Section 3: Task 3: Brainstorm of content

Idea 1:
Possible names: The Diary, March 13th.
Overview: A teenage girl from a single parent family; her dad is hostile to her, and her mother was murdered when she was young. She has never been told about what has happened to her mum, and wonders/ suspects why her dad is being hostile and secretive. The diary is a way for her to keep the memory of her mum alive, and the only thing in life that she feels happy and safe with. One day, she finds something out about her dad when she is researching/ finding pictures of her mothers death. She suspects that her dad was the killer in her mother's murder. The twist in the story is that she is in fact the killer.
There will be a linear narrative; the film starts with her childhood, then jumps to her life as a teenager, in the present.

Idea 2: An alternative to idea 1
Possible names: The Diary, March 13th
Overview: A teenage girl, because of some traumatic past, is 'gifted' with premenissions of seeing peoples murders before they happen. However, people think that this is because of the traumatic event that she is turning mental (to a lesser extent), and so for the best, she is admitted to a mental institution. From there, she keeps a diary, and writes down all her premenitions and feelings; telling every person that will listen to her. The detectives investigating the strange murders find out about the girl, and get her to help save the victims before they are killed. The twist is that she is the killer, fixing all of the murders beforehand, and in taking the kiler to the new murder victims, the detectives are condemning them. The film ends with her being killed herself: including the morality factor, because she is in effect only a kid, but has the capability to murder tens of people.
There will be a linear narrative.

Idea 3:
Possible names: Candle light, Wick
Overview: A man's candle company is being phased out by the introduction of gas and electricity. He cannot afford to keep the business alive, and so in retalliation to the thought that he may have to lose his business, he murders people who are mainly linked with this, using the fat and blood from their bodies to make the candles. After he murders the victims and makes the candles, he sadistically keeps one candle as a memoire of his 'good work' in the backroom of his shop. When he is finally caught by a relative of one of his victims, they find the back room, and the thousands of candles inside.
There will be a linear narrative.

We have chosen to film idea 1, as we feel that the opening to this will be easiest to film in context with the overview.

Section 5: Task 4: Treatment

HOUSE
Starts off in the family house; flashbacks to her childhood and her life as it is now. This location establishes (in present time) the hostility between dad and daughter, and the lack of mother figure.
HOUSE (Time passes)
Same location but older actor(s). Establishes the passing of time, and moves the story on: she wants to find out who killed her mum. See her cutting up and sticking down photos of her mum, which represents her wanting to keep the memory of her mum alive, and therefore her love.
LIBRARY
Researching into her mothers death. Looking through old newspaper archaives, and discovers that her dad has been a suspect in her mothers murder.
PARK
In shock, she runs away; too scared to go home as she is convinced that her dad is the killer (the audience will also be led to think this through the way in which they interact, especially important in establishing this aspect of the film in the house when she is a teenager/older).
LIBRARY PORCH
Pathetic falacy used to create a intimidating and lonesome environment: she has ran away and is now living on the streets (her first night alone).
STREET
Something scares her in the shadows of the library, or somewhere around her: so she runs into the street, where she is hit by a car. The audience do not see this, but it will be implied.
HOSPITAL
This helps to imply that she was hit by the car.
STREET
Her dad's perspective: he is trying to look for her after he realises his daughter is missing. The camera swaps between the hospital and the street (when she was on the streets) to create the feeling that her dad is 'hunting her down'.
CAR
The dad finds the daugher in hospital, and takes her home. Most of the shots will be through the mirror to again, create the sense of distance between them: because they have to speak through the mirror, not directly to eachother. Also, the shot of the dad will create a sense of intimidation again, adding to the effect that he has 'hunted her down' and therefore adding to the suspense of the story: what will he do to her? Will he kill her?
HOUSE
They both get out of the car, and walk into the house. Here, she confronts him about the murder after being backed into a corner by her dad. She is screaming at him and hysterical. The camera shows that the dad is losing patience with the daughter. He then reveals that she is the one that has killed her mother: her split personality.
This will have been hinted at through the film, as we plan to use different shots of her, different lighting, mirror shots etc.

task 4: section 4 Audience Research

we found in our results the following data:

how old are you ?

15 or under
0%

16
60%

17
20%

18
20%

19
0%

20
0%


Gender?

male
50%

female
50%


how often do you go to the cinema or watch a film on average?
never
0%

once
50%

twice
30%

once a week
20%

everyday
0%

most days
0%


how do u define the thriller genre?

smart, scary and action

50%

pychological, suspenceful and clever plots

30%

cheesy etc

20%

do they like thrillers?

yes 70%

no 30%

what do you think makes a good thriller?

plot
60%

make you feel your in the film
10%

fire
10%

violence action
20%

what make a good thriller?

gory
10%

psychological
90%

in you oppinion what is the difference between a certificate 18 and a certificate 15?

more sex violence and gore
100%

which do you prefer?
15
60%

18
40%




in conclusion, we have decided from these results that we will be doing a pyschological thriller with will have a certificate of 15. we beleive that as people watch thriller for the pyschological aspect of the film, the film will not have to be an 18

Section 6: Task 3: Film Characters

Character 1Name: Sophie Wilson
Age: 16
Sex: Female
Costume: Ordinary clothes eg. jeans and a hoodie/ t-shirt (following the theory set by GK.Chesterson, that a thriller has an ordinary, everyday hero in). Clothes change to show the passing of time, and also change to slightly 'scruffier' and more worn clothing when the character has ran away from home.
Props: Diary, bagback
Character background: She is from a single parent family, and has obviously suffered from the lack of mother-figure in her life. Low self-esteem, and a very tempremental/ emotional state. Has a very hostile and unloving relationship with her father, and does not know why. Often very quiet and goes un-noticed in the household, and throughout life, but a completely different side comes to light when she has the diary (where she feels safe to be herself and express feelings and problems she has, all of which is addressed to her mother, whom she collects and keeps pictures of in the diary). This will hint to the audience that she has a split personality, but not give away the plot.
Character 2:
Name: Terry Wilson
Age: 40
Sex: Male
Relationship to character 1: Father
Costume: Ordinary clothes, again conforming to GK.Chesterson's theory - eg. jumper and trousers (to show the obvious age difference between the 2 characters)
Props: -Character background: Cynical and worn down by life: has been such since the death of his wife. Is hostile with the daughter, often not wanting to be around her and feeling uncomfortable in her presence, but feels like he has to bring her up through life, and this attitude shows in his relations and interactions he has with her. In a dead end job and feeling trapped - constantly living his life in the past with his wife whom he truely loved.

section 3 task 3: film classification

We have chosen to make a certificate 15 film.This is because:- There is a bigger target market for 15 films, as from our research we know that there is a significant market for 15 - 17 year olds especially, and cutting this market out would damage the viewings of our film.- The difference between a certificate 15 and a certificate 18 is the amount of gore, violence and sex in the film. Choosing a 15 film meant that we could cut out the amount of gore and violence, which would both make the film easier to shoot, and still keep the storyline effective, but also turn our film into a psychological thriller moreso, which from our research we know that the target audience want, in comparison to a gory thriller.

Task 5: Section 5: Film Synopsis

The central character is a teenage girl. She was brought up by her father, after her mother died in mysterious circumstances when she was fairly young. The relationship with her father is very strained and almost hostile. It is obvious the effects of such: she is introverted and 'just another face in the crowd'. However, the diary helps her to provoke this other side to her: the cheerful, optimistic side to her. In this diary, she collects pictures of her mother, and writes accounts to her, as if it was a normal conversation. In a usual trip to the library to look through old personal family history, she stumbles across a newspaper account: her father was a suspect in the disappearance of her mother. This disregards any remaining trust and love she had for her father, and in an insecure state, runs away from home; taking shelter at night outside the library. However, the darkness, an insecure state of mind, and her imagination play a part in her somehow being admitted to hospital. From there, her father finds her, and takes her back home. (this scene will be made to look like he has hunted her down, and very provocative). When they finally get home, he has her cornered in the room, and she confronts him about her findings, screaming at him in hysterics: only to be faced with the fact that she was actually the killer ...

Section 1: Task 3: Questionnaire

Media Questionnaire


The aim of this questionnaire is to gather research for media coursework about the thriller genre, and people's opinions on it. Please answer all the questions, and thank you in advance for taking the time to fill in this questionnaire.

How old are you?◘ 15 and below ◘ 16 ◘ 17 ◘ 18 ◘ 19 ◘ 20 and above
Gender?◘ Male ◘ Female
How often do you go to the cinema, or watch a fim, on average each month?◘ Never ◘ Once ◘ Twice ◘ Once a week ◘ Every day ◘ Most weeks
How would you define the thriller genre?__________________________________________________________________________________________Do you like the thriller genre?
◘ Yes ◘ No
Why?
____________________________________________
What do you think makes a good thriller?
Do you prefer gory or psychological thrillers more?
◘ Gory ◘ Psychological
In your opinion, what is the difference between a certificate 15 thriller, and a certificate 18 thriller?
_____________________________________________
Which do you prefer?
◘ 15 ◘ 18

Section 2: research of comparable media

American Psycho is about a man who is very politically correct and doesn’t look like a killer who has almost got a split personality to him.
The structure to the film is linear because the film unravels scene by scene and there is no jumping back between scenes.
The codes and convention in the opening scenes are that he does a voice over of his average morning telling the audience what different cosmetics he uses and what exercises he does. By showing you this audience think he has a compulsive disorder as he spend a long time on his appearance. This breaks conventions as its all about him.
The camerawork in the opening scene uses lots of reflections, his apartment has lots of surfaces which will reflect light, by doing this the audience get the impression that he has a split personality. He also talks in to the mirrors which make the audience think that he isn’t saying it.
The Mise En Scene in the opening scene is mainly in the apartment, as the apartment has lots of minimalistic furniture to show it to be clean and expensive. By putting minimalistic furniture in the apartment then it show the audience of him being a normal rich person, and not to expect him to be a murderer.
The sound used in the opening scene is contrasted as it starts out being a piece of music which is creepy and make the audience suspect that there is a murder going on as the raspberry sauce is being put on to a plate in a restaurant. Then it cuts to a peaceful piece of music when there sat in the restaurant as they are having a civilised meal together. After that it cuts to him being in a club where it is loud. Then finally it cuts to the camera travelling through the apartment with a piano playing.
In the opening scene there is only a one edit done to it. The reflection of him looking in the mirror, the main character is scene but the camera isn’t.
Finally the graphics at the start of the film shows a red substance being dropped on to a white background, the audience immediately believes that its blood as that is what the expect. The typography used contrast from bold solid type to It being an elegant type.

Jaws
The narrative structure to Jaws is a linear structure. Meaning it runs step by step and that it doesn’t jump back and forth.
Jaws used the code and convention from what Pascal Bonitza by using partial vision.
At the beginning of jaws the camerawork is under the water to make the audience think that it is a fish or shark.
It then cuts to a establishing shot.
Then the camera is above the water, doesn’t see beneath the water, this creates question about what it is. The audience is also in the water with the girl.
When the attack happens the camera is shaky to create a tense atmosphere.
The Mise-en-scene is the boy in the background which creates false hope.
There’s is also no artificial light so it gives the scene a creepy image
The sound at the beginning is load and on edge! Signature theme tune at the beginning
Non artificial sound
Establishing shot of all 3 characters
Kuleshov effect – establishing feeling by showing one thing then another- this is when she is in the water and is being attacted by the shark.
The only graphic is the name of the character and a big title saying ‘jaws’s the boy in the background which creates false hope.

Silence of the lambs

This film is a linear structure, meaning that the sequences run one after another.

The code and conventions are that she’s running through a forest which looks enchanted

WH Williams
Big type face so the audience can not see everything
Can not see the whole picture because the trees are in the way

Camerawork within the first part of the film tracks Jodie foster through the woods, make the audience thinks she maybe being followed
Lots of establishing shots of the lake
The camera the follows her down the corridor of the quarters zooming and panning
Mist using partial vision

Mise En Scene

Obstacles’ = training purposes
Signs saying
Demonstration
Dedication
Strength
Determination
Determined

Guns being cleaned
Jumper saying FBI Academy

The sound being used is very tense
Same music running through the scene
Creates a flow

Pan & zoom

Rather than cut eye line cut in office she see something cuts to what she looking at

Location naming establishing shot
Big bold heading

Terminator 2

terminator 2 is a linear structure

codes and conventions at the biginning of the film is that is show a nice peiceful park where children are play the it cuts to dead bodies and skull

camerawork

middle shot of childrem playing on swings

low shot of the dead bodys

shakey camera work

establishing shot

robot walk in to the picture

mise en scene

skulls of floor

weapons

dead bodys

burnt things

narrator explaining what happened

long and depressing music to add atmosphere

they have added beams of light for the guns on the robots

lots of explosions

graphics

text at the biginning to show the producers name etc

The Dark Knight

the dark night is a linear structure

at the biggining they are all wearing mask, make the audience think that its the joker, they antisapate his arrival

camera sweeps throught the buildings to the glass which is broken

moves with te people when they run

make the audience be in the action

sound very tence music, creates an atmosphere

panning and zooming in to building at begining

establishishing shot of the bank

so the audience know they are robbing a bank

graphics

names at the biginning

Section 2: Research into Examples of Comparable Media Products

Narrative Structure:
The narrative structure of the film Seven is a linear structure. This is where the films storyline unravel one after another. This is so it can be basic as the film becomes quite complicated. Not only that but the audience can follow through and be able to solve who is killing all the people, this is so the audience can be one of the agent solving the crime by doing this they can be more involved in the film.
There are several narrative themes through the film, the main one which the whole film revolves around is the 7 deadly sins, this also helps the audience get involved in the film as know what’s coming and can say that after the 1st deadly sin, gluttony will come next.

Camerawork’s:
Within the film there are several different shots I believe makes the film so affective.
The 1st camera shot is when the 2 detectives are walking through a house to find the second body. The cameras is almost behind the wall as the both detectives walk through the apartment, this tracks them but helps the audience concentrate on what they’re saying as it is an important piece of speech.
The 2nd camera shot I believe is affective is the handheld shot; this is a way the camera gets the audience involved in the film. By having handheld cameras it gives the shot a more wobbly and uneven effect, this is against a typical convention of a Hollywood film. This shot also gives more suspense and realism.
And Finally the shots throughout the film where the camera is positioned so the audience feels there involved with the situation. When detective Mills and detective Somerset talk to one and other the audience are at eye level.

MISE EN SCENE:
Throughout the film the Mise En Scene is used to create suspense, torches are used so that the audience can’t see everything straight away, by doing this it helps control what the audience see without it looking tacky.
Another Mise En Scene is the guns used, there used to describe the detectives personality. Detective Mills is shown as being very trigger happy and Somerset is shown as being very relaxed as he only draws his gun when he things he’s going to use it. His also shows him as being more confident.
Another prop used is the air fresheners which create the scene as being creepy. This also may show how many time he’s been back to the apartment to check on the body.
The Detectives also are described by the clothes they wear, Mills is shown by when he’s getting changed he just picks up clothes and puts them on but Somerset takes care of his clothes by putting them on carefully and they are crease free.

Sound:
The film always has sound in the background; this can add suspense or relax the audience, by doing this makes for a more effective reaction by the audience. In the library scene where Somerset is looking through books music is playing in through speaker then the scene cuts to Mills in his apartment, this is called Non diegetic and diegetic. You can see this when the music is playing in the library there is an echo but when it’s in the apartment there is no echo. This is to show a connection between them both.

Editing:
The best effect of editing is where there is a shot of someone looking through some binoculars, the edging of the binoculars are black so that the audience know they are looking through binoculars.
During the film there are a few continuity mistakes, the first one is where the janitor is scratching the name of the door near the start of the film he is about ¾ of the way through it then it goes back to being ¼ of it being script off. The second is when they go to the address of the man’s finger print found on the wall, the man who fires and runs away first has a black coat on, then the he has a cream coat later on in the chase.

Graphics:
The most affective and only graphics in the film is at the beginning titles, the dark quick flashing images and lines add to an “on edge” effect and the text matches the type of film it is. To much graphics within the film may end up with the film being confusing.

I believe that all these different effects make the film its best and why the film was so enjoyable.

Section 1: The Thriller Genre

The Definition of Thriller in the Film Studies Dictionary is “Thriller is a loose genre term and referring to any film that generates suspense and excitement as a major aspect of its narrative”. This definition was helped by the following people.

G. K. Chesterton:
G.K Chesterton felt he had to defend the genre. He determined that it was a modern genre. Chesterton was a 20th Century writer of thriller stories. He’s said that a thriller took an urban setting and transformed them in to exciting locations for a dramatic storyline. A film which uses this definition is ‘I Am Legend’ where a city which would have been habitable to humans is taken over by a virus which wipes out mankind in New York, one man is left on his own to fight for himself.

Northrop Frye:
Northrop Frye built upon Chesterton critique. Frye said that thrillers were stories that would take and ordinary person and put them in to an extraordinary situation. An example of this is in the film ‘Phone Booth’, where a man who answers a ringing phone in the middle of the street is put in to a series of event which are framed on him. After all of this he has to convince the police it wasn’t him.

W.H. Matthews:
Matthews wrote in his stories about humans being interested in physical puzzles, this often results in mazes and labyrinths. This is evident in the Saw movies where humans a put into situations where they have to either save someone else or save themselves.
John Cawelti:
Cawelti believed that thrillers took a element of ordinary life and added an exotic element to it. James Bond films add an exotic element to them; you see this in these films where the work he does is very glamorous and he gets to drive around in Aston martins, as well as having a license to kill.

Pascal Bonitzer:
Bonitzer believes that in a thriller the audience is given a partial view of things- with important detail being obscured. An example of that is where a character in a thriller has been hit and the audience had his point of view, but its blurred.

Noel Carroll:
Carroll argued that a thriller was structured around Questions and Answers throughout the film, such as will he die or won’t he? Will the villain finally win? Such films use questions and answer as ‘Saw 1’ where a person is captured and has to make certain decisions whether to kill another person to save his life? Or will he finally solve the puzzle before he is killed.

Roland Barthes:
Barthes analysed all narratives in terms of codes that operate moment by moment, these are called Enigma codes which are narratives where the audience is led to ask a question. Enigma codes are very important for telling the story in a suspenseful was, it also gives away clues so the audience knows whats going to happen next. such as the film 'Next' where 'Liz Cooper' the girl 'Cris Johnson' meets in the Diner was to be used as bate.