Tuesday 10 November 2009

Section 12- Analysis of completed thriller

Media evaluation

The codes and conventions within a media film are normally quite obvious, mostly being those of darkness, protracted outcome, the urban landscape ect; our product does meet a few of these codes and conventions the first is the use of a protracted outcome, we achieved this using a door and focusing on the door handle, it is obvious that the door will open however we also do not show the person opening the door so this then helps with showing partial vision this again happens when the girl has the light on her face, the audience is not shown what the light is or who she looks scared so this then causes the audience to subconsciously ask questions using more again codes and conventions. Although out project was set in a garage (urban landscape) it is not completely obvious however tools are visible I the background giving an idea, however one of the more obvious conventions is that there is a lot of darkness within this opening as shown by the still.

However going along with all if the above codes and conventions I think that we may break a convention as our ordinary day hero is actually a child in the opening sequence who then grows to become the ordinary hero, where as is films such as seven the ordinary adult hero is automatically introduced, so it merges the beak of conventions and the original conventions.

Our product and the whole opening sequence is based around a small girl who is abused by her farther, I understand that some people may find this relatable however I then realise that they are very likely to be a minority so therefore most will not be able to relate to Adalade, and for me this then may create more tension due to the fact that for many it is the unknown, however due to everyone for the most part growing up in a domestic environment they can then compare their situation with that of Adalade’s.

From the questionnaire our group produced we found that the most likely age range for the viewing of this film would be 15-17 year olds, however out character is only 10 years of age, this may not be a dramatic contrast between the character age and those who the film is aimed at but I think it could work fine as they can imagine how it would be to be in that situation whereas it may be more difficult if the character was dramatically older.

The main representation of Adalade’s character would probably be venerable and living in fear, this is neither a negative or positive light of portrayal. However it has been found that by portraying a film in which the audience is portrayed in a negative light can work, Harry brown, released in 2009 and directed by Daniel Barber is about a old, ex-serviceman who lives alone after the death of his wife, who is looking to avenge his best friend's murder by handing out his own form of justice upon the teenagers and young adults in his community who committed the murder; this film portrays the audience of the film in an extremely negative light however it seems to work as it received great reviews from critics and young people who watched the film.

The mise en scene within our film I think plays in the stereotypes within the area of domestic abuse. The Costume consisted of a pair of pyjamas that were evidently too small with a cupcake on the top; this was to give indications of her age being young. The setting was a garage floor ensuing that she was surrounded with modern equipment this would have left the lighting very dark however we used candles for more light around her and we also relied on a small window that added some light to the garage. Form out questionnaire we found that staring was the second highest choice of what makes a child scary so this was what we had her do, there is also very little speech within the opening sequence this was to make things easier on the actor who was 11 as I we did not want her having to learn lines but also to add tension so that when she did speak it would have more of an effect. Although it is not easy to see on the film her makeup was very pale with large bruises on her lip, eye and head, this was to reinforce the feel off abuse, her hair was also something we wished to do this as it was all backcombed and tattered in order to make it look like she was not well looked after. There was only on prop within our opening sequence and this was the old tattered teddy bear as again from out research we found that this could help add to the feel off neglect.

Aside from independent film festivals such as rain dance and sun dance where people can have there films shown and viewed by an audience of people from all over the world, there are also websites such as www.dogwoof.com who will allow you to upload your film or film trailer in order to have it viewed world wide, they specifically have an area for student productions. A better known company that could distribute our film or any film is film4 who are famous for showing British based films and low budget films like paranormal activity, they co-finance film productions and are known for working closely with the most talented people in the UK, one of the films they are shown in 2009 was Ken Loach’s Cannes competition film, this shows the variation within the movies that t hey choose to show on the television, and the way they mix “armature” film productions with those of Danny Boyle’s Slumdog millionaire; by there participation and close eye on the Sundance film festival it is easy to understand how they come across so much new talent and untapped potential. This shows me that perhaps participating in a film festival and sending copies to the many companies is a good way to go about doing things until anything is made official.

I think that the audience hat will enjoy to watch our film and that are more likely to view the film would look like this, I think this shows the ages of 15-17, the happy faces also show they have happy personalities showing a happy upbringing then contrasting with hat of Adalade, resulting in subconscious comparison. There are more boys in this image as we questioned more boys than girls.

By looking at our audience research we found that more people like to watch films with a plot that has a creepy or scary feel and that is follows a psychological plot, we also found that children can give a scary feel to a production therefore making it more appealing to our target audience as it is what they would like, we also found that the best thing for them to do was to sing however the second was staring and this was what we decided to have our actress do. We found that a tatty teddy would, can add to the feel of neglect so we decided that this was also something we would try to incorporate into our film, this may also enable our ideas of domestic abuse to be more evident.

I personally think that our film works really well as it matches the codes and conventions and has a storyline and a subject within it that causes emotion, I also think that the use of dull lighting and a quite environment adds a feel of suspense and tension. I felt that the main thing that made our film a successful or productive product is the music, it matches well with the scene’s and scene organisation as when the music dips the black screen is on the screen and this really works, it also has very little dramatic rumbles or louder sounds resulting in it giving a mood I felt of no hope further adding an effect and atmosphere to this opening sequence. When shown to different people we gathered their opinions on our film, they commented on the music and sounds added and within working well together and adding tension to the film, the effects on the titles were good and fitted with the music and feel, the direction of the actress was really good, the camera work was stead, we used relative pops to the ideals and the time and one person even said “it made me jump.” I think all of this positive feedback is great as it shows that it is what people aged 15-17 (our target audience) like the film and the ideas within it.

Bellow will show some of the basic steps me and my group took when editing and improving our film.

These basic steps really do make the film what it is and once we had got the hang of the program it is very simple to use.

The main preliminary I did was about two boys having a conversation and then suddenly one turning form a boy into a girl, this being the first film was I thought quite good, however when looking back on this film I think this is to a much higher standard. I think the main reasons that this film was better than the first is that we did more research giving us a better idea of what our film should be like from the ideas from critics and the codes and conventions and what should be in it such as props, costumes and actors. I think that the use of actors that were not in our production group helped as we could concentrate on the technical elements and direction separately. I also felt the entire group was much more focused as we all knew what we wanted from the film and this them made the film better this time, however with the preliminary I think that I didn’t take it as seriously as I should, I also found that with the preliminary we improvised quite a lot towards the end of the filming, whereas with this piece we had everything planned and knew exactly how it should look and what was going to happen. The technical elements such as music and variety of shots were also very different as in this we actually listened to different tracks that we planned to use in our film but in the preliminary there wasn’t even and track music on it; there was also a lack of credits or graphics on the preliminary whereas on this again more research was done to look at what we though would be appropriate. I genuinely think that the finished product was as good as we could have possible made it; I love our film and think that it matches the thriller genre perfectly.

Section 11- audience feedback

Audience feedback

As it is important to collect audience research to make a satisfying film to a target audience, it is as equally important to collect audience feedback. Hopefully this feedback will allow me and my group members to understand how to amend problems and see what worked well within our thriller film.

During our feedback one of the first comments that were made about our media product was that the music played throughout the sequence made the audience feel tense and gave the clip more tension. This is positive feedback as one of the main conventions of a thriller films is music that provides suspense. Also this comments means that we have been following the information that we were given through our audience research, this is as our research we found that one of the main things that the audience expected from our media product was tension and suspense.

Another comment made about the music we used in this sequence was that it worked well with the effects we placed on the opening title of the film. This means that we were combining both the tension of the music and adding more tension with the title effects. We were given a comment “it made me jump” again this is a good thing as one of the things that the audience research found that the audience liked about a thriller film was that it was scary. This means that we were satisfying the audience’s wants with our opening sequence.

The direction we gave the actress was described as very good. This is important as this means that we were giving the right emotion across to the audience through the use of our actress. This means that we were able to put across the feeling of neglect and domestic abuse to the audience. This was also one thing that the audience wanted to see during our audience research. The feel of neglect was also put across using the prop of an old scruffy teddy bear. This prop was described as relevant, meaning that we did put across that feeling of neglect to the audience successfully.

Negative feedback is as important as the positive, but the only negative feedback we received was that there weren’t a lot of credits. We only had the title of the film in the beginning sequence as we felt that this needed to stand out as the most important thing of the sequence as it was the title of the film. This also made that audience ask questions about what the title of the film meant, making them want to watch the film to have their questions answered.

Section 10- Video log sheets

























































EDL

TITLE: nostrophobia
001 BL V C 00:00:00:00 00:00:00:13 00:00:00:00 00:00:00:13
002 AX NONE C 00:00:02:01 00:01:12:00 00:00:00:00 00:01:09:24
REEL AX IS CLIP 10 Ruska.wma
* AUDIO LEVEL AT 00:01:09:03 IS -8.30 DB (REEL AX A3)
* AUDIO LEVEL AT 00:01:10:19 IS -99.99 DB (REEL AX A3)
* AUDIO LEVEL AT 00:01:09:03 IS -8.30 DB (REEL AX A4)
* AUDIO LEVEL AT 00:01:10:19 IS -99.99 DB (REEL AX A4)
AUD 3 4
003 Untitled AA/V C 00:00:02:00 00:00:03:18 00:00:00:13 00:00:02:06
REEL Untitled_Tape IS CLIP scene 1 .avi
004 Untitled V C 00:00:02:00 00:00:03:12 00:00:00:13 00:00:02:00
REEL Untitled_Tape IS CLIP scene 1 .avi
005 Untitled V C 00:00:03:12 00:00:03:12 00:00:02:00 00:00:02:00
005 BL V W000 006 00:00:00:00 00:00:00:09 00:00:02:00 00:00:02:15
EFFECTS NAME IS W000
REEL Untitled_Tape IS CLIP scene 1 .avi
REEL BL IS CLIP BL
006 BL V C 00:00:00:00 00:00:00:09 00:00:02:06 00:00:02:15
007 Untitled AA/V C 00:00:47:19 00:00:52:12 00:00:02:15 00:00:07:08
REEL Untitled_Tape IS CLIP scene 1 02.avi
008 Untitled V C 00:00:47:19 00:00:52:06 00:00:02:15 00:00:07:02
REEL Untitled_Tape IS CLIP scene 1 02.avi
009 Untitled V C 00:00:52:06 00:00:52:06 00:00:07:02 00:00:07:02
009 BL V W000 006 00:00:00:00 00:00:00:08 00:00:07:02 00:00:07:16
EFFECTS NAME IS W000
REEL Untitled_Tape IS CLIP scene 1 02.avi
REEL BL IS CLIP BL
010 BL V C 00:00:00:00 00:00:00:08 00:00:07:08 00:00:07:16
011 Untitled AA/V C 00:00:16:03 00:00:20:02 00:00:07:16 00:00:11:15
REEL Untitled_Tape IS CLIP scene 1 03.avi
012 Untitled V C 00:00:16:03 00:00:19:19 00:00:07:16 00:00:11:07
REEL Untitled_Tape IS CLIP scene 1 03.avi
013 Untitled V C 00:00:19:19 00:00:19:19 00:00:11:07 00:00:11:07
013 BL V W000 008 00:00:00:00 00:00:00:07 00:00:11:07 00:00:11:22
EFFECTS NAME IS W000
REEL Untitled_Tape IS CLIP scene 1 03.avi
REEL BL IS CLIP BL
014 BL V C 00:00:00:00 00:00:00:07 00:00:11:15 00:00:11:22
015 Untitled AA/V C 00:01:12:08 00:01:18:01 00:00:11:22 00:00:17:15
REEL Untitled_Tape IS CLIP scene 1 04.avi
016 Untitled AA/V C 00:00:42:15 00:00:46:22 00:00:17:15 00:00:21:22
REEL Untitled_Tape IS CLIP scene 1 05.avi
017 Untitled AA/V C 00:02:32:10 00:02:38:23 00:00:21:22 00:00:28:10
REEL Untitled_Tape IS CLIP scene 1 06.avi
018 Untitled AA/V C 00:02:46:21 00:02:50:11 00:00:28:10 00:00:32:00
REEL Untitled_Tape IS CLIP scene 1 07.avi
019 Untitled AA/V C 00:03:03:09 00:03:06:22 00:00:32:00 00:00:35:13
REEL Untitled_Tape IS CLIP scene1 08.3.avi
* AUDIO LEVEL AT 00:03:03:09 IS +4.96 DB (REEL Untitled A1)
* AUDIO LEVEL AT 00:03:03:09 IS +4.96 DB (REEL Untitled A2)
020 Untitled AA/V C 00:03:11:15 00:03:14:16 00:00:35:13 00:00:38:14
REEL Untitled_Tape IS CLIP scene 1 09.2.avi
021 Untitled AA/V C 00:03:31:18 00:03:35:16 00:00:38:14 00:00:42:12
REEL Untitled_Tape IS CLIP scene 1 10.avi
022 Untitled AA/V C 00:03:43:07 00:03:48:09 00:00:42:12 00:00:47:14
REEL Untitled_Tape IS CLIP scene 1 11.avi
023 Untitled AA/V C 00:03:54:08 00:03:59:16 00:00:47:14 00:00:52:22
REEL Untitled_Tape IS CLIP scene 1 12.avi
024 Untitled AA/V C 00:05:13:21 00:05:21:00 00:00:52:22 00:01:00:01
REEL Untitled_Tape IS CLIP scene 1 13.avi
025 Untitled AA/V C 00:05:35:17 00:05:36:10 00:01:00:01 00:01:00:19
025 Untitled AA/V K B 00:05:36:10 00:05:43:17 00:01:00:19 00:01:08:01
025 AX AA/V K 000 00:00:00:00 00:00:07:03 00:01:00:19 00:01:07:22
REEL Untitled_Tape IS CLIP scene 1 14.avi
REEL AX IS CLIP thriller Linked Comp 01/thriller titles.aep
026 Untitled AA/V C 00:06:19:16 00:06:20:18 00:01:08:01 00:01:09:03
REEL Untitled_Tape IS CLIP sene 2 01.avi

Section 9- Production schedule

Production schedule

Name of production: "Nostrophibia"

Directors:
Jessica Healey
Hannah Burkey
Daniel Hancox

Cast:
Emily Burkey

Crew:
Jessica Healey
Hannah Burkey
Daniel Hancox

Equipment:
Camera
Candles

Location:
47 Helston Close,
Sutton Park,
Runcorn,
Cheshire,
Garage

Props:
Teddy Bear
Blanket

Day of filming: 14/11/2009

Collecting equipment and hire sheets
Collecting extras and cast
Travelling to locations
Creating set
Filming

Started Editing/logging: 16/11/2009

Finished Editing/logging: 14/12/2009

Section 8- Production material






Section 7- Recce and location sheets

Health and safety

Production health and safety is extremely important as it keeps everyone safe and all of the equipment in one piece, this reduces in an easier to produce film.
Something’s may seem almost trivial however it is always important to ensure the clips are always fastened correctly and that the tripod is always placed in a level place to avoid it falling over. Another simple thing is making sure all cables that can be taped down are taped down to avoid accidents and those that cant be taped down have a stool or object is over it to show that the cable is there. Forms of contact are also important as if there is an accident it will be the only way to alert someone this means that they must always be charged and have credit on them when filming outside.
Another thing to take into account is the fire exits and emergency procedures, this then applies to the crew and the actors as they should all know where to go and what to do. Another important thing to know is where the first aid kit is as this minimises the need for of site treatment.
When filming off site at night, early morning or any time of day you must be aware of the fact there are fewer people around this could be a good thing, however this also means if there is an accident there are fewer people who can help. Weathering conditions are also important as frost and ice can not only be bad for costume and actors but can also be dangerous when positioning the tripod of moving with the camera, the most obvious but still on that is important if it is early morning or of a night it is going to be darker than usual, this means there are more dangers of tripping and falling but also of things such as muggings ect, to ensure you are not attacked or mugged it is always a good idea to film in a group of three, as if there is an accident then there is someone to stay with the injured person an then one to go for help.
Finally there are some technical things to be aware of when using the equipment, the light (red heads and blonds) can reach between 800-1000 watts this making them extremely hot. This means that you should not touch any part of the head of the light as it will also be very hot and can cause severe burns. You must also ensure that you do not touch the bulb weather it be hot or cold, if hot it can melt through your skin, if cold you can leave grease on the bulb and this will cause it to shatter once it is turned on and becomes hot enough.


Location sheet

Opening scenes:
--garage, jess’ house
Address:
-Sutton park,
Runcorn, WA7 6AA

--bed room, jess’ house
Address:
-Sutton park,
Runcorn, WA7 6AA

Recce


This image is of the garages and the area in which in Adalade lies in our opening sequence, originally we were going to film in an attic or loft space however we felt that the garage would be safer for out group and the actress and that is had a more sinister feel and was easier to gain access to.



This is where at the end of the opening sequence Adalade as an adult sharply awakes, we decided to use this space as it looked mature enough for an adult, was easy to access and worked well with the feel of the overall film. It is a simply room with little artwork and is also very mellow this then worked again as there was nothing to draw attention away form Adalade.

Section 6- Character outlinesand shooting script

Character profiles

Adalade Mathews- as a child

§ She is a 10year old girl, she is taller than average and has short brown hair and hazel eyes. Her mother died when she was 7years old and she now lives with her father; however she is a sufferer of domestic abuse at the hands of her father, her only family member. Due to this life of torment and violence as she finds herself forever locked in the attic space of their home, she is covered in bruises and is a very quiet, nervous, shy little girl who is petrified of the dark and her father.

Adalade Mathews- as an adult

§ She is a 23year old woman, she is shorter than the average woman and she now has long brown hair and hazel eyes. Despite her background of domestic abuse at the hands of her farther she has now turned her life around and is a fully qualified psychologist, she has chosen this career in order to help other sufferers and come to terms with her past. She now owns her own house and lives in it with her 6 year old daughter. However her life has been dramatically affected by her past and she is still quiet, shy and afraid of the dark, but she has found herself having terrible dreams since the release of her father from prison.

Father

§ The father in this film is known and referred to as he and him; however his name is actually Albert Mathews. When released from prison he is aged 57, he is tall and has a large build, he also has brown hair and hazel eyes. Before Adalade was born he was in the army however was struck off. From the age of 5 he was aware of the domestic violent abuse that effected his mother and sister at the hand of his father and when Albert had misbehaved and needed to be punished his father would force him to watch the domestic abuse towards his female family members; however growing up with this he somehow believed that it’s was the norm and so when he got married he then saw no problem with abusing his wife, however when she was killed in a car crash he then turned his attention to his daughter and when found guilty by the courts received 13 years without parole.

Script

Adalade as a child*

INT GARAGE. CUT IN. CLOSE UP-TEDDY.MIDDAY

The audience can see a TEDDY’s face in a dark room; the TEDDY is lying on his side

REVERSE. CLOSE UP-ADALADE.

The audience can see a young girl’s face in a dark room; she is also lying on her side and is looking at the TEDDY

SHOT. EXTREAM CLOSE UP-TEDDY

The audience can again see the TEDDY however this time it rakes up most of the frame and has not changed his position

REVERSE. EXTREME CLOSE UP-ADALADE

The audience is again shown ADALADE’s face in a dark room this again takes up the whole frame and she is still in the same position.

CUT IN. HIGH ANGLE. MIDDAY

We see a shot of ADALADE looking at the TEDDY in what seems to be a mirror image in the same dimly lit room.

CUT. CLSOE UP, TRACKING-ADALADE

There is a shot of ADALADE in the same room still lying down, however the as she sits up the camera follows her actions.

CUT. FULL SHOT-ADALADE and the TEDDY’s head

We can see ADALADE sitting upright holding her knees to her chest; we can also see the back of the TEDDY’s head in the bottom left hand side of the frame. ADALADE then reaches for the TEDDY and holds it close.

CUT. MID SHOT of ADALADE. FULL SHOT of TEDDY.

We see ADALADE look eye to eye with the TEDDY, she then pulls the TEDDY towards her face.

CUT. OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT. CLOSE UP-ADALADES mouth.

We see the back of the TEDDY’s head and a shot of ADALADE’s mouth and the bottom of her nose as she whispers to the TEDDY

ADALADE:

He’s here

CUT. FULL SHOT of DOOR. OVER THE SHOULDER

We see a shot of the door from behind ADALADES head looking at the door in the dimly lit room.

CUT. CLOSE UP of the DOOR.

We can see most on the door in the frame, and no lighting has been changed however this time we are looking at it more form ADALADE’s point of view rather than over her shoulder.

CUT. FULL SHOT of ADALADE.

We are shown a full shot of ADALADE holding her knees to her chest in the dimly lit room. The camera then CRANES up to produce a slightly HIGH ANGLE shot of ADALADE without changing her position.

CUT. EXTREME CLOSE UP on DOORHANDLE.

The DOOR HANDLE fills the left hand side of the frame and is slightly lit on one side in the otherwise dark room.

CUT. EXTREME CLOSE UP-ADALADE.

ADALADE’s eyes and the bottom of her nose is the only thing that is visible within the frame, her eyes are filled with fear and there is a large amount of light on her face.

ADALADE’s face is then covered in shadow and it is hard to distinguish her facial expression and features.

CUT. BLACK SCREEN.

We can see nothing, but can hear screaming and whimpering.

Adalade as an adult*

EXT. CUT. ARIEL SHOT-ADALADE.

ADALADE wakes up suddenly in bed and gasps loudly.

CUT TO CREDITS