- In most thriller films, there is a main character- a protagonist.
This can be seen in Inception- where Leonardo DiCaprio is washed up on the beach. Due to the number of shots centered on him, we can tell he is the main character.
This is also apparent in Silence of the Lambs, where we can see the character of Sally Sparrow, due to the number if shots on her.
Our film follows a similar pattern; but there is no clear singular person who fits the bill. True, we do have one character drowning another:
But in the monologue, all the characters are linked together, as the voice over explains.
- Due to our use of a voice over (shown as a voice mail message), we have used it as a sound bridge in order to link the characters and raise questions about the nature of their aims.
Due to this, there is no binary opposition, which only furthers the enigma, working to the advantage of the film.
2. How does your media product represent certain media groups?
- Our film shows the different characters in different ways. For example:
This character is well-dressed, and in an aircraft. He also has an expensive phone. We can tell by this that he is wealthy, and has aeronautical access, as he is seen walking into a hangar.
We know from the voice-over that he is part of the scheme. His age suggests that he has experience and status over the others. This is a positive stereotype, as it is insinuated that he would have power over the others.
This character is younger than the other, and is seen in a urban area. His coat is done up, and he wears jeans- it looks like he might be on hard times, due to the area that he is in, as it looks old and dirty. This is a negative stereotype as it could be seen as he is in need of money.
The final character that we see is seen drowning another character. This shows him in a negative light as he is murdering someone. He is seen as strong and ruthless, repeatedly drowning his victim. In stereotypes, he might be considered the muscle of the operation.
The Voice is most likely the brains behind the operation; he has large amounts of money, and orders around the others to various locations, as well as having plans for the next stages in the operation. Due to the fact he is not seen creates an enigma.
3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
-Due to Democratisation of the media, it is far easier to film an edit using mobile devices
- Because of this, institutions are also changing to adapt to the new surge of amateur filmmakers
- Distribution of films is far easier and cheaper, due to 4K digital projection
- As our film is small, we would use companies that would be willing to distribute- such as:
Lovefilm is perfect for an indie thriller film, as it can be seen across TV, tablets, phones and even games consoles. This expands our target market, allowing us to reach more people, especially our age target (see question 4)
4. Who would be the audience for your media product?
Seeing as we were planning to make a thriller film, it is sensible that we researched the categories for film classification. upon viewing them, I narrowed down the options, but upon further decision, it was decided upon being a '15' rating. I think that this is good as it aims for the target audience that most filmmakers aim for- the male 11-17 market.
5. How did you attract/ address your audience?
The characters introduced are male, and of an age where they are interesting for our target audience to see. The characters appear to fit the generic stereotypes (see above). Due to the lack of female leads, this film would only really appeal to men. It is also violent from the outset, which generally does not appeal to women.
6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
Throughout the construction of the task, I have learnt more about the equipment used to film and edit it.
- To begin with, I only had a rudimentary understanding of cameras- only how to record and zoom etc.. I had no idea what the 'white balance' was- but when it was explained to me that it made footage look realistic- instead of the orange filter effect, I quickly caught on, and used this in later filming.
- When we first started using the cameras, we used the tripods to film. Whilst this was useful, if we wanted to follow a character, we would have to pick the tripod up- which affected the quality of the film to a point where we discarded the footage. We were then introduced to a new shoulder-held mount that was far more stable and maneuverable.
- As part of a scene where a character is drowned, myself and another group member needed to film some scenes underwater. Obviously we could not use a standard camera, and so were introduced to the underwater cameras- which were a massive help, allowing us to move above and below water with ease.
- I have also been introduced to the mysteries of Final Cut Pro- an editing tool used to create films. Before I would have had no idea how to work it, but now I am proficient at working the timeline, adding effects, introducing titles and cutting footage together- I have taken lead in editing the video, and worked with my group to ensure that a worthy final product was created.
-Along with Final Cut Pro, I have worked on garage band to help edit/ add sound to the product, in order to cover up unwanted noises in the footage used, and to make noises more prominent.
- I have also used my Webcam on my laptop to create 'Vlogs' which have been uploaded to the blog as alternatives to writing. It is quick and easy to do, and allows for easy reviewing of filming or quick updates of editing
- Another new technology I have been introduced to it the Apple Mac- hardware which took some time getting used to. The keyboard was strange to use, as I am used to Microsoft ones, and the 'command +...' usage was difficult to understand at first
I have also had to use the Mac mouse, which was disconcerting to use as the 'single button looks' were more of an annoyance than a help. The tiny 'scroll' pad was also difficult to master.
- As we used garageband to introduce and edit sounds, we have had to use downloaded sounds in the film. We downloaded audio from sites such as http://www.freesfx.co.uk/. We then downloaded the sound and put it into garageband, and were able to use is appropriately.
- Additionally, I have been introduced to Blogger, allowing me to create a blog which is used to upload photos and videos on progress, and to upload the final product. I am now able to create blogs easily, and it had been extremely useful.
7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the
full product?
I feel that I have progressed massively from the preliminary task in several respects
The first thing that you notice is that titling has been used in the introduction of the thriller, unlike the preliminary
This allows the film to appear more like it should, instead of delving straight into the action.
Another point is that we have learnt to expand our scope. We have added more characters and locations. For example:
In the prelim, we used three locations- A staircase, a room and a corridor. They were all in the same building.
We also only had two characters in it.
In the Prelim, however:
We used the locations of: the inside of an aeroplane. The exterior/ runway on which it was on, and nearby hangar. We also used a location on a street, a swimming pool's pool and exterior.
In total, we used five characters in the thriller opening.We also used editing techniques such as fades, and were more ambitious with our camerawork, using Extreme long shots- which we were unable to use before due to the size of the room. We also used more ambitious shots- using the shoulder mount (see above), such as this:
A low-angle shot which makes it look like the camera is stealthily looking in at the character.
As mentioned in question 6, we have used sound effects and garageband to create a stronger piece of film.
We have also created more of a story than a simple shakedown- we have introduced a mystery party, getting people to kill two targets, them move onto a third. This is far more interesting to watch than two people talking.
As part of our editing, we have made the cuts between shots faster, as in the prelim, the pace dragged whilst one character walked slowly towards a door, then engaged in a long speech to the other character.
In conclusion, I have learnt far more about how to film and how to edit than I did at the start. I have also learnt to be more ambitious with our locations and scope of ideas.
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