For our group, audience feedback was essential. through screening our thriller to our target audience, we were able to assess their reactions and consider their opinions as to how well our thriller met, and appealed to their needs. This enabled us to form a better understanding of how we could adapt our thriller, making it as appealing as possible to the target audience.
When considering how we would screen our thriller to the target audience, we decided that it would be easiest to gather members of the target audience together and screen our film to all of them at once. We therefore decided to use a classroom after school hours as we knew that our target audience would be free at this time. We invited 40 members of our target audience to watch the film, before giving them some paper to write down two positive, and two negative comments about the thriller. Once the screening was over, we reviewed all of the comments and focused on the four most common ideas.
YouTube aided us in the screening as we were able to upload it to the site, making it visible to a wide population. This meant that more members of the target audience were able to see the film. Below the video, viewers have the opportunity to make comments about the film, providing us with extra, detailed, and instant comments.
Once we had collected all of the comments from the target audience, we read through them all and found the four most common, two positive, and two negative.
These were:
Positive:
- The thriller has a good narrative. It is easy to follow and captures the attention of the audience quickly, ensuring that they are fully enticed into finding out what will happen to the main character as she is pursued by her stalker.
- The over the shoulder shots are effective in showing the scene from the point of view of the attacker, and highlight to the audience how much danger the victim is in. In turn, this is effective in building suspense within the scene. Negative:
- The lack of violence took suspense away from the narrative and caused an anti climax.
- The film should have included more close up shots in order to fully highlight and express the feelings of the main character, to enable the audience to empathise with her.
From these comments, we were able to make changes to our thriller to be able to better meet the needs of our target audience.
Throughout the process of creating our thriller film, we kept a log of all of the meetings we had as a group. This enabled us to keep track of our progress, and keep a record of the things that we still needed to do. We were able to discuss what we had done so far, and see whether there were any things we needed to change. By planning out the different meetings that we would have, we were able to keep track of what we were doing, and ensure that we met all of our deadlines and got everything finished on time.
I believe that our group was able to work well together. We listened to everyones opinions and were able to create a thriller which incorporated all of our ideas, in the most creative and effective way possible.
The soundtrack to a film is extremely important in order to connote a mood or atmosphere to the audience, helping them to put themselves in the same situation as the character and therefore enabling them to experience the same feelings of tension, suspense and anxiety as the main protagonist in a thriller film. It also enables the director to connote different ideas about the upcoming events of the film to the audience, for example deep, dark, suspenseful music played whilst a man dressed in dark clothing walks alone will foreshadow a sinister future for this character in the rest of the film.
For the soundtrack of our group thriller film, we discussed the type of music that we would like to include. We know, that in order to create thick tension within our narrative the music needs to convey a dark atmosphere, as though something terrible is about to happen. The clip below is a perfect example of the type of music we would like to include within our film. The tense sounds would be perfect for a foreboding atmosphere that we are aiming to create within the opening sequence, causing the audience to be in a state of suspense as they wait for the sinister actions that they know will take place soon.
http://ccmixter.org/files/nickleus/28581
Another example of sound that we aim to include in the film is natural sound. This creates a sense of realism, as the audience can identify with the events taking place and realise that there is a possibility, no matter how small, that these events could take place in real life. This creates an even more terrifying feel to the narrative as the audience puts themselves so vividly into the shoes of the character.
We also found a short clip of four voices whispering in a sinister, yet unintelligible manner. We discussed as a group, where this music could best be used, and we came up with the idea that it would sound best in the scenes where the attacker is stalking his victim, while she walks home unaware of his presence. Through the use of this sound we intend to create an especially spooky atmosphere as the voices could be representative of the dark voices which haunt his mind, spurring him on.
http://www.freesound.org/people/geoneo0/sounds/143902/
The three examples of music above will enable us to create a tense, yet electrifying atmosphere as the audience watches the events unfold. It will add huge dramatic impact to our film, as music is the key to making a scene even more suspenseful than it would have been otherwise.
Once we had written our group narrative, myself and Amy designed the group storyboards. By drawing out the narrative scene by scene, we were able to plan how we would like the different events to appear and be presented to the audience, what close up shots we would use, and where the different flashbacks should be shown. We were also able to decide how long we would like each scene to last for, in order to ensure that the opening sequence didn't run longer than we needed it to, two or three minutes at the most.
In order to form our group narrative, and then draw out our group storyboards, we had a group discussion about the ideas and scenes we each felt were most important to include. This meant that we were able to use the best ideas from every member of the group to make our narrative as effective as possible. Once we had discussed these ideas in detail, myself and Amy spent time putting them together in chronological order, making sure that the scenes made sense where we had placed them, in terms of the whole narrative.
Our storyboards then took on the role of a plan for us, while we shot the scenes, enabling us to ensure that we had included everything that we needed to. We did however, make some changes to the order of the scenes within these storyboards during editing, as we realised that different scenes worked better together than others.
When creating a film it is important to consider the style of editing that will be used in order to link the scenes together. Different types of editing styles will have various effects on the audience and their interpretation on the events taking place in the film. For example, a straight cut aims to remain unnoticed and natural, making the film appear as realistic as possible to the audience.
In our group thriller, we aim to include four different types of editing styles, in order to have the best, and most tense impact on our audience.
The first type of editing style we aim to use is a jump cut, which will be used to link together the scenes whilst the attacker is stalking his victim. This style of editing keeps the pace of the film as fast as possible, ensuring that the audience's attention is fully captivated and drawn into the story. To the audience, this editing style will also seem more realistic than a fade or dissolve, as the scenes simply jump from one to the next, without any visible editing effect on the images seen, whereas a dissolve would see the images fall apart, unnaturally. A jump cut is conventional of a thriller film as typically, the pace of films in this genre are kept fast, in order to keep the events appearing as dramatic and out of control as possible.
The second editing style we would like to use in our film is a dissolve, as although this style of editing may appear vaguely unrealistic to the audience, it will enable us to connote different meanings to the audience. As the image 'dissolves' it appears to break down and disintegrate, before reforming as a flashback scene which focuses on our attacker. The way in which the images break down connote to the audience the instability of the mind of the attacker, and the fragmented way in which his thoughts are formed. Dissolve editing will enable us to make the thriller conventional as it highlights the instability of the attacker's mind, a stereotype which is manipulated and focused on in many different films of this genre, one of the most famous of which is Psycho.
As the flashback scene comes to an end, the images will fade back into the present time, highlighting to the audience that the events taking place in the flashback occurred in the past. The audience sees the brooding nature of the attacker, and, through knowing the victim is being stalked by him in the present scenes, will begin to worry about her. Feelings of empathy and suspense will be formed within members of the audience as they wonder what dangerous actions the attacker will carry out to avenge his anger. The use of a flashback scene is conventional to a thriller film as it provides the audience with key information about the motives of the attacker, yet enables the director to keep the narrative enigmatic and full of suspense, as the audience is unaware of what will take place.
Our narrative will focus on two different times, the past, or 'flashback' scenes, and the present, the scenes where our victim is being stalked by the mentally deranged attacker. Through the use of these two different scenes and the time that they are set, we are able to connote a third meaning to the audience: that the man in the flashbacks is the same man stalking the young girl. This style of editing is known as the kuleshov effect, and is conventional to thriller films. Many films use the kuleshov effect to connote a third meaning to the audience, yet keeping this meaning enigmatic is it is just an assumption made by the audience. This meaning hasn't been confirmed in the form of an actual scene.
Overall, these four different types of editing styles will work together in order to create a conventional thriller film. The jump cuts enable us to keep a fast pace in the present day scenes, while the kuleshov effect allows the audience to draw their own conclusions about the motives of the attacker, whilst keeping the real motives hidden and enigmatic.
The opening credits create audience expectations about what is to come within the film. For example an upbeat, happy opening credits sequence will convey to the audience that the film will be lighthearted, fun and uplifting, whereas a darker, more brooding opening sequence with dramatic music will convey a much more serious atmosphere within the scene highlighting to the audience that the film will not be lighthearted and fun, but one which is packed with suspense and drama.
The soundtrack is vital to the opening credits as they further enhance the audience's expectations as to the pace of the film, as well as the atmosphere.
The different type of text, as well as the colour used to display the names of the director, actors and other members of the production can also be used to connote different meanings to the audience. For example a blood red colour font will connote danger, violence and bloodshed within the plot of the film, building up audience expectations and drawing in their attention to the film.
A fun, girly font with swirls on every letter will connote a fun feel to the film, conveying to the audience what target audience the film is targeted at, appealing to their interests and drawing their attention into the film.
An example of a thriller film which uses the opening credits to create intense amounts of drama and suspense, manipulating the audience's emotions is Se7en, the 1995 film directed by David Fincher.
As the scene opens, the main protagonist is introduced to the audience, yet at the same time their identity remains hidden. The audience watches as the character cuts up pictures, un-developed film, and scribbles out the faces of unidentified individuals in black pen. These actions build up the suspense and expectations of the audience, forming the generic conventions of a thriller film through their enigmatic connotations.
The soundtrack to these opening credits is dramatic, drawing in the audience's attention as they listen to the tension which this non-diagetic sound creates, as they attempt to find meaning within the enigma and try to form expectations as to what will happen in the rest of the film.
Natural sound is also featured within the credits, however all of these sounds are enhanced, made more sharp and dramatic to highlight their importance and sinister nature to the audience. The enhanced sound of a blade being sharpened is amplified to the audience in order to convey the danger of this individual and their violent intentions. As well as this, the intensified sound of the character highlighting words in a book is so magnified that it is reminiscent of the high pitched sound of nails on a chalkboard, a sound which will set many members of the audience on edge, making them feel uncomfortable in their anticipation to discover the identity of the individual.
The font used in order to display the names of the production team is a key part of these opening credits, as the flickering, fragmented nature of the writing clearly connotes the unhinged and dangerously volatile nature of the protagonist's mind. This is another key convention of a thriller film as the audience will be able to recognise the psychotic nature of a traditional triller attacker.
The opening credit also informs the audience of who was responsible for creating the different areas of the film within production, such as the director, actors and camera operator. The director's name (David Fincher) appears within the opening credits twice as he is an acclaimed director of films within the thriller genre, whose name would be recognisable to members of the audience. For audience members who recognise his name and are a fan of his work the anticipation for the film to begin will increase, as they are keen to discover what will take place within his latest film.
Another example of a thriller film with inconic opening credits is Hitchcock's 1960's classic Psycho. Using only black and white images, the audience watches as horizontal and vertical rectangles move across the screen in different patterns. These rectangles are similar to the cell bars which keep dangerous criminals away from the rest of society, and in the case of these opening credits, they are representative of the way in which the twisted mind of the attacker Norman Bates, (whose identity at this time is unidentified) is kept hidden from the public as he hides behind the persona of his mother, blaming her for the murders that he has in fact committed.
The fragmented way in which the title is formed connotes to the audience ideas about the warped mind of the main protagonist and attacker, as he cannot form a straight idea or motive as to his actions. His mind is so splintered that his thoughts are out of place from the ideals of society and turning him into a monster.
The use of black and white images also holds strong connotations which are interpreted by the audience. Good and evil are two characteristics which are usually represented through black and white, and this is what Hitchcock is aiming to connote through the use of black and white film, rather than using colour. The black background is a huge contrast to the white title and other text on screen, highlighting to the audience the contrast between the characters which hold these traits within his film. However, aswell as using these two colours, Hitchcock also uses the colour grey, as this is an middle ground between the two different extremes, and the connotation that is formed through the use of the grey bars in this scene is that good and evil can both exist within an individual, that there is a duality within human nature.
The soundtrack used for this opening credits sequence is critically acclaimed for the suspense and tension that it builds within the audience members. The music is packed with various different dramatic notes, foreshadowing the future drama that will take place in the upcoming scenes.
order of appearence, director, title, actors, screenplay, members of production, editor, costume, make up, assistant director, composer, director
Similarly to the opening credits of Se7en, Psycho also features the names of different members of the production team within the opening credits, and, just like Se7en, the credits feature the name of the director twice. As such a well known director with a reputation for creating well recieved thriller films, the use of Hitchcock' s name will draw in the audience's attention, and for some people simply the fact that he directed the film will cause them to watch it.
For the opening credits of our group thriller film, we collectively discussed our ideas for the text size, colour and the font style.
Using different films as our inspiration, we decided that we would want the font to appear fragmented (as it does in Psycho) or to flicker, (as in Se7en) as though the mind of the attacker is mentally unstable.
We also decided that the size of the font for our title should be the biggest, as this is one of the most important elements within this opening credits sequence. The size of the font will gradually decrease as the different names appear on the screen, to connote both the importance of the members of the production team, and also hold connotations about the fading sanity of the attacker, as the unstable and twisted part of his mind consumes him, just like the size of the font decreases. For the font style that we will use in the opening credits, I have found some examples of different fonts which I will suggest to the other members of the group. The font shown in the image below is an example of a font that I think will be a good choice of font that we could use in our opening credits. The font appears to be distorted. This will prove to be a good signifier of the instability and fragmentation within the mind of the attacker, and the way in which his sanity is slowly fading. This will enable us to link the font to the thriller convention of the warped and unstable mind of the attacker. The cracked appearance highlights how the conscious thoughts that the individual holds. This factor makes this font much more convention than the second example below.
I believe a font like the one above, will be much more effective on our opening credits than the example font shown below. This font does not provide the audience with any signs about what will take place in the film as it is plain and uninteresting. Therefore, I believe the best choice for our font, will be one similar to the font shown above, which appears to be disintegrating (just like the poisonous and rotten mind of our stalker).
Thriller Film
The order of appearance that we will use is:
Production company
Director
Editors
Music
Actors
Casting
Storyboards / screenplay
Costume / make up
Location manager
Safety manager
Director
We will also use a mixture of natural sounds and dramatic music as the soundtrack for our opening credits. As in Se7en, the natural sounds will be enhanced, and play over the top of the dramatic music. This will enable us to make the film appear as realistic, and therefore as threatening as possible.
It is important to have a filming schedule to ensure that there is enough time to film all scenes, while also allowing time to re film any scenes that aren't perfect.
We did follow our initial filming schedule, however we may need to carry out further filming in order to perfect some scenes where the filming is interrupted by cars in the background, or the actors glance at the camera.
