NARRATIVE STRUCTURE
The film follows a non-linear narrative structure, as the audience aren't shown the full story from the start. Flashbacks are shown later on to explain the situations.
THRILLER CODES AND CONVENTIONS
Partial vision is used throughout the film, making the audience unsure of what is happening. It is also set in an urban surrounding, which is a typical convention of a thriller film, where the exotic is introduced to everyday life.
CAMERAWORK
Close ups are used in the film to highlight details. Shot reverse shot is also used during dialogue. Establishing shots are included to set the scene.
MISE-EN-SCENE
The props included are mostly torture devices. Which shows how people are being killed, therefore making it more frightening to the audience. There is also a lot of blood in the film, which has connotations of death and injury.
SOUND
Emphasis is put on to the small things in saw. The sound effects from the torture devices emphasise the horror of it. Music is also used in the film to make it more suspenseful. The music within the film is quite dark, which goes along well with the film.
EDITING
Cutting is used a lot throughout the film, and is done very successfully. There are many good examples of match-on-action throughout.
GRAPHICS
The credits of the film are in strange type. This gives the impression that the film is going to be different to anything you've ever seen before. Which is an accurate depiction.
Friday, 13 March 2009
The Shining
NARRATIVE STRUCTURE
The film follows a very linear narrative structure
THRILLER CODES AND CONVENTIONS
The main giveaway to the audience that implies that The Shining is a film of the thriller genre, is the music that is played throughout. It's all very eerie and builds suspense. Also, the isolated hotel they reside in, has connotations of a thriller film, as it doesn't seem safe. Everything is dragged out in the film, making it more suspenceful and creating an atmosphere - a typical thriller convention to make it more exciting.
CAMERAWORK
Within the film, there are many close up reaction shots to show the characters feelings and terror. This helps emphasise the horror of the situations. Throughout, there are also many long shots, to set the scene and show the scenic surroundings of the place it's set. Point of view shots also are included to give a sense of what the characters are seeing, a good example of this is the corridor scene in which the little boy keeps seeing the twin girls getting closer, as it created a scary atmosphere.
MISE-EN-SCENE
The colour red is key throughout the film, as it has connotations of blood, therefore many of the props and costume items are red to follow suit. Another relevant prop would be the little boys bike. The way it sounds and moves either slow or fast, depending on what the current situation is builds suspense to the audience.
SOUND
As previously mentioned, throughout the film, music is played to create a tense atmosphere for the audience, similarly, sound effects are used to emphasise this too.
EDITING
Cutting is used throughout.
GRAPHICS
The credits to the film are plain. Which gives the audience no clue as to what will happen in the film.
NARRATIVE STRUCTURE
The film follows a very linear narrative structure
THRILLER CODES AND CONVENTIONS
The main giveaway to the audience that implies that The Shining is a film of the thriller genre, is the music that is played throughout. It's all very eerie and builds suspense. Also, the isolated hotel they reside in, has connotations of a thriller film, as it doesn't seem safe. Everything is dragged out in the film, making it more suspenceful and creating an atmosphere - a typical thriller convention to make it more exciting.
CAMERAWORK
Within the film, there are many close up reaction shots to show the characters feelings and terror. This helps emphasise the horror of the situations. Throughout, there are also many long shots, to set the scene and show the scenic surroundings of the place it's set. Point of view shots also are included to give a sense of what the characters are seeing, a good example of this is the corridor scene in which the little boy keeps seeing the twin girls getting closer, as it created a scary atmosphere.
MISE-EN-SCENE
The colour red is key throughout the film, as it has connotations of blood, therefore many of the props and costume items are red to follow suit. Another relevant prop would be the little boys bike. The way it sounds and moves either slow or fast, depending on what the current situation is builds suspense to the audience.
SOUND
As previously mentioned, throughout the film, music is played to create a tense atmosphere for the audience, similarly, sound effects are used to emphasise this too.
EDITING
Cutting is used throughout.
GRAPHICS
The credits to the film are plain. Which gives the audience no clue as to what will happen in the film.
Sunday, 18 January 2009
Task 8: Shot List
Shot List
Carl pulled out of van
Carl thrown against wall
Attackers dialogue
Carl pathetic
Attackers dialogue
Attacker spit
Stamp on phone
Cooking
Clock
Impatient
Phone call
Phone call 2
Carl pulled out of van
Carl thrown against wall
Attackers dialogue
Carl pathetic
Attackers dialogue
Attacker spit
Stamp on phone
Cooking
Clock
Impatient
Phone call
Phone call 2
Questionnaire Results
Questionnaire Results
1. The majority of our audience where aged 16-18.
2. Around half of the people asked enjoyed thriller films, mostly because they enjoyed the suspense, and found them very exciting. But the people who do not enjoy thrillers often find this as they do not understand what is going on in the film.
3. The favourite film among the people asked was either Jaws or Se7en.
4. The most popular choice for these two films was because of the way they built up tension, in Se7en because of how the audience doesn't know who is killing the people or why, and in Jaws because of the excellent use of music.
5. The main things our audience expects in a thriller films is violence, weapons and an exciting story line.
6. 60% of people surveyed say they have seen more than 30 thriller films, 20% asked said around 10, and the remaining 20% have seen under 10 thriller films.
7. The majority of people asked did expect to see some gore in thriller films, but not a lot.
8. The favourite films genre among the people surveyed was comedy, and the main reason for this is that they can also enjoy the film without having to put too much thought into what is happening.
1. The majority of our audience where aged 16-18.
2. Around half of the people asked enjoyed thriller films, mostly because they enjoyed the suspense, and found them very exciting. But the people who do not enjoy thrillers often find this as they do not understand what is going on in the film.
3. The favourite film among the people asked was either Jaws or Se7en.
4. The most popular choice for these two films was because of the way they built up tension, in Se7en because of how the audience doesn't know who is killing the people or why, and in Jaws because of the excellent use of music.
5. The main things our audience expects in a thriller films is violence, weapons and an exciting story line.
6. 60% of people surveyed say they have seen more than 30 thriller films, 20% asked said around 10, and the remaining 20% have seen under 10 thriller films.
7. The majority of people asked did expect to see some gore in thriller films, but not a lot.
8. The favourite films genre among the people surveyed was comedy, and the main reason for this is that they can also enjoy the film without having to put too much thought into what is happening.
Friday, 16 January 2009
Task 12
Evaluation
Our thriller film challenges the usual conventions of a film of that genre in a number of different ways. Instead of starting off with eerie or tense music, the audience are thrown into the situation whereby the main character is leaving the pub. This may be confusing to someone watching the film because it goes against the average thriller film, as there is no big murder or clue as to what will happen further on in the film at the beginning, it simply just starts from the beginning and follows a chronological order. Also, there is no eerie music in it at any point during the opening. Just sound effects and dialogue – unlike the average thriller film which may require tense music to build up an atmosphere, we didn’t feel it was necessary to include it within our own. In some ways however it does follow the typical conventions of a thriller film. For example, the location is in an urban setting, and there are things that happen within it that may be seen as being out of the ordinary, otherwise known as ‘the exotic’. There is also plenty of partial visions throughout it, as people watching are unaware of the attacker’s motives at the beginning, it is only later that his reasoning is revealed.
In our film there was clearly a divide between the roles of men and women. Karl was out at the pub after work whilst Kate was at home making his dinner for him. This is a very stereotypical view, and it was unintentional, but emphasizes the divide between sexes and their roles. The type of social group it shows were thugs and people involved with drugs. Within it there is an implicit message to the audience of how drugs can affect people. This may set a good example to some.
The film we made would be best suited to be distributed to an English film company; this is because it is a low budget, British film with actors that aren’t well known. Because of these reasons it would be doubtful that any big American film distributor would be keen to invest, as independent films tend to appeal only to a select audience as they are an acquired taste. We would make a pitch to a company similar to FilmFour, as they have produced other british independent films that have a similar theme and look to them. Therefore, people who are fans of FilmFour films would be interested in our film to, because they liked other films from the same distributor. FilmFour is well known and has a good name too, which may be an advantage when trying to advertise the film prior to release.
The audience of our film would be likely to be a select kind. Independent film enthusiasts among them. We would also be glad to appeal to young adults, as the film does carry a distinct message throughout, and shows the bad affects drugs can have on people’s lives. Adults may also be interested by the film, because it has a good storyline, and it seems to be intriguing. The film would not appeal to younger children, and parents would be recommended not to show it to their children, due to bad language, violence, and drug use. This is why we made the certificate ages 15, in order to prevent younger children from seeing it. However, we didn’t feel it necessary to make it an 18, plus a higher rating restricts audiences, therefore restricting profits. The audience we were concentrating on creating while making the film was young adults, ages from 16 to 30. These are target age groups for drug use in society today, but it would also be easier for this generation of people to relate to the characters, and therefore more appealing to them.
Before making the film, we embarked on finding some relevant audience research that related to our project. Through this, we were able to identify with our target audience and found out what it was that interested them, what they liked and disliked within thriller films. We found that people generally enjoyed thriller films, because of the suspense created in them and the way they were able to make people excited. The two most favoured thriller films of the people taken part in our questionnaire were Jaws and SE7EN, reasons for this were because of the tension that builds up throughout both films. Music in particular was noted in Jaws, and in SE7EN, and people liked the use of partial vision throughout. Therefore we took these views into account, and when filming, incorporated in things that follow similar themes.
Our aim when creating the film, was to intrigue and entertain audiences. To do this, we followed some of the stereotypical thriller conventions, as keeping it classic and sticking to the rules was our best bet at getting it completely right. However, we kept it interesting through different ways. Throughout it we focused on realism, so that it didn't seem too far-fetched. Though through the film we introduced the exotic in to the realistic setting, which in a way made it more effective.
Before making the film, I had no knowledge of how to use any recording equipment. Now though, I would be able to operate equipment such as camera's, tripod's, tracks etc. I have also learnt how to use Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 when editing/cutting film. Towards the beginning of the project I wasn't able to use it with ease, but now I would feel much more confident when editing film with that programme as I got used to it.
I feel that I have learnt a lot since the preliminary task in film making. There is a noticable difference between the film made earlier and the thriller one I have been involved in more recently. I'm pleased with what I've learnt, and I think that the improvement in films is quite obvious. Even though I'm pleased, I was dissappointed with the problem we encountered at
the end of the film, whereby the sound cut off for the last 10 seconds, which was bad because in the last 10 seconds things become clear to Kate that Carl isn't coming home.
Our thriller film challenges the usual conventions of a film of that genre in a number of different ways. Instead of starting off with eerie or tense music, the audience are thrown into the situation whereby the main character is leaving the pub. This may be confusing to someone watching the film because it goes against the average thriller film, as there is no big murder or clue as to what will happen further on in the film at the beginning, it simply just starts from the beginning and follows a chronological order. Also, there is no eerie music in it at any point during the opening. Just sound effects and dialogue – unlike the average thriller film which may require tense music to build up an atmosphere, we didn’t feel it was necessary to include it within our own. In some ways however it does follow the typical conventions of a thriller film. For example, the location is in an urban setting, and there are things that happen within it that may be seen as being out of the ordinary, otherwise known as ‘the exotic’. There is also plenty of partial visions throughout it, as people watching are unaware of the attacker’s motives at the beginning, it is only later that his reasoning is revealed.
In our film there was clearly a divide between the roles of men and women. Karl was out at the pub after work whilst Kate was at home making his dinner for him. This is a very stereotypical view, and it was unintentional, but emphasizes the divide between sexes and their roles. The type of social group it shows were thugs and people involved with drugs. Within it there is an implicit message to the audience of how drugs can affect people. This may set a good example to some.
The film we made would be best suited to be distributed to an English film company; this is because it is a low budget, British film with actors that aren’t well known. Because of these reasons it would be doubtful that any big American film distributor would be keen to invest, as independent films tend to appeal only to a select audience as they are an acquired taste. We would make a pitch to a company similar to FilmFour, as they have produced other british independent films that have a similar theme and look to them. Therefore, people who are fans of FilmFour films would be interested in our film to, because they liked other films from the same distributor. FilmFour is well known and has a good name too, which may be an advantage when trying to advertise the film prior to release.
The audience of our film would be likely to be a select kind. Independent film enthusiasts among them. We would also be glad to appeal to young adults, as the film does carry a distinct message throughout, and shows the bad affects drugs can have on people’s lives. Adults may also be interested by the film, because it has a good storyline, and it seems to be intriguing. The film would not appeal to younger children, and parents would be recommended not to show it to their children, due to bad language, violence, and drug use. This is why we made the certificate ages 15, in order to prevent younger children from seeing it. However, we didn’t feel it necessary to make it an 18, plus a higher rating restricts audiences, therefore restricting profits. The audience we were concentrating on creating while making the film was young adults, ages from 16 to 30. These are target age groups for drug use in society today, but it would also be easier for this generation of people to relate to the characters, and therefore more appealing to them.
Before making the film, we embarked on finding some relevant audience research that related to our project. Through this, we were able to identify with our target audience and found out what it was that interested them, what they liked and disliked within thriller films. We found that people generally enjoyed thriller films, because of the suspense created in them and the way they were able to make people excited. The two most favoured thriller films of the people taken part in our questionnaire were Jaws and SE7EN, reasons for this were because of the tension that builds up throughout both films. Music in particular was noted in Jaws, and in SE7EN, and people liked the use of partial vision throughout. Therefore we took these views into account, and when filming, incorporated in things that follow similar themes.
Our aim when creating the film, was to intrigue and entertain audiences. To do this, we followed some of the stereotypical thriller conventions, as keeping it classic and sticking to the rules was our best bet at getting it completely right. However, we kept it interesting through different ways. Throughout it we focused on realism, so that it didn't seem too far-fetched. Though through the film we introduced the exotic in to the realistic setting, which in a way made it more effective.
Before making the film, I had no knowledge of how to use any recording equipment. Now though, I would be able to operate equipment such as camera's, tripod's, tracks etc. I have also learnt how to use Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 when editing/cutting film. Towards the beginning of the project I wasn't able to use it with ease, but now I would feel much more confident when editing film with that programme as I got used to it.
I feel that I have learnt a lot since the preliminary task in film making. There is a noticable difference between the film made earlier and the thriller one I have been involved in more recently. I'm pleased with what I've learnt, and I think that the improvement in films is quite obvious. Even though I'm pleased, I was dissappointed with the problem we encountered at
the end of the film, whereby the sound cut off for the last 10 seconds, which was bad because in the last 10 seconds things become clear to Kate that Carl isn't coming home.
Friday, 5 December 2008
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