Preliminary Task

Preliminary Task Planning

For our we are planning on working in a group of four (Frankie, Alex, Vincent and Me), and hopefully finding some more student's who are willing to take part. We should each have a part in the story line, yet not be in every shoot, so that everyone gets a chance to film and act. I would like us to experiment with different camera angles and use of sound to create a convincing story line. We will use the media departments Apple Mac to edit the footage.

The story line of our task if going to be 2 school girls (Frank and I) discussing a local celebrity (Christy) during class. The teacher (Vincent) will interrupt them and tell them to stop chatting. Soon after, there will be a knock on the door, and a school Secretary (Alex) will enter showing a prospective parent (the fore-mentioned celebrity) around the school. The young school girls are excited to see him. One of the girls will then tell the celebrity that she is "His biggest fan", and then she will turn into a fan.   


The Finished Preliminary Task

Audience Study

Introduction
In this blog post I am going to study different theory's on audience. My aim is to discover more about who would be my target audience for my opening sequence, and more about what they commonly desire.

Professor Paul Wells' Research of Thriller Audiences

Professor Wells discovered that the relationship of being frighten changed with age. This ranges for what frights certain age groups, to what they commonly associate with being scared.

55 - 80 year olds like the configuration of night and dark. This is due the fact that it reminds then of walking home at night in their youth. The age group can relate for the feelings of dark night time walks, due to personal experience. Also, reliving these feelings through a film is pleasurable to them due to reminding them of youth memories. For the same reasons they found rats and bats appealing to the social housing conditions that they used to experience. The breakdown of law and order is something that scares then, and it is also a reminder of times when society was more fragile. World War 2 also is something they find particularly frighting, due to real life horror experiences. This age group really enjoy a focus on realistic events, they are a strong lack of interest in the make believe events. E.G. Aliens, Zombies, etc.

40 - 55 year olds enjoy an extremely vivid use of blood, and inventive special effects. They find that being shocked and frighted is more appealing that having a mentally challenging plot. For example Psycho. They do not enjoy heavy unjustified violence, such as in The Exorcist. 

25 - 40 year olds are shown be showing a growing disengagement with the genre as a whole. They dislike the predictability of plots, this is extremely present in thrillers produced in the 1980's. They have noticed a increase in less passive roles for women. This age group encourages films which future what is described as "the women's struggle against the monster".

16 - 25 year olds like dramatic spectacles, such as blood, gore and rotting flesh. The enjoy effects that not only are computer generated, but are hand made, such a make up styles. They have strong desire to know more about the production of a film, so enjoy "the making of" sections of DVD disks. This age group is know to have strong following for certain directors, and stays loyal to them. They fully engage with extra-textual features available to them, such a websites. 

The conclusions that I can draw from this research is that audiences which were exposed to films made between the 1970s and 90s are keen on special effects. Where as audiences exposed to 1920s and 30s films are strongly interested in to images that remind them of real life experiences.

There is evidence to suggest that audiences are becoming harder to scare. This is particularly focused on younger generations. This is due to an increasing knowledge of the artificial production of special effects. This desire to know how the effects are created, eventually leads to disbelief in the techniques used. But as the audiences understanding develops, so does the techniques used.


The Hypodermic theory

Hypodermic is a word that usually refers to drugs, needles and injections. In this context, is kind of does as well. This theory is the idea that idea and messages portrayed in the media, are put into the minds of the viewers unquestioningly. Taking this theory to a more extreme level, some theorists have suggested that the media is addictive, in a similar way to drugs.

This idea gives producers to idea that they have a large amount of power over there audiences. This could perhaps lead them to portray more extreme and personal viewers through there films, etc. However, now a days audiences have such a large choose of channels that they never feel that they have to watch a certain thing. Unlike years ago, when the choice of channels was a lot more limited. This means that the theory is becoming rather out dated.


Cultivation theory

The cultivation theory suggest that the more an audience watches a program, the more likely it is that they will develop the same views expressed in the show. the idea is that they will follow the show like a religion. This could be used effectively to educate audiences about other cultures, etc. However, if negative attitudes towards certain social groups or stereotypes, then it could create a large number of people expressing hate towards this group. For example, if Police are always negatively portrayed then it could create a large vibe of hate towards policemen and policewoman.


Desensitisation theory

This theory consists of the idea that the audience's attitudes to violence can be affect by having been exposed to too much violence on screen when they were younger. Therefor, as more and more violence is portrayed on your television screens, it is becoming harder to scary audiences. For this reason I will have to carefully considered how much violence will be featured in my opening sequence.

Production and Style Study

Introduction

In this post, I am going to analyze the ways that lighting, framing, camera movement and camera angles are used to create dramatic effects in the genre of thriller.


Lighting

Lighting has always been a key part of thrillers through the ages. In particular, lighting can be used to create shadows. Shadows are popular in thrillers due to the air of mystery that they create. This allows the audience to worry about what could be in the darkness, and create ideas in their own heads about the situation. Another style is to use the shadow outline of a new character, as a method of introducing them. This can allow the audience to create a picture in their own head about what the character looks like. In some films, the audience never gets to see the characters face, just the shadow figure of them. This can be used to create an atmosphere of fear. Shadows can make things appear larger than in reality. This can create a sense of threat with is solely made up of imagination. An example of this technique is in Dracula. When Harker meets with Dracula for the first time, a series of human-like shadows fleet across the wall. Yet they are nothing like the movements of the rest of the characters in the scene. This is shown the first 5 seconds of this clip:

Framing

There are many different framing techniques that can be used to great effect in the genre of thriller. One of these is the idea that the biggest threat fills the most space in the frame. Although this can work effectively, it is a very obvious presentation of the "monster".

Another similar style, is to have the threat blocking off the windows or doors for view. This means that they are blocking the audiences escape. A good example of this is in Nosferatu, as Orlok ascent to Mina's bedroom, the audience knows that she is trapped. This heightens the sense of fear.


Camera Movement

Camera movement can to used to give the audience a sense of from who presepctive they are veiwing events from. For example, if the camera is tracking the characters, then the audience understands that they are an outsider on events and watching from a purely narrative pointo fo view.

Films such as The Blair Witch Project and Project X use shaking hand held camera styles, to make the adience feel that they are a character in the plot. This style of camera feels like it has been filmed by a member of the cast. Paired with suddening editing cut or long never ending shoots, you really get the feel that you're in the film.

Camera Angles
Camera angles can be effectively used in thrillers to help create fear. One of these ways is to make the a character appear large, through the use of camera angles. This is done by shooting from a low angle, aiming upwards. It creates an imposing figure which fills the frame well.

Another style is to use close ups, either to capture the victims fear, or the monsters anger. Close ups are most commonly used on the characters face, as face facial are the most effective way of expressing emotions to the viewer. Or less commonly, the close up could be of another part of the body. Perhaps the monsters fist clenching into a ball or the victim's obviously shaking while preforming a task.

Another camera angle style is where the audience gets to experience the events through the eyes of the attacker. In this style, the audience gets to the fully experience of how the victim reacts to the attack. This can sometimes be used to give audience the odd feeling that it is them preforming the violence.

Editing Effects Practice

Editing Effects Practice

I decided to play around with my editing software to discover if some of the idea’s that I've had. These idea were:

Overlaying footage in a disjointed way
Old film effects
Panning and zooming

 

This picture shows me mid editing stage. 

I used Serif MoviePlus X5 to edit this footage. The footage was all random all videos that I have filmed in the past.

Here my editing ideas footage:

Reviewing the footage
For each editing effect that I applied to the footage, I created a separate YouTube video reviewing how I felt that it went.  

Overlaying two pieces of footage:

Overlaying four pieces of footage:

Old film effects:

Pan and Zoom:

Mental Illness Research and Planning

Mental illness research and planning

 

Mental illness?	Explanation?	How would it be featured?	Focus group rating?
Obsessive-compulsive disorder	People use repetitive actions to reduce their anxieties.	Obsessively positioning objects and keeping locks on doors.	2nd
Caffeine related disorder	I addiction where a person feels they cannot cope with out coffee.	Shoots of piles of used coffee cups and coffee beans scattered everywhere.	5th
Alzheimer’s	Severe memory loss and behavioral changes.	Forgetting to turn off gas hobs, lights, etc.	3rd
Schizophrenia	Delusions and hearing voices, often letting the voices control there lives.	Disembodied voices.	4th
Night terror	Shouting, shaking and fighting while still asleep.	Dark night time bedroom scenes, vulnerable.	1st

How would I include the mental disorders in my opening sequence

To include obsessive compulsive disorder in my opening sequence I have a few ideas. Here they are:

Stacking coins into piles – this could be speed up to give a rushed and fast moving sense to the opening sequence
Constantly writing lists
Nail biting
Constantly rearranging objects 

For Caffeine related disorder I imagined loads of used coffee cups piling and over flowing onto a sink, it a very messy disorganized style. I would do some tracking shoots of the mugs and a close up shoot of the inside of a coffee cup (perhaps with mold growing on it – to give a sense of time). 

To include Alzheimer’s in my opening sequence I could have seen of forgetting to turn off gas hobs, lights, etc.

Schizophrenia could be featured in the form of writing, I would like to disjoint the footage of someone writing and overlay then over the top of each other. The best way to involve Schizophrenia would be through use of special effects and edits, this would allow me to create a subtle hint of mental illness. Without being cheesy and predictable. I could also use sound effects of disembodied voices.

Night Terror could be featured through dark night time bedroom scenes, vulnerable styled mise-en-scene. I could use this mise-en-scene to create dramatic tension. 

Focus Group

Focus group planning

For my focus group I am planning on using boys and girls what are 16 – 18, as this age group makes up some of my target audience. I would like to use my focus group to fine out more about what my target audience enjoys about psychological thrillers.

As I am not a very strong public speaker, I am going to use a power point presentation to help me. This presentation with include bullet points about my pitch and each question. This will also help keep my focus group on track. Here are my power point slides:

Focus group

The footage of my focus group can be viewed here:

Focus group results

I completed my plan to do a focus group on Friday the 19^th of October. For my focus group I used 3 year 11 boys, and 3 year 11 girls. I choose 3 of each gender as I felt that this gave a nicely mixed selection of views, and there would be no bias towards either gender or how they are represented. Half way through the focus group 2 upper sixth boys also joined.

I also created a short survey for my focus group to complete. I this survey I asked them to rate mental illness on the scale of 1 to 10, 10 being extremely interested, and 1 being extremely uninterested. I also explained each disorder to my group.

Here are my results for the survey:

It is clear that the ones my focus group is mostly interested in are night terror and OCD.

Answers to my focus group questions

Favourite psychological thriller/thriller?

§  Paranormal activity – due to handheld camera effects

§  Final destination – due to plot involving lots of little stories within the main plot

Key components’ of psychological thriller?

§  Mentally challenging plots

§  Enigmas and problems to solve

§  Unexpected endings

§  Highly level of suspense, so therefore gripping.  

Views on the concept of making normal task appear dramatic through the use of sound?

My focus group felt that stereotypical sound effects are scene as expected and therefore uninteresting. They empathised a greater interest in use of special effects. 

Ideas of sound effects?

§  Creaking noises

§  Things that make you jump and loud noises, which break the suspense

§  Disembodied voices, due to the enigmas created

What colours do you think are suited to a psychological thriller?

§  Black and white

§  Red, due to connotations with blood and death

§  Sepia

§  Enhanced colours

§  Lack of details, to increase suspense and allow audience to think about enigmas

   

Would you prefer a male or female main character?

The majority of my focus group voted female. This is due to the females being able to display more emotions. Females are also stereotypically represented as vulnerable so when they come across as power or strong it is unexpected. My focus group also believed that women have the potential to “look my freaky”. This could be created through mise-en-scene, costume and styling. 

Study of other opening sequences

Study of other opening sequences

The first opening sequence that I have used to gather inspiration is “Se7en”. I practically enjoyed this opening sequence as is very subtly sets the scene that a mental illness is present, with out the use of obvious statements. A shot where I feel this is done extremely well is a scene where main character is holding a pen and writing. The shoot has been edited so that there is a slightly out of time second hand also writing. This gives the effect of disjoined thoughts, linking to mental illness. I would like to try to recreate a similar effect in my opening sequence.

  

Se7en also managed to makes everyday tasks, such as writing a letter or cutting a photography to size seem dramatic and tense. I thin that this is created through the sound effects and the mise-en-scene. The way that scenes are framed in this opening sequence is also interesting. There are many close up shoots of objects or writing where a large section of the shoot has been hide from the viewer. This causes the audience to have to imagine what should fill this spaces. This is an interesting and effective device for creating suspense and is used in scenes such as the one below:

Another effect which I like is featured in “In Diesem Moment”. This effect is use of close up shoots of the main characters facial features in the opening sequence, such as there eye or mouth. This can tell the audience how the character is feeling, and gives them little enigmas of who the character is.

In Diesem moment, also include over the shoulder-style shoots. These feature parts of the characters body in the corner of the shoot and the rest is setting the scene and location. I feel that these are essential to an opening sequence as the audience needs an idea of where the films is going to take place. Therefore, the mise-en-scene in the shoot is important to setting the scene in the opening sequence.  

In the opening for “A Clockwork Orange”, an interesting effect is if used to set the scene. Setting the scene for a movie is commonly done through the use of long panoramic shoots. But in “A Clockwork Orange” to camera starts with a close up shot of a character, and then zooms out throughout the sequence. As the characters do not move, but the audiences very point does, it gives the characters a sense of power over the audience. A zoom technically isn’t movement of the camera, it is change in the local length. As the camera very slow zooms out of the shoot, it reveals more and more detail about the location and mise-en-scene to the viewers.

This opening sequence can be viewed here:

Initial Ideas

Initial ideas for character

Only one character will be featured in my opening sequence, this will be a main character. Their gender will be determined by my focus group. They will be aged 30-40. This character will be very eccentric and will suffer from multiple mental illnesses and disorders, these will also be determined by the focus group. During my opening sequence I would like to keep the details of the characters appearance a mystery, giving slight clues to create enigma’s.

Initial Location possibilities

The setting with be in England, and the time will be present day. I am planning on using my house to film at. These are a few ideas I have on places that I could film:

I can see this rocking chair location working well in my opening sequence. I think that close up shoots of the bottom of the rocking chair moving with someone’s feet dangling from it would work well. There could also be counting noises. This would hint at OCD mental illness and would create an enigma.

I also have this old fashioned writing desk, complete with feather pens. Including an object like this would show the eccentric qualities of my character. Due to the fact that writing desks and feather pens are no longer used. I worry that this could confuse the audience on which era it is set in.

This desk would be perfect for filming some of the writing scenes. The main character would be sat at the chair.

If I decide to involve the mental illness of “night terror”, I will need a bed scene. For this I have two choices. Depending on the gender of the main character will determine my decision on this. I feel that purple is more stereotypical of females.

   
I would also like to create small sets, using antiques, etc. This will allow me to experiment with creating manic disorderly and eccentric scenes for the character to interact with.

Initial Plot

My current plans are to not reveal to much about the plot in the opening sequence. I would like to instead, but bring forward the ideas of mental health issues. This would allow me to bring the main focus of the plot straight to the psychological aspects. To bring the thriller idea forward, I would like to give the sequence an mysterious air. This sound be done through use of editing  sound effects, lighting and mise-en-scene. The lighting would be highlighting certain area, but leaving the rest to fall into shadow. This effect creates enigma's in the audiences head, but allows them to create the rest of the image for them selves. I would like to use editing to overlay scenes so that that play disjointedly over each other. Sound effects will mostly be non-diegetic, maybe include of screen voices etc. 

Introduction + What is a psychological thriller?

Introduction

The task that I have been set is to create an opening sequence for a film. I have chosen the genre of psychological thriller. I chose psychological thriller as I felt it has a wide audience appeal, which ranges over both genders and a large number of age groups. I also think that psychological thriller will give me the opportunity to break and challenge many stereotypes which are commonly used in this genre. I would like to attempt to push the boundaries of enigmas’ and experiment with representation of mental illness.

What is psychological thriller?

Psychological thriller is a sub-genre of thriller, it includes a heave focus on the unstable emotional states of the characters. It also combines mystery and thriller into the plot.

The reason that I choose psychological thriller over psychological horror is due to the deeper story lines of thriller. I feel that thriller’s deeper meaning and higher levels of suspense allow the psychological aspects to be explored on a deeper level, when compared to the more comical horror genre. Horror is commonly more comical and includes less enigmas’. Thrillers are aimed at a more educated audience, due to the deeper plots and story lines. 

Psychological thrillers use a lot of enigmas to create a high level of suspense. These enigmas are often used to create very complex plots. The more popular films in this genre often challenging the stereotypes that people have regarding mental health patients.

Due to the mental health aspects the genre is aimed the age bracket of audience that can understand the problems and issues featured. I think that this would be aged 16 and above. I think that it is a genre that is enjoyed at any 16+ age, due to the more challenging story lines  The genre is aimed at both genders, although so films tend to lean towards a gender. For example “Fatal Attraction” is more aimed at females due to the romantic aspects or the plot. Whereas  “Shutter Island” would appeal more to males due to the fight scenes.