Creative Journey - The 5th day

December the 3rd- during this initial editing process I watched through all of my first shots, selecting which ones would be used. I then re-watched the selected clips, and placed them into an initial order, from this point I clipped the shots in certain places to create a  rough version of a film that flowed.

During this initial process I discovered that I would have to re-film certain shots as some where too dark in paces, I also decided to re-film other shots to ensure I had variety in my camera shots and angles.

December 8th - After re-filming the needed shots over the weekend I re-ordered my clips, putting them in an order hat flowed in a way which I liked. I then began my editing process,  which initially was really just clipping and cutting shots to make sure they flowed easily. It was also during this session that I added my first audio clip over the top of my film, it was a clip to show detective Grey suffering from war PTSD in his dreams.

12th December- During this session I continued to edit my film, importing more audio clips to add to the tension in the clips. I added transitions between both video clips and audio files. This allowed for more continuity in my film, making it easier to follow the action on screen. 

 This shows the editing process involved when working on an audio file, it was during this lesson that i first started editing the audio files in order to build tension fitting with the codes and conventions of a thriller. 

15th December- after I finished editing the sound in my opening sequence in the previous lesson, I decided to try and edit the colour in some of my shots. The shots during the bedroom scene are too dark, even for a thriller which is supposed to have dark lighting. This didn't work out too well but in the end but overall colour and lighting for the rest of the sequence is good. 

 

During this session I also decided to take another look at the audio and tweaked it once again to make sure it was good enough. I used the pen tool in premier pro to do this.

 

Character & Cast List- The 5th day

Amelia Smith played by Laura Constantine
The victim character in my thriller opening sequence isn't a classic female victim. The character is shown to be innocent, wearing a pale blue jumper and in no way is sexualised in the film, which is unusual as it s usually women who are sexualised that are victimised in film. By showing the victim to be undeserving of the harsh fate the character is challenging the classic representation conventions of a victim.
challenging the classic convention by making a character who is innocent yet still targeted by the killer creates a darker tone for the film. The victim is picked to die simply because of poor circumstances, her car breaks down on an isolate woodland road. This selection process would create tension in the audience as it shows how easily tragedy can strike. It also makes her audience feel even ore empathetic towards the victim.  
The character is shown to be a young woman, by making the character young the audience watching would create an emotional bond with the character. They would feel empathy towards her, she would represent to the young adult audience their friends, sisters and girlfriends. By creating a character that is relatable to the audience hopefully they will remain engaged throughout the film in order to solve the mystery about what happened to her, who killed her.
 
Detective Grey played by James Constantine
In my thriller opening sequence I'm using a modern day detective. The character who suffers from PTSD has a self destructive personality, as a result of the PTSD he drinks and abuses prescription drugs. This is subtly revealed through the use of sound effects in editing, the sounds are supposed to represent the characters internal struggle both whilst sleeping and whilst awake. His addiction is shown in the opening sequence through shots showing vodka bottles and him reaching for a packet of pills. These elements give the audience an idea of a troubled past. It challenges the physical ability aspect of the detective role as PTSD is a serious disorder, and a challenge for anybody to live with. The substance abuse fits to the 'classic' detective conventions, and gives the detective a self destructive and darker personality.
Detective Grey's character being shown as is a former solider who retired from the army and suffers from PTSD as a result of his service, would engage the audience as many people know somebody who has a one point served in the military. This familiarity would help the audience feel empathetic towards him as a character. He uses substance abuse to try and drown his demons, his addiction is an element of his personality that if the film was created fully he would eventually overcome to represent good overcoming evil. He is a gifted detective often able to put himself into the villains mind-set, leading him to become well known within the police force as a serial killer hunter. This aspect of his personality has left him isolated at work as he is considered too good at thinking like a killer, building to his self inflicted loneliness. He is often dismissed because of his younger age, having joined the police force after 4 years service in the armed forces at the age of 22. This adds to his jaded personality, making him defensive. The characters younger age also goes against classical conventions, detectives are usually middle aged, not in their twenties. By using a younger detective who may not have lived as long but who has lived through more it shows that its not always the length of the characters life but the life one leads that make them world weary. It also help the audience which is often young adults relate more to the character as they would be around the same age.

Shot Types- the 5th day

This close up shot is used to give the audience an insight into the personality of the character, it shows two clear conventional aspects of a thriller movie and gives a hint into the characters identity. The bottle of vodka indicates a darker aspect to the character, hinting to the audience that Detective Grey has a problem with alcohol. The trilby hat also adds to the characters image as this is an iconic part of both thriller and film of mise-en-scene.

This close up shot adds to the characters development as it is used to show him clearing his head from both his bad dreams about war, which is indicated with the addition of  a non-diegtic soundtrack being played over the top of the shot and to help with the characters hinted hangover. This shot type also helps challenge the classic representation of detective as it gives a hint into the characters struggles with PTSD.

The over the shoulder shot showing the characters reflection is an important shot as the reflection represents the characters reflection on himself and his life. This shot type is an easy way to meet the codes and conventions of a thriller.

This close up shot adds another layer to the characters development as it shows the depth of his addictive personality. It also indicates to the importance of this moment.

The dark lighting in this midshot is good for a thriller as this type of lighting meets the codes and conventions. its dark, but not enough so that the audience is unable to see the action on screen. This adds a mysterious element to the genre keeping with the tone of the film. 

 The close up shot of the shop whilst ringing gives the audience insight into thee narrative, hinting towards the characters identity before the dialogue in this scene starts. 

 This tilt shot from above was used to indicate that the character being shown- detective Grey, at this point is somebody to be looked down on. It gives the audience subtle indication that he is somehow inferior to them. Although not shown as the task was to film only the first 2 minutes if able to continue the camera angles as the narrative moves on would subtly change to tilt shots from the ground to indicate the characters redemption and heroism as somebody to look up to eventually. 

 This type of close up shot is usefully to the the audience a characters thoughts and feeling. It clearly shows fear and indicates that the character is seeing something frightening. This ambiguity creates a hook for the audience, acting as an enigma fitting with the codes and conventions of a thriller. 

 Having a midshot that also shows some of the rural background is good as it sets the scene, meeting the codes of a thriller. It builds tension as the audience watching will have all at one point been in rural woodland areas, this makes them feel empathy towards the character. It also allows for the audience to get an indication of the characters emotions as they can seen them, though not as clearly as they would with a close up shit. 

 A tilt shot from the floor up indicates to the audience that the character is somehow good, in this case it was used to show the characters innocence adding the the suspence and drama of the opening scene. 

 Having a close up shot of the characters feet adds tension to the film as it highlights the characters movement away from the 'safety' of the camera making her seem more vulnerable.

  This pan wide shot is a good way to indicate towards the characters venerability, it also helps establish the scene. This adds tension to the scene and indicates that something bad will happen to the character. It shows the audience the isolated location, which most of them will relate to a similar location they've been in, making them empathetic towards the character.

 The wide shot here is used as a way to show the characters movement, not just physically but from relative safety into danger.

 Having a close up shot of the phone showing that there is no signal adds to the tension of the film as it shows that the character is now quintessentially cut off from the rest of the world. This adds tension as it shows venerability, and how isolated the character now is.  This tension and isolation of a character fits to the codes as conventions of a thriller.

 The over the shoulder shot used here is the initial tension builder as it indicates that there is somebody behind the character, this builds tension and adds an element of mystery to the scene. this type of shots also gives the audience a chance to experience what the character is seeing, without using a point of view shot.

Collective identities & My target audience- the 5th day

Collective identities

Metro sexual; a man who likes to take care of himself. They take an interest into the latest fashions, physical enhancement remedies, health and fitness. They look for products to improve fitness, as well as colognes, exfoliating treatments and moisturisers. These types of products are therefore usually aimed at this collective group. Christian bales portrayal of the narcissistic metro sexual Patrick Bateman in American psycho, his portrayal shows how completely self-absorbed a person can become, he devolved so far that he could no longer identify as human. “There is no real me, I am simply not there”

Nathan Barley, a parody television show showing a certain collective identity- hipsters, young adults. This show is a comedy, but is also has a deeper message it is supposed to show people how society should not actually aspire to behave like hipsters. It talks about how this collective group is disrespectful, and that society is entering an age of idiots with this group leading them. Things aimed towards this collective group would be the latest music from the charts, and latest comic films- nothing too intellectually straining.

Trustafarians are the quintessential trust fund babies who have their lives funded for them by their parents. They are usually unemployed or have creative, extrinsic jobs such as artists. They tend to act as though they’re not wealthy, often taking their disposable income for granted. They wear a mixture of vintage charity clothing and expensive designer clothing. They have the latest in technology such as I-Phones. These types of products are usually aimed towards this demographic group.

Geo-demographic profiling 

Corporate chieftains- Samantha & Andrew

To me corporate chieftains would be living in the centre of London, multi-store houses that would most likely be older, more upper class. 

They would most likely be working in modern high rise buildings, with city views. They would have fancy offices, on the highest floors. 

They would take their holidays to exotic locations, remote islands.

They would drive foreign cars, or perhaps be chauffeured around. 

Corporate chieftains would only be drinking the highest quality whisky, brandy, and old imported wines, and perhaps indulging in finer luxuries such as Cuban cigars.

For leisure activities they would enjoy things such as visiting operas, attending charity auctions and balls, going to the races, watching tennis and cricket.

They would dress in expensive Italian suits, leather shoes, and silk ties. Designer dresses, and high heels. 

They would most likely read media texts aimed towards the right wing side of politics, as well as more business and economic based papers such as The Guardian, The Times, and The Wall Street Journal.

My target audience

Both males and females enjoy thrillers; therefore there is no specific gender that I’m targeting. However from looking online and asking peers, teachers and family members I have come to the conclusion that thrillers are predominantly watched by young adults. However there are many sub-genres within thrillers that should be noted- for example neo-noir thrillers. Thrillers tend to be watched more by working and middle class people as these people are able to identify more with the characters- both protagonists and antagonists. Therefore I’m aiming my film towards everyday people. It should also me noted that because thrillers usually involve more modern day technology, that people watching should also have an interest in technology. The very nature of thrillers is mystery, therefore the viewers I’m targeting should also be inquisitive by nature, and love mysteries. 

December feedback

You are making excellent progress toward the deadline and have filmed shots again where necessary.  I am expecting you to reach the higher grades so aspire to these.

Planning needs to be documented thoroughly on the web-log. You have done this with the script and the storyboards so now add production schedules and any other documentation. Use the Foundation portfolio booklet as a guide.

Once an edit is complete begin to evaluate your opening sequence.

Codes and conventions of a thriller

A thriller is a genre for film created to build suspense and excitement in an audience, the aim is to create mystery and make the audience ask questions. 

In thrillers the characters, especially the main character, the protagonist should appear isolated, and vulnerable especially compared to the antagonist. There should also be a subtle shift of power over the course of the film, power should initially lie with the antagonist, the protagonist should only gain the upper hand half way through after struggling. The two characters represent the struggle of good Vs evil, light Vs dark. Eventually good must win though, the protagonist must dominate the antagonist.    

An important element in thriller films is Camera Movement and Angles. This convention helps to give a film its thriller genre, as different camera angles can create different senses of body language and emotions. Camera Angles such as over the shoulder shots, facial close ups and mid shots are the most commonly used in thrillers. Close up shots are also used to show emotions when needed, adding to the suspense build up. Whereas over the shoulder shots give the audience a look into what the characters are seeing, showing clearly what it is the they're afraid off. it shows the problems the protagonist must overcome. They also give the audience chance to relate to characters, and build a relationship with them, it can help the audience to see the reasoning behind certain actions. The important thing to remember about thriller's is that there should be variety in the camera movement, and the overall product should cause a build up in suspense in the audience. A shot usually included in most thrillers is a shot showing characters looking into a mirror, as this shot represents personal reflection. Reflection on a characters life and actions. 

Editing in thrillers is a great way to add suspense- quick cuts showing lots of different angles allows for a fast pace to build as and gives the audience an idea of the action to come. Another editing technique that is used in thrillers is fade to black, this adds suspense as it makes the audience question what is about to come, or what it is they didn't see. It's these questions that add mystery and suspense. 

Mise-en-Scene in thrillers is important as its these elements which help to add suspense, mystery and drama. Lighting in a thriller is important, therefore low-key lighting should be used. Thrillers need to be dark to give the film a dark, gloomy mood and help to make the audience feel more suspense in regards to the film. as they are unable to clearly see all of the surrounding area around the characters. Another thing which also makes the opening off a thriller stick to its codes and conventions are the props used, in thriller films there should be sharp objects, like glass, knifes but also objects of addiction such as alcohol, caffeine, and drugs. These types of props show the audience what type of personality characters have, they indicate future events and hint towards characters natures. 

Ambient music is a great way for tense scenes to be created, building suspense suitable for thrillers. It creates panic and tension in the audience as they automatically associate ambient music with tension. 

The set and location also helps add to the genre of the film, as locations such as dark woods make the audience wary, it's isolated and anything could happen. It makes the audience fearful as these type of locations can easily be accessed by everyday people. These type of locations that build suspense and tension in the audience.

Risk assessment

Risk assessment for my opening sequence- The 5th Day

• Filming near a road: This can be potentially dangerous for numerous reasons, the most obvious is that cars will be passing meaning there is a threat of being struck. To avoid this, a quite or rarely used road should be picked to film on. This minimalizes the threat. Both actors and camera workers should be wary and also keep a constant look out to avoid an incident. Another reason this could be hazardous is because of the type of isolated road that will be used there will be poor lighting, meaning both actors and camera workers will have to be careful to avoid falling if their vision is impaired due to poor light. To make sure this isn’t an issue the scenes outside near the road should be filmed in the morning or day when the sun is out.
• Walking in the woods/woodland areas: Due to the uneven ground actors and camera workers will have to be careful to avoid falling- especially when holding the camera as it can easily be broken.