Final Thriller

Final cut of my thriller, 'Eternal'.

AS Evaluation - Question 5

How did you attract/address your audience?

AS Evaluation - Question 4

Who would be the audience for your media product?

AS Evaluation - Question 7

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

The purpose of the preliminary task was to familiarise ourselves with all the equipment that we used for filming our opening thriller sequence. We learnt how to use the tripod, the camera and the editing software. Furthermore, we learnt how to take all of the theory that we learnt (different camera shots and editing techniques) and actually create/use them. After doing the preliminary task, we knew how to use the editing software properly, how to operate the camera, and how to use the tripod in the best way (how to keep it still, etc). This helped immensely when we were creating our thriller film because afterwards we knew exactly what to do and how to do it, so we could get straight into filming. This cut a lot of time out of the filming process, which made filming easier and more efficient. Therefore we had more time to edit and make sure our thriller looked how we wanted it to.­

During the preliminary task, I was faced with some difficulties. I found the editing software (Final Cut Pro X) difficult to use at first, but through the course of the preliminary task I became better at using it via practice. Another difficulty that I faced was that there were background noises as we were filming, and they can be heard at times during the product of the preliminary task. To avoid repetition of this problem during the filming of our real final product, we made sure to not film when unnecessary noises are made around us. Also, we edited any unwanted sound out of our final cut.

AS Evaluation - Question 6

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

AS Evaluation - Question 3

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

AS Evaluation - Question 2

"How does your media product represent particular social groups?"

There are 2 main characters in my thriller film, and three supporting characters. The killer is a former bride, who’s husband-to-be left her at the altar for her best friend. She killed his 3 friends, the supporting characters, to get revenge, and she is now coming for him. She wears her wedding dress and veil when she kills as a symbol for how she is doing this for a specific reason. The colour of the wedding dress is ironic as it is white, which is usually used to represent innocent characters. This is one of the ways in which my film challenges the conventions of the thriller genre. The main victim, the former groom, is now in a relationship with his ex-fiancée’s best friend. He is shown in flashbacks during the sequence, getting ready for the wedding. At the end he is shown at present time, with his new girlfriend. He is the implied last victim of the sequence. His three friends are all killed before him, by the ‘bride’, to get revenge and build up for the “main event” – the groom’s death.

The bride/killer/main character

The ex-groom/ex-fiancé and his (implied) new girlfriend, the ex-bride's (ex-)best friend

In my thriller film, the representation of gender challenges conventions. In most conventional thriller films, the killer is a strong male, and the victim is a weak, blonde female. However, in my film, the killer is a strong female, and the victim is an average male. All of our characters may appeal to our target audience (older teens/young adults – 15+) due to the characters being quite young and therefore more relatable to the target audience. Furthermore, more females may want to watch the film due to the reversed gender roles. The film will appeal to females more because in the film they are not represented as weak.

My film represents the group of brides - married women, and women who are about to be married. It stereotypically represents brides as control-freaks who overreact. In my film, the 'bride' seeks fatal revenge on the fiancé who left her on her wedding day, by murdering people he loves, and then attempting to murder him (we see in the opening sequence that she is in his house as he opens the bathroom door, but the scene ends abruptly there). She is evidently mentally ill, as she is homicidal, and this is contrasted by her white clothing. White is conventionally (within the thriller/horror genre) used to represent the opposite to represent the innocent, however, in my film the opposite is portrayed.

Overall, it is easy for our audience to build a relationship with our characters. All characters are approximately the same age as most of our target audience, and therefore are somewhat relatable to them. An audience would want to watch our thriller sequence as the characters and the narrative is intriguing and filled with suspense.

AS Evaluation - Question 1

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

There are several generic conventions that are widely used within the thriller genre. For example, most thriller films include an isolated setting (usually where the killer is) to portray the killer’s loneliness and/or separation from the victims. This is seen in the thriller film series Saw. The villain in Saw is always in a different room to the victims, and he communicates with them via video tapes. The villain is mostly always in an isolated setting, portraying his separation from everything. Furthermore, the villain communicates with victims using a puppet, hiding the actual killer’s identity. This is also a convention within the thriller genre, as villain’s usually have hidden identities. It creates a distance between the villain and the audience, and the villain and the other characters in the film. Also, point of view shots are often used throughout the thriller genre. An example of this is in The Happening when one of the woman on the bench looks at the crowd in the park that have all suddenly halted. The point of view shots lets the audience see the scene from the character’s point of view, which increases the relationship between the audience and the character, and the audience’s fear.

I followed a lot of generic conventions in my thriller film. Firstly, the killer uses a knife to kill her victims. This is a classic, conventional weapon to the thriller genre. It is also realistic, as knives are easily accessed (kitchen knife). Secondly, close up shots are widely used in the thriller genre, and many were used in our thriller film – mostly when the killer/bride is looking through the wedding scrapbook/photo album. This helps the audience focus on what the bride is looking at, emphasising the importance of the scrapbook, and the bride’s unhealthy mental state. Similarly, it is typical within the thriller genre to include a villainous character with a troubled past. My thriller sequence defines the thriller genre due to its use of the codes and conventions of the genre. I've used several conventional parts of micro-elements such as cinematography and mise-en-scene. My analysis of existing media products has greatly helped me in keeping with these codes and conventions. For instance, some parts of our sequence are completely silent. This builds tension, as is used widely throughout the thriller genre. Furthermore, the title of my film - Eternal - is quite conventional to the thriller genre. It is a short, one-word title with connotations of the film's narrative, which is common throughout the film industry as a whole. For example, my film involves death, and death is 'eternal', but also the word 'eternal' has connotations of love and marriage. All three of these themes - death, love and marriage - are central to the plot of the film.

Shock, surprise, and suspense are all present within and throughout our sequence. The end of the sequence contains a shocking scene, where the ex-fiancé goes to the bathroom and opens the door, and the bride/killer is standing with a knife, staring. This is the moment that all previous suspense throughout the sequence had been building up to (through the use of tense low key lighting, soundtrack, etc). We chose to include this scene to close our opening sequence as it is conventional for a shocking image to be shown after tension is built up throughout the sequence.

The shocking shot at the end of the opening sequence

Furthermore, I used the Kuleshov effect within our sequence to add to the shocking and surprising elements of the film. I used this editing technique/effect when a shot of the bride crossing out a young man's face is shown, followed by the bride walking behind the same young man, holding a knife. The way these two shots are edited one after the after implies a third meaning - the bride has already killed this boy, and the following shot was a flashback. This effect engages the audience as they have to figure out what is actually happening. The use of tension-building aspects such as those previously stated adds to the conventionality of my opening sequence. I feel that my media product resembles a conventional thriller sequence.

My thriller film could be compared to existing media products such as Scream. The killer in Scream has a hidden identity due to the mask and costume. The killer in my thriller film is dressed as a bride, and hides behind this seemingly innocent and harmless exterior. Also, both killer use simple kitchen knives as weapons. The killers also both kill the people that have wronged them, so they think the murders are justified.

The bride/killer holding a simple kitchen knife, about to kill one of the victims (implied, not shown - part of the Kuleshov effect)

Thriller Comparison

I think that I have created a successful thriller sequence. We aimed to create a thriller sequence that would create tension and excitement for the audience, and we feel that our sequence has achieved this. We used conventional thriller aspects within our film, as well as including a unique twist in our plot, which we think has engaged the audience with our film and narrative.

The micro-element used within our thriller sequence that best shows our creativity and understanding of thriller conventions is mise-en-scene. The lighting for most of the shots in the sequence were relevant to our plot and to the thriller genre - we used low key lighting frequently within the film, which is conventional to the thriller genre. Additionally, the layout and presentation of the bedroom setting that is shown a lot within the sequence portrays conventional thriller themes such as dark, isolated settings and contrasting monochromatic colours. Furthermore, the costumes used in the sequence were relevant, and the bride's wedding dress and veil helped create a hidden identity for the bride/killer. This also applies to the bride's hair and make-up, as she looked frightening and resembled a stereotypical thriller film character/villain.

Comparison To Another Thriller Film

My thriller sequence (Eternal) has both conventional and unconventional characteristics, which helps its comparison to Orphan, relating to: narrative; representation of characters; sound; editing; and mise-en-scene.

The narrative of Orphan can be condensed into: a girl entering a family, but not being as innocent as she first seems. Similarly, our narrative is of a young woman who was about to marry into a family, but the wedding fell through, and she defied all innocent expectations that the characters and the audience had of her. Both seemingly innocent main female characters are revealed to be serial killers and mentally unstable.

The representations of characters within Orphan and Eternal are similar as both films feature female killers. These representations subvert the conventional stereotype of males being the killers and females being the victims. This unconventional aspect of the representation of the films' characters heightens the uniqueness of the films and engages the audience. This also increases the likelihood of females watching the films as they are not being represented as victims within the films.

The female killer/bride in my thriller film

The female killer in Orphan

Both Orphan and my film Eternal use conventional non-diegetic sounds throughout the film/sequence. For example, all throughout the clip of Orphan, there is tense, non-diegetic sound playing. This helps add tension to the atmosphere, as this part of the film is very suspenseful and at times shocking. The music used makes the part of the film seem more frightening, and it engages the audience with the narrative. This is mirrored in my thriller sequence, Eternal, where suspenseful music is heard throughout. Our film also reflects Orphan's use of non-diegetic tense music as, in both films, the music gets faster and louder when there is action on-screen.

From the same clip, we can see the fast editing during the action-filled parts of the scene. This adds to the excitement and engages the audience with the current events in the film. However, our film generally has slow editing the entire way through, except during the last few shots. This is because our entire opening sequence was building up to this moment, so we included mostly slow editing to help build tension.

Lastly, mise-en-scene is very important within Orphan and Eternal. The elements of costume, hair and make-up are very important to both clips. For example, in the aforementioned clip of Orphan, it is extremely important to the plot of the story that Esther, the deceiving adopted 'child', wears black ribbons around her wrists and neck. This is because, as the audience discovers in the clip, Esther is actually a 33 year old woman who has scars around her wrists and neck from being in a straitjacket. She also wears a lot of make-up to hide her true age. Esther's hair and make-up, and costume are all essential to her character's instability and identity. This is also true for the (unnamed) character of the bride; she uses her wedding veil and dress to hide her true identity of being a killer. She is also very unstable and this is evident due to her smeared, messy make-up and the fact that she always wears her wedding dress. It is central to the plot that both of these things remain constant, mirroring Orphan.

Esther (from Orphan) wearing a black ribbon on her neck to hide the straitjacket scar

The bride in my thriller opening sequence, not revealing her identity (with the aid of a wedding dress, veil and make up)

Audience Feedback

Audience feedback is important to a production as it gives the creators of the media product the chance to reflect on their work and see what they did well and what they could have done better. Media companies that go on to create further media products use all positive and constructive criticism that they receive to improve further creations.

We received feedback from our target audience by screening our film and collecting feedback from a questionnaire. The audience involved a group of approx. 25 people, divided into groups averaging 3 members each; groups filled out the questionnaires together. They answered questions involving positive and negative comments about our production. This feedback benefited our production as we were then able to reflect on what we did well and what we could have done better. This allows us to reflect on our production and how we could do better if we were to create another film.

The following are examples of 3 positive comments that we received about our film:

1. Good, unique narrative and characters
2. Well-balanced conventional and unconventional aspects
3. Appropriate use of sounds

I feel that the first comment is due to our unconventional and therefore "unique" narrative. Our narrative follows an unconventional plot of a mentally unstable woman killing for revenge (the story is told through her point of view) because he ex-fiancé left her just before the wedding. She kills people close to him, working her way up to killing him. This is the plot of the opening sequence, as it ends with her surprising him at his home. Furthermore, the killer in thriller films is not usually female, so this our film challenges conventions and becomes interesting for the audience. Moreover, we have both unconventional and conventional aspects in our sequence, which the audience appears to find engaging, as proved by the second positive comment that we received. We have conventional aspects such as low key lighting, tense music, and the traditional kitchen knife weapon. These are all familiar to the audience and they will engage with the film as it will create a pre-established idea of the kind of atmosphere a thriller film should create. However, intertwined with these conventions are unconventional aspects. These include the representation of characters, narrative, etc. This helps maintain the film's engaging atmosphere and keep the audience interested and enjoying the film. Lastly, after watching our film and receiving feedback, I have concluded that our use of sound throughout the film was appropriate for the atmosphere that we wanted to create. The tense soundtrack within most of the sequence was helpful in maintaining the frightening, tense atmosphere for the audience. Our use of diegetic sound in this sense was good and appropriate. Furthermore, our use on non-diegetic sound at the start of the film (showing the flashbacks of the bride and her best friend getting ready for the wedding) was also helpful in creating a contrast and making the audience curious about the future plot of the sequence/film.

The following three statements are examples of negative/constructive feedback that we received:

1. Music is too loud
2. No sound at the end of the sequence: ruins atmosphere, boring
3. Too much dialogue

With help from the first criticism, we discovered that the music during our sequence was too loud. This was easily solved, as we re-edited the sound in our sequence. This then helps to make the final product more enjoyable for the audience as they can focus more on what is happening in the scene. However, music was still important for the scenes, so we made sure that the soundtrack was still audible. Next, we realised that the lack of sound at the end of the sequence takes away the shock factor of the ending (when the bride surprises the ex-fiancé), and this was reinforced by constructive criticism #2. To fix this, we found a copyright-free mp3 file of a 'shocking' sound to add to the end of the scene (as non-diegetic sound). This increased the levels of tension and fixed the problem of the end of the sequence being "boring". Lastly, at the last minute, we cut a short scene from the sequence because our target audience found it to include too much dialogue. Too much dialogue in that scene evidently ruined the tense atmosphere of the entire sequence, taking away the shock and surprise element that thrillers must include. This is the reason that we chose to remove that scene; now our film 'flows' better and is easier to understand, while also remaining suspenseful.

I followed the aims of the brief in my creation of the opening two minute sequence to a thriller film. My group and I researched and created the thriller film without any outside help, and our final products both uses and challenges conventions of the thriller genre.

AS Thriller Evaluation

Using Microsoft Word, Blogger, and Prezi, I have created an evaluation of my AS Thriller project. I filmed (using a HP webcam) two parts of the evaluation, uploaded the videos to YouTube, and included them in the relevant blog posts. 

Within a group, I had to research, plan and create an opening sequence to a thriller film, which includes a soundtrack and credits. The sequence had to be (up to) 2 minutes long. My group and I edited our film on Final Cut Pro X. My group members were myself, Lily Badcock, and Jazz Chrystie. The production roles involved with the film-making and editing process of the opening sequence were: producers, directors, actors, director of photography, sound producers/music, screenplay writer, mise-en-scene co-ordinators, and editors.

A producer prepares for the making of a film, and supervises the making of the film. Producers sometimes hire an executive producer due to time demands. A producer also has the final say with hiring a film director. The director visualizes the script and controls the film’s artistic and dramatic aspects. Actors are the people visible on screen in the film, who act out the script. The director of photography operates the camera and controls the lighting of the set and the visual look of the film. The sound producer controls what sounds are used in the film and where they are placed. The sound producer mostly participates during the editing stage, however, a plan of sounds that will be used in the film is made before filming, and during the editing stage, the sound producer follows this plan. Music [producer] decides and/or composes the music that is used in the film. The screenplay writer writes the script for the film. The mise-en-scene co-ordinator controls the mise-en-scene - every part of the physical environment of the frame. Lastly, editors add the footage together, cut unwanted parts out, and add transitions, credits and sound.

I was my group’s director of photography, lead editor, and sound producer, as well as an actress. I was responsible for operating the camera, creating good lighting for the shots, being the person who does the most editing on the film, controlling which sounds are used in the film, and acting in the film. I learned how to use a camera and tripod, how to edit using Final Cut Pro X, how to cut and place audio into specific parts of the sequence, and how to create credits for the sequence.

My group worked well together. All problems, such as filming schedule changes, were solved, and the filming/editing process was generally smooth. We had no internal or personal conflicts, which aided the process of making this film sequence.

I feel that the thriller we made was quite successful, in relation to the conventions used. However, parts of the film, such as incorporating a female killer, challenged thriller genre conventions. Our film did follow thriller conventions, nonetheless, in the categories of settings & iconography (isolated location and classic kitchen knife for a weapon), hidden identity [of the killer], low-key lighting (to create suspense and uneasiness), unexpected twists (bride is a killer), and cinematography (such as handheld camera shots and canted angles).