic masculine male people can idolise and also very typical stereotypes they can recognise and relate to.


• The likely reading for this text is that Willis' character is a bit of a wild card yet sticks to his duty and that they will be very much sided with him and also try and to relate with him by agreeing with his 'shrugging off' ogf the business man and intimate look with the stewardess. However some people may see him in a negative light as a bit of a 'player' who fools around with girls and doesnt care for anybody and is quite inconsiderate.


• As a British Teenager i evaluate the text in a very positive way as like many other teenage boys would agree enjoy the 'die hard' films because of the action and tenacity of Willis' character so therefore can pick out and relate with some of the points mentioned. Furthermore as i am a male this film appeals to me even more as it shows high levels of masculinity that i can agree with and aspire to. However as im British and this being an American film having never been to america films like this can be a basis for peoples understanding of what America is like and the only thing theyve seen for the policeman chracter therefore possibly giving a distorted view of stereotypes.

Institutional Context:

• The star in this film is 'Bruce Willis', at this point in his career had only been in a few films so could have a fan base which help to bring in ore of an audience. However for Willis the 'Die Hard' series is one he is remembered for and people like him for.


• This film is an industrial film and was produced by 20th Century Fox so has a good company backing it which may be one reason why it was so successful.


• To market the film as it is Fox will have the benefit of syergistic marketing so would include things like tv adverts, posters, column inches with 94% of reviews at first giving a positive view on the film.


• I think that the institutional context is evident due to things like the titles, the large scale of the sets and reality of the whole situation creates avery proffesional look to the film which is a big clue to showing that its an industrial film.

JCutts - Analysing an opening sequence of The Dark Knight

Genre:


The Dark Kight is a crime thriller.The opening sequence is typical of its genre. It includes a bank robbery and within the first 2 minutes we aleady see a gun shot. This is most likely going to fulfill the vewers expectations. From the opning sequence we get the sence of the crime thriller through the oraganised crime and in this case, the bank robbery. However within this obbery there is a corruption within itself. This may challenge the viewers expectations and also help to make the viewer of who to consider to side with.


Film Language:


All the ''villians'' in this sequence have a mask covring their face. This not only disgises their identity but also gives a sense of mysteriousness to who it could be and hence allows the viewer to guess from the very start what is exactly going on. We also see things such as guns, hammers, and other weapons which all convey crime of some sort.


The camera angle is never actually face on with any of the charecters and always either behind them or at an angle which means the viewer cannot clearly see any charecter . Again allowing the viewer to use their imagintion and and gives a sense of confusion why exactly they are hiding their faces. A dolly would have been used to shoot a lot of this scene as the camera is often moving as well as a high cutting rate . This builds tension , this is re-enforced with the frequent cross cuts. Also allowing us to see what every mans task is in the ''job''.


The sound in the opening sequence starts off in correlaton to the cuttin rate. It starts off slow but as the tension builds so does the beats in the sound and cutting rate.


Welearn through the dialogue that this bank robbery has evidently been well planned. We hear one guy say ; '' The joker, the guy who planned the whole job'' In an establishing shot of the charecters. This sutbly informs the viewer of what is going on. Through non-verbal languge we also can assume they have done this before by their confidence and pace in their body language .


Narrative:


The audience is positioned as almost involved in the robbery and allows us to see all the aspects of the bank robbery. However there is a slight sense of allienation for us , the viewer, as we do not see the identity of the robbers, behind the masks. The major themes of the narrative include organised crime, and thi sis shown through many aspects. For example the gun shots connote crime and villiany. Tension is maintained throughout the sequence by a range of different techniques. They use the soundtrack by using sudden loud noices, as well as an increasing ''drum'' beat sound. A hight cutting rate is also used during points of actions to really allow the viewer to feel the tension of the scene.

Representation & Ideology:

Two social groups are explored in this opening sequence. There are the mysterious group of men commiting the organised crime. We rarely get a face on shot of these , often it will be n angled shot to add mystery to the charecter, they also are all wearing masks which stop the viewer from seeing their identity, keeping them guessing of the significance of this. Also the innocent bank workers are representated as helpless and certainly inferior , this would be supporting the basic ideologies of a crime thriller, as bank workers are often seen as the victims.

The values and beliefs of most people thinking the law is somethign that should be stuck by would be broken by this organised crime. Also withing the crime , there is a case of the men killing one another ( again organised) in order to increase their slice in the reward. This is not only breaking the law but also maybe seen as ethically wrong and decietful.

The semiotics in the opening are used very cleverly. The masks used to hide identity are almost ''clown like'' Which is often used in mysterious films and in other films of a similar genre, For example ''Saw''. Guns automatically have conotations and signifiers of crime , and the way they are used with such confidence suggest they have done or used them previously ot this job. Re-enforcing the fact they are or should be seen as ''the bad guys''. The very opening of the scene shows a long shot of the city which shows very tall sky scrapers, this emphises the urban and city landscape the scene is going to take place in. We are instantly hown that something unusual is going to happen with a sudden smash of glass in one of the buildings, connoting crime of some sort instantly.

Media Audiences:

This is a tentpole and therefore aimed at all four of the quadrants. We know this firstly because the film itself was given a ''15'' Certificate but they appealed and cut certain bits out to ensure it's ''12A'' certificate. This was agreed to reduce the certificate as a lot of the more ''explicit'' parts are not actually filmed, but are left to the viewers imagination to think of what happened. I think the majority of the readers of this text are clearly meant to be against the villains commiting the crime. This is so that later in the film when we are actually introduced to Batman, we can side with him , and it is made more obvious that , that is the intention of the film.

As a British teenager i see this opening sequence as firstly very gripping. It has high action points with also a twist in terms of the plan to kill them off to increase their percentage of the money . Although it still leaves a lot to keep the viewer guessing which is a great technique to keep the viewer interested, by putting them in the position to try and ''work out '' the problem. Despite this it is clear we are meant to side against the criminals and i think they way it is filmed allows us to do that , but still taking an interest in the ''Jokers'' role.

Institutional Context:

Several key actors are used in this film ; Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Micheal Caine, Morgan Freeman. These are very well known actors and would atract film lovers from all of the gour quadrants, emphising the fact it is a tentpole. This was produced by Legendary pictures, and was certainly an Industrial film. This Film went out on Blanket release in order for it to be seen as an ''event'' and increase more people to go. Hopefully also avoiding as much piracy as possible. It also used media synergy and was released on many platforms , such as DVD, Computer games etc. This enabled them to maximise profits on this film.

JCutts - Mood Board

J.Cork - Analyzing An Opening Sequence

I have chosen to analyze the opening of “The Borne Identity” (Greengrass, 2002). It is an example of a thriller film, that is in the same kind of style that we will aspire to achieve, when we are creating our own film opening.

Genre

1. The films belongs to the action/adventure thriller genre.
2. The audience’s expectations for this genre are upheld by the opening sequence because they are immediately subjected to strange occurrences, such as the dead body floating in the water. The dark shots of the sea in the rain are also typical of this genre, as they connote bad things happening, this is an example of pathetic fallacy being used within the film. However the audience would not be wrong to expect an action scene, filled with violence and shooting in the opening sequence. In this way the film’s opening does not conform to the audience’s expectations of the genre.
3. Within the opening sequence of this film, the audience is not actually introduced to any of the main characters. This is done so that suspense can be created, as the audience are wondering who the dead body is, and how what they are seeing will relate to the rest of the film.

Film Language

1. Mise-en-scene is used to convey meaning within the opening sequence in many different ways. One of these is that the shots are very dark. The film opens with an establishing shot of a fishing boat in the middle of the sea. The wether is very stormy and there is think cloud cover making the scene very dark. This makes the audience feel that something bad/dangerous is doing to happen, as it always does when the weather is very bad. Another way that mise-en-scene is used in the opening is to show that the people on the fishing boat are friendly men. When we see them playing cards their body language is friendly and we see that they are having a laugh with one another. This is needed so that when they find the man in the water later on in the scene, we know hat they will treat the man well.
2. Camera techniques are also used to show various things in the opening of this film. One of the things that they are used for is to show the severity of the storm. The camera seems to be using a wide-angle lens so that the audience can see just how big the storm is, and show how rough the seas are. The camera is also positioned under the water when we first see the outline of the body under the water. This shot is framed so that there is lots of water all around the body (its a LS), and this gives the impression that the man is very small in comparison to the sea that he is drifting in. We also get a shot-reaction shot when the man first spots the floating body, and we see that his face is shocked an worried about what he has seen. This again help the audience understand that the men on the fishing boat are friendly, and they are trying to help the man who was floating in the sea.
3. The soundtrack backs up the images that the audience are seeing . At the start of the film when we are seeing the shots of the huge storm, there is a high pitched, but mellow string sound. This is accompanied by the dietetic sound of the wind and waves, and together they make the audience feel like something bad is about to happen. This music picks up with the introduction of a drum beat, this coincides with the man waking up and immediately threatening the man who has just saved his life by taking bullets out of his skin. This helps give the audience an incite into the man who has woken up, as the fast paced music connotes that the man is dangerous, and this backs up the fact that the audience has just seen him with his hands around the doctors neck.
4. There is much to learn about the characters through dialogue and non-verbal language. We get to see that the man is very vulnerable when he first wakes up, as he cannot remember who he is, and when he is talking and shouting at the man you can tell that he is nervous and slightly self conscious, as he doesn't know how to treat the man that was actually helping him. Through dialogue we also learn that the men on the fishing boat are not English, as when they are playing cards they are shouting and joking in a foreign language. The doctor can however also speak very good English, and this suggests that they have been educated. Non-verbal language is also used to show the audience specific character details. An example of this is when the man grabs the doctor who is trying to help him, around the throat. This immediately tells the audience that this man id dangerous, and that he has been trained to fight. Another very significant example of non-verbal language in the opening sequence is when the doctor and the man shake hands as he is getting off of the boat. This shows that the man is not always aggressive and really does appreciate what the doctor did for him. This shows another side to that man, that is not all about violence and confusion.
5. Visual techniques??

Narrative

1. Narrative organized and structured?
2. The audience is positioned as if they were actually on the fishing boat and in the same room as all of the men. A specific example of this is when the doctor is helping the man. During this scene the audience sees what is happening from the p.o.v of the doctor and so we are being positioned with him. This creates a preferred reading within the opening sequence that sides with the doctor rather than the man.
3. There are not many techniques of identification and alienation used in the opening sequence of this film. However one that is used is the fact that we do not see the face of the floating man until the doctor is treating him on the boat, and this acts to alienate him from the audience. Another way that the man is alienated is by the opening undershot that we see of him, floating in the sea. Undershot’s generally connote extreme danger or something sinister, and as this particular undershot is very dark, it helps to alienate the audience from the man even more.

A technique that is used to help the audience identify with the men on the boat is the high angle shot of them all playing cards, and having a laugh with one another. This shows that they are friendly men, and the audience is able to relate to what they are doing.

1. The major theme in the opening narrative is one of mystery. The opening sequence is about finding the man in the water and helping him recover. However this is done in a way that does not allow the audience to know the complete picture, and this is why their is an air of mystery about it.
2. Tension is created by a combination of the soundtrack, and images that connote trouble and danger. This draws the audience in and makes them engage with the plot and characters.

Representation & Ideology

1. The only social group that is portrayed in this opening sequence is that of foreigners. We see these people as they are on the fishing boat that picks the floating man out of the water. The men on the boat are shown to be happy, kind men because we see them laughing and joking with one another, and they also help the floating man. This is done be creating a preferred reading within the text, by using techniques such as full lighting on the men’s faces so that you can see them. Another way to create this preferred reading is to make the actors have very open body language so that they do not look dangerous or suspicious in any way.
2. The only values that are evident in this opening sequence are the ones that the fisherman have to save the man who is floating. It would have been very easy for them to simply ignore the floating body, as it already looked dead, however they didn't do this and it lead to the mans life being saved.
3. ?
4. ?

Media Audiences

1. The target audience for this film is predominantly men between the ages of 15 and 50. This is because the film contains lots of action sequences that would not really appeal to the elderly or man women.
2. The probable audience reading of the text is that the audience feel like the fisherman have done the right thing by helping the floating man. They are also probably shocked by the mans violent reaction when he finally wakes up, however they will soon come to feel sorry for him as they realise that he is very venerable.

The other possible readings for the opening sequence are that the fishermen are doing the wrong thing by helping the floating man, as they do not know who he is. They could also retain their probable initial opinion, of the floating man being violent, because of his actions as soon as he woke up. This would mean that they would not want the man to succeed throughout the rest of the film.

1. As a British teenager, my interpretation of the text is that the fishermen did the right thing by helping the floating man. However I was not that shocked when he awoke and was immediately violent, I think this is because I have become slightly desensitized to violence though the media’s portrayals, and also the fact that I am a 16 year old boy. I did however empathize with the man when it became evident that he was very vulnerable, I think this might be due to my background where I do not come into contact with many venerable people, and so this was quite a hard hitting image for me.

Institutional Context

1. The bankable star that was used in this film was Matt Damon. This would have been important to the production company, because in 2002 Damon had already had several box office hits including ‘Good Will Hunting’ and ‘Saving Private Ryan’. This would have make the production company more confident that the film would do well because Damon is a very good actor, and people know this so they are likely to go and see the film.
2. This film is an industrial film, as it was produced in conjunction with Warner Brothers who are one of the biggest film studio’s in the world.
3. Some of the strategies that were used to market this film we putting the bankable star on the poster along with Matt Damon’s name in large text. This would emphasize the fact that Damon appeared in the film and would draw an audience. Matt Damon also did many press interviews and went on television chat shows, in an attempt to get the film talked about and to ensure that it received enough column inches. Money was also invested in making a website for the film that was user interactive, and that contained film trailers, photos, and behind the scenes interviews.
4. ?

GD Mood Board

J.Cork - Thriller Mood Board

JCutts - Genre Analysis

Q1
Our Chosen genre for our two minute opening is Thriller. This allows us to share a range of ideas as this genre is broken down into a range of other genres. Each has different audience expectations and features we would need to look into if considering using that film genre.

Psychological- This sub genre shows characteristics of crime, drama, mystery and horror all incorporated. It is also one of the hardest to pull off successfully. This will usually include a protagonist or victim and will show their psychological path to solving some sort of mystery. This can be emphasized through horror or gore.

Legal- This is where the main character often has a job inside the law world. For example a Lawyer. They will try to find a way to overcome a ''Bad guy'' by ways such as ; A loop hole in the Action- This is often where the main character will have a weakness of sort description and will have to work with a certain time period in an ''All Or Nothing'' Situation. These can be very effective films if exploited in the correct way.


Crime - This will usually include some sort of organised crime where the ''good guys'' are working outside the law in order to achieve something good .

For our film I think we mostly look into an action/crime with an element of psychological all incorporated. So i choose one film from each category , I felt this would be an effective way to look into idea's and certain expectations of that specific Sub-genre.

Crime- Sherlock Holmes (Ritchie, 2009)

Action- James Bond; Casino Royale (Campbell 2006)

Psychological- The Butterfly Effect (Bress, 2004)
Q2
Sherlock Holmes (Ritchie, 2009): This is based on the classical novel, Sherlock Holmes. It shows a detective working outside the law to solve case and convicts or villain. How he does it remains a mystery until the very end. Clues are given along the way in order for the viewer to guess of how he actually solved the crime. Some are linked to how he done, some are there purely to misguide us. This adds to the intelligence to the plot of the film.

James Bond; Casino Royale (Campbell 2006): This is a typical James Bond film where again he works outside the law for justice with many distractions and weakness’ along the way EG a girl.
The Butterfly Effect (Bress 2004): This film is a psychological thriller, based on a theory. It explores it through different ways and is only revealed towards at the end. Throughout the film it is searching for a loophole and trying to find a way round it, putting you in the POV and through the eyes of the main character.

Q3

Typically a thriller includes some sort of race for something or someone or a ''cat and mouse'' scenario. There is also usually a weakness or distraction along the way to complicate things.

Tension is built up through a use of sound ; this can be high paced drum sounds , could sometimes connote a heartbeat or pulse . Another way is through scenes or high tension use a fast cutting rate which could sometimes allow the viewer trying to take in what every shot is trying to tell them , leading them to wonder the significance. I feel a technique we should use that all successful Thrillers do is let the viewer's imagination do the majority of the work. We can help by giving clues and half answering things that may not be clear at this point in the film, which will give a sense of mystery and hence leading the viewer to try and work out for themselves the problem.

Q4
For an Action we should use normal looking character but believable enough to go through the action scenes...

A villain would typically have some sort of iconic feature, EG a scar or eye patch etc....

Q5

Two most commonly associated locations with a Thriller are;

Urban...

Or, Country/ Woodland area....

Iconography for a crime type thriller could be...

Police Tape.
Dead Body.
Q7
In crime thrillers in the past it was much more obvious or who was the villain and who was the ''good guy''. In more modern thrillers it is a lot more subtle and therefore allows a certain tension and keeps it more believable for the viewer.
In our Film i think the characters should be shown and expressed to the audience through actions, sound and clue's as opposed to simple dress wear.
Q8
Connotations of light and colour are something we have thought about a lot in our film beginning. Less light creates mystery and an instant tension and for that I feel it should be used in our filming. Simple connotations could be for instant red is seen as death or danger; where as a light blue would be seen as quite peaceful with little tension. We had a discussion about using both in different scenes to create a contrast and sense of enigma.
Q9
Here are some fonts I thought we could maybe use for our film opening credits etc...

J.Cork - Genre Analysis

Q1)

The genre that I have chosen to research is thriller. Within the thriller genre there are many other sub-genres that exist. These sub-genres are all slightly different as they focus on specific areas, here are examples of some of the sub-genres that exist within thriller:

1. Action - often against the clock, feature many fight/action scenes, and there is an obvious villain the cause carnage throughout.
2. Spy - the hero is often a government agent who is sent on a mission to track down a villain, and halt their evil plans.
3. Legal - the hero is often a lawyer who must overcome many obstacles to win their case when it previously looked like they had no chance of winning. They usually have to overcome threats on their lives, and face persecution from people who are against what they are doing.
4. Crime - these thrillers offer accounts of successful or unsuccessful crimes, and what the criminals had to do to plan the crime, and the way in which the police attempted to stop them. These types of thrillers normally engage the audience, as the plot often features many twists and turns, requiring the audience to think about what is happening.

I think that we will probably follow the conventions of the crime sub-genre, because it will enable us to create suspense, jeopardy and mystery within our film. Some films that are in this sub-genre that haves styles that I would like to emulate are Taken (Morel, 2008), Se7en (Fincher, 1995), and Reservoir Dogs (Tarantino, 1992).

Q2)

Se7en

he film uses some very interesting techniques that I think we could use when filming our film. On of these is the lack of dialogue throughout the opening scenes. This creates a sense of mystery surrounding the characters, and leaves the pictures and soundtrack to portray feelings to the audience.

Taken

When the man is on the phone to the kidnappers in this film, the technique of fading to black and then fading back to the mans face is used repeatedly during the phone call. There is also a sound bride used so that we can still hear what the man is saying even when it has faded to black. This emphasises the short sentences the man is saying to the kidnappers and helps to show the man’s power and anger. I think that this is an extremely effective technique that we could use when we make our film.

Reservoir Dogs

At the very start of the film there is a sound bridge over the opening credits that leads to the opening conversation. There is also a handy cam shot that circles around a table with six men sitting around it. This is an incredibly effective shot because it allows you to see who is speaking, but at the same time the audience is able to see everyone who is present. The fact that this is a handy-cam shot also means that the audience is able to feel as if they are actually walking around the table. Narration is also used later in the film, and this allows additional details to be given to the audience, without them actually seeing anything happen. I think that we could use narration in our film because if it is used in the correct way I think it could create a feeling of unease and tension at will fit in well with the thriller genre.

Q3)

The typical narrative in a thriller film is that someone is trying to catch someone else for one reason or another. We are doing a crime thriller however and so the typical narrative is that the police are trying to catch a criminal/killer.

Suspense could be created in the opening of a crime thriller by showing little parts of the overall narrative, that offer clues as to what is going to happen later in the film. For example you might see the actually crime happening or just being planned by the killer. This will create suspense and tension, as the audience will be left wondering who the killer is and why they acted how they did. The soundtrack is also very important when creating suspense in such a short amount of time. Eerie noises are often used, as are gun shots and loud/intense drum beats, amongst other things.

Q4)

In crime dramas there are usually two main characters, they are:

The Detective…

And the Criminal…

Q5)

A crime drama is usualy set in one of two places, they are:

An Urban City…

Or in a Woodland Area…

Q6)

The iconography associated with a crime thriller is things like:

Handcuffs…

Guns…

Dead bodies…

Jail cells…

Q7)

There are not specific conventions of costume within crime thrillers. However the stereotypical costume of a detective and criminal are as below:

This is an image of a stereotypical detective who is wearing a trench coat and hat. However in many modern day urban crime thrillers the detective simply wears a suit or normal clothes.

This is a balaclava and it is very iconic of criminal. However, this is hardly ever worn in modern crime thrillers, as the criminal is usually just a normal man, and so he wears normal clothing.

Q8)

A lack of light is often used to create tension and suspense in crime thrillers. This is because it creates silhouettes and the effect of only half seeing a persons face. This effect can be seen below:

The camera can also have colour washes put over the shots during post production. Different colours can be used to connote different things, some examples of this can be seen below:

This is the man's face in black and white. This gives an artistic impression of the man, and makes him look like a normal person.

Red = Danger

The red filter that has been put over this image makes the man look more sinister and evil. This filter is likely to be used in a sinister, horror scene, that is designed to scare the audience.

Blue= Cool/Kind

This blue filter makes the man look kind and almost emotional. This filter is likely to be used in an emotional, sad scene, rather than an action scene.

Q9)

Here are some examples of fonts that would not look out of place in the opening title sequence of a crime thriller:

Thriller Rough Typewriter

Thriller MPOK Hand

Thriller Northwood High

Thriller Frakturika