Target Audience Profile Interview

To get a better understanding of people who'd like to watch the film, I'll be asking questions to both males and females to get an opinion of both genders because my descriptions may be too single sided and completely biased so by gaining the insight of others it will allow me to make the right decisions when creating my film.

The questions I'll ask and why:

1: What's your common interest when watching a thriller movie?

Reasoning: the reasoning behind this question is to gain a general opinion on what people like to see. Like any director this information is very important as it allows me to gain a proper insight into what makes the audience tick, not everyone likes a mysterious movie which they have to think about, a common example being like saw, where the objective of the audience is to have as much fun as possible while being filled with the excitement of the 'captive' being trapped in one of Jigsaws sick puzzles.

2: When watching a thriller movie, what's the most interesting point in the film?

Reasoning: This allows me to make correct pace when adjusting my opening, we don't want the audience to become highly interested in the beginning then become highly bored towards the end. This would make the pacing horrible and non enjoyable which is not wanted when you want the audience to watch a film for a long period of time.

3: Do you prefer having more action than mystery or vice versa?

Reasoning: This is to gain the general view of the males and females as gaining the average from their results will make the survey more easier to put in statistics. If possible if the person being questioned also adds their personnel insight in, it allows us to see the audiences way of thinking.

Costumes And Props

Costume: Child

 

In our opening sequence, our aim is to have a combination of two different pieces of footage. One of which will be showing a boy before he went missing and the other will be showing a person who seems to be involved in his disappearance. My idea will be to have the young boy in very casual clothes such as jeans and preferably a white top. The reasoning for this choice in his clothing is because its generally what a young person would wear on a day out with their friends (linking to the age of the boy) and the white top is to represent innocents for the child (shows how he has done nothing wrong and makes the boy seem more like a victim the less wrong doing he has done).

 

Costume: Male Protagonist (Suspect)

 

The person who seems to be behind the child's disappearance will be wearing smart clothing such as shoes, a smart shirt (possibly casual) and smart trousers as well as an apron (bearing in mind the sleeves on the shirt will be rolled up, top buttons undone and the apron will have blood on it.) The reasoning behind this kind of costume choice is to show two sides to the suspect. In public this person is seen as a respectable person who wears fine clothes and may have a good job that pays well but secretly in his spare time (shown by his smart cloths being relaxed) he may just be a murderer/ abducts people.

 

 

 

Props: Child

 

Some props that the child will have may be a bag of some sort which contains all his personal belongs that a young man may carry (phone, wallet, aftershave etc.) Another prop that could be used could be the child's shoe. in one of the shots, his shoe could be placed somewhere (not too obvious) to show that something has happened to the child or that the suspect may have a link to the case. Another prop which I'm undecided on would be a piece of jewellery like a chain. This could be what the child would wear like a part of is costume that has some meaning to it or could have a big link to the case (in one clip the boy might be wearing it, but in the next the man could have it on) that in itself could add mystery within the opening sequence (how did it get from the boy to the man?)

 

 

 

Props: Male Protagonist (suspect)

 

The male could be wearing glasses to show precision in his work or whatever he is doing (e.g. disposing of the body) or/and he could be wearing a mask to hide his identity from the viewer (cannot give to much away up front or no one is going to want to watch the show!). Another set of props that would be effective would be a set of knives. This would make the viewers question what the suspect is up to (could he be cutting up the body?) A final main prop for the suspect would be the chain (discussed in previous paragraph).

 

Props: On The set 

 

in order to create a good theme/ atmosphere whilst filming, my group must ensure that the set has the appropriate location choice and props to go with its surroundings. some props I am hoping to obtain for the filming , would be; table (which the suspect will be standing behind and we will not be able to see what's on the table), a cover to go over the table (bloody and tattered), a board containing pictures and pieces of string as well as a map to add mystery like I old detective movies). and finally lights  (we want the set to be dark and the lights will then focus on key thins such as the table and the board).

 

Se7en Title Sequence

In the opening sequence of Se7en, many interesting camera angles and lighting techniques are used. The lighting , camera angles and editing are used in such a way, the viewer is unsure of what they're actually viewing throughout the opening scene. Some shots are of an unusual nature which makes the viewer feel uneasy and intrigued as to what the actual film could be about.

For example, in the picture above (a screenshot of the Se7en opening sequence) two drawn hands can be clearly seen. Both hands look similar, showing they could belong to the same person however the lighting on both of them is varied. One hand has a fair amount of light which allows us, as the viewer, to see the detail and characteristics of the hand whereas the other hand is left mainly in the dark, a clear contrast between them. This could be a declaration of a persons personality being difficult to understand, or possibly the act they have more that one personality. The light and dark could also represent the sins and virtue of the individual. The crooked fingers could represent the amount of good/bad this person has done in their society, showing that the dark side has more of a crooked look than the light side. This could mean that the person has been more sinful than anything else, making them a possible danger in the future, in the film.The font of the text in this is a clear sign of where typography can be used effectively to achieve a certain feel on a title sequence. The writing is written in a sketchy, which, chalk-like substance that looks to be the messy handwriting of a person. This could relate to the crooked hand drawings, since crooked, crippled hands would not have particularly neat handwriting.

Throughout the opening scene, the title slides can be clearly seen to blur and glitch, giving making the audience uneasy as to what this could mean. A popular interpretation of these effects are that it represents the mental state of one of the protagonists; possibly a mentally unstable person with an illness such as Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression), or schizophrenia, which could then also link to the multiple personalities and the good and bad in the person.

As you can clearly see, the opening credits use many close ups and extreme close ups paired with appropriate lighting (such as high-key or low-key). The close ups show details about the person in the opening sequence, such as their handwriting , hobbies and drawings for example. These close ups and extreme close up shots could indicate we are learning about the protagonist, and getting to know his habits and traits; we can already see he seems to like drawing by the pictures seen throughout the credits.
The habits of the person are very singular and not common, showing he could be an 'outsider' to the world he lives in. Also, although a select amount of information are revealed about them through the introduction, many are kept hidden by strategic use of low-key lighting and glitchy cuts to ensure there is still a large amount of unknown information about them. The scene also contains a mildly disturbing scene showing the person cutting off layers of skin from their finger to rid themselves of their own fingerprints. This is often an precaution taken by criminals who do not wish to be caught when committing a crime, as they will leave no fingerprints as evidence, further emphasising the large amount of unknown information about the person, and leaving the audience 'in the dark' as to what they are actually doing and who they actually are.

Location Analysis

Location Analysis

 

The reasoning for the majority of my locations being placed in parks, is because it fits the criteria of what I need in order to get great shots (quiet, great natural lighting, secluded and gives a sense of mystery due to all the places to hide and go to). 

 

Here is a list of places we could go to in order to film parts of our opening sequence:

 

Harvington park(Beckenham):

 

 

In this picture you see a panoramic shot taken in Harvington park (near Harris Academy Beckenham). I personally like this particular area for filming because it has a lot of cover from the trees above which makes the area very eerie when its starts to get darker but it also allows enough natural light in to make shots visible once recorded/ whilst being filmed. Another reason why I like this area is because it has a lot of bushes and secretive areas that would be great for doing both the scene with the child and then we could go to a different part of the park to film the part of the opening sequence with the male protagonist as well. This particular area has a reasonably big variety from places to film and would be worth considering when filming out opening sequence.

 

 

Kelsey Park (Beckenham):

 

 

In this picture, you see a high angled shot taken of a bridge in Kelsey park (also near Harris Academy Beckenham). In this park there is an easy to access forest which is small but could really set the scene when we start filming. it also has a few great locations such as this bridge, a few huts randomly placed around the park and great scenery which is appealing to the eye. In my opinion it would also be a great place to film. However, in order to get a great shot you need a good amount of natural lighting and some areas (such as the forest) can become extremely dark which can make it hard to see what is going on in certain shots (I tried to take a photo of the forest but it was to dark to see on my phone). Another possible problem is thee park is full of wildlife that may interfere with filming so that must also be taken into consideration.

 

 

 

Crystal Palace Park:

 

 

In this park, there are multiple locations which are perfect for certain shots due to the iconic features such as the statues and the tower for an example. Also, there are several wooded areas as well as the maze which is perfect for a thriller opening title sequence because I could use these areas to represent how the protagonist could be lost and is struggling to find his way out and that is when he is abducted by the other protagonist. Another positive point to note about this particular location is it looks very eerie when both/ either the appropriate filter is used and when it becomes a little darker as well.

I may possibly use all of these locations because they all seem to have very good points which I could use in my footage. I could combine all the pieces I have gathered and make it seem like all 3 of these parks are actually just one park. that way I can get all the mysterious parts of each to make a very good thriller opening sequence.

 



The Difference Between A Horror and a Thriller

Death

Horror movies almost always focus on death. Death is usually focused on in horrors since it portrays a sense of danger, whereas in thrillers death is usually not as common. Thrillers usually focus more upon the build up to death rather than the death itself.

Jumpscares

Jumpscares are very common in horrors as they are able to keep the audience wondering and on the edge of their seats. Jumpscares aim to scare, so do not often appear in thrillers.

Horrors
Horrors tend to focus on common fears of large groups of people, and portray them in a way that sends shivers down the spine of those watching. Horrors aim to keep the viewer intrigued yet scared at the same time. Most horrors also aim to keep the viewers scared even after the film has finished, to ensure the rating and opinions of the film are of a high standard. Popular horror films include Halloween, The Exorcist and Scream.

Thrillers

Thrillers generally focus on keeping a high level of tension throughout the film to keep the viewers interested rather than scaring them. Thrillers are notorious for having unexpected plot twists when the viewer least expects it, leaving them puzzled and interested yet still keeping the tension high. Popular thrillers include The Silence Of The Lambs, Taken, Seven and Panic Room.

Barthes code

Hermeneutic Code(Enigma Code) - This code explains that the untold questions by the audience are created in films and selective media through various events or creative story narration that the audience wants answered. This use of technique is very useful when creating a story because of how it keeps the audience guessing about what's going on. 


Proairetic Code(Action Code) - this part of the code shows that events or actions that happens early throughout the story leads to a larger reaction in the chronological order of the filming. The following series of events that happen throughout a movie lead to a final conclusion which normally occurs because of the event that happened before, making the audience aware of why certain things are happening.

Example of proairetic code:

In inception the main characters use spinning tops to show that they're not hallucinating and that they are indeed in the real world, because of this the audience now know that if the spinning top continues spinning the characters are not in reality.



 

Music In Thrillers

Music is generally an important factor that must be considered carefully for all movie genres as it is able to literally 'make or break' a film through the good or bad use of music. Despite all movie genres needing well thought-out music throughout, thrillers are in need of extremely well thought out music in order to keep suspense high and tension tight. I will be analysing several pieces of music that are featured from some popular thrillers.

Psycho

In Psycho, the music used is a very high pitched screech-like sound in a musical way to create suspense. The notes change constantly between high and low pitch, creating an uneasy tension in the theatrical atmosphere. Psycho's soundtrack became very popular and became one of the most popular soundtracks that people analysed. The composer of this popular piece chose to use high pitch to put further emphasis on the 'eerie' effect it creates. The music is set at a fairly upbeat tempo, meaning that the tension is built up much faster when compared to slower pieces of music. The composer chose to use violins for this piece, giving the notes high pitched screeching sounds to add to the eerie effect. Violins are often used to create suspenseful music as well as,typically, the piano.



Editing in thrillers

Thriller movies use complex editing to ensure that the audience stay interested in the piece they're watching a good example of how editing and camera angles can be used can be shown in the movie:  the Bourne Ultimatum which utilises these scenes to make the most dull of scenes much more interesting to watch.

The main character is the focus of this shot

In this shot above Jason Bourne is the character the editors want the audience to observe and this can be told by the way the focus is only directed to the characters face and the rest of the image is faded out making looking away pointless because you can't properly see the background or make out faces that are important.

 

Another image showing how important certain characters are

Looking at this character  you can also tell he is important by the way the camera shows different focuses and the direction he's looking at which almost looks as if he's looking towards the camera. 



Typography Analysis

Typography is the way text is presented in an opening scene or a title scene of a film, and can effect the quality of it in both positive and negative ways. I have viewed several title sequences that use typography, and will be analysing the effects they portray to the viewer.

Zombieland

Zombieland uses 'kinetic typography' in the opening sequence, meaning the text itself interacts with things that are occurring in world of the film. The text moves in ways that relate to the text meaning itself by relating its movement and its characteristics to it. During the opening sequence, the text can be seen to be clearly interacting with people and objects, which is an unusual style of typography however I believe it has been effectively used in this opening.The text in the opening sequence is a maroon-red with a white outline, and is in all capital letters which can be seen as representing the gore and blood of the film. The white outline makes the red stand out on any given background and can be interpreted as representing the 'parody' and comedic side of the film (since the film itself is , in fact, a parody). 

Panic Room

Panic room uses a similar yet different style of typography to zombieland as it does not use the 'kinetic' style of moving text, however it does link the text to the current scene. The text itself doesn't have any 'flashy' or 'exciting' effects, however it has a reflective nature to it which allows it to suit the title sequence very appropriately as it blends with the buildings and surroundings. The text itself is a dull and boring colour which could show a contrast between the title of the film and the text style. Throughout the title sequence the angles should be noted as they change several times, varying from low shots to high shots and some in between which could be seen as the views of various people from different buildings that are all looking out the window. 

Fringe

Fringe uses a simple yet effective style of typography, when compared to the previous two. The text is bold and simple with no special effects, which conveys a strong sense of seriousness. The text is generally plain colours such as black and white, and each piece of text is in capital letters. Throughout the opening credits strange, scientific and unusual words to reinforce the extraordinary events that take place in the series. Despite the text being very ordinary in style and colour, they can be seen to interact with the objects in the opening scene.

What Makes A Good Film Opening?

A films opening is often considered one of the most important parts of a film since it is able to keep an audience enticed, or put them off the movie completely. Despite the opening scene only being several minutes long, getting it right can change the outcome of the film entirely. Grabbing the audiences attention early is extremely important, especially when leaving the viewer puzzled as to what they have just seen. A good film opening leaves unanswered questions in the viewers head, also known as the  'Hermeneutic Code', and keeps them interested. Some film openings take a different approach and use anecdotes and flashbacks to create a sense of confusion for the viewer, revealing interesting parts of the story, without revealing too much to spoil the entire film. In many cases, the title of the film is revealed at the end of the film opening, following an important even in which the film is then started with. This is a way that suspense can be built, as well as leaving the storyline  mostly hidden, but partly revealed.

Two of my personal favourites is the opening to 'The Departed' and the opening to 'Se7en'. Both adopt very unique styles, each suiting them perfectly(in my opinion).

The opening to 'The Departed'.

The opening to 'Se7en'.

Lighting In Films

Introduction To Lighting In Films

Lighting is a very important aspect in the film industry that allows films to be portrayed exactly as planned in the script. Lighting is able to control the mood, atmosphere and suspense in films, meaning it is a good idea to know when and how to use lighting correctly. The main types of lighting in films are 'High Key', 'Low Key' and 'Natural'.

Low Key Lighting

This type of lighting is commonly used in thrillers as it is able to hide many elements from the viewer, such as identity and location, to add to the current enigma of the scene or story. Low key lighting hides detail in objects and people, meaning, when used correctly, scenes can become very perplexing. Low key lighting is a necessity when creating effects such as the chiaroscuro effect (An extreme contrast of low key and high key lighting to clearly define particular areas in a scene).

Low key lighting is generally associated with horrors and thrillers to present a suspenseful scene to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Low key lighting is associated with murder, enigma and sadness in general.

A scene from the infamous horror 'Halloween' that uses low key lighting
in order to pull of the desired effect.

High Key Lighting

High key lighting is the use of artificial lighting to illuminate a scene in a movie, video or photograph, and is not often used in the thriller genre however can be effectively used to portray opposites in specific scenarios. Usually, high key lighting is used to show detail and present a pleasant or joyful atmosphere however can be cleverly used in thrillers to portray a false sense of joy, to make the enigma even more of a mystery than it already is. High key lighting is usually used in genres such as 'romantic comedies' (showing an upbeat and cheerful atmosphere).

A screenshot from the popular comedy 'Easy A', showing Emma Stone in high key
lighting.

In conclusion, a mix of wisely chosen scenes using mainly low key lighting would be most appropriate to use for a thriller to enhance the mystery. However, a few correctly used high key shots could allow contrasts to become clearer, and enhance the thriller as a whole.

Conventions Of A Thriller

 

Mystery/Enigma

 

 

Mystery in a thriller is an important aspect as it creates tension and keeps the audience in suspense, meaning they will be kept interested and asking questions as to what will occur next.

 

Suspense

 

 

Suspense is a much needed aspect in the thriller genre, as it keeps the audience on the edge of their seats in anticipation of what will happen next. Suspense in many thrillers is created, or enhanced, through the use of an enigma or mystery in the plot.

 

Low Key Lighting

 

 

Low key lighting is important in thrillers, due to the fact that it reveals very little about people or scenes, adding to the mystery of the storyline. Low key lighting is a needed aspect for many, if not all, thrillers.

 

Shadows

 

 

Shadows are commonly used in thrillers to create suspense and to add to the current enigma of the storyline. Shadows can also be interpreted as being paranormal, which can add a slight feeling or anticipation to the thriller, making the story more interesting and captivating.

 

Suspenseful Music

 

 

suspenseful music is a key element in thrillers as is able to change the mood and atmosphere in an instance. It can be used to build suspension, to keep the audience captivated and interested throughout.

 

Diegetic Sounds Of Breathing

 

 

Diegetic breathing is very common in horrors, especially when used by an unknown person. It is able to create a tension in the atmosphere which adds to the current suspense, in order to keep the viewer interested.

 

Isolated Settings

 

 

Isolated Setting are often used in thrillers to portray the protagonist as being entirely alone. Isolated settings cause the viewer to feel uneasy about the situation as the environment is not local to civilisation, meaning no public services can help the protagonist. It also allows for more suspense since the environment is never fully explored, so anything could happen at any given point in time.