The Reaper - Psychological Thriller

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

The Preliminary

The skills that I was developing in the preliminary we're significantly different to the skills that I developed in the final product. These skills were sometimes similar but largely different in all areas of each role. To begin with, in my preliminary I played the role of the director so my job was to make sure that everyone is fulfilling their roles and organising the structure of each filming session. Furthermore, my focus was to keep everything together and properly planned to fit the schedule. I also participated in a relatively small amount of editing, where I learned a few of the controls within iMovie. Although I was not the cameraman I learned a lot about camerawork, particularly the effects of the 180 degree rule, shot reverse shot, match on action and general filming skills. I had no experience with acting during the preliminary but I soon learned how important it was to act within character, in order to conserve precious time when filming.

Evaluation 6 - What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Evaluation 5 - How did you attract/address your audience?

Attracting The Target Audience

Our target audience for our film is between the ages of 16 and 25. To engage and entertain this audience we have used a variety of techniques surrounding camerawork, mise-en-scene, sound track and editing.

Camerawork:

The camerawork that we used was regular and conformed to the usual camerawork of most media products. However, a key aspect of camerawork in our film was he use of a hand held camera, which gave the shot a shaky frame. This is what entices the audience and engages them into the film, as the unsteady camerawork brings in another perspective. This attracts our target audience in particular as it related to the thrill-seeking nature of the younger generation. 

Furthermore, the camerawork we used also includes particular and purposeful framing, which increases the appeal to our target market through the build up of anticipation and slight thrill. A good example of this is where we have a focus pull as the two teenage 'detectives' search for Alex Robinson's body. In this shot Joel's shoe and sock is foregrounded out of focus, while the two other characters slowly approach the body. This technique attracts our target market because they are laregly hooked and intrigued by such camerawork and appreciate the intensity and drama that comes with it.

Mise-en-scene:

The mise-en-scene within our opening title sequence appeals particularly to the our target audience through a variety of aspects. Firstly, the clothing worn by all three characters is resemblent of the current attire that is trending for people between the ages of 16 and 25. This attracts this particular age group because the style and brands of clothing are relateable to, which allows our media product to appear more realistic as nothing is out of the ordinary. In addition, this definitely has a certain appeal to the younger generation as it is preferable/easier for them to relate to the emotions, attitudes and actions of the teenage characters within the sequence.

Secondly, the bikes that we used as props in this film are essential props that relate to our target audience. While one character makes the journey to the quarry on a mountain bike, the other takes a road bike. This is important as a large proportion of our target audience are likely to enjoy cycling of some kind, and both mountain biking and road biking appeal particularly to this age group.

Moreover, the location of the quarry is a popular place for our target audience to hang out with friends walking or even climbing, getting space from home or just relaxing. This would therefore attract this audience as they can relate to the situation.

Sound Track:

The main sound track that we used in our title sequence was made using garage band. This audio is especially appealing to our target audience as it somewhat resembles the genres of music that this age group might listen to. Another reason for this particular audio is that it adds a sense of pace to the travelling shots, which (along with the bikes) adds a slight sense of action/adventure into the movie and this appeals to a younger audience.

Editing:

Our primary use of editing that appeals to our target audience comes towards the end of the title sequence. The cuts between shots speed up during this part of the movie to increase the pace along with the sound. Once again this helps to bring a little action/adventure into the foreground of our film which entertains our target audience as this genre often appeals to them.

Evaluation 4 - Audience Profile

Our target audience is a modern, mainstream teenager to young adult: between the ages of 16 to 25 years old. They frequently watch YouTube videos/podcasts or television advertisements to keep up to date with the latest films and trends. Although following the mainstream movies they will also use wider media such as the Empire magazine and visit similar website to keep up to date and informed with the latest news and critics. They are very keen on film and like to purchase DVD's, while also having an online account for watching movies, such as Netflix. Furthermore, the younger side of the spectrum would most likely use online social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr to stay informed about the latest films. This is most relevant for the teenagers ages (16-20). Conversely, the older end of the spectrum may participate in social clubs and events, to be with others who are interested and excited with the same types of film.







A recent example of a successful action/adventure/thriller is Spectre. As part of a series of 007 films, Spectre received a comparatively high amount of votes, at 206, 892 rating it at 6.9/10. Although having a larger range of audiences, Spectre has a relatively similar target audience to that of our thriller and suggests the incorporation of action is essential to a popular thriller. This film particularly appealed to a generally younger audience, which implies that action is what attratcs younger viewers.












Bridge of Spies is a biography/drama/thriller, released in 2015. It received 101, 877 votes giving it an average rating of 7.7/10. The biographical genre of this film allows it to convey the meaning behind the set, which viewers said were historical and meaningful. However, overall reviews suggest that this film is not really designed for thrill-seekers unlike Spectre, which is significant because it demonstrates that action is not compulsory for a successful thriller. In addition, this reflects how the target audience age group movies up as the action decreases.







The contrast between these two movies heavily suggests that it is the action adventure genre which causes demand for a teenage and younger adult audience, whereas movies that require a deeper level of focus and perhaps thought for an underlying meaning comes as you get older. This results in the more insightful films aiming towards the young to middle aged adult age group. This is positive as it suggests that the target audience we have chosen is suitable.

Evaluation 3 - What kind of media institution might distribute your media and why?

Evaluation 2 - Social Groups

If video above does not work, use video below:

In our opening title sequence, the social groups that are portrayed are also all teenagers. However, the young characters in our first title sequence cut strongly challenge representations of teenagers in social media.

This becomes apparent in the first few scenes, where the character playing Alex Robinson (16 years old) is seen walking his dog in the quarry.

The social media often portrays teenagers as violent or wasteful with their time, revolving their lives around technology indoors or drinking and partying etc. In contrast to this, the scene of Alex walking his dog portrays teenagers in a more positive light, suggesting they are more productive with their time and do not lounge around indoors on their technology all day. Furthermore, as he is the victim in this sequence, the idea of teenagers being irresponsible and even dangerous is reversed. On the other hand, the mise-en-scene portrays Alex with his hood up, which could reflect the common concept of teenagers being unsociable shifty.


The other two characters in our film are also teenagers: acquaintances of Alex. These two teenagers have a mixed portrayal when considering the stereotypes given by the social media.

Although in the first cut it is not made clear, these two teenagers are depicted on their phones and watching television. This corresponds with the stereotypes that they are given in the media and so portrayed them in mostly a negative light. Conversely, the teenagers are engaging with the news that is on the television, which gives a very different perception of youth.

The fact that the teenagers then decide to go searching for the missing character Alex could be interpreted in both a negative and positive way.

On one hand, this could convey the mischievous and troublesome nature of the two young characters. On the other hand, the more likely perception is that they are outdoors and exercising, which portrays them as healthy and active rather than lazy and up to no good. The positive perception is what we have tried to create, challenging the social media stereotypes.

Evaluation 1 - Comparison of my media product with real media products

First Cut

Advice from reviewers for improvement:
- Decrease the length of the title sequence so that conforms more successfully to the thriller genre and nearly all films
- Edit the cycling shot reverse shot so that it cuts more quickly
- Include shots that highlight Theo and Seb watching TV more clearly, to inform the audience how they have found out about Alex Robinson
- The TV report needs to be presented so the audience understands the situation more clearly

Psychological Crime Thriller - Behind The Scenes

Final Filming Location Photos

Storyboards

'Source Code' Analysis

Source code analysis from tbgsmedia1517

Audience Profiling Interviews

Track 1 - Tim (Age 22)
Track 2 - Molly (Age 15)
Track 3 - Joe (Age 58)
Track 4 - Sandra (Age 54)
Track 5 - Martin (Age 16)

Age Certification

Film Pitch

Title Sequence Conventions

Investigating Thrillers

Preliminary Evaluation

Preliminary evaluation from tbgsmedia1517

After looking at the audience feedback in the comments section, I would have to agree with most of the comments. The feedback is largely positive with one piece of constructive criticism, which suggested that the stabilisation of some shots could be improved. Personally I agree with this comment and it's something that we would have to take into consideration for future filming.

From this initial warm-up production of filming I have learnt how to incorporate a variety of shots into a sequence successfully, to create an impact on the audience. Furthermore, I have identified the importance of mise-en-scene and how to make sure the background is suitable for the genre of the film, as well as the back ground sound and how much it needs to be considered in cuts between shots. Finally, for the future I have discovered that initial preparation is key during the film making process and a more detailed storyboard would have made the filming a quicker and more efficient task.

Preliminary

Preliminary Diary Blog

My Role in the Film Making

The main role I played in this preliminary film making was that of a director. This meant I had the responsibilities of taking control of the dramatic and artistic aspects, and visualisation of the script by guiding the actors and cameraman, in order to complete what I had planned for the finished films appearance.
Another role I played within this was that of the storyboard artist. This gave me the responsibility of creating visual images of what different scenes would look like, with consideration for cinematography and the effects it will have on the audience.

Experiencing Filming

My experience of filming was overall positive and enjoyable. Our team worked reasonably well with each other to complete the task within the set deadline, however there were a few arguments to what camera angles should be used for certain shots, which slowed down the process slightly.

Changes Made During Filming

The changes that were made from the original story board were some of the angles at which the camera shots were taken, in what was used as the bedroom of the main character. The specific shots we had to change were the shots of the main character when he is opening the box for the first time and when he is on the phone to his friend Jack. This was because the size of the room and the wide fisheye camera lens we started with made it difficult to film any shots, without giving away that it was a classroom and not a real bedroom.

Adaptations for Future Filming Activities

To improve the efficiency and outcome of our next film we should plan a more detailed storyboard. This would improve our teamwork and cooperation, which in turn would increase the speed at which we complete the different camera shots and would reduce the amount of time taken up by arguments/debates on which angles to use for certain shots.

Practical Skills for Next Time

Next time I would like to try being the cameraman to see if I have skills in this area that would benefit the film making process more than being the director. If I did try out being the cameraman I would have to learn from experience to quickly pick up on the  However, I thought that being the director worked well and so depending on my ability in camerawork I may try further developing my skills in directing to improve the group efficiency.

Editing as Punctuation in Film

"The whole eloquence of cinema is achieved in the editing room" - Orson Welles

David Bordwell says "If [two characters] are in the same shot, I can that they are united... If they are in different shorts, I can say that the cut separates them."

Often cinematic punctuation is punctuated by the characters actions. For example, two separate shots which have no relation can be cut from one to the other, causing the audience to imagine this relationship between the two after showing the characters reactions and emotions. Eisenstein explains this by saying that "A concrete word set beside a concrete world, yields an abstract concept."

Cuts act as narrative ellipses and are a way of description. Freeze frames are used as a moment of clarification, often to allow the narrator to give the audience particular information or insight into the story. Rewinds are commonly used to tell the same story that the audience was previously shown, from a different point of view. Long takes are often significant and include no editing for a purpose, usually to indulge the audience in the scene. Finally, another editing technique of punctuation is to film an object or area that is not the focus of the scene, in order to fill time and space while the characters state or emotion changes.

Preliminary Planning

Types of Cinematography and Editing

Types and Techniques

Shot Reverse Shot - where one character is shown looking at another character (who is often off- screen), and then the other character is shown looking back at the first character.

180-degree Rule - a simple guideline concerned with the on-screen spacial relationship between a character and another character or object within the scene.

Match on Action - a film and video editing technique where the editor cuts from one shot to another view of the same scene that matches the first shots action same action.

Eye line Match - a film editing technique associated with the continuity editing system. It is based on the proposition that the audience will want to see what the character on-screen is seeing.

Examples

Shot Reverse Shot

The camera cuts between the two characters as they are speaking to each other.

180-degree Rule

The two characters are stood opposite each other and the camera must be positioned in the 180 degrees on one side of them, in order to avoid confusing the audience.


Match On Action

The camera cuts from him about to walk through the door to a different view of the other side of him as he backs out through the door.



Eye Line Match

Shows a close up of him looking at something, then what he is looking at.

'The Birds' Commentary

Within the thriller genre, many directors and cinematographers include a large amount of point of view, tracking and medium close up shots to help create a sense of ongoing mystery and tension. This type of camerawork is used particularly well in 'The Birds' because it helps to convey the characters emotions and feelings, as well as allowing the viewer to be presented with what the characters see within the scene at the same time, encouraging them to build up a relationship and sympathize with the characters. A significant example of a tracking point of view shot is where the two main characters are slowly edging their way past the antagonists. The pace of the tracking shot builds up tension while the use of a point of view shot allows the viewer to relate to the characters fear and almost puts the in the position of the characters.

Camerawork - Different Shot Types

Editing - Stoptrick and Composite Overlay

Timeline of 'The Avengers' Sequence

'The Avengers' Timeline

Link to the sequence: http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/the-avengers/

In this sequence I have noticed various aspects that are useful to include in a sequence, in order to create it in the best presentable way, in this case suited to the action, sci-fi genre of 'The Avengers'.

A key feature is to include any words - usually of named people - in bold, clear capital letters. This helps the words to stand out and make them more easily readable to the viewer, making it more efficient at giving credit to the people or companies. This is also further done by making the names larger than the job description which causes the name to become more recognised.

I also noticed that during this sequence, the titles we're very much mentioned in an order of people who helped with production, followed by the main actors being presented, then at the very end it says "A Joss Whedon Film" which therefore gives Whedon most of the credit for the film.

Throughout the sequence the viewer is presented with multiple images of things relating to 'The Avengers', mainly consisting of their well known uniform. This causes us to build up some initial ideas for the different hero/heroine outfits or in some cases gives us a full view as seen in this Iron Man screen shot.

The soundtrack used is all non diagetic music which abruptly begins as the initial writing appears on screen, having a large impact on the audience. This then continued throughout the sequence which builds up the tension and drama, preparing the viewers for the film.

Thriller Genre

Thriller genre from tbgsmedia1517

A Day In The Life - Comedy Horror (Genre Conventions)

Narrative Events;
- Being watched by a mysterious character (Horror)
- Funny scenes such as the basketball shot (Comedy)
- An anonymous noise from in the house (in this case the crash) when you're home alone (Horror)
- The blatantly on purpose fall off of the chair following the crash (Comedy)
- Going to check out the noise even though it's dangerous (Horror)
- Doing a completely random and unnecessary pull up (Comedy)
- Seeing a mysterious character but when getting up close there's no one there (Horror)
- Knock on the door while in the shower, classic vulnerable place (Horror)
- Clears the mirror to see the killer (Horror)
- John Cena randomly slipped in (Comedy)
- Main character is killed but with the completely wrong music playing in the background (Comedy&Horror)
- Getting killed and then slapped by the killer with the runner bean (Comedy)

Characters;
-Main character who is the victim
- Mysterious character who's identity is never revealed

Locations;
- Standard house rooms; (bedroom, stairway, hallway, kitchen and bathroom) are sometimes the location of victims while they're being taunted, especially the shower. Kitchen is also essential for killer to get the knife.
- Public park - being watched in a public place is common when building up tension

Camera Angles & Soundtrack;
- Medium Shot (first scene in the bed - presents setting)
- Medium to Long Shot (when dribbling the basketball across the road - highlights the new surroundings and creates a setting transfer)
- Extreme Long Shot (from behind the leaves, when playing basketball - builds up tension)
- Extreme close up (of my face as I run past the camera and of my hand opening the door - shows emotions and fits with conventional camera shots)
- Aerial shot (from the top of the stairs to the bottom)
- A short Pan (from the pull up bar to the top of the stairs)
- Zoom (as the killer grabs the knife - to have a larger impact when building tension and to highlight the knife portraying the severity of the situation)
- Over Shoulder Shot (in the bathroom - showing the camera angle from the killers perspective, character viewpoints)
- Shot of just the shadows for the horror effect
The main soundtrack was the Dead Silence Theme all the way until we get to 'My Time Is Now - John Cena'

My favourite fims/actors/directors

My Favourite Films, Actors and Directors

A couple of my favourite films are The Avengers Assemble and Age of Ultron. My favourite actors within these two films are Robert Downey Jr. and Tom Hiddleston. I personally like these two actors because of the humour that their characters have. The reason these two films are some of my favourite is because of the incredible special effects and plot, as well as appealing to my favourite action superhero/adventure science fiction genre.

One of my favourite directors is John Favreau. The reason I admire this director is largely because he directed the Iron Man movies which are also some of my favourites, as well as the movie Daredevil which I also found incredibly entertaining.

What is Media Studies for?

Media studies is for;
- Teaching students how to analyse and critique media
- Allowing students to look at media with more than one perspective
- Familiarizing students with modern technology as well as other media such as newspapers or films
- Teaching students how to make their own films or write newspapers etc.
- Allowing students to branch off of Media Studies to pursue careers

First Video Blog Post

First Image Blog Post