Tasha's Question 5 Answer

Question 5- Audience

How did you attract/address your audience?

In the early stages of planning our thriller one of the first things we did was choose our target audience. This then helped to plan and construct the storyline and narrative around what would appeal to this particular audience. I think when deciding on who you want your target audience to be is very important as this then allowed us to make certain filming decisions to appeal to what the audience would be engaged by.

 For example, as I stated in question four; ‘our target audience are 17 - 25 year old males and females. To appeal to this audience we have used actors who are in this age range so that the issues and topics portrayed are more realistic. We also felt that in terms of our storyline the audience will be able to relate to the situations the characters go through. As well as being able to sympathize and also emphasize with the feelings and emotions the characters express.

The reason why we have chosen an audience of this age group is due to the fact that the dilemmas and circumstances that our characters face our mainly centred around relationship issues which children of a younger age would most likely be too young to understand and emphasize with’.

Overall, I think the decisions and choices we made have successfully helped to attract and appeal to our audience. Below is some audience feedback from an individual who fits the criteria for our target audience.

Connor, aged 18:

When asked what he liked about our thriller opening Connor said “I enjoyed the immediate suspense that was set up with the panic of the main character and the mystery of who the true murderer was”. This shows that the structure of the narrative was convincing and engaging for the audience. He also commented that “The victim was very convincing in the roll, as the panic displayed really played out. It showed the understandable sense of fear for the given situation”. Suggesting that the structure of characterisation and identity was very relatable.

Another element that we succeeded in was making sure the thriller opening appeals to our audience, when asked if it does Connor stated “It does due to the opening mystery (who is the true murderer) presented.”

The type of characters that Connor said appealed to him are relatable ones; “A seemingly ordinary character thrown into the scenarios of the film”. I believe that we have achieved this due to the fact that the main protagonist is just an average women who’s having marriage trouble. However, she is thrown into a whirlwind of chaos and madness. We have made the character relatable as she reacts to the events that take place in an understandable way, that any person would react similar to.

I also asked Connor if the narrative appeals to him; “It does to a degree due to the opening suspense and the unanswered questions given during the course. However, with the key mystery of the murderer being revealed early on it leaves me curious as to how it would continue”. When taking this feedback into consideration, I think that if we were to go back and recreate the narrative we wouldn’t reveal so much prime detail in the beginning of the film. Although I do feel that as the criteria was to make a thriller opening that we wanted to put as much drama into it as we could to keep it engaging.

Tasha's Question 4 Answer

Question 4- Audience

Who would be the audience for your media product? 

Our audience are 17 - 25 year old males and females.

To appeal to this audience we have used actors who are in this age range so that the issues and topics portrayed are more realistic. We also felt that in terms of our storyline the audience will be able to relate to the situations the characters go through. As well as being able to sympathize and also emphasize with the feelings and emotions the characters express.

The reason why we have chosen an audience of this age group is due to the fact that the dilemmas and circumstances that our characters face our mainly centred around relationship issues which children of a younger age would most likely be too young to understand and emphasize with.

The certification of our opening-

To appeal to our target audience, we wanted to be able to show as much of the action as possible without having to censor too much out. As this would affect the films narrative and therefore be structured around the certification rather than trying to meet the conventions of a thriller genre. So, after looking at the British Board of Film Classification's, we felt that a 15 certificate would be more suited to our opening as some scenes do contain strong violence but not in really close depth or for very long. The scenes of violence aren’t prolonged for very long. Similar with the scene with the drug being added to the drink, this is briefly shown as a flashback. In conclusion, our film is rated at a 15 as we felt the brief for this certificate is appropriate for this type of audience as our thriller meets the expectations for this.

What a 15 rated film will include-

A film rated 15 may include strong violence ("it should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury, however, and the strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable"), drug taking, strong threat or horror (though not a "sustained focus").

Tasha's Question 3 Answer

Question 3- Institution

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

There are three stages involved in the process of a film getting to the spectators:

Film Production – Making the film

• Film Distribution – Securing the placement of the film on an exhibitors screen and for home viewing
• Film Exhibition – The place the audience watch the film

As a British independent film production company we have two choices in relation to distributing our media product:

• An independent film distribution company - this means that we as the films production company will license the film to the independent film distribution company. Meaning that the distributor is given the legal rights to exploit the film by us; the production company, in return for a financial agreement.
• Distribute the media product ourselves- meaning that we will have no help from any other film distributor companies. By using the advantage of the various possibilities of the digital age.

An example of an independent distribution company that could distribute our film would be Momentum or now know as Entertainment One which is a private film distribution company. They would promote our film in various ways such as; using adverts or by using a trailer of our film. They would be able to secure an exhibition for our film in an independent cinema like the Duke of York’s in Brighton.

Alternatively, our production company could be independent and not use a distribution company. We would then use our own resources to promote and market our film. We would exhibit our film on a source like YouTube.

Various ways the audience get to see the film:

There are various ways that an audience can view a film, this can be achieved through multiple media platforms. However these platforms are either chosen by the distribution company or the production company distributing the media product independently.

Ways audiences can view films:

• In the Cinema
• Through home viewing; TV or DVD
• Or on the move i.e. portable viewing; mobiles, tablets etc
• Video On Demand

• Downloading - the film is owned by the consumer and they can watch the film without internet access.
• Streaming – consumer can watch the film from various devices but cannot own it.

Film release:

There are numerous ways a film can be released e.g. on different media platforms but each platform has to release the film at a different time:

• Cinemas (Theatrical release) - 0-4 months
• DVD release - 4-6 months

•  Pay TV / VOD - after 6 months
• Free to air TV (e.g. BBC, ITV) - after 2 years

What cinemas would your film be shown in?

Mainstream vs Independent-

As our thriller has been produced on a low budget by our independent British film production company, it is therefore realistic that we show our thriller in an independent cinema. An example of an independent cinema that would be suitable to show our film is the Duke of York’s in Brighton. As it is well known for showing films that are independent and don’t meet the criteria of a mainstream film.

Independently distributing our film digitally:

In the digital age new devices and platforms have made it easier and more of an option to reach audiences through these new media devices. For example, YouTube is one of the sources that we could use to distribute our thriller as it is the third most popular website in the world. People who use YouTube can access it on any device at any time as long as they have a connection. This gives independent production companies like us an advantage as it’s free to upload our media product and will be released to a global audience. Also as a result of people viewing the film we will gain an advert revenue, which is a prime example of monetization.  

Marketing the film:

Huge mainstream films will usually spend a lot of money to market their film, here are some examples of how films are marketed:

• Radio
• TV
• Billboards
• Synergy-with other businesses e.g. McDonalds promotes Star Wars by containing images and characters from the film on their products
• Interviews- with the director and actors

When marketing our film independently we would use:

• Social Media- this is a key source when distributing a film independently
• Hold screenings
• Independent film festivals

Overall, I think the most realistic option for releasing our film is to do it independently as a production company due to the fact that we are on a low budget. We also won’t have any licensing agreements preventing us from marketing and distributing our film in a particular way. This is also a very wise chose in this day and age as we have the advantage of new media to help make our film successful and get the best possible outcome.

Tasha's Question 2 Answer

 

Question 2: How does your media product represent particular social groups?


A media product can represent various different social groups such as: 

• Age
• Gender
• Ethnicity
• Sexuality
• Class & Status
• Disability & Ability
• Regional Identity

Our thriller opening has strongly represented some of these social groups such as; gender and disability. We have presented these in our media product through the use of camerawork, sound, mise en scene and editing.


Here is how we represented the social group of gender through these four different technical codes-

Camera:

At the very beginning of the thriller opening spectators are presented with a quick tracking shot of the female protagonist, Anna lying down against a tree in the woods. This shot then differs between a close up and medium close up of the subject, showing that she looks very confused and out of place. The female character portrays a sense of vulnerability and weakness as she expresses through the use of these shots that she is helpless.

Shortly after this there are a series of handheld tracking shots of the female running through the woods expressing how terrified and frantic she has become. This then leads to a medium two shot of both the female protagonist and the male antagonist in the kitchen of their house. During this shot it is made aware to the audience that the female character is in need of comfort and reassurance from her husband.  Suggesting that she is dependent on her husband to help her stop feeling so weak and vulnerable. This is then followed by a close up of her crying into her husband’s shoulder. The characters facial expression suggests that she is unable to control her emotions.

Alternatively, the representation of the male character; John is constructed in a different way compared to the representation of Anna. For example, during the opening sequence the spectators are presented with a medium shot of the male standing in a serious and bold position whilst looking out of the window. This shot then pans and converts to a tilt and zoom, focusing on a prop on the table. However, viewers are still able to see John walking out of the shot, as this is done the audience will notice how calm and collective John is. When in comparison to Anna, who is also shown in the same medium shot to be running frantically passed the window that John is looking out of. When considering the synopsis of the film, it is clear that John is the catalyst behind all of these events and that he knows why his wife is running. So for him to be so calm and collective over such a traumatic situation in comparison to his wife who is reacting in a frantic state, further expresses the differences between how each gender is portrayed in our thriller opening.


Mise En Scene:

In regards to the gender of Anna, it is clear that she is your typical girlie girl. This is constructed through her hair, make up and costume as it resembles the criteria of what a stereotypical feminine girl would look like. However, the fact that these three assets are shown to be ruined is obvious to viewers that she didn’t plan to look like that and the reason why she does is due to the action that’s taken place prior to this. Even though when planning the look and style of how the character of Anna would appear in the thriller opening, we knew that the audience would realise that this is not an obvious look of choice. As the fact that she is wearing pink and has pink hair helps pursue her character as a feminine girl who wouldn’t usually be looking really scruffy and messy. This is due to the fact that pink is associated to be a girl’s colour.

Another element of mise en scene that shows how we’ve portrayed gender in our opening is the setting. For example, at the beginning of the sequence Anna wakes up in the middle of the woods. It is obvious that she is out of her element as like I discussed before, she is a very girly girl who wouldn’t be the type to be associated with the woods. So by us choosing to shoot some of her scenes in this location it uses juxtaposition as the two things put together create an even level of contrast for the scene.

Gender is also constructed through certain areas in mise en scene like props, as both characters end up using one prop in particular but in very different ways. For instance, a knife is one of the things that both characters end up holding at different points during our opening. Anna is the first character to hold the knife and her reaction to it suggests that she is not used to holding a knife in this context. As when she wakes up in the opening scene it is clear from her facial expression and body language that her reaction is surprised and shocked to why she is holding a bloody knife in her hand. The manner in which she is holding the knife further suggest that she is scared of the object rather than taking control of it, this is suggested by the way that she holds the knife from a distance to her body.

Whereas in comparison to when John holds the knife in this medium close up, he appears to know how to handle it and is clearly not scared to use or hold it. During the scene in the kitchen when he picks up the knife it is suggested that using it is like a second nature to John, as he doesn’t seem sceptical or hesitant. When analysing this area further, I think it is clear that John is portrayed as the more confident character in terms of using the knife. As he is the one who ends up actually using the knife for murder.

Sound:
When looking at how we presented gender in terms of sound this is created in an obvious way through the use of on screen diegetic dialogue. For example, when Anna starts talking in the kitchen scene, her tone of voice is scared and panicked as she is obviously distressed and reacting to the situation in an emotional way. When in contrast John is very composed and serious as he responds “I know you didn’t do it”, whilst maintaining an expressionless facial expression. This alternate response suggests that as a man he is not as likely to reveal his emotions as openly as Anna is doing so.

Editing:
During both when Anna is first waking up and when she is having flashbacks the use of filters are edited in.

This creates the impression of her state of mind and how she is a victim of being drugged, further suggesting that she is the weaker sex in this plot. When looking in more detail at the overlapping editing used to create this montage of flashbacks, it makes it clear that John is the catalyst behind this aftermath. For example, one of the flashbacks shows him drugging a drink,

it has been made clear in the synopsis that he’d been drugging Anna for some time to cause her to have memory loss. By him drugging the drink it symbolises the start of all the chaos and that he is the one who has created this mayhem. Further signifying that he is the one that has the control and power over the whole situation.

I think that the medium two shot of both the characters in the kitchen scene is one that denotes a lot of symbolism and hidden meaning as I’ve analysed previously. The composition of the two characters in this shot summarises the way gender is represented in our thriller opening.

The male’s body language is very closed and serious whilst his facial expression is somewhat expressionless; giving off a sense od apathy. In contrast to the females body language reveals through non-verbal leakage that she is both terrified and in need of comfort; expressed through her head hung low and using her hands to cover her face showing that she is upset and wanting to compose this but failing to do so.

Summary:
Overall, I feel that the representation of gender in our thriller opening shows quite a contrast in terms of how their presented. Males are represented as more aggressive and very composed emotionally. Whereas, females are shown to be the weaker sex and lacking emotional stability.

Traditional stereotypes-

Obviously in our thriller opening the situations presented are very extreme and not your usual scenario. However, I feel that the representations are presented to be of traditional gender stereotypes; where the women has less authority and is more likely to be a victim. Whereas the man is the dominant one who is more masculine and controlling.  

Portrayed negatively-
I think that we portray each gender in a negative way, which is good in terms of fitting the conventions of a thriller genre. As this helps maintain the seriousness and captivation of a stereotypical thriller.
Using stereotypes-
We decided to use stereotypical gender roles as this fit best with our storyline and because we felt that by doing so it would attract a mass audience. Whereas if we were to go against gender stereotypes it would still attract an audience but mostly of a sub-culture of different norms and values, such as a niche audience. Which wouldn’t be as large as the audience we wanted to originally attract. This is due to the fact that there is a wide range number of people associated with mainstream stereotypes that all have similar values and interests. Whereas a niche audience are a sun-culture that have unique interests allows us to focus on alternative areas associated with gender.

Here is how we represented the social group of being disabled through these four different technical codes-

*The terms 'disabled' means a person who has a physical or mental condition that limits their movements, senses, or activities. I personally believe that having a disability means being less abled than others but not just mentally or physically.

In our thriller opening we focused on the area of having a mental disability. As having a mental disability can come under many areas. In this context the character of John is a psychopath who is very mentally unstable as he has killed a lot of people and tried to emotionally traumatize his wife. We also wanted to express the way his wife would be feeling mentally as well, as she has gone through a very traumatic event.

Camera/Editing:

We have constructed this through the use of using lots of point of view shots as this gives the audience an insight into what that character see's and their view of it.

We then developed this idea by editing filters and visual effects into the point of view shot to make them connote the way a certain character, in this case Anna, would be mentally feeling.

Mise En Scene:
I think the John's mental state is constructed well through the use of the actors body language and facial expression as he comes across a very cold and hostile. His persona is one that we wanted our audience to find intriguing and create enigma amongst them.

Sound:
The use of sound is also a very good well to help represent the mental state of both the characters as we were able to use a wide variations of sound techniques to develop and challenge this. For example, by creating a voice over of us whispering and then by using Final Cut Pro to add creepy ghost-like effects. It gave spectators a feeling of what was going on inside the female protagonists head as she is waking up. This combined with a blurred filter and flashbacks of a figure walking towards her helped create the effect of the audience being able to really feel like they are experiencing what they are seeing from her point of view. All of these elements put together helped us construct a mental state of the character that comes across as disorientated and delusional.

Tasha's Audience Feedback

Connor's Audience Feedback- Age18

After watching our thriller opening what’s your opinion and suggestions of the following-

Editing:

• Use of filters – they were well varied to show the variation of emotions and disposition experienced by the character. However the opening filter seemed to be overdone, although it did well to show her confusion of waking up the way she did.
• Different transitions e.g. cut, fade, dissolve – It was a good way to transition between the flashbacks and the forest scenes, and it allowed for an interesting transition between her in the present and her remembering parts of how she got there.
• The montage of flashbacks (overlapping editing) – this was also a useful way to tie her remembering whilst keeping the main focus on her in the present.
• The style of our production company logo and title – the logo gave a strong sense of professionalism to the production. The title gave more to the sense of mystery that had been developed due to the variation of the almost casualness of the, title compared to the panic of the film.

Sound:

• The whispering at the beginning – They added to the feeling of confusion that the character must have been feeling in the opening scene.
• The music during the running and flashback scenes – Heightened the sense of drama as well as giving more of a clear sense to the panic the character felt.
• The music at the end when the title appears – It helped with the sense of mystery that was lefty by the final few scenes.
• The dialogue – It was useful to emphasise the fear felt by the character though it seemed to be fairly clunky in delivery of the last line. It also gave the sense of apathy by the killer.
• The foley sound effects used (sounds edited in after filming to make certain things sound more realistic e.g. the water running and when the female character falls to the ground)- While I wouldn’t say these added that much to the opening they did make the film seem more natural and relatable.

Camera:

• Did we use enough camera shot/angles? Yes the variation given between third and first person amounted present scenes and flashbacks added the sense of drama and panic to the film.

Mise en Scene:

• Were the characters convincing and relatable? – The victim was very convincing in the roll as the panic displayed really played out. It showed the understandable sense of fear for the given situation.
• What did you think of the costumes/settings/props used? – The use of waking up in the forest gave a good sense of confusion and having the flashbacks putting the character back in a house added to this.

Overall:

• What did you like/dislike about the thriller opening? – I enjoyed the immediate suspense that was set up with the panic of the main character and the mystery of who the true murderer was. I disliked the fact that the mystery of the murderer was revealed in the opening so it removed that possible mystery.
• Did you know it was a thriller? – Yes the genre was made quite clear by the opening mystery of the main character waking up beside the body.
• What do you think we should have done differently? – The final shot didn’t seem particularly necessary and could have been left as more of an audience imagination scene.
• Does this type of thriller appeal to you? If so why? – It does due to the opening mystery (who is the true murderer) presented, however with that quickly it wouldn’t necessarily leave me wanting to continue.
• What thriller films do you like? The Forest, Inception, The Departed. Movies that have a continued sense of suspense or mystery throughout.
• Did this remind you of a thriller film in particular? If so why?
• What type of characters would normally appeal to you? – Relatability. A seemingly ordinary character thrown into the scenarios of the film.
• Does the storyline appeal to you? – It does to a degree due to the opening suspense and the unanswered questions given during the course. However, with the key mystery of the murderer being revealed early on it leaves me curious as to how it would continue.