Feedback

To get a wider range of opinions on our thriller opening i decided to ask my family members.

Both of my parents are 47, and the advantage of asking their views was I was able to gain positive feedback and constructive criticism from an older age group. They thought :

-The plot was original.
-The car driving down the country lane at night made you anticipate what would happen next.
-Seeing the blind man from the antagonists point of view added suspense.
-To improve the opening it would be effective if the audience were able to see the antagonist and blind man in a clip together, to emphasise the danger the blind man is in.

I also asked my 21 year old brother, he thought:

-The nursery rhyme was effective, and that it made the antagonists obsession more twisted.
-Seeing the knife being sharpened made the storyline more menacing.
-To improve the opening there should more shots of the blind man.

Year 13 Media Student Thriller Opening Evaluation

We invited a couple of year 13 media students to come and watch our thriller opening so we could hear their views and opinions. We chose Year 13 media students as they have a good education about the subject. Their observations will also be valuable to us.

The Good Points:

• The sinister nursery rythme with minor keys gives an errie experience
• The mans disability is clearly portrayed
• "I enjoyed the overall creation of suspence"
• "I would certainly watch the whole film if it was made"
• " I liked the use of lighting when pulling the knife out, the red glint off the face of the knife"
  

Constructive Critisism:

• "I dont like the way you skip to see the blind man in his bed from walking around"
• "The shot of the previous blind peoples sticks in the corner is a bit unclear"
• " Dived into the image of murder quite early on"
  

Filming Locations

In the end all of our filming commenced in widdington which is a small eery country village. Below are screen shots from google street showing the places where we filmed and explantions about why we chose these areas.

This is a shot in daylight of where we filmed a long shot of the car driving down the road. This was a straight narrow road and perfect for this type of shot.

This was where we filmed the victim sleeping in his house and where the antagonist came to.

This is the door that the antagonist came out of and into his car as he was leaving.

This is a shot of where the blind man was being watched walking down this pavement



Due to the difficulties we faced with the weather condition as we filmed our first session in snowy conditions. This resulted in us not being able to do any outside filming. We adapted to this accordingly and parked the car in this garge and shut all doors so it was pitch black so it looked exactly the same as being outside in the dark. We also needed to film the antagonist entering the victims house, an interal garge door enabled us to do this as we could create the correct lighting conditions.

Again this is where we filmed the blind man being watched by the antagonist as we walked through the park. Being able to film from the top of a climbing frame allowed us to film a high angle shot, this has the effect that the blindman is smaller/less important.

Evaluation

Thriller Evaluation – Tom Kemp

The typical genre of a thriller gives the audience thrills and keeps viewers on 'the edge of their seats' this is due to the building of a climax of main characters being put in a menacing place of mystery.

The plots of thrillers involve characters which are being conflicted by other people or which is sometimes shown as abstract or shadowy. Once the character realises they are a victim an escapeor a dangerous mission seems impossible as their life is being threatened by an antagonist which is sometimes knowingly or unknowingly.

In our thriller our conventions do not directly indicate what sub-genre our thriller is as we used horror conventions e.g. murder, however, it is shown as a thriller as we don't include blood and gore as this is what you would tend to see in horror films, and we did not want to confuse our audience about the genre of our opening film.

Our thriller incorporates many generic conventions such as; the blind man walking alone this creates a sense of vulnerability. Also, the cutting out of newspaper images by the antagonist shows the obsession of killing. Another of our scenes which incorporates generic conventions by the antagonist posing with the weapon which can kill, this also highlights the weapon may be used again, a close up shot portrays this. Similarly we produced a shot of blind peoples sticks to show that there had been previous victims. This indicates that the killer is likely to strike again. Sharpening of the knife signifies that the antagonist is preparing for the weapon to be used, this scene also created a good diagetic sound from the knife being sharpened. Finally, the shot of the driver leaving in the darkness and getting closer to the victim is a classic generic convention as it creates suspense and mystery. We had this dark shot in a deserted area as darkness can be related to danger and crime. A long shot of the car was used when the car was driving down a rural country road in the dark to portray that the antagonist is on his way to the victim.

The thriller we produced challenged some of our conventions as we amplified some of them, for example: the drawing of the knife followed by the sharpening of the knife gives the impression that the weapon is going to be used. We also used a nursery rhyme that is traditionally thought to be cheery and innocent as they are normally sung by young children the nursery rhyme was 'three blind mice' but we juxtaposed this stereotypical image by using it in a sinister way to hint that the victim could be in danger. After listening to the soundtrack we thought it would be more effective to add minor keys as it creates a menacing sound which could add suspense to our thriller.

In our thriller our conventions do not directly indicate what sub-genre our thriller is as we used horror conventions e.g. murder, however, it is shown as a thriller as we don't include blood and gore as this is what you would tend to see in horror films, and we did not want to confuse our audience about the genre of our Opening film.

One of our conventions which was the cutting up of the newspaper pictures and placing them in a book was influenced by the film 'seven' with the hands putting a file together, diary book, pictures. We used this as we believed it showed strong obsession for the antagonist to kill and by only seeing the antagonists hands in an extreme close up shot it creates tension as you do not see the identity of the potential killer. We got this inspiration from the film 'seven' as you do not see the antagonists identity in that either.

Gender isn't necessarily being shown in a stereotypical way as they both male, however, the antagonist is dominant over the victim as he has a disability which also makes him more vulnerable and can be easily targeted. However, gender is represented in a stereotypical way as we chose the antagonist to be a male as generally they have more strength which would enable them to carry out this attack.

Due to the age of actors we used in our film we believe it would be suitable for young people over the age of fifteen. Due to the certificate rating I feel older people would also be interested in our thriller. Females may find this thriller to be quite scary therefore we expect that more males would watch it as generally males enjoy action clips.

Our thriller could potentially be produced by major Hollywood studios, 'see how they run' has been particularly influenced by the Hollywood film 'seven', seeing as this was an extremely successful thriller this may imply that our film could be popular as well. Our thriller would be a one off production as the way we planned the story line meant that it is conclusive at the end and does not need a follow on for the audience to understand the storyline. We did consider if there could be a second film. However we decided against this as it could work to our disadvantage as it could ruin the intensity of our first film.

The thriller we produced was set in an eerie country village to portray the vulnerability of the blind man. For our main prop the weapon was a knife as this signifies danger and this indicates that something is going to occur. Then we also used a stick for the blind man to make it clear to the audience of his disability. A car was used in our film as the lights were effective in some of our shots in the dark. The car also produced many effective diagetic sounds such as; doors shutting and the use of a radio, the purpose of all these features help to signify that the antagonist is coming which also builds tension. The main lighting we used in our film was a red light above the knife being pulled out and being sharpened this created a sense of mystery. Also, the red lights are stereotypically related to danger and this could imply that something is going to happen. Another aspect of our lighting was using the cars headlights to show the antagonist leaving. We used a variety of shot types ranging from a long shot of the car driving up the lane as this shows that the antagonist is on his way. We also used a close up of the knife to highlight the weapon which may potentially be used. A close up was also used when the photos were being cut out, as this shows the audience a clear view of what is being done. A point of view shot was used when the blind man was walking past the tree, this indicated that the man was being watched and followed. The costumes used in our thriller were all casual clothes because it was showing every day life and the antagonist was watching the blind man in what seemed like his daily routine.

If our thriller was to be played at home, younger children under fifteen may access it and may be scared by the knife scenes as they are stereotypically related to murders. We attracted our audience by using a close up and adjusting the lighting to emphasise the sharpening of the knife indicated it is going to be used. Our thriller could make our audience feel anxious that they have or could have been watched and targeted in public places in everyday life, but not necessarily to the scale we have done in our film. This may make our audience feel threatened as they are putting themselves in that position.

In our first filming session we were unhappy with some of our shots as they were a bit shaky as they were hand held due to us not using a tripod, so we re-filmed them using a tripod to capture a steady shot. The strengths of a hand held shot gives the impression that audience is watching and eye witness account, so they feel like they are there. We cut our shots individually so we could post the ones we weren't happy with on our blog and analyse what went wrong with them.

The effects that we used in our thriller using 'Final Cut Express' were dissolved and black and white shots. We used dissolving shots as they blend the scenes together and this prevents the change over between shots being jumpy. We used black and white shots as it helped create an eerie atmosphere. We also used a programme called 'Garageband' which was useful for creating a suspenseful soundtrack. We managed to save an UN-copyrighted version of 'three blind mice' and were able to move it to itunes and then transferred it to Garageband where we added minor keys to create suspense and a sense of danger.

The planning stages for our thriller obviously had a lot more thought and ideas put into them and more time spent on the story board than the preliminary task to ensure that we did not forget our story line and we managed to stick to it. Doing a detailed plan benefited us as we knew exactly what we needed to film and how it needed to be like and where it was to be done. However, we could also make changes whilst filming if it was necessary. We also knew exactly what shots we needed to capture that would make our thriller full of suspense and tension. This helped our editing process.

I believe my knowledge has improved dramatically about different shot types as I am more aware of each shot actually looks like in production and what it creates. I also feel more confident with the equipment as I have used it therefore gaining some experience and understanding. From filming I have learnt a great deal about the equipment and the filming process. From deciding the best angle of the shot to whether we should use the tripod or handheld techniques. The equipment we had was adequate but had its faults. The battery lasted an hour or so which was suitable for most of our filming, but some of our filming had to be done with the camera plugged into the mains. The camera ran on tapes and making sure the tape was in the right place before and after filming was an inconvenience.

To conclude I feel that our thriller has been successful in fulfilling the task as we have used many generic thriller conventions and have been careful not to litter the piece with them. We also we careful not to turn the film into a horror as we could have easily created blood and gore as our weapon was a knife.

Evaluation

MEDIA EVALUATION

According to International Thriller Writers, a thriller is "the sudden rush of emotions, the excitement, and sense of suspense, apprehension, and exhilaration that drive the narrative.” I believe the way we incorporated generic conventions creates an immediate sense of mystery for the audience. I originally thought of using a blind victim as the protagonist because of the lyrics used in the nursery rhyme 'Three blind mice'. Our main character has a bandage wrapped around his head and eyes to make it clear that he has recently suffered from a serious injury resulting in him temporarily losing his sight. The way we portrayed vulnerability was filming short clips of Joe (the blind man) walking alone. We filmed over the shoulder shots of the antagonist to hide his identity but to also emphasise that he was cutting up pictures and headlines from newspapers of blind people. These shots were to show his obsession and that he is a risk to the public. I particularly liked the clips of the antagonist getting into his car and driving further into the darkness. By not knowing his exact intentions the audience is left waiting in suspense.

We amplified various thriller conventions by not only showing the antagonist posing with a knife, but him physically sharpening it. This shot of the antagonist hints that the knife will be used in the near future. We previously researched into other thrillers and liked the way a nursery rhyme was embedded into the film, this gave us the idea of using 'Three blind mice'. Usually, the rhyme is seen as positive however we used it in a sinister way by adding minor keys to create suspense. The changes to the rhyme suggest that the blind man could be in danger. Thrillers are often mistaken as horrors, and although we used horror conventions i.e. murder, I would still consider it as a thriller as gore is not included. The Hollywood thriller 'Seven' greatly influenced our opening as we liked how small clips of the storyline were shown, whilst still hiding the identity of the antagonist. Like 'Seven', we had close ups of the antagonists hands, cutting up images from a newspaper without letting on the identity of the character.


The social group represented in our film suggests it would be aimed at young people over the age of 15. I came to this conclusion as the actors used are 17; however older generations would also be able to relate to the storyline. Gender may be considered in a stereotypical way as the antagonist is dominant over the blind man. This is a gender issue as men usually play a more powerful role, however we were aware of this and made our passive character also male. His eye injury makes him particularly vulnerable and easily targeted putting him at a disadvantage compared to others around him.

Our media product 'See how they run' has been influenced by the Hollywood success 'Seven', as this was a major hit I believe our thriller could be popular. If we were to release our thriller film it would be in our best interest to release it in the cinema as it in unique in many ways and could potentially make lots of money. 'See how they run' is a one off thriller production as how we have planned our original storyline to be conclusive and it will not be necessary for a follow on for the audience to understand. If we were to produce a second film we believe it could in fact ruin the intensity we worked hard to create in the first film.

The mise en scene we tried to create was a deserted country setting, to highlight the blind mans helplessness. One of the main props we used was a carving knife as it is a brutal weapon indicating that violence is likely to come without having to show the gore. The advantage of sharpening the knife during the film is it gives a brilliant diagetic sound. We used the lights on the car as a way to get a visible shot in the dark, this worked well as we were still able to hide the identity of the antagonist but it was light enough to see the action. We also had coloured lights within Joe's house, we used a red light to create a sense of mystery on the weapon. It looked really effective when the knife was drawn and glinted in the red light. Whilst filming our thriller we were able to develop our shot types. We used a variety of shots throughout the piece, with a long shot of the car driving up the deserted county lane, and close ups on the important props i.e. the knife. We used a point of view shot to make it clear Joe (the blind man) was being watched and targeted upon.




We realize when addressing our audience that our film could potentially be purchased and shown at home. With this in mind, younger children would be able to view the film and feel frightened by the knife. The knife is a key prop in our film, and we used camerawork like close ups to draw attention to it. In addition to this we adjusted the inside lighting to stress the sharpening of the knife, and that it will soon be put into action. The aim of our storyline was to engage the audience and make them feel as if they could be in that position themselves. By making the audience feel wary and that they could be targeted upon intensifies the action.



Throughout this year I have gradually picked up on various ways to benefit from using the technology available. One of the strengths of the camera equipment was the tripod. By using it we were able to create a steady shot, and produce shots like panning as there was no danger of the camera getting damaged. I thought we also benefited from using handheld shots. This not only made it easier to move about, but what's more gave the impression that it was from the antagonists point of view, and that he was constantly watching his victim.







Final Cut Express was extremely useful when editing our film. Firstly we had to get to grips with basic editing techniques like cutting the piece but progressively we were able to use more advance effects. We decided to use a dissolve on the short clip of the blind mans stick. Further more we changed this particular clip into black and white to show that the antagonist is now in possession of the sticks, signifying his previous victims.

We uploaded all of our material onto Final Cut Express and it was then that we realised we would gain more by refilming a choice of clips. We decided to refilm the shot of the antagonist cutting up the newspaper cuttings as there were unwanted items seen within the clip which took away the suspense we were attempting to make. When viewing the refilmed clip we really saw the advantage of this. When we initially started filming we had unexpected snow, however we worked this to our advantage as we thought it created an eerie setting. Unfortunately the next time we filmed the weather was a lot brighter meaning we had to adjust our plans. Instead of filming the antagonist going through the outside door, we worked around this and as an alternative we filmed him from within the garage entering through the inside door. As the garage was dark, it worked well and we were pleased with the final outcome.

Unfortunately, we had change within our group. Joe decided on a different career path where he had to begin immediately. Therefore he left school causing us more difficulties when wanting to arrange times to film and edit. This resulted in us having the disadvantage of only two group members. Luckily, Joe was still willing to carry on with the filming but was only available one day a week, making it harder for us to reach the deadline.

For our sound track we managed to find an uncopyrighted version of ‘Three blind mice’. Firstly, we transferred it onto itunes which made it easier for us to upload it onto Garageband. After listening to it more we decided it would be effective to add minor keys to create a much more menacing sound.



By producing a detailed storyboard we were able to prepare ourselves more throughly for filming sessions as we knew exactly what we needed to bring. We had clear ideas of what we wanted to capture and how we wanted to edit it in a chronological way. I was able to develop my shot techniques from when we originally done our preliminary tasks. We did a point of view shot from the antagonists perspective making it clear he was targeting the protagonist, making him seem more vulnerable. Overall, i feel i have fulfilled the task well as our storyline was original, we used various shot techniques and editing skills to show what we have learnt throughout the year.

Stick Effect Outtake 2

This particular clip we changed to black and white as we felt the sock seen took away the intensity of the clip. We also added a dissolve to the final piece to make it clearer to the audience that it is a previous victim of the antagonists.

Stick Effect Outtake

We filmed this clip as we thought we could get a good diagetic sound from it and we could also use this clip to increase the tension of our film. However we realised when we uploaded it onto Final Cut Express that you could see the antagonists feet it in, which not only took away the sense of mystery but you could later see the same feet on the antagonist.

Drawing Knife Outtake

When uploading this clip we realised how off putting the objects were in the shot, and decided we would benefit from refilming the clip.

Sharpening Knife Outtake

We thought the shadow created in this clip was extremely effective, however the light switches were very distracting and took away the intensity of the clip.

Filming Session 05/03/10

Our second filming session commenced on Friday 5th March at Joe's house in Widdington where our previous filming had been done. We planned to re-film some clips which we were not happy with as the were objects in the shots which interfered with the threatening effect which we were trying to create. We were faced with a problem that we could not show the outside weather conditions as it had snowed in our previous filming session, we adapted to this by using the internal garage door instead of the front door where you would be able to see the difference in weather conditions.

Changes in plans

Our teachers have decided we should catch up on our filming with Joe on the Friday, so we are later ready to edit. We will then have an editing day next week, as it is difficult to swap with groups as their work is on the same computer as ours. However, as Joe works it will be just Tom and I doing our film editing.

Future Plans

We have been allocated Thursday 4th March as a class editing day, however Joe is unable to attend as he works four days a week. Fortunately the other AS media class have been given Friday 5th, so we have come up with the idea to swap with a willing group. We have spoken to our teachers about this and they think it is a good idea if the other group are happy with it. By changing days Joe will be able to attend making Tom and I at less of a disadvantage. As Joe leaving was unexpected we weren't able to do all of our filming to the standard that we want, so we will also need to use Friday to get up to date with that. Although this will use up some of our editing time, before Joe left we were able to upload some of our previous footage and cut out unwanted clips. So, I feel we will be able to catch up with the other groups. We have had a few problems uploading music, so we will need to work on this before Friday if we can.

Changes within the group

Joe has chosen a different career path where he had to start immediately, therefore he has left the school causing us difficulties in arranging time to film and edit our film. Having the disadvantage of only two group members we have to use other people to act in our film. We have contacted Joe and he is still willing to contribute one day a week which does help, however it may be difficult to get everything finished for the deadline.

Difficulties in filming

For some of our clips we didn't use a tripod, now we have uploaded these clips, we realise that the steadiness of the filming could be improved. We planned to not use the tripods in these particular sections because we thought it would give a more realistic view of being watched.