Q1- In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms

Q5- How did you attract/address your audience

Q4- Who would be the audience for your media product?

When determining our target audience for the final product 'Coercion' we decided to look at other films that from the use of IMDb had similar attributes but also looked upon their demographic like nationality, ethnicity, age and gender. This gave us the understanding we needed to fit a perfect target audience.

The data of which you can source from IMDb gives analysis of each sector of determining a target audience. So firstly we instantly looked upon the information given on 'The Disappearance of Alice Creed' as it was our primary example and inspiration in the project.
From this we noticed that the target age is primarily in the region of aged 30-44 year  old, however the male is the largest demographic of this age group, we can establish this because the male protagonist in the film holds the most power, it is a patriarchal film, so for men watching it, in a way emphasises their feeling of power, empowers their personality. The audience is also of a non-US audience, therefore expressing its UK basis and its popularity and not necessarily needing the US audience. The ratings are both very similar between the female and male gender however this can be expressed because the story line is extremely stressful on a female, it isn't pleasant in how the female protagonist is treated, but also it could be said that the film doesn't show much reality for a female, in that not all females are daughters of wealthy fathers, whom are to be kidnapped. Whereas for a male, not suggesting it is a regular stereotypical situation but violence against women, whether it be domestic abuse does occur.

Another film we used as another main inspiration is The Lovely Bones. Similar to Alice Creed this film shows a more younger female victim but with the similar power struggle. For the Lovely Bones the largest demographic is Males aged 30-44, however a larger overall age group of audience members is 18-29. Again similar to Alice Creed with more of a non-US viewer. One difference is that although more male audience the females that did view it and rate it have in fact rated it higher, this could possibly be because the female audience were more emotionally attached to the story line, therefore see it as a more impact full film on their lives. For the older females viewing the film they could see it as their fears for their own children therefore relating to the parents in the film, and the younger audience if female relating to their fears of a predator male. The cast linking perfectly to the age and gender of the target audience.

Our projects audience profile

The target audience profile for our final production will be similar in the fact that 18-29 year olds will be the masses of our audience, I believe that the female gender of the viewers will rate it higher then the male for the same reasons as mentioned in The Lovely Bones paragraph above. This is simply because the cast and characters we used were chosen from the inspiration Lovely Bones provided, in that the age gap between male predator and female victim, helps to emphasise the power and strength divide therefore promoting the young female fear of our day and age.

Q7- Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product

Q2 How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Q6- What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product

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

The pre-production in my opinion opened my eyes to new technologies, especially in organising the specifics of what we wanted to come from this project and how we were to accomplish it.

The first website we were introduced to was Blogspot, used to record each section of planning and research we have done put towards creating this product. This website is a multimedia platform, enabling us to be: interactive with dialogue and design; to have complete ownership of customisation we envisioned; flexibility of use, where by anywhere we could use it with the advantage of online accessibility connecting us to a variety of sites that can link to blogspot. This enabled research of similar films such as Alice Creed to be more thorough, it allowed us to connect different websites to them post it or about it. Furthermore, Blogspot allows continuous editing of every blog post, if a mistake, it is so easy to change, this is also very useful when planning this project.

The Second and Third website we used for mainly research and parts of planning were for starters Youtube. This is a rich content platform, its so easily accessible with inclusion of such a variety of videos, allowing us to understand and improve new camerawork such as angles, composition and even how soundtracks can be massively useful in creating atmosphere. Using this site meant we could watch other thriller openings on the go, if in school or home they were always at our finger tips to relate back to. The Third site is dropbox, this site is simply used to get access to public sharing of content such as images shared with the whole class for research work.

The Forth and in my opinion most important when talking about providing a platform to do my work and then to share it easily is Google Drive and Docs, this allowed not only an easy base to accomplish tasks on but also to do them collaboratively, allowing creative empowerment within the production group.

Furthermore, websites used in planning for sound and font were SoundFX and DaFont. Both sites provided a vast collection of useful ideas, helping expand our possibilities of what we could produce, it gave us creative freedom and more imagination.

In my opinion production went well in most parts, finding time to film was the hardest part of organisation, however the technology we were given did make it a lot easier in creating an opening thriller realistic enough to the point of having similarities to films we used in research.

The technologies we used were for starters the HD Camera this meant we were able to be in control of the settings such as high or low resolution, the camera also included instant playback meaning instead of having to go away and watch what we had filmed firstly, we could there and then watch and retake specific shots, this also leads to a more effective product but also more creative ability, it meant we could improvise and even experiment with all kinds of ideas without worrying about not having enough memory or time. This is also due to the compact memory the SD holds.

The post-production for the project included editing on Premium Pro. The bonus of using an HD camera meant and this software meant it was non-linear editing software. It enabled us to edit it in any order and refine and tweak our work whenever it was needed with ease as well. But it also again meant there was empowerment in our creativity.

Final Cut Thriller Opening

Q3- What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

Thriller Opening- The Rough Cut

Sounds

For our thriller opening, we have decided to not use dialogue, this is simply because we wanted to create simplicity and use only a small variety of sounds to create the tension and tone within the piece, however we have already taken into account and want to use the silence to create tension as well within the thriller.

Amongst the silence we have found specific sounds to use which we may not be able to produce completely within the shooting, so as pre-caution we have considered using the sound effect from a website to emphasise the sound chosen, such as: a door opening and closing and the crunching of footsteps on gravel.

For the beginning of our thriller opening we thought of using the 'Creepy door' sound effect from the website Freesound, as shown above. We thought this could be effective simply because when edited into our footage it sets a thriller feel and tone to the opening film sequence before anything is shown on screen, such as our main protagonists. 

A similarity to other thrillers, for instance 'Alice Creed' is another of our sound choices of Ambient sounds to run throughout the two minutes of thriller genre footage. Not only does this example of sound create and build tension but it also creates an eerie and uneasy tone to the film. Although 'The disappearance of Alice Creed' 's sound is higher pitched and faster tempo, the ambient sound we have chosen will still have the same effect as it will be on going and growing in pitch and tempo when needed. An only difference in sound combinations with ours and 'Alice Creed' is that in that film they have the addition of intrusion through non-diegetic and diegetic, creating a sense of realism, which I feel we can take note of with ours. 

A final sound experimentation and idea we had was to combine two different sounds, by layering them. The above 'Thriller Ambient' and a classical piece, either being 'Beethoven- Moonlight sonata'  or 'Chopin- Raindrop prelude'. By doing so, the overall sound created is something of a sinister feel, something that softens the mind of the viewer until they see what is on screen and become disorientated by what they here and the combination of what they see.  

Fonts

Fonts provided on screen enable the audience to have instant insight into the films genre and what they are about to view, but they still set a tone of enigma, the font and text can't say everything about the film and what is involved.

Font 1:

We decided to sample the 'Break it' font, we also sampled this font by using the name of our chosen production company, this is to get a feel for it and to decide whether it is right for the name of the company let alone on screen. This style of font is commonly used in thriller genre films, either as the title or part of the credits, for instance: in both 'Alice Creed' and 'Essex Boys'. The font is a bold and confrontational style, it enforces the viewer to read whatever is written, but also the name 'Break it" reinforces this but also adds a more violent and angry tone, therefore establishing how and what it should be used for. In my opinion because of this explanation it could be fit for our thriller opening.

Font 2:

However we have done further research and considered the 'Tox Typewriter' font for the credits or even Title, this font can be described as a typewriter-style line serif font, similar to the font chosen in "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels'. This font could be effective within our film opening because the uneven and slightly disorientating look to the letters establishes a sense of chaos and disorder to the film, of which is a common theme in most Thrillers. 

Font 3:

Furthermore, a final font we looked at was the 'RR Ruities'. This sans serif font has a cage-like grid pattern, this can help to foreshadow the future for one or more of the protagonists with the idea they become trapped or in the case of our thriller kidnapped. The worn down look of the letters also gives off the impression of despair and decay, like the mindset of a kidnapped victim, they feel as though there is no hope of escape. The damaged look of this fonts lettering can be perfectly compared to that of the font used in 'Se7en', which reveals the unsettling style of thriller the audience are about to witness. 

Shooting Schedule

Chosen Locations

First Location:

Our first location is Park Lane in the Golden Triangle of Norwich. We chose this location to be where the two protagonists live, a safe and middle class area of the city, built up of large houses. This emphasises the thriller idea and psychological ideas of urbanphobia, you are never safe, even in the wealthiest of areas. We chose the house because firstly it is the home of our actor Mattie Goddard but also because the house opposite was so perfect for the perspective of filming we wanted. The placement of both houses are directly opposite, fitting to our idea that the characters always look onto one another even in the comfort of their homes. However the only disadvantage or issue we could come across is the parked cars within the spaces we wanted to shoot, there is no way of overcoming this issue however we can work around the obstacles by simply having to film at an alternative angle to how we wanted it at first.

Second Location:


Our second location even though minor, it is still key. We decided to use the lanes of Norwich as a filming site because it is known for its welcoming, constantly moving and vibrant part of the city, but also because the lanes include very secluded areas, such as the small walkway shown in the images below. It again connotes an atmosphere of safety for the audience when viewing our thriller opening, but adds ease in filming one character following the other through enclosed walkways, because there isn't the addition of mass traffic or bustling public. The lanes also add variety to our filming because it allows us to film in parts where the characters will be walking alone emphasising a sense of tension and anxiety or in the main streets whereby it creates a sense of hope that she will be saved or seen by a member of the public.

Third Location:

Our final location for filming our opening to a thriller is Chapelfield Garden Underpass. This is where the main action will take place, the kidnapping. Initially we were going to film this in Anglia Square underpass which is more narrow and longer which would have allowed us to establish the action to take place, however we chose this underpass, firstly because it was more accessible for us to film in but also there is less of a chance in interring with the homeless that have taken shelter in Anglia Square underpass recently. Not only that but Chapelfield Underpass has a source of artificial lighting allowing shadows to be created when filming in the evening. The wider area is creates also gives us the chance to show there is hope for her escape or 'light at the end of the tunnel'. The underpass being on the outer edge of the garden and city centre means there is less likely to be members of the public using it, allowing more ease in filming without interruption.

Images of Written and Drawn Storyboards

Treatment

Our Media Treatment 

We begin with the sound of a door clicking shut, before transitioning from black to a close up shot of the antagonist’s feet walking onto his gravel driveway. The weight of his footsteps is emphasised by the diegetic sound of the crunching gravel and its grey colour palette constructs gloomy connotations. This close up conceals details of the character, making him enigmatic so creating a sense of anticipation. We cut to an extreme long shot, establishing the location of a residential street, which reveals the house opposite. A shot through an upstairs window, creating a sense of intrusion, presents the protagonist in her bedroom. Within her bedroom, we cut to a close up of her face which conveys innocence as she calmly gets ready to go out. A close up of her table as she picks up her keys presents props which convey aspects of her character; schoolbooks convey that she is young and possibly vulnerable, plus photographs of family and friends signify that she is kind and innocent. A jump cut returns us to the antagonist, a close up of his watch and the diegetic sound of ticking presenting him as impatient and creating a sense of threat as it suggests that time may be limited for our protagonist. 

Influenced by ‘The Disappearance of Alice Creed’, we aim to create an increasing sense of threat in the opening of our thriller film which is also about a kidnapping. We will use a similarly bleak colour scheme, containing greys, to create connotations of misery and we will also use close ups to create a sense of intensity. Also drawing influence from 'Se7en', our film will have an urban setting, suggestive of themes of immorality and violence, as is conventional of the thriller genre. Another influence from this film is that we will use close ups of props in the home of the protagonist to help establish her character (as was done for the character of Detective Somerset in 'Se7en'.

Our Location Ideas

Below I have provided a table of which analysis's the variety of locations we have chosen  for this project.

Characters and Props

In this blog post I have included the agenda for each of the protagonists, not only that but the Props they will use and have provided brief summaries of their personalities, their costume and style.

Within our planning time my group and I have decided to change the name of the character Mia to Lila, this is simply because we felt Lila suited the personality of the character more.
In more detail we have also decided upon age, props, personality and Costume.
Lila will be aged 17, an age we can relate to as students and directors of this project, we feel we can make her more realistic as a character.
Her personality is timid as stated in the images but also reserved and vulnerable however friendly and welcoming at the same time. We want her to be shown as the most unexpected victim,  someone who never puts themselves in danger or in the position where she would be in harm from another person.
In the variety of shots we will do we will have props show such as school books, pictures of family and friends but also an object from her place of work such as an Imeldas bag. We want to show her as someone to be close nit, someone who is only ever in a safe and loved environment. Her costume style will also help emphasise her simplicity and conservative life, nothing revealing or eye catching.

Our antagonist, Mark, will be aged 50.  A more in depth analysis of his personality can describe him as not only obsessive but punctual, controlling, narcissistic, impatient and short tempered, someone the audience would establish as having clear psychopath tendencies. The props we will provide the character with will also help clearly connote this: leather clothes helping establish his neat and clean lifestyle (clean hands, no trace); a wallet full of past victims, young girls, dating back years and finally a watch, to connote his need for constant time keeping.

What do directors seek to establish in the openings of thrillers?

In the openings of thriller films the director seeks to establish different key aspects of the film itself, such as: location and setting; plot; tone and mood and character. Different directors will choose to focus on one overall in the opening.

Establishing Character: Se7en 

For establishing a character in the opening of a thriller I have chosen David Finchers film Se7en. I have chosen this opening sequence because it allows the audience very quickly to establish the protagonist, it gives them focus on key material items and in some cases metaphorical objects to allow the viewers to get a grasp on who they are and in this case the importance of the character in this film.

For example in this shot we instantly understand the characters job, in the police force. Detective William Somerset (played by Morgan Freeman) is already shown to be organised in his up keeping, his belongings are perfectly placed and set out. The precise placing of these particular items show us that he can be described as a careful man. It can be said that all the items placed down correlate apart from the object furthest to the left, this suggests it is of sentimental value to the character, something to hold onto as a memory. The background details and storyline to this object of emotion was in fact removed from the full movie, although this is an enigma, we are still able to establish an emotional attachment to it, it clearly contrasts to the more serious and work life feel to the other objects placed on the right.

The clear correlation between the other 4 objects is that they all link to the characters intelligence and profession. The gold plated police badge enforces his role and clear seriousness in his occupation as a detective, the pen knife, pen and glasses case all reinforce his strength and intelligence in this role. It provides the audience on the truly in depth life this character leads, just how precise, detailed and significant each item is to him and the life he has lived. The knife can however connote a darker side,  a sense of danger is emphasised, a warning to the audience that this character will put himself into situations where he may need to protect or fight, furthermore it could connote what he has had to fight in the past, a clear emphasis on his need for protection in a weapon.  

This scene provides us with the idea that Somerset is not only a careful man and professional in a workplace and situation, but his home life can be suggested as lonely, the inequalities of positioning in this shot emphasise this, especially by the double bed with only one person on one side and the other empty, he is a single person in a wide shot that should be filled with the second, however they are missing. The inequalities can then again be questioned by the lamps and lighting by how they are both switched on as if he is reliving the moments of which he shared with the missing person, but also by the fact the lamps are different heights, suggesting a deeper meaning that he has lost the power and he is at his lowest at home, alone.




Establishing Tone; The Disappearance of 
Alice Creed 

 The two images show the panning shot of items the two protagonist villains need for there kidnapping. This shot I believe is the most important out of all the thriller openings we have watched, this is because it is in complete contrast to what is shown in this opening before, it creates a more violent and dangerous tone to the opening sequence and film. It expresses to the audience the severity of what the characters are about to become involved in. The seriousness of what crime they are about to commit and how deadly it could become. It provides the audience with a more heart beating moment, it provides a tone of which completely captivates them.

Another example as to how this film opening establishes tone, is this simple wide shot scene, in my opinion it allows the audience to relax, the simplicity, aesthetically pleasing and symmetrical shot puts the viewers mind as ease, there is nothing complicated. The relieving tone is also established by the way the characters are placed and positioned, they are relaxing, slouched and at peace after their preparation. The calm before the storm.

Establishing Location: Essex Boys

Terry Winsor, the director of the British thriller establishes location beautifully. An example is shot. The car of which has both protagonists in, driving into the bleakness, heading into the darker side of life, it emphasises urban life but empty. The scene then leads the audience into another where the Essex sign is clearly shown. This example not only sets location but the metaphor that the location connotes, the grey cloudy British skies allows the viewers to set the scene, relate and experience each step with the characters. The on-screen vanishing point also helps the audience get a full grasp of the location and setting Winsor chose.

This scene I have chosen as my second example of establishing location in this opening is chosen simply because it is so obvious and simple to the viewers of the characters location, again Winsor uses a repeated technique of on-screen vanishing points, this enables the audience to take in the vast landscape that the director has chosen so perfect for the storyline he is following. This shot is filmed in the Essex marshes, again providing a bleak sky and colour palette as seen before. I believe Winsor has chosen these vast areas and locations because it enables the audience to guess what is going to happen, to leave them with the vast amount of ideas and scenarios that the characters could be involved in. For instance in this shot, the viewer will inevitably think this location is dangerous, there is nothing but mud and sea, you cannot possibly survive out there, and that is what Winsor wanted, to not reveal anything but allow the astonishing location and landscape to tell the story and outcome for each character.

How does the opening of Essex boys use metaphorical spaces to create meaning?

Image 1:

This shot enables the audience to question this characters freedom. The glazed over windows shot surrounding him and the entwined cobwebs suggest a claustrophobic position to be in, no clear direction or movement for the character. In other ways the shot could foreshadow his entrapment in future life, the life he will lead that we as viewers will follow. The side profile that the actor is shot at creates a sense of mystery still, we don't see his full facial feature nor where he is leading us. 

Image 2:

This image again connotes Billy's (the character in focus) entrapment. This can be suggested by the reflection of light on the windscreen, a prison bar like reflection off his face; a visual metaphor of criminality and foreshadowing this characters possible imprisonment. Although one character isn't it focus there is still a questionable power imbalance presented, this is by the foreground in focus character to be shown tensed up and concentrating on a job, whereas the male character in back is relaxed, with not a lot of care in the world, no reflection of bars across him particularly. 

Image 3:

This shot includes a very prominent on screen vanishing point whereby leads us to the set location of Essex. The emerging bleak grey colour palette displays the thought that Billy, a protagonist, is heading into a darker side to life, becoming the anti-hero, heading into a life of criminality and a bleak future. The lighting is low, blurry and dark to coincide with the darker colour palette, creating this overwhelming sense of darkness for both characters. 

Image 4:

In this image there is another on screen vanishing point, connoting that this mans life may never be over however the combination of the bleak lighting and colour palette can suggest it is not going to be enjoyable. The shot is very off balance and disorientating, as if the character is not only stuck in the marshes of Essex but trapped in a life of angles and diagonal lines that fill the screen.

From looking at this thriller opening I have noticed just how key disorientating camera angles are and colour palette of the location to reflect the mood of characters or to foreshadow the characters fate. 

Se7en - Conventions of Noir

How does the sewer scene in The Third Man use mise en scene to create meaning?

Image 1:

For this shot it is shown that matrices are used, this is in place to create a sense entrapment and growing or prolonged fear and lack of power that the character is dealing with this comes with the additions of diagonal lines and high angle shots from the characters perspective. The winding staircase creates a sense of disorientation, a metaphor for power, how he is trying to gain more and climb back up.

Image 2:

This shot also connotes and presents to the audience a sense of entrapment and lack of hope for the character central in the shot. The chiaroscuro lighting used can also emphasise the metaphorical surrounding of darkness, helping to foreshadow the characters fate and for now the lack of hope for his escape to continue, let alone succeed.

Image 3:





The diagonal lines in this shot create a sense of confusion, not only this but alongside the uses of matrices they help to enclose the character into the shot which then follows on to causing a maze like setting. The large space of which is shown by using such a wide shot creates and enables the audience to view the large shadows which follow on to emphasise the protagonists evil side. The wide shot can also provide a chance for the setting to become a metaphorical space - Claustrophobia, the character is stuck in this space.

Image 4:





In this shot the chiaroscuro lighting creates silhouettes which then can be seen to connote the characters darker side, he is surrounded by darkness. The use of a stable on screen vanishing point brings the addition of a conclusion/end to the thriller, a clean finish. The protagonist is shot no longer properly central in the sewer which can suggest he has less importance now, and is also shot to be small in the entirety of the shot, therefore connoting weakness.

Image 5:





In this final shot it creates a overwhelming feeling of disorientation. This is created by the angle it has been shot at and the wide long view of setting. The angle provides entrances to the numerous different sewers. This therefore then makes the audience question where he may be and the mystery that question holds, also then adding a sense of confusion. The character within this image is presented as vulnerable, this is accomplished by the size of him compared to the vast space that he is featured alongside with.