Preliminary task

our first attempt

Our final media product

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

I feel I have learnt a great deal since my preliminary task compared to my new completed product.  My camera angles improved a great deal since the shooting of my preliminary task. For example my camera angles in my original task were extremely shoddy, with no imaginations what so ever. They were continually shaky and did not change to different shots quick, so the audience would enjoy the movie. However compared to my new video where the camera angle were of a great quality as they went from shot to shot, using a mixture of close ups, mid-shots, pans and long shots. These helped to hook the audience and also shots were a bit shaky, however it was a small quantity. The lighting within my preliminary task was the greatest worry we had when filming our new video, as the lighting was of extreme poor quality and came as a great disadvantage to our original film, as the audience were unable to see characters clearly. However we used the editing on I movie and used natural light within our new media product and the lighting was of good quality to match the genre of the movie. The soundtrack throughout my preliminary task was uninventive and did not match the movie at all, on the other hand within our new media product we were able to pick a soundtrack and edit the music on garage to match our video perfectly. More so the editing used throughout my preliminary task was of poor quality, the titles were of poor quality and the transitions used did not match the complete video. However my new media product had inventive title and also the transitions used match the whole of the movie and helped a great deal to flow the video.      

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

Through the process of constructing my work I have learnt many new things about technology. I have learnt how to use a Sony video camera, as I have learnt how to film, take pictures, freeze a shot and delete unwanted work. We also re-shot the video so we were able to improve the quality as the original lighting was too dark. Also from the process of constructing this product I learnt how to use everything on the Mac books, which helped me to edit my whole piece of work. For instance I learnt how to use Garage band, where I was able to complete edit the soundtrack of my video. I used it to edit the non-diegetic piece of music, which is played throughout, as towards the end I wanted the music to fade out more, so through the use of garage band I was able to do this.  I then learnt how to use I Movie a great deal to improve my movie. For example I used transition between the clips so the whole video would flow a whole lot easier. I also used fade out at the end of my video so I was able to only leave the word red on the screen which was the main emphasis of the whole movie. I was also able to edit each individual clip so that it matched my expectations. For instance as the movie was a psychological thriller I wanted there to be a darker lighting of the whole video so through the use of clip adjustments I was able to darker the lighting to add a better atmosphere. More so I was able to speed up certain clips which were to long and did not stay within the time limit which was provided. We also clipped certain clips down so it would flow on a better scale, and also we learnt how to use titles on our video to display characters name and members of my group. 

How did you attract/ address your audience?

The main method we used to attract the audience was through the use of curiosity. For instance within the two minutes clip the is only a slight hint of the murders taking place, and from watching the audience will want to know more, like why he doing it?, what he will do next?, His social background and what will happen to him next?. These are all questions the audience will be asking themselves on watching the movie and hopefully continue to watch because of this.

Confusing the audience would help a great deal into attracting the audience to continue to watch. For instance the start begins completely different to any traditional thriller movie. For example in a traditional thriller movie there may be the victim on screen first usually women, but with my opening there is the perpetrator on the screen first, this would make the audience want to continue watching. More so the audience may now sympathise with the killer, and actually begin to like the killer. This would have an effect on the audience so they will keep watching; we formed this idea from one hour photo where the audience feel a lot of sympathy towards the character.

The editing of our movie would also have an effect on whether or not the audience would continue to watch. We used non-diegetic sound to attract the audience as it added to the creepy atmosphere and created suspense, also the lighting was darkened even more which also added suspense.  Both of these attract the audience to continue to enjoy the movie.

The characters obsessive personality would also attract the audience to continue watching the film as they would form a likeness towards the character. Furthermore the violence he commits to himself and also to the women attracts many men to continue watching the film. Furthermore as the character is isolated through the start of the movie and people who are lost or alone can identify with this character, this is another aspect that people will continue to watch the movie. 

Who would be the audience for your Media Product?

From the research I conducted I discovered that the perfect audience that I would aim my film at would be 18-40. The reason I chose 18 plus is because teenagers enjoy watching a lot of action and focusing a lot on what’s happening rather than the storyline. With the audience being 18 plus they will have a wider understanding of the film. More so the content of the film would be unsuitable for and audience under 18 for the reasons of graphic/disturbing pictures and the physical violence that may occur later on within the film. I have used a broad age range which could be a massive gamble however through the complexity of the film it appeals to a more mature audience. Furthermore, the film would also appeal more to academic people, which would mainly aim at economically well of people and the middle classes, as they would understand the film a whole lot better, and also enjoy the movie a whole lot more. I would not specify in to which gender I would aim this movie at, however through my research I would personally feel that male character would more likely watch the movie rather than women. The reasons being are that the social group which is constant through the film is masculinity which may be of putting for women, but also through the graphic images. 

What kind of Media Institutions might distribute your media product and why?

The media institution that I personally feel would be perfect to distribute our product would be Cipher films and Limelight. The reasons for my choice of institution are these companies have developed independent movies like kidulthood and adulthood.  As these movies were successful in British cinema, it also enhances my choice for these companies. More so these type of movies would be either played on Film Four or BBC films, this would help my movie to become more popular as people may enjoy the movie from the comfort of their own home with no costs required. The distribution companies, which are also involved with these companies was another reasons for my choice of media institution. For instance Pathé pictures and Pathé distribution as these company have distributed many films, also some successful one’s for instance kidulthood, slumdog millionaire and the duchess. From research, especially slumdog millionaire was extremely successful, with no bad reviews and respected by many. These were another reason for my choice of media institution. 

How does your Media Product represent particular Social groups?

Our media product represented four social groups in particular these were men, killers/psychopaths, youth and people in isolation. We used a very complex view on masculinity, for instance through the obsession for women, and red emphasise how our character asserts himself through his masculinity. Furthermore, the camera shot we use at the end of our media video ends with the character physically harming himself, as if he is preparing himself, the shot also enhanced the characters physical strength. More so, although the victims are not shown within the first two minutes they are portrayed as feeble which also represents the characters strength and masculinity.

We portrayed killers and psychopaths through the characters actions, which occur through out. As watching the video it is shown that the character has mixed emotions going from happy and smug from the pictures of his victims and the anger he feels from finding an old picture, this clearly shows how our character has mental health problems. The obsession and the pleasure the character takes in what he is committing also clearly represents his mental state. The clothing we used on the character was very basic and simple, this was used to show that our character has no main focus on the clothing he wears, mainly focuses on his victims. The props we used throughout the whole of the video also highlighted the character’s mental state. The notice board was used to display all of the victims, dates, times etc. These clearly show that he plans his murders, and enjoys them, showing his mental state. The laptop was used in a voyeuristic way, showing how he takes enjoyment in looking at the images of his victims. Furthermore, this also highlights the youth in the character as he is modern and up to date. The folder we used in our video had weird, sadistic scribbles which also show the characters mental health, as he is disturbed.

Groups of society kept in isolation as another social group we portrayed in our media video, for instance the whole of our video was filmed in one setting, in one room. And through out the whole of the video the character never leaves the room at any point, even when the camera exits the room and the door begins to close the character is still within the room, so we portrayed isolation throughout the whole of our video. 

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

My media product uses existing conventions throughout the whole clip. We kept to the traditional use of Camera angles for example close-ups, pan, mid shot and long shot throughout the whole of our clip and used it for our advantage. For example; the use of a close-up to show the killer looking at images of his victims on the laptop. We used this because it would show the amount of detail required to show the audience the detailed information to show he is a psychopath. Our group used titles, which are to be seen in many media products and also the use of transitions. We also used the use of sound to add effect to our 2 minute film opening, as we used a non-diegetic soundtrack to add effect but also used diegetic sound to give a mixed effect. The soundtrack was found on Youtube and it was ‘creepy music’ which was relatively easy to find. We searched through a few to make sure it fitted the tone of our introduction. We also kept to the traditional conventions of a psychological thriller with the use of our lighting. For instance we kept it a very dark setting and put a massive emphasis on the colour red. We also kept to how a typical psychopath would have an obsession, and we were influenced by the movie One Hour Photo, as in this film the main character, Sid, has an obsession with a family who collect their photos from him.

However, our media video did challenge traditional forms and conventions in media products. As in many thrillers, the murderer/psychopath would not be seen for a larger majority of the film, so the audience would empathise with the victim rather than the killer. We had changed this slightly as we put the killer on screen first so the audience may empathise and also sympathise for this killer, also in the 2 minutes we see no victim’s, only quick hints at the victims. We chose to do this as it would be different and may have a greater effect on the audience. Also, the imagery of the killer and the victims would thrill the audience in a different way, as it’s unexplained why he is killing these women and how he is caught up in this obsession.

Films

From the research that was made into these films it was evident that they were very successful in cinema. So from this fact, it helped us more on what to decide our genre would be. As its shown that people seem to enjoy a great deal films that are thrillers. 

Red Road in depth research

Red Road is a 2006 British film directed by Andrea Arnold. It tells the story of a CCTV security operator who observes through her monitors a man from her past. It is named after, and partly set at, the Red Road flats in Barmulloch, Glasgow, Scotland which were the tallest residential buildings in Europe at the time they were built. It is shot largely in a Dogme 95 style, using handheld cameras and natural light.

Red Road is the first film in Advance Party, a projected trilogy following a set of rules dictating how the films will be written and directed. They will all be filmed and set in Scotland, using the same characters and cast. Each film will be made by a different first-time director.The Observer polled several filmmakers and film critics who voted it as one of the best British films in the last 25 years.

Jackie Morrison works as a CCTV operator for Glasgow City Council. She watches over a small part of the world and takes her duties to protect people seriously. In the film, she is presented as a person who observes parts of Glasgow through the CCTV lenses, but rarely participates in this world. She lives somewhat of an isolated existence.

One day a man appears in her monitors, a man she thought she would never see again. Now that the opportunity presents itself, she is compelled to confront him. She becomes obsessed with following this man, both in real life and on the CCTV. Jackie attends a party at the man's flat on Red Road with a view to finding out more about him. The tension builds as it is not revealed immediately in the film as to why she is so obsessed with the man. The audience receives very little information as to why Jackie chooses to pursue this person with such determination, focus and resilience. At the end of the film the shocking truth is revealed.

One Hour Photo in depth research

One Hour Photo is a 2002 American psychological thriller written and directed by Mark Romanek and starring Robin Williams. Fox Searchlight Pictures distributed the film in the United States. One Hour Photo also starred Connie Nielsen, Michael Vartan, Gary Cole, and Eriq La Salle. Williams won a Saturn Award for Best Actor (2003) for his work in the film. The film was critically acclaimed and earned an 81% rating at Rotten Tomatoes.

Seven In depth research

Seven is a 1995 American thriller film, with horror and neo-noir elements, written by Andrew Kevin Walker, directed by David Fincher, and distributed by New Line Cinema. It stars Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, R. Lee Ermey and Kevin Spacey.

David Mills (Pitt) and William Somerset (Freeman) are police homicide detectives working in a crime-ridden big city. The newly-transferred Mills and the about-to-retire Somerset become deeply involved in the case of a sadistic serial killer. Each meticulously-planned murder corresponds to one of the seven deadly sins of Catholicism: gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, pride, lust, and envy.

The film was released in the United States on September 22, 1995. Grossing $327 million at the box office internationally, Seven was a commercial success, and received very positive reviews from most critics.

Upload to You Tube

These are print screens of how we attempted to upload our video to you tube, however from the pictures it is evident that we encountered a problem. On attempting to upload our video a small box came up saying 'communication error. We did solve this problem however by burning our video on to a CD this helped as it became a lot more easier to upload to You Tube. 

Voiceover

On our original plans for our filming we decided that we would have a voice over to add suspense and also get the audience interested in what is occurring in our film. However when completing all the other elements of the film, for instance the piece of music and the titles we decided that the voice over would be unnecessary, as we thought it may spoil the sound effects, and change the whole effect the opening was already giving and we didn't want that. So we decided to remove the voiceover and keep to what we already had.

Garage band

From research we found a piece of music which was extremely suitable for our Media video, however the length and the way it cut of was incorrect. So through the use of Garage Band we were able to make our music shorter. Also we were able to have our piece of music fade out which also added to the effect of the fade out to black.

This is a print screen or our editing stages of our 2 minute film opening. We were very successful in using iMovie as we were able to include all the titles of our film, and all the cast, more so our production company. We found the best music to overlap the whole video which really created a great atmosphere. During our editing we used the fade out a great deal to make the video flow better. When our titles of our film came up at the end as the main emphasis of the film is women in red we put the word red in the colour red and with the fade our we were able to make it apparent that red was the only word left which added a great effect to our film opening.

These were all our props used throughout our Media filming. Our cork board was used to display all the victims of our character and highlight how this is not the first time he has done such a crime. Also by using this board it added a much more creepy effect to the whole video, as it displays how he has stalked them, for long periods of time. We used the laptop as a great advantage as we used it to show folders of previous victims and within each folder how there is a disturbing image of a diseased women. We got the picture of google and did a great deal of research to find the picture which best suited our video. We also used the folder to show he has some sort of obsession with women, especially red. The belt was his weapon of choice, of physically abusing himself, this was used to show there is a mental instability within the character, this then emphasises how the film is a phycological thriller. We used make up and pen to create the whip and slash marks on the characters back and on camera had a great effect and looked completely realistic. 

Location

We needed to decided on a location for our video filming, so we decided to use my bedroom as it was the most efficient choice to do our filming, for all of my group to get too. More so it had the best natural light out of all the other locations, and was most easy to add the effect to out filming.

Casting

On filming our media video we saw that on filming the room alone it was already over the time limit provided so, we decided to not include Charlotte in the video, and used the main focus on the room alone. We thought it would be more efficient to film in the room alone, also add a more creepy effect. So overall the only character that will be present through the whole video is me. 

We used the website dafont.com to research many different forms of lettering to go onto our media video. W tried to find the exact font that matched the tone of the ilm the more creepy the writing, we thought the more creepy the film is. We mainly wanted the word Lady in fancy writing and the other letters in block letters. 

These images are of the second storyboards that we have created. We made certain changes on some of the camera angles. We are sticking to the same sort of style in the opening titles, so we are keeping them in the same postion and we are also keeping them on screen for the same duration of time. The main changes that we have made to the plan of our two minute film opening is the idea that the male character begins to smell some red clothing to create a scary effect. Also at the end of the filming we have decided to use the same shot that we used at the start as this will add a unique effect and also makes the video flow. We also have chosen to have an unusual ending shot of the male character with his back all beaten and bruised, we will create this scarred effect using makeup and red pen. The male character will be holding a belt and he will snap the belt twice and the door will begin to close, we shall then hear cries of pain. We have also decided to add the name of the film on the door as it closes, so that it is the last thing that the viewer will see.

In depth research on psychological thriller

Psychological thriller is a specific sub-genre of the broad ranged thriller with heavy focus on characters. However, it often incorporates elements from the mystery and drama genre, along with the typical traits of the thriller genre. In addition to drama and mystery, many psychological thrillers contain elements of, and often overlap with, the horror genre, particularly psychological horror. Psychological – Elements that are related to the mind or processes of the mind; they are mental rather than physical in nature. Sometimes the suspense comes from within one solitary character where characters must resolve conflicts with their own minds. Usually, this conflict is an effort to understand something that has happened to them. These conflicts are made more vivid with physical expressions of the conflict in the means of either physical manifestations, or physical torsions of the characters at play.Thriller – Generally, thrillers focus on plot over character, and thus emphasize intense, physical action over the character's psyche. Psychological thrillers tend to reverse this formula to a certain degree, emphasizing the characters just as much, if not more so, than the plot.Psychological thriller – Characters are no longer reliant on physical strength to overcome their brutish enemies (which is often the case in typical action-thrillers), but rather are reliant on their mental resources, whether it be by battling wits with a formidable opponent or by battling for equilibrium in the character's own mind. The suspense created by psychological thrillers often comes from two or more characters preying upon one another's minds, either by playing deceptive games with the other or by merely trying to demolish the other's mental state

First story board

This is our first storyboard of our film opening idea, we have mapped out how our film will start, and how it will progress.

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In this we included the plot/outline and summary, mise en scene,locations, settings,props and lighting. We are going to take all of these aspects into consideration when filming our 2 minute opening.

Age Rating

When we first came up with the idea for our film opening we decided on the age rating of 15+ but as we continued to research, we decided on the age rating of 18+. The reason being is because it fitted all the convention of a film which would be rated 18. More so the definition of an 18 is: Passed only for persons of eighteen years and over. No person apparently under the age of 18 years shall be admitted to any exhibition at which there is to be shown any film which has received a '18' certificate from the British Board of Film Classification. 

What is a Target Audience?
The Target Audince for a film is the specific group of people within the target market at which the film is aimed at. A target audience can be formed of people of a certain age group,gender, marital status, and more. A Target Audeince is extremely important when producing a film, 'who will it be aimed at', 'who will it appeal to' are all common questions when producing a film. 
Deciding the Target Audience for our film:
We conducted research via a questionaire into the thriller genre and what age group of people mainly watch thriller films. We discovered that the majority of people who watch thrillers are 18+, this age group is therefore our target audience. Moreover we are aiming our film at people with a high socio- economic status. So middle class people with a good education, a good occupation and a good income. This Target Audience research has also helped us to decide on the age rating of our film, which will be 18+ because we plan to include images that may be deemed inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18 to see, also we may include swearing in our film opening, so it was best to just rate our film as an 18.
Here are the examples of the questionaires we conducted and the results we recieved. based on our Target Audience and Age Rating.

This is the Original Copy of the Questionaire. We then gave the questionaire to three of our classmates to gain their preferences on thriller films and what they thought a thriller film should be rated at.

 

These are some of the responses we received when asking people to participate with our questionnaire.

Our new film opening idea

Opening Titles

We are going to incorporate our opening titles into our filming. We will begin filming by moving the camera towards a door, the door will open to reveal a man sitting down in a room. The man will then approach the notice board in order to pin up a note about our victims schedule. There will then be a close up of the notice board to show his victims daily schedule. This shot will contain a name for the beginning of the opening titles. He then walks towards the computer screen and sits down on the floor. We will then do an over the shoulder shot to reveal what he is looking at on the computer screen.Here we will see, several folders of names which are in fact his previous victims. There will also be another name which is part of the opening titles screen. We will then use a pannning shot to show a folder that will have part of the opening titles on its cover. 

First scene

Our male character will open a folder which will reveal disturbing images of his victims. Giving the viewers an insight into his frightening nature. At this moment we will edit in a voiceover of the male charcters thoughts which will link to the images in the book.Whilst our male character is looking at the book we will include some non diegetic music playing in the background, to add a mysterious effect.

Male Characters Voiceover

( Dialogue + Script )

Emily Weston – She was my first embrace, the first time I found myself. She was a difficult one, she was a screamer I soon put an end to that. A tongue on the floor says it all.

Julie Andrews- Second was Sparky. She was a sight for sore eyes as her body lit up with volts.

Mary Anne- The tool. She was a vain one, she knew she could get whoever she wanted, so I soon used a tool on her. A screwdriver to the temple and a hammer to the head took care of her vanity.

Amy Brooks- The sizzler. Burning flesh smells so unique. Just like her. Petrol buried her scent, so I buried her beneath the flames.

Charlotte Hale- She will be my fifth lady in red. My Sistine chapel, my current addiction, maybe she will be different, she just might listen.

Second Scene

This scene will show the male charcter shutting the book and exiting the room. The next shot will show our male character in the garden, in which he will then climb a fence and look through some binoculars. We will edit black circles onto our filming to show an eye line match to show that he is only looking at her. To emphasise that she is the most important person to him. We will film from a distance towards a window, which will show Charlotte in her room.

Although the film seven isn't a typical stalker film it has aspects of stalking in it, and also with a more sadistic side, which we are trying to present in our own media video.

Explanation for stalking

To understand more deeply about the practice of stalking i researched all about the facts and figure, why people do it, how its done and different sections of stalking. I did this to add a more realistic effect in our media opening.

Stalking did not become a crime in the United States until 1994, following several sensationalized incidents including the 1989 murder of actress Rebecca Shaffer by an obsessed fan. Definitions of the crime of stalking vary by State and can include the presence of a specific act, a threat, or intent to cause harm or fear. Some States require that one, two, or all three elements are present for stalking behavior to be considered criminal. In addition to protecting victims of stalking, anti-stalking laws have successfully increased awareness and research efforts regarding stalking behavior. Prevalence estimates of stalking are offered, which indicate that women’s risk of being stalked during their lifetime is 1 in 12, while men’s risk of being stalked is 1 in 45. Victim and offender characteristics are presented, which indicate that 86 percent of all stalking victims are below the age of 40 years. Five types of stalkers are identified: (1) the rejected; (2) intimacy seekers; (3) the resentful; (4) the predatory; and (5) the incompetent. Other researchers have classified stalkers as: (1) simple obsessional; (2) love obsessional; and (3) erotomaniac. Female stalkers are rare but not nonexistent and they tend to suffer from mental illness or disorders. Theoretical explanations of stalking behavior generally rely on psychological analyses of the phenomenon in which the behavior of stalkers is explained by the presence of various personality disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, or schizophrenia. Treatment approaches tend to focus on individualized treatment of specific mental illnesses and disorders while prevention approaches focus on victim protective measures. Much work remains to be done on understanding the crime of stalking, including how to treat offenders and better protect victims.

Red road is based upon a women stalking a male character, i used this film to help me in how we can go about, filming our stalking.

new idea

As a group we decided to change our idea and put our film genre as a thriller about a stalker o this was one of the films i researched based upon stalkers. 

Fake Bruise

This was also to help with the violence, which would have occurred to our character, to add more of a realistic effect.

Fake blood

I used this video in an attempt to help me make fake blood for our own personal video, to have a stronger effect on how violent the attack was to our character

Drug scene

We used this video to give us a wider view on how drug use occurs and through it may help us in, how we could display our main character taking drugs, more so the effect it may have.

Our idea

Our idea for our two minute film opening is based upon a young girl who we assume is a prostitute from first encounter. This would be because of the clothes that she would be wearing and the physical abuse she had suffered.

The clip would start with the young girl looking in the mirror at her reflection and it would reveal bruises and acts on violence, this would be continued with the mental effect it has on her mind from the pain she has suffered during her life. This scene would end with her closing her eye.

Once her eyes would close it would fade out into a flashback to highlight how the violence occurred from one of her 'nights on the job'. This would then switch to  shot of her front door opening and the character stumbling in with drugs in her one hand, and signs of the violence. she would then slide down the door and begin to inject the drugs she has purchased. Then the opening would end with her passing out.