Thriller opening final

Here is my final finished product. I am happy with how it has turned out and enjoyed most of the time I spent working on it alone and with my friends filming.

Thriller Evaluation Question 7

A link to my Question 7
http://prezi.com/lwrfqj2eop_6/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Thriller Evaluation Question 6

Thriller Evaluation Questions 4 & 5

Thriller Evaluation Question 3

Here is a link to an Evernote which I produced in response to Question 3.

https://www.evernote.com/shard/s599/sh/15640b43-d759-4e68-887c-f3477d9b7ee6/2485e877ada33b9f6eaeff5052bf4ce5

Thriller Evaluation Question 2 Additional information

The actors in my film represent different ethnic backgrounds. The Boy is white British and the girl is Black British. They are represented as equals both of the same status as they are walking together they are most likely in a relationship or very close friends. This eliminated stereotypes and shows that ethnicity doesn't matter to the teenagers in my film.
My thriller opening represents young people especially children as very vulnerable. The victim in the film is a young girl. The audience would assume that the Kidnapper was a man due to audience expectations and the specific genre.

Thriller Evaluation Question 2

Thriller Evaluation Question 1

Location Planning

Location

For the location of my Thriller opening I wanted it to be rural in the countryside possibly the moors near Baslow or somewhere high up like Curbar Edge with a nice view of Derbyshire where it has a very sinister remote feel miles away from the nearest police station, phones any possible help that there might be in more urban areas. To get there we will need to drive which I can use to my advantage to show how small and winding the roads are close to my filming location to add to the mysterious feel even more. I think ill aim to start my thriller opening in the car to create a very bleak atmosphere by possibly blurring the colour.

It is always very windy at Curbar Edge because of the altitude and how open it is. This could work in my favour in my piece as I'm unsure as to weather there will be any dialogue so I could potentially use the sound of the wind in my opening however I would have to edit it and turn the volume down a lot or possibly mute the sound of the wind completely depending on how effective I believe it can be. There is a public footpath running along the top of the rocks leading from the car park which will mean I don't have to worry about trespassing or anything like that as long as me and my actors stay around the footpath.

I believe that my chosen filming location will be ideal for my opening and the look and feel that I am aiming to achieve. It is nearly always misty around Curbar Edge especially at this time of year because of the altitude and the weather. Curbar Edge can become a busy place sometimes with dog walkers and climbers but it shouldn't be too busy at this time of year especially during the day.

Thriller opening Mise En Scene

I thought it would be effective if I made a missing poster for my thriller opening. Because there is no dialogue then it would be difficult to clearly show the audience what is taking place in my film. I've decided to pin the poster up on to a tree at my desired location, this will greatly improve the Mise En Scene in my opening and it will make it clear to the audience what the storyline is about as well as giving the audience an unsettling insight into what is going to take place, making them feel uncomfortable. To avoid any possible implications I have used one of my sisters old school photos after making sure it was alright to do so.

Seven

Opening sequence: Seven

Camera angles and shots

When the two detectives were first walking down the busy street in the city the camera is always below the two detectives looking up at them as they walk. This is effective as it shows them in a position of power as they walk.  Rather than being diminished by the imposing buildings surrounding them in the city street

As the detectives  are walking they are being followed with a tracking shot. This shot is deployed to show how busy they are and shows how far they are walking and keeps up with them amongst the hustle and bustle of the city.

Target audience

Target audience:

I hope to attract a specific audience for my thriller opening and need to target and reach out to that age range in particular but if my film is to be a commercial success I need to be mindful that my work appeals to the broadest possible age range. I am working on my own and I decided to research the different groups of people that I felt would be most drawn to the plan of my thriller film. Initially I considered that I should aim for an audience slightly younger than my age, however I also recognized the need for broader appeal. As a certificate I think I should give my thriller an age rating of 15, this would widen the scope in terms of plot build up and enables me to  develop more mature ideas than would be possible in a film restricted to a 12 rated thriller -  without the thriller being too explicit or inappropriate. My thriller target audience is late teens and adults as this target audience would have the life experience and empathy to relate to my central concept the realization that a child is missing the fear and concern as to what could have happened to her and the slow release of a series of grizzly clues which build up the suspense.

The thriller targets ordinary people who are quite comfortable in their lives, possibly verging on complacency to the extent  they are cushioned from reality and the majority assume nothing bad can happen to them directly. However I feel that the possibility of a child going missing is a universal fear for parents ( Madeline McCann being a case in point) and is a situation that would render most people in the audience very uncomfortable and uneasy because in reality it could actually happen to anyone thus making it a very scary concept, with lots of potential to build on and develop suspense as to what could have happened to the child.

 For the reasons outlined my film would not be accessible for people under 15. If the thriller was rated at an 18 it would cut off a lot of potential audiences. In my opinion younger audiences around the age of 15 would be made very uncomfortable by the story line about a child being abducted because they are still around the age where a kidnapping could happen to them, resulting in heightened awareness of the traumatic situation .

Logo

This is my company logo which I designed.

Textual analysis: Seven

Age Ratings

Age Ratings

U

The letter U in the U symbol simply stands for 'universal'. A Universal film is suitable for any audience aged four and over. U rated films usually contain no violence or horror as they are aimed at young audiences and therefore need to be suitable for children of all ages who don't need to be exposed to threat.

PG

The letters PG in the PG symbol stand for 'Parental Guidance'. A Parental Guidance film is for general viewing and is mainly suitable for children aged around 8 years or older however it is up to parents what they want their children to watch. The parents of the child can consider whether the content is likely to upset their child.

12A

12A rated films are not generally suitable for children under the age of 12 , but they are allowed to see the film if accompanied by a responsible adult. The 12 rating is put in place for retailers because it is simpler that only people above the age of 12 can purchase the film. My film is not going to be this rating as I the suggested threat in the opening sequence sets way for potentially quite a dark thriller around the concepts of abduction which young people should not be exposed to with or without an adult. The complex plot is also aimed at an older audience.

15

No-one under 15 is allowed to go and see a 15 rated film at the cinema or buy/rent a 15 rated video. 15 rated works are therefore  not suitable for children under 15 years of age because of the content. My film will be rated at a 15 as there is a complex storyline that people under this age may not understand as well as violence and threat which may disturb younger audiences.

18

Films rated at 18 are for adults. No-one under 18 should be allowed to see an 18 film at the cinema or buy / rent an 18 rated video. No 18 rated works are suitable for children.

This information will provide an insight into the sort of features and content we can include in our own thriller openings and what aspects and parts of our thriller openings will be suitable for which age group and allow us to determine the age group at which our thriller film will be aimed at and suitable for.

Planning

I have made arrangements with my friends who are going to be the actors in my thriller opening to go out on Saturday morning and have a look at possible locations for my filming. I will be taking pictures of them for my character profiles so that I can begin planning costumes and props.

Thriller Opening Storyline

For my thriller opening I will be using two of my friends as actors a male and a female whom I have already asked permission to avoid any confusion at a later date. The setting that I have chosen is high up in the Peak District which I believe will be perfect to fit with the feel and look of my thriller opening.


The story line for my opening will begin with both my actors in the front of the car driving down a country road. This is where I want the opening title sequence to begin.


Once the drive is complete I will film both my actors getting out the car in a very rural car park. They will start their walk and on the way they will walk past a tree which has a missing poster with a young girl on it pinned to the tree. This is a very significant part of my thriller opening as it gives the audience their first real taste of the suspense and danger to come.


The two characters will walk down a long narrow path where I will use a number of different shots. Once at the end of this long pathway the man and woman notice something  discarded on the ground near a picnic bench. The thing they have seen is a child's glove and it is covered in blood. Obviously this is going to alarm the two walkers and hopefully the audience too.


Once this is discovered the two people decide to make themselves scarce and call the police. My thriller opening will end with the man putting his arm round the woman and them walking off into the distance with the name of the film 'The Missing' filling the screen.

Characteristics of a thriller

Characteristics of a thriller A thriller movie has many lots of different characteristics, like: mystery storylines that are distinguished by their plot, the standard plot elements including a sense of jeopardy and violence, but they also often take place wholly or partly in exotic or dramatic settings. There are a variety of different types of thrillers including: political thrillers, spy thrillers, military thrillers, conspiracy thrillers and many others. These types of thrillers work because there is always something suspenseful that can happen and there are many possibilities for the storylines in these types of thrillers.

AS Preliminary Evaluation

Barthes Narrative Code

Barthes' narrative code

Action code
 This is used to indicate which is the next logical step. It advances the narrative and gives the audience an insight of what is about to happen next, for example the buckling of a gun belt in a western film signifies the start of a gun fight.
Our group used action code in our preliminary task. At the start of our video one of the characters was being chased through the woods by a cloaked figure. As he is being chased through the woods the camera keeps blurring and cutting out. This is used effectively as it shows that the character is in danger. Action code is a good thing to use here as it shows the danger without revealing too much about the cloaked character chasing the other character through the woods, this increases suspense and allows the audience to use their imaginations.

Mystery Code or Enigma Code
This code is used to explain the narrative by controlling what and how much information is given to the audience. It grabs the audience's interest and attention by setting up an enigma or problem that is resolved during the course of the narrative, e.g. someone's murderous hand in the opening sequence - who does it belong to? In our preliminary task when the character is being chased through the woods the audience have no idea why he is being chased. I think we used this effectively as is causes suspense with the audience and creates a sense of mystery.

The Semic Code
This code is all about signs and meanings in a text that tell us about its narrative and characters e.g. in a horror film, the supernatural would be signified by the fear of light or garlic to signify an evil monster like a vampire or zombie.

The Cultural Code
This code is used in order for the narrative to make sense to a culturally and socially aware audience. It makes reference to elements from the real world that the audience will recognise e.g. Aston Martins in James Bond films. We didn't manage to use the cultural code in our preliminary piece but it would have probably been better if we did.

Code of Oppositions
This code refers to a narrative that relies on binary opposites e.g. black v white, hot v cold etc. The cloaked figure in our preliminary piece was wearing black and you couldn't see their face. Whereas Sam was wearing some lighter colours.