Thriller Evaluation

Thriller Evaluation "What's Hiding Within"


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

We feel that our sequence has the typical conventions of a

 thriller for example the first shot is a point if view shot of the woods. This is also due to the plot being about two teenagers that have been killed in a wood’s and a women that had escaped from a psycho ward is being framed for the murder. The shots we used to film my thriller were all realistic using hand held camera work throughout. We feel we used a typical location for a thriller in a wood in the daylight. The editing gives the viewer an idea of what is going to happen throughout the rest of the film. The

main character to our thriller is introduced by running through a woods looking very scared.

2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?

I feel that my thriller is aimed at 15-25 year olds. This is due to the story line being about murder and killing. Using my research on the Pearl and Dean website I found out that most thrillers seem to be watched by 15-25 age groups. So I decided to try and aim my thriller opening at 

the same age group. I feel that our thriller opening will attract male, female and all races. We feel our thriller does fit the normal stereotype of women being scared, nervous and shy which again i think will aim at the age groups.

These two picture are very similar. One is taken from our thriller opening and the other is from a thriller called The Forgotten.

3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

We feel that the main way to make our film better known would be to use famous actors for the main characters in the film also we feel that the storyline could make a mainstream film. If this were to happen we feel this would attract more people to see the film due to the actors staring in it. we also feel that if my media product did go to a mainstream cinema we feel it mite later become a TV movie. Due to the budget of our media product it will not be released as a mainstream but as an art house. We would still hope that out product would have a good film and a lot of people would want to watch it. The independent cinema that we would use to release is the Genesis Cinema in London, this is because it would have more of a chance to be viewed by people because London is a busy city.

4. Who would be the audience for your media product?

My media product would be suitable for male and female audiences and also all races which are aged between 15-40 year olds. I feel the rating of my media product should be 12A or 15 due to the style and content of my product.

These two pictures are examples of the age group that our thriller is aimed at. The Pearl and Dean screen grab is of a thriller called Nightmare On Elm Street which is being released in May 2010.

The age group is the same as our thriller/ Media Product.

5. How did you attract/ address your audience?

All for my media product was filmed using a hand held camera to represent a point of view shot of the viewer of women. For example the shot of the women funning through the wood is meant to make the viewer feel like they are running through the woods and understand how scared she actually is. The high angled shot at the end make the viewer understand how vulnerable the character is. All of these shots will give the viewer an idea of just how scared she is. Other shots may have made the viewer feel they are reading the newspapers themselves and how they were feeling as they did read the newspaper headlines. This all gives an impact of fear and suspense towards the viewer. In the questionnaire we used, the results showed that most people preferred an opening without dialogue.

6. What have you learnt about technologies from the processes of constructing the product?

The main technology used to make and produce my final media product was Final Cut Pro which I used to edit parts of my recording done using a camera. Using the camera was easy enough. However using Final Cut Pro to put it all together was much harder. Putting all my media product together using this was very complicated as it is hard to get the exact bit you want to use. This was the main problem I faced during the production of my product as I had never used this program before but once u start using it is very easy to learn

how to use. To produce the pictures using Photoshop to edit the text and reduce the size of the pictures also we used Garage Band to create the music that we used in our thriller opening. We combined a number of sounds together to create are final music for the thriller.    

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

I have learnt a wide ranger of media skills including production, filming and editing. The planning and research into thrillers gave me a go idea of what and how to produce my media product. Also I feel the experimenting producing the preliminary task helped me to understand different camera angles and shots. For the thriller I used hand held camera work because I wanted to give the viewer a feeling of the viewer actually being in the scene. I used match on action shots which I learnt in my preliminary talk work. 

This two pictures are taken from our preliminary task and media product. The one left is a point of view shot of the person who is walking into the room. Helps us to understand what they can see, and the one on the right is a high angled shot looking down at the women which makes her look scared and vulnerable.

Final Thriller Opening

Storyboard

Working Script

Working Script 

"What Hiding Within" 

Scene 1 description

In the opening scene to our thriller the scene will open with a blank screen. Over the top of the blank screen we are going to have some woman breathing heavily this suggests that the women is very scared and out of breathe. 

SCENE 2 

The next Scene is of a point of view shot of the protagonist running through the woods, this implies that the mother is running away from something or running towards something.

scene 3

There is a long shot of the women running through the woods which gives the same effect as scene 2 just from a different shot.

SCENE 4 

The next scene is from a straight cut from her running to a newspaper front page stating that two teenagers have gone missing.

SCENE 5 

It’s a close up shot of the two arms that have appeared laying in the woods, this suggests that there is someone dead or dying in the woods 

SCENE 6 

Scene 5 dissolves and the next scene appears, this will be another newspaper front pages saying about two teenage bodies found in the woods, this relates to the scene before because it suggests that the two arms where actually the two dead teenagers  is the article. 

SCENE 7 

In the next scene is of a high angle shot looking down at the women kneeling down on the ground crying, this make the women look very vulnerable. 

SCENE 8 

The next shot will be wiped from last shot and this will be of a newspaper article saying that a mother has been arrested for killing the two teenagers and this was the women who was in the woods. 

SCENE 9

This scene is of a long shot of the women being pulled along the corridor of the hospital to a sercuity ward, this suggests that they think she is very dangerous.

SCENE 10

The next shot is of a newspaper stating that the mother has been sentenced life in a psychiatric ward for the deaths of the two teenagers, this suggest that they also think she is crazy.

SCENE 11 

The last scene is of a shot up of the mother banging on the window of the room that she is staying in for life. 

Planning For Thriller Opening

Planning for Thriller Opening
"Whats Hiding Within"

THE TITLE OF THE FILM

Different titles we were thinking of for the opening of our thriller:
- The Grave
- What's Hiding Within
- What Walks Within The Darkness
- Escaped From The Darkness


SETTING/ LOCATION

We were thinking of different locations to set our thriller to what would best fit with the conventions:
- Woods
- Bedroom
- Estate
- Park
- Roof of a building


COSTUMES AND PROPS

Costumes that we will use:
- Jeans, white t-shirts and jumper for main character
- Pyjamas or hospital gowns for women who has escaped from the psychiatric ward


CAMERA WORK AND EDITING

The camera work and editing that we are going to produce in our thriller opening is:
- The camera work which i will uses hand held camera work.
- Tracking shots of women running through a wood. Over the top will be newspaper hedlines with information shown which will set the opening up for the rest of the film.


TITLE AND STYLE

The font style for the title we are thinking of using is:
- Newspaper fonts for the newspaper front pages to grab peoples attenetion to make you think that they are real.
- Bold and clear text which will match the newspaper texts.

STORY AND HOW THE OPENING SETD IT UP

The opening will set the film up by:
- The viewer seeing newspaper headlines flash in front of the picture they are looking at, which will tell them information about the film and what is going to happen as the film progresses.


GENRA AND HOW THE OPENING SUGGESTS IT

The opening of our thriller will suggest this by:
- Using all the conventions that are associated with thriller opening
- This will create mystery, suspense and tension to grab the attention of the viewer


HOW CHARACTERS ARE INTRODUCED

The characters are introduced by
- The main character is introduced by her running through a wood
- The other two character are introduced by us only seeing their arms laying on the ground


SPECIAL EFFECTS

The special effects in out thriller are going to be
- Newspaper headlines show infront of the picture being shown
- Also the titles which tells the viewer who is in the film, who it has been produced and editied by and what the name of the film is

Planning and Research

Thriller Questionnaire and Answers 

"What's Hiding Within"

Research and Planning

Preliminary Task

Research and Planning

Script for preliminary task.


Shot 1- This shot is a mid shot of a girl walking from from the camera.

Shot 2 - Shot 3 is a long shot of the girl walking towards the camera down the corridor.

Shot 3- The Next shot is a Point of view shot of the girl walking down the corridor.

Shot 4 - A point of view shot showing the girl about to open the door.

Shot 6 - Long shot of the girl walking through the door into the classroom.

Shot 7 - There’s a tracking shot of the girl moving around the room to sit on her chair opposite another girl.

Shot 8 - Twin mid shot of two people sitting at the table having an argument about boys

Shot 9 - Over the shoulder shot of girl trying to calm the other girl down.

Dialogue

Rachel: What do you want from me

Sophie: Where have you hide the bodies

Rachel: If your so clever you tell me

Characters Name-

1st Girl - Sophie

2nd Girl - Rachel

Research and Planning

Pre-lim Story Board 

Planning and Research

Opening Sequence Analysis the difference between Panic Room and Se7en

• Camera Shot/Angle/Movement
• The difference between the opening of Panic Room and Se7en is that in Se7en you get a lot of short camera shots that show different objects that look like would kill people which makes the character look evil/ a killer. Although in Panic Room has lots of long establishing shots which tells them audience more about were the film is going to be set. Both Panic Room and Se7en are directed by the same person which is David Fincher.   

• Sound
• The sound in the opening of Panic Room is all non diegetic until you get to the and when you have some dialogue with the two women talking who are walking through the streets. Although in Se7en their is a lot of diegetic sound. You hear what sounds like a saw/ knife being sharpened, also what sound like a women screaming. This adds a lot of tension to the opening scene.   

• Editing
• The editing in the opening of Panic Room shows a lot of long cuts which shows the audience a lot of information amount the film. Compared to Se7en where there are a lot of short cuts which makes the scene more intense and gives it a more scary effect about the film. 

• Mise en Scene
• The lighting in the opening of se7en is all artificial lighting/ yellow light which gives the effect that it has been filmed inside. The props used are all very evil like a someone is getting ready to kill. The setting seems to be in like a basement. The lighting in the opening of Panic Room is all natural light/ white light. This is due to it has been filmed outside and tells that audience more about the film. The setting is set in New York. 

• Characters
• The character in the opening of se7en we only ever see their hand. Which look to be male. In the opening of Panic Room we hear and see the two women talking which gives us the impression that these two people are going to the main characters. 

• Locations
• The location in the opening of Se7en seems to be in a basement. Which is dark, damp and seems like an unhappy place to be in which makes us feel sorry for the person who has be be in  the scene. The opening of Panic Room is set in New York which is a busy city and makes us feel that the film is going to be set in and around the city of New York. 

• Narrative/Plot
• Because the opening of Se7en focuses on the activities of the antagonist the audience can assume that the narrative and plot based around time and the consequences of his actions. This differs from Panic Room in the way that the tall building of the city dominate that opening without giving us any sort of really sense of the main character.         

Planning and Research

Se7en 

Opening Sequence Analysis of Se7en 

• Camera Shot/Angle/Movement
• The camera angles, shots and movement of the opening scene of se7en seem to be mainly a close up of a mans hands and other objects like books photographs. Using these camera shots and angles they build tension throughout the scene. Also at the beginning of the scene their is a high angled shot of a set of deformed hands.   

• Sound
• The sound in the opening scene is mainly non-diegetic sound. But in the middle of the scene you hear like an electrical drill which also sounds like an women screaming. Also the non-diegetic sound running throughout the scene seems to keep in time with what you see on the screen. 

• Editing
• The editing in the opening scene uses straight forward cuts for example at the beginning of the opening scene you see a set of hands flicking through a book, then they cut to the credits to tell you who is in the film, then it goes back to the book but this time it is open and with an high angled shit of the hands and then back to the opening credits. 

• Mise en Scene
• The Mise en Scene in the opening scene uses very dark and artificial lighting. Which makes the scene feel dark, gloomy and quite frightening. Also it seems like the light is focused on one particular point in each shot. Also the props used are books, photographs, a razor blade and a very strange prop to have is a tea bag in the scene. Their is a person hi-lighting words in a book and colouring over peoples faces. The opening scene to me looks like the character is processing a photography film to put into a book that they are making.  

• Characters
• Throughout the opening scene to the scene you only see one character. You only see close up of the characters hands, which look like a mans hands. We have no idea of what the character looks like but i would think that he is going to be the main character in the film.   

• Locations
• In the opening scene you don’t get much idea of where the character actually is. I would think that the character is in an basement or a laboratory. Somewhere that is not easily assessable. 

• Narrative/Plot
• The narrative plot in the opening scene death. Also i feel that it is about an unknown curial killer that kills people throughout the film. 

• Themes
• The themes running through the opening scene look like they are going to be death, suffering possible serial killer. 

• Visual Style
• In the opening of Se7en there are so many cuts in the first 35 seconds and we still don’t no really what is going on in the scene or what the main character looks like.  

• Genre
• I feel that the Genre in the film se7en is a thriller. I think this as all the scenes you see are dark short cuts that created a dangerous feeling to the film.  

Research and Planning

Panic Room           Opening Sequence Analysis for Panic Room 

• Camera Shot/Angle/Movement
• The camera shot is the opening scene of Panic Room used lots of establishing shot. The scene used lost of panning shots that look like to be taken in America. The camera angles in the oepinging scene are high angled shots looking up at the buildings which gives the viewer a feel of how tall the buildings and and the other camera shots and low angled shots looking down at the city.  

• Sound
• The sound in the opening scene on Panic Room is non-diegetic sound. The non-diegetic sound adds to the tension the in opening scene and gives the viewers an on edge feeling. 

• Editing
• The editing in the opening scene of Panic Room their is simple cuts between scenes and a sound bridge at the end where you can hear the two women talking but cant see them then the camera zooms on and we can see were the sound is coming from. Also the text running in front of the film this editing is a special effect.   

• Mise en Scene
• The Mise en Scene in the opening scene to Panic Room shows us the buildings which gives the viewers an idea of where the film is going to be set. Also the lighting in the film is natural daylight. The two women at the end of the opening scene are dressed in business like cloths as if they were going to work.  

• Characters
• The only characters in the opening scene of Panic Room that the audience see are the the two women who seem to be walking to work. This gives the audience an idea that the two women may be the main characters throughout the film.   

• Locations
• The location setting in the opening scene of Panic Room seem to be set in a big city like New York. We may think this as you see big sky scrapers and busy streets that look like what you would find in New York.  

• Narrative/Plot
• Unlike the opening of Se7en their is no clue of what is going to happen next of what the film is going to be about. 

• Themes
• Unlike Se7en the opening to Panic Room doesn’t give much away about what the film is going to be about. Although you have scenes of New York which gives the audience an idea that the film is going to be set in the city.  

• Visual Style
• The opening of Panic Room really doesn’t give much away about the film at all. Un till write at the end of the scene you actually see the characters.