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

Our film genre is that of thriller and we have worked within the sub-genre psychological thriller. It is based in an unidentified asylum facility, a hospital you might say, we did not identify the building deliberately for then we could create uncertainty, unfamiliarity which then caused the audience to be anxious.

 The main character is locked in a strait jacket along with that he is under watch from two guards who occupy an office down the hall from his cell, which shows the audience that he is a threat. The corridor in which he is held is pure white and as so is he along with his cell, the two guards are also dressed in white attire this was a key theme and element within our thriller opening. Together this all created a mise-en-sense which is common in the opening of a thriller genre film, specifically political and psychological thriller where people are incarcerated by forces.

The setting in which is specifically chosen to identify the characteristics of an asylum, with its underground tunnel arched ceilings and iron bars running throughout the ceiling, the small cell in which are main character is in is an establishing shot where he is positioned sitting symmetrically between the cell walls with a zoom in shot and quick zoom out shot. This is identified by the audience that he is trapped by these walls however the expression on the face of the character gives the audience an impression that he is not bothered, yet he is still bound by forces that the audience is not yet aware of, this creates the sense of enigma, which a main theme throughout thriller films. 

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

Our film was based around the idea of a criminally insane patient, a member of a minority social group in society. People classed as insane find it difficult to cope in society and I think people see them self as inferior to themselves which is wrong. People who are insane can be linked with such groups like mentally handicapped and physically handicapped because they are a small minority in society and are not represented in many media aspects.

How do we diagnose and categorize a person who is insane? In Victorian times Bedlam Mental Hospital was the first institution in the world to specialise in mental health, patients were driven to insanity rather than cured due to inhuman methods used by the employed doctors, and the doctors were unaware of effective techniques to cure mental patients.

 Our film will ultimately represent mentally ill people as dangerous and as a threat as you see our main character being locked up but escaping giving all kinds of possibilities at what he can do. It seems to create a sense of threat.

In our product we represented our main character as a criminally insane person; however being insane does not make them unaware or numb brained. He escapes from his prison which shows cunning and intelligence, he is also seen as a threat for some reason; however the audience still gains the feeling as if this villain is on their side, we call this an anti-hero, a prime example of an anti-hero is Daniel Radcliff in layer Cake a drug crime thriller.

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

We choose Lionsgate Production Company as the production company to distribute and advertise our film; they have a good history in being producers in films very similar to ours, films such as ‘The Haunting in Connecticut’, the Saw series and ‘The last Exorcism’. It also from 2007 onwards has been the most commercially successful independent film and television Distribution Company in North America.

Since the recent success of ‘The Kings Speech’ in America we as a group also thought it would be a smart idea to choose Lionsgate since they are an American production company. The success of the king’s speech shows that British film in America is very popular at this moment in time, so it would appeal to a more global audience if released in the US, also creating greater revenue.

Lionsgate also doesn’t just produce film but other different types of media, “We develop, produce and distribute a broad range of motion picture, television and other film”. This quote came straight from the Lionsgate official website and if you go on to the website investors section it shows that Lionsgate have made a profit of over one billion dollars since they started in 1995.

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

The audience for our Film will have to be above the age of 15 or over for we expect that the ‘British Board of Film Classification (BBFC)’ will rate it as a 15, although this puts us at a disadvantage for we cannot reach audiences below that age for profit from the beginning we were looking towards making a film that will shock and thrill our audience placing it in the thrill genre. I would say that persons who are interested in how the mind works would be intrigued by the film due to the motion picture looking deep into human thought, as well as lovers of thriller films since we included all the codes and conventions of what a true thriller film contains.

Lovers of films like ‘Clockwork Orange’ (Stanley Kubrick 1972) and the more recent ‘Shutter Island’ (Martin Scorsese 2010) we would also expect them to be a fan of ‘Memento Mori’ due to them having similar values and us using some of the ideas and camera shots from these films. We used the same the theme of ‘Shutter Island’ which is a psychotic thriller which follows a patient who is mentally ill throughout the film, however cleverly the audience does not find this out until the last film sequence which is a shocking twist in the film.

5. How did you attract/address your audience?

I used several different ways in which to make audiences attracted and aware of the film which we had produced. This is a vital and key role in the producing of a film due to the film being at all successful audiences are going to need to hear and learn about your film in order to make them want to come and see it.

One of the ways I tried to attract audiences to my film was the use of the Secret Cinema model. This has been a hugely successful marketing device through which older films are screened along with various entertainments to audiences around London. Several weeks before each screening emails are sent to subscribers of secret cinema.org but the location of the event and the name of the film is withheld in order to keep peoples curiosity alive as well as its exclusivity.

“Secret Cinema is a monthly gathering of all that love challenging and groundbreaking cinema, screening mystery films in extraordinary locations.

www.secretcinema.org”

Nearer the time the identity is revealed and audiences are invited to dress up in a suitable genre. When they arrive they are treated to street performer’s music theatre and all sort of stage props recreate the mise-en-scene that relates to the film. There is a great sense of fun and spectacle.

In order to create awareness and build excitement I intend to invite people to participate in a private screening location is relevant to the film, such as an abandoned building or warehouse which then we will dress up as a mental asylum. This is because our film is a horror/thriller about a patient who has lost his mind.

On arrival audiences will be greeted by actors looking like the stereotypical patient or medical psychiatrist/doctor in order to create a sense of being within the actual film. We will also include trauma victims made up to lookalike the actors.

Other ways in which we would use to attract an audience would be through Facebook and twitter social networking sites. These hugely popular websites can spread word of anything attractive in media whether it is a new film, band or magazine. I personally set up an open Facebook group for our so people can receive up to date news on the creation of the film as well as which cinemas it will be showing at. Letting audiences know about your film is imperative in order to keep them interested and on the edge of their seats waiting to go and see it.

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

We have learnt and understood many new techniques in the creation of our final product, we have also learnt about technologies such as iMovie and garage band on the Imac computers in our classroom. As well as the technique in which to record film and set the camera angles up in the correct position and then place the film onto the editing equipment, I also as being a complete novice to the means of editing a film can now shift, cut, extend and put in transitions in iMovie.

We created original music from the Garage band application on the IMac to edit into our film to create suspense and atmosphere in our thriller movie, Quentin Tarantino once said that music is 95% of what makes a thriller a successful thriller film. We simply transferred the created track from garage band to IMovie and then edited it to fit along with the film shots.

Whilst editing the film shots, we discovered that we could edit the contrast, colour tones, saturation and brightness of different film clips. This allowed us to create different and less monotone film sequences, for example the eye shot in our movie was originally the normal colour that the camera picked up; however we changed it so a red glare was throughout the shot, this was edited to red because red is a colour code of warning or danger which the audience would recognise as being part of the thriller code.

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

I have learnt so much during my creating of our final full product. Compared to where I was when we had completed our preliminary task I have come on leaps and bounds, being able to function movie maker properly as well as understanding what stages you have to produce a film. I have improved as well in terms of camera angles and different shots which we did not have in the preliminary video. Our story boarding and ideas research was a lot more thorough in our film than it was in our preliminary as well.

Also we improved the setting and location of the film, there is a real sense of atmosphere in our film than there is in the prelim, the opening shots of a pure white mysterious tunnel with added dramatic music and a deep red eye right filling up the screen, compared to just a man walking up a stairs and opening a door to a dull darkened room with two other very plain boring men.

We improved from the prelim as well the music and editing of the film. It is a far smoother finish than the prelim with better diverse transitions and we did much research into which music to choose for our film, as well as the editing of the music alongside the film. We completed this all on our imac computer in which our prelim and film is saved on.

Story Board

 

Here is our first 2 shots showing our prodcuction company and our distributors

 

Here is the voiceover we plan to do and the shot of the security guard again resting

Here is the shot of the hallway again and the security guard falling asleep



Here is our final shots of the hallway going through and the shot of the security television





Hyping of Film

I have decided in order to publicise my film and attract audiences that I will use the Secret Cinema model. This has been a hugely sucessful marketing device through which older films are screened along with various entertainments to audiences around London. Several weeks before each screening emails are sent to subscribers but the location of the event and the name of the film is withheld in order to keep peoples curiousity alive as well as its exclusivity. 
'Secret Cinema is a monthly gathering of all that love challenging and groundbreaking cinema, screening mystery films in extraordinary locations.
www.secretcinema.org'

Nearer the time the identity is reaveled and audiences are invite to dress up in a suitable genre. When they arrive they are treated to street performers music theatre and all sort of stage props recreate the mise-en-scene that relates to the film. There is a great sense of fun and spectacle.

In order to create awareness and build excitement I intend to invite people to particpate in a private screening location is relevant to the film, such as an abandoned building or warehouse which then we will dress up as a mental asylum. This is because our film is a horror/thriller about a patient who has lost his mind.

On arrival audiences will be greeted by actors looking like the sterotypical patient or medical psychiatrist/doctor in order to create a sense of being within the actual film. We will also include trauma victims made up to looklike the actors below.

Film Production Company: LIONSGATE

We have chosen Liongate to feature at the start of our thriller film opening as the production company. It was my idea to choose Lionsgate because i have scene such films as 'the hurt locker', SAW and Hostel part 1 and 2. These are fantastic films, hostle specifically could relate to our film being that in the film it shows how far peoples minds can be pushed much likened to our film. Also lionsgate have a great record for profit during the distribution stage of selling film.

EVALUATION

Here are the 7 questions you must answer in your evaluation:

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?
3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
4. Who would be the audience for your media product?
5. How did you attract/address your audience?
6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

Art of the title analyses " Zen"

Name Tittle fly on from side showing speed and action,the colours are to block colours contrasting greatly making the words very clear and legible.

 

The name of the actor comes up as the actor is on the screen



In this slide we can see a police station due to its reliveance,The words are also in Italien giving clues on the setting, most propbaly rome due to the vatican relevance
The tittle is in white again on a background of many colours but the white still stands out, as well the colours are red greena dn white representing the italian flag.

Treatmeant

Characters:                                                     Roles:

-          Joe Eddy, Mental Patient              - Jonny Bohane, Cameraman

-          Richard Holt, Doctor                      - Mikey Hinchliffe, Producer

PLOT

Mental Patient trapped in asylum looking to escape. Doctor feels he has not progressed in regaining his sanity and it is not safe for someone like him to be in the public.  The Mentally ill patient escapes down the tunnel. The doctor panics as alarm bells ring. The patient is shown running across the rooftops of the asylum and running to freedom. The doctor then realizes that there are many dangers for the public if he escapes and the final shot shows the mentally unstable man escaping into the street.

LOCATIONS

-          School tunnel

-          Locker Room

-          Dark Room

-          Belvedere

-          Asylum

CAMERA

The opening shot shows a close up and then a slow zoom out down the corridor. It then shows the patient standing up and running out down the hallway.

 

127 Hours Analysis

This weekend just passed I went to go see 127 hours at Esher Odeon cinema. The film is based on a real life story of a climber who got trapped by his arm in a deep cavity in the earths crust. Danny Boyle directed the film (one of my favourite directors) and created a fantastic atmosphere in the film which was kept throughout the film, desperation and anixety kept me on edge throught the performance. There were some amazing camera angles at the opening of the film with Danny Boyle splitting the shot into three segments on screen giving three different panning shots of one point.
However my most and least favourite scene to watch was the cutting off the arm scene from the man trapped, when I mean most favourite and least favourite I mean that the scene is excellently shot and creates a sense of last resort for the audience and I always had in my mind what would I do if i was in that situation which keeps the audience engaged, a very clever technique by Danny Boyle. However my least favourite to watch because of the gore, blood and bone being splashed and bashed is horrific.
This was certainly an entertaining film and one I would very much like to watch again, it being a true story brought the movie to life and their is a book written by the actual man whos arm was trapped that I would very much like to read to get an insight of the true feeling of loss of all hope.

Locations for Thriller FIlm Opening

These are still shots for the opening of our thriller film, showing the cell in which the main character will be in as well as the corridor in which the character will walk down. These photos are very similar to a draft of our story board which we see as a success as a group.

ART OF THE TITLE

We are now deciding in our group 'the art of the title' and how we are going to feature it in out thriller opening sequence. I looked on the art of the title website and found many really good examples such as the opening sequence of 'se7en'. We can take certain ideas and shots from the sequence for in order to improve our film opening.

TREATMENT

After 2 weeks of planning our film opening we have devised a story board and plot. Our first idea is having an opening shot of a white background with a voiceover and then cut to a shot of the eyes of a man staring straight down the camera in a crouching position. then we will do a slow zoom out to reveal the whole of the man with a shot down the corridor.

While it slowly zooms out we will add titles to show while zooming out. Tomorrow on Thursday 27th January we hope to achieve the voiceover, white background shot and filming of the eyes and the slow zooming out. Then we hope to add titles on imovie afterwards.

Before on the 19th January we had discussed possible locations and went to go and check them out it was encouraging to see good locations and i was exited to get filming at them.

Halt in Groups progress (work in libary in free periods) Thursday 27th January

Unfortunatly one of our group members cannot be in for two double lesson so we are going to have to improvise work for we cannot continue with our thriller opening without his actual person being there for shooting. Instead we are going to continue reserch of thriller opening although we have finalised our, method of shot taking and filming, just for personal gain for the love of the subject. I am going to anylyse a recently released film called 127 hours.

Film Production Emblem original undeveloped

This was our original film production emblem we were going to include in our thriller film production.
- this version is much more dramatic because of the use of shadows
- We used Photoshop to create the footlights which have connatations of performance
- the colours have impact because they are strong and dymanic










 The third and final for our film company ident is below.
- The city skyline in silhouette suggests that we are a major production company with power clout and presence, which would inspire people to invest in us.
- We have chosen the blue against the white and black to make a very sharp contrast.
- The font of the writing we choose because it looked arty.

The Kings Speech

Colin Firth won best actor at the Golden Globes and we have been looking into his performace which has already been such a success for British Film when only being released for 2 weeks. Me and Jonny made this poster from the research we gathered and what made the film such a hit.  

Updatated production emblem

This is are updatated idea for our film production emblem, however we are yet to make a final descion on whether this will be our final piece.

WEDNESDAY 19TH JANUARY: LOCATION RECCE

We had a team meeting today of where to shoot our opening thriller. We were very excited to here everyones ideas and I was very enthusiatic to push my individual idea forward. We all decided to shoot in the basement of our school, where the walls are all white and there is an eeriness about the place which would set the perfect scene for our thriller opening.

Thriller Opening Research

Me and my group have been researching different thriller film openings in order to gain some of idea of what makes a thriller opening draw the audience in and sets up the film for a fantastic ride. 'Clockwork Orange' we were really interested in by it being a very controversial thriller film and having a fantastic plot. However we were looking at the opening which shows the main characters eyes stairing straight into the camera which proves to be very scary and serious, one of his eyes has very noticeable eye make up. Then the camera zooms out to show the main character with the rest of his gang and him talking with a voice over to great effect. We are deciding whether or not to use these techniques in order to create our opener.

 

Emblem for Film production team

This emblem is what we created to include in are thriller opening to represent our production company.
It was made on photoshop, however this is not our final emblem since we are still undecided wherther to make an improved one.

A magazine cover i created on photoshop, helping me decide what I would like to do for my coursework.

Photoshop experiment

original photograhy and personal affects to picture

Wordle

Codes and Convention of a Thriller