Target Audience Research - Miss Miller

To understand what my target audience look for in a thriller film I created a questionaire which consisted of numerous questions such as "what characters do you like to see within a thriller film?". We targeted this questionaire towards a variety of people of different age and genders; this gave us a wide range of answers and a clearer understanding of what we wish to create to appeal to our a target audience. Within this questionaire we asked both open questions and closed questions. Open questions give the audience a chance to write whatever anser they want where as a close question gives the audience a group of set answers and they have to tick the appropriate answer. We chose closed questions for the majority of our questions as it meant that we could easily recod all the results. Our questions also didnt require open answers as the answers are usually one word and there is only a little amount of appropiate answers.

The first question i asked was "are you male or female?", i asked this question because it gave me a clearer idea of the gender i should be targeting with my opening thriller sequence. The results i recorded  for the question was surprising was men are stereotypically known for being the main gender who watches this specific genre.

I followed this question with my second question "how old are you?" the majority of people who answered this question fell under the age category of 15-20 this overwhelming majority was followed by 21-25 which was the answer for 25% of the 40 people i questioned. These results was what i expected as thriller films are usually targeted towards the younger audience as they look for excitement within a film. This means i will include fast paced music and scenes and shock when necessary.

The question "what would interest you in watching a thriller?" was the most important question in giving me a clear idea of what would be the most successful narrative within my opening sequence. The results to this questions was rather even, this means that i have to include a little bit of the majority of typical elements within a thriller.

To conclude i believe that m questionnaire results gave  me a clear understanding of how to appeal to my target audience. The questions i asked was vital as it had to result in answers which i could use to benefit my opening sequence and target towards the specific answer which had the majority of votes.

Opening Scene Analysis - Miss Georgiou

How does the opening sequence of Halloween, inform the audience of the codes and conventions of a thriller film?

A opening sequence aims to give the audience a slight understanding of what the film will be about. Within the opening sequence film makers try to introduce characters, the genre, the setting and a slight insight into the narrative. Typically within Thriller films suspense is used within the opening sequence as it draws in the audience and prompts them to want to watch more.

Sound plays a pivotal role within the opening sequence of "Halloween". For example off-screen sound is significantly used when the clock can be heard ticking as the killer enters the house, this effect represents a countdown to the girls death, to the audience. Contrapuntal sound can also be heard within the opening sequence of Halloween when the protagonist can be heard humming and singing a joyful tune, this contrasts the brutal murder which she is about to become the victim of.

Editing is not used frequently within the famous thriller "Halloween", in comparison with other films as throughout the majority of the opening only one point of view shot is used. This results in a rather slow paced scene which makes the audience feel calm which leaves them confused as this emotions contrasts the murder which is being seen on screen. Despite this panning effect is used as the camera pans around the house this sets the scene for the audience and gives them a understanding of the relatable setting.

Stereotypical conventions are also used within the opening of "Halloween". For example the initial music used is fast paced, this gets the audience heart racing and makes them fearful as to whats about to occur. The characters used are also stereotypical as there is a blonde vulnerable victim and a masked killer. Despite this the killer is presented as a child which is unstereotypical. The convention of violence  also is a focal point within the opening scene as the protagonist gets brutally stabbed, this allows the audience to understand the genre and makes them fearful of what this violence will lead too.

Group Narrative - Miss Georgiou

What is the purpose of a narrative?
A narrative is defined as a story written in a constructive format; it aims to add a theme to a movie and place it into a specific genre. It keeps the audience engaged as it takes them on a chronological journey which prompts them to from relationships with the characters. A narrative is the main element within a thriller film in keeping the audience engaged as well as them forming relationships and helping them enjoy the stoyline.

Group member 1 -
My idea was a very ill patient is in a hospital on a life support machine after being run over accidentally. When in the hospital a doctor walks in with a mask on he scares the patient who takes off all the medical equipment and runs out, the masked villain chases her out and into a forest where she dies from not being on the life support machine the antagonist then takes her back to the hospital and experiments on her. Despite thinking this was a good idea as a group we decided that we would not be able to create this narrative as we wouldnt have access to a hospital. But we did include a similar forest chase scene which resulted in the victim dying which i initially planned but we altered the narrative which resulted in a different chase scene with different context and ending.

Group member 2 -
A group of girls go to the cinema to see scary film the victim falls asleep, the film ended and everyone leaves the cinema leaving her on her own, she leaves the screening and enters the lobby to find the cinema is shut down and abandoned. She hears a cinema reel rolling she goes to analyse it where she finds a masked man, she runs away shutting the door. Once again we thought we wouldnt be able to make this as we wouldnt have access to a deserted cinema. We did think that this narrative successfully created suspense but didnt have the shock and suprise element of a conventional thriller film.

Group member 3 -
Wai-Lum - A man (steve) gets married to a single mother (katy).  The mother and the daughter (elizabeth), move in with Tom.  For years they live happily.  One day katie comes home crying from school, she talks to her dad and says that her best friend is going out with the guy she likes.  Tom treats Katy like his own daughter and this is the first time he has witnessed her being devasted.  He wants to solve the situation but he is thinking of a plan, he invites katy's friend over and it didnt go as he predicted as he wanted to talk to her friend calmly where he got flashing images of katy of being sad which makes him aggressive.  Tom lies to Katy's friend who is clueless about katy's anger.  Whilst her back is turned he grabs a vase and he smashes it on the back of her head.  She loses consciousness, and takes her to a hidden basement which his family does not know about, he puts the body in there, realises what he has done and becomes mentally unstable.  He continuously starts stabbing her as he is frighted that the victim will start telling everyone.  The police find out the girl is missing and go search houses and the guard dog smells the scent and gets arresting.

Group member 4 -
In her narrative teen girls have been reported missing.  A past female victim comes home one night from a party, however she has been drinking and is tipsy, but she is aware of her surroundings - whilst she walks, on the way she is unknowingly followed by a mass killer. She then eventually arrives home, whilst she enters her house she clumsily leaves her door open which becomes an easy access for the killer. The killer however doesn't kill her but he stalks her inside her own house. For months she carries on her normal life, he lives in her house in hiding. As a group we decided that this would be a good narrative for us to create which could be easily created as well as evoke shock, suspense and suprise within the audience. Despite this we felt that there was numerous other narratives which would appropriate as they would evoke numerous emotions as well as creating excitement.

Vladimir Propp:
Vladimir Propp was the founder of the theory that characters was the most important feature of a film and they make up the narrative. He categorised these characters into 9 category's: hero, villain, donor, dispatcher, false hero, helper, princess and father. He believed that this was the most efficient method to inform the audience of the narrative.

Tzvetan Todorov:
Tzvetan Todorov was the creator of the theory that stated that the narrative follows set guidlines which roughly feature within most films. He catagorised the stages within a film as: A state of equilibrium, a disruption of that order by an event, a recognition that the disorder has occurred, an attempt to repair the damage of the disruption, a return or restoration of a new equilibrium. He also believed that its these set guidlines which are the most important factor within a film.

After discussing the positives and negatives of each individual narrative idea we decided that our narrative would follow a young female victim as she gets home from work and is on the short walk from her car to her house. After exiting her car in a isolated car park she is immediately followed by a masked victim yielding a knife, un-beknown to her. He then continues to follow her out of the car park and down dark scary isolated pathway. After following her for a few minutes he knocks the gate alerating the victim to his presence. She is obviouslty startled by his presence and runs away from him into a nearby forest. He pursues her with intent and she thinks she has eventually lost him but after turning a corner he is there and brutally stabs her. A similar chase scene to the one we used featured within group 1 and 2's individual storyboard but the context of the chase is different from the ones planned by the individuals.

Research Into Sound - Miss Miller

Within thriller films sounds plays a vital part in creating the effects desired. Numerous techniques are used which vary from on-screen effects to effects created off-screen. Each technique has different purposes and evokes a different reaction and emotion within the audience. I have to decided analyse the use of sound within a clip from the thriller box-office "Insidious", during this clip numerous different sound techniques are used to create a eery, scary atmosphere in a unusual circumstance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihoxFsYV-fw

The non diegetic sound of a whistled tune features from the start of the clip and continues throughout the majority of the extract. This effect creates a sense of suspense within the audience as its a eery, mysterious sound. It also makes the audience confused as the tune being whistled is stereotypically associated with children and happiness yet this stereotype contradicts whats occurring on screen as it is set in a scary setting with a creepy atmosphere. This technique may also be known as contrapuntal sound and can only be produced off-screen and added in during the production stage, film makers use different types of music to suit the scene and evoke different emotions within the audience.

At 1:18 off screen sound is used, this effect is when you can hear the sound but cannot see the source, yet it still makes sense to the film dynamic. The shotgun noises are a example of this as we can hear the loading of the gun and shooting but we cannot see the source of it yet we understand how it may be suitable within this particular scene. This creates mystery within the audience and makes the audience uneasy as you associate a shotgun noise with danger and you cannot see the source of it therefore the audience question the characters safety and empathise with their fear.

Diegetic sound features at the very start of the clip when the focal characters foot steps can be heard. Footsteps are categorised as diegetic sound as diegetic sound is defined as music or sound that belongs within a frame can be considered to be a natural part of the narrative. This sound of footsteps is mirrored by his loud breathing and could possibly also represent his heartbeat, this mirroring portrays panic felt by the character and therefore evokes panic within the audience as they can easily and successfully understand the panic felt by the audience and therefore feel empaphy towards them.

Research Into The History of Thriller Films - Miss Georgiou

Overtime the thriller genre has evolved and I aim to research into its development and its effect on its specific audience. A thriller film is defined as film with an exciting plot, typically involving crime or espionage which is renowned for creating suspense, surprise and shock. 

1920's
The first thriller ever made was called Nosferatu which was made in March 1922 and directed by F.W. Murnau. It was a silent film roughly based on the famous 'Dracula' story. The fact that it was a silent film is significant as in today's thriller films sound pays a pivotal role in creating effects and evoking emotions within the audience, this meant that the F.W. Murnau had to rely souly on the other typical thriller conventions such as the 5 mise-en-scene elements. The protagonist was heavily used in creating fear as he's presented as very scary and evil.

1940's

Within the 1940's decade the thriller genre gained huge popularity and recognition from the mass audience which boosted its reputation within the growing film scene. Within this era the extremely famous film The Third Man was produced, this film was directed by Carol Reed and has been widely considered as one of the best teams of all time. This film is particularly remembered for using unique use of harsh, contrasting lighting (despite being a black and white film) this effect was used in various scenarios to create numerous effects. The Third Man also used unique music to emphasise whats being shown on screen and evoke numerous emotions within the audience. The context and locations added to the eery atmosphere which Reed was determined on creating.

1960's

Alfred Hitchcock is widely recognised as one of the most pivotal characters within the thriller genre as he used numerous new techniques to create some of the best thriller films ever made and during the 1960's he directed the film Psycho which is viewed as his best ever film. Within this film Hitchcock used numerous camera angles and shots to closely mimic human vision. This involved the audience immensely in the action as this technique had never previously been used. Psycho also features on of the most famous scenes ever, this scene see's the the antagonist being brutally stabbed and murdered by a mysterious villain. Within this famous scene Hitchcock uses 77 different camera angles within the 3 minute clip. The vast majority of the shots used are extreme close ups and on feature for a extremely short amount of time, this makes it seem more individual than the conventional thriller camera angles from that era.

1980's
In the early 1980's a film titled Friday The 13th was released and became a huge box-office smash. Friday The 13th was directed by Sean S. Cunnigham and follows a group of teenagers who are brutally murdered individually when attempting to re-open a abandoned campground. This film took huge inspiration from the films The Last House On The Left and Halloween and the director wanted Friday The 13th to be shocking, visually stunning and make you jump out of your seat. The soundtrack for this film was unique because Cunningham decided to only play music when the killer was present, this led to a severe lack in music even in shocking and suspense scenes. Due to the lack of appearance of the killer Cunningham had to design a recognisable sound which would create fear in her absence. 

This list identiefies the highest earning thriller films ever. Despite the genre existing for many decades this list shows that the highest earners from the genre range from the early 90's to today. This sudden increase in earnings in the past couple of decades could be down to the more advanced technology within the films leading to a better film or the fact that thrillers more easily accessible films and rapidly growing in popularity.

The highest earning thriller film was 'Hannibal', this blockbuster thriller has to this date generated 165,092,268 since its release in 2001. 'Hannibal' is categorised as a violent/gory thriller and follows the the focal infamous character of Hannibal Lecter. In the previous film Dr Lecter had escaped a mental asylum and has now fled to hiding in Italy. meanwhile one of his victims, Mason Verger, seeks revenge. Despite being disfigured and on a life support machine Verger plans to use Lecters one true weakspot, Clarice Sterling.


On the other hand Saw IV ranked 9th on the list with a lifetime earnings of $63,300,095 which is $100,000,000 less the than the highest earning thriller 'Hannibal'. Despite using similar themes of violence and gore the narrative of the Saw saga differs immensely to Hannibal as the Saw films revolve around the many victims having to complete extremely violent, structure and gory tasks in order to survive.

Research Into Conventions of the Thriller Genre - Miss Miller

The conventions of thriller film are what makes this genre so unique and different from many other genres such as comedy and romantic. Thriller films are famous for creating suspense, shock and suprise within the audience and use numerous conventions to evoke these emotions within the audience. This clip from the film 'Conjuring' successfully shows a couple of these conventions in a short extract.

A reaction shot is used when the girl jumps off the top of the wardrobe, during this scene loud music is played and the camera suddenly jumps to her face. This effect is a prime example of the shock element used within thriller films as the sudden movements of the scary character combined with the loud music shocks the audience because of the suspense before it. This effect also involves the audience as they are feeling the same emotions as the victims within the films.

Handheld camera shot is used when the girl looks up to the wardrobe. This makes the protagonist appear scary because the audience are placed in her position therefore empaphise with her emotions. The shooting of the shot from a low angle makes her also appear vunerable. This technique is frequently used within thrillers as a effeect to make the characters vulnerable. The use of a hanheld camera shot evokes parrallel emotions between the charcters and audience.

Low key lighting is also used in thee girls room within this clip, this creates a sense of mystery as the audience cant see the full setting making them uneasy. This fear is made appropriate as a evil girl is hiding in the dark. This effect is frequently used within thriller films as darkness is usually associated with fear as it hides scary characters and the audience are fearful of the unknown due to the scary setting, emotions etc.

Research into the BBFC age rating - Miss Georgiou

U
This age certificate stands for Universal, it is suitable for all ages above 4 years old because the language used is very mild and age appropriate. There is also no sexual scenes or references, although characters may be seen kissing or cuddling occasionally. There is also a limited use of violence but fight scenes may briefly feature; these fight scenes may see scenes in which the character is placed in danger but this dilemma is quickly resolved and the outcome is positive and reassuring to the audience. For example within the famous U-rated Disney animation Finiding Nemo there is no sexual refernces throughout the film, there is also no use of violence at all and despite the focal character being placed under distress all is resolved in the end.
http://www.bbfc.co.uk/what-classification/u
PG
PG stands for parental guidance which means the film is suitable for general viewing but any young children should be accompanied by a adult when watching the film. PG's are usually aimed towards  minimum age of 8 upwards but PG's are commonly watched by anybody of any-age. Mild bad language will rarely feature but when it does it isn't used aggressively and has to be in context. The violence used has very little detail. For example if blood is seen the origin of that blood is unknown. Violence is also lacking in detail but does sometimes feature, this violence is only very mild and only features within a appropriate context. Kung Fu Panda is a example of a PG film and i believe is appropriatly rated because violence is one of the focal themes yet it is not graphic and there is no use of blood or realistic weapons. There is also no sexual language and only mild use of language which is not used in a aggressive manner.
http://www.bbfc.co.uk/what-classification/pg
12
This certificate symbolises that the film is suitable by people of the age of 12 and over. This category allows for infrequent use of strong language. Despite this no discriminating language is tolerated at all. Violence is more common than the previous catagories but still doesn't focus on details, although a brief gory scene may be permitted if in context, this allows for a increase in action. Weapons although common have to be in context and not glamorised. All three of the Spiderman films are rated a 12 as violence is more graphic than previous certificates but gory violence is only used in context such as the stabbing scene at the end of Spiderman 2. The majority of the weapons used within the saga are also not realistic but the ones which are are not glamorised and are only used to impact the narrative and action. There is also still little reference to sex within the films although passionate kissing is used within all three films.
http://www.bbfc.co.uk/what-classification/12a-and-12
15
15 rated films are deemed appropriate for people of the age of 15 and over. These films are much more lenient on the content featured but still have minimal rules. For example there is very relaxed rules on the language featured, all swear words are frequently allowed but continued aggressive use of discriminative terms will cause the film to be rated 18. Despite strong violence being allowed extremely gory scenes are not allowed much like the 12 & 12A ratings. Unlike all the previous certificates drug taking is allowed to be seen but should not be promoted. Thriller films are usually within this certificate due to there ppossible gory scenes and distressing nature for example the thriller film The Purge falls under this catagory as strong violence is used throughout with consistent use of weapons to comit cold-blooded murder. Swearing alsio features throughout but there is no use of discriminative terms. Despite this there is no use of sexual references in the film and in the end all is resolved.
http://www.bbfc.co.uk/what-classification/12a-and-12
18
Films rated with a 18 certificate are targeted towards adults only. They have little to no rules on any of the features. A prime example of this is the language used; any language can be used as aggressively and as often as required. There is also frequent sexual activity and scenes. All violence in any amount of detail is acceptable within this certificate including horror and weapons. This certificate is extremely relaxed and has next-to-none rules and regulations. The majority of the Saw films are rated 18 as the violence which features is extremely gory and grapic, there is also frequent use of swearing and a few sexual refernces. The extreme gore used to portray these deaths mean that Saw is unsuitable for all previous certificates.
http://www.bbfc.co.uk/what-classification/18

Following this research i concluded that my opening thriller sequence should have a '12' certificate as the violence used is mild and not gory. The lack of dialogue within my opening sequence also means that there is no sexual refernces or swearing at all. Despite this i do not feel that my opening sequence is appropraite for the ratings 'U' or 'PG' because of the distressing nature of the opening sequence and the constant use of the iconography of aa knife.