How does your media represent particular social groups?

How did we attract our audience?

Attract audience from ShannonCJ

What kind of media institution would distribute our media product and why?

Who would be the audience for your media product?

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

Thriller films have many common conventions and we have tried to portray some of these elements in our video so as to convey the appropriate genre of our film. We especially took influence from Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho film as this is one of the most famous thriller films.

 

Bus Stop was influenced by shower scene in Psycho

We wanted to take the element of the unseen protagonist from Psycho into our film. We made sure that the antagonist of our narrative was not seen clearly and that you could only see the outline of him or aspects of his body, you never actually see his face. We found that the mystery of who the antagonist is keeps the audience interested in the film. This technique is also used in the opening scene of No Country For Old Men. The antagonist of hidden in the back of the police car until around 5 minutes into the film when we finally see his face. We filmed the antagonists movements and made him keep his hood up so that his face wasn't visible so as to make the audience feel uncomfortable for not knowing what he looks like and to show that he is dangerous.

No Country For Old Men influenced the idea that you can't see who the antagonist is clearly in the beginning.

    Black and White flashback influenced by Memento.

We also used flashbacks like in the films Memento and the Bourne Ultimatum. I especially liked this technique in the narrative, I think it keeps the audience intrigued about a certain characters story. It will make the audience understand a character more in a short period of time but will also give them leading questions about the narrative. In the film Memento, the flashbacks are major scenes in the film, making it confusing but interesting. When used properly, it can put big twists in the narrative within a short period of time. We wanted people to understand enough about the antagonist in our narrative, to know that he has been obsessed with the female victim since a young age by showing flashbacks of him giving her a rose while in school uniform. We also wanted to show the kidnap scene as we knew that would be the scene that could create the most fear in the audience and it would also explain how she ended up tied in the chair. 

Another convention that is often used in thriller films is voiceovers. We took this convention and used it in our own film. It helps to make the narrative clear to the audience but also helps to create suspense as the audience can't see who is speaking and that would make them uncomfortable.

To add to that the sub-genre of the film had to be interpreted to the audience somehow. Our film is a psychological and crime/conspiracy thriller as the antagonist has a psychological disorder and because the narrative includes a detective as the antagonist trying to save the female. The psychological element was fairly hard to put into the two minutes as the opening focuses in the situation of the female being kidnapped and the antagonist psychological state would've been revealed closer to the end of the film. So the only feature we included to show that it was also a psychological thriller was the flashback of when he gave her a rose when he was younger. The rose is first scene as a stick (which is the reality) and then quickly changes to a red rose (which is what he sees it as). His psychological disorder means that he has a altered state of reality so when someone asks negatively towards him he wouldn't understand and would continue to talk to them. The quick cuts to reality and an altered state of reality shows that he doesn't see things right and has a psycholgical problem, much like in the film the Black Swan. The main character in the Black Swan frequently sees things that aren't real and the quick editing from one reality to another shows this.


Psychological aspects influenced by The Black Swan.

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

Difficulties in using After Effects

After finishing putting on all the credits and after effects on, our final outcome was complete. In the next lesson we hosted a screening of every media groups thriller film clips, including our own. This allowed us to get feedback from a fairly large audience on our video. We asked them questions such as, how do you think we could improve?; did you like it?; and what level do you think it would achieve on the mark scheme? They gave us honest answers so that we could learn how to improve our video.

The initial response from the audience was fairly positive. Certain members of the audience explained that they like the flashback after effects. They said that the black and white effect helped them to understand what the narrative was about and that the effects resembled going back in time. They especially liked the bus stop scene where the victim is about to get kidnapped. This was good news for us seeing as initially we weren't going to use a black and white effect on the flashbacks, we wanted to use a different effect  that meant that the image would appear slightly blurred and brighter, much like the flashbacks in the Bourne Ultimatum as seen below

Unfortunately, we couldn't figure out how to apply this to our own clip on after effects but we could adjust the saturation of the clip so that it appeared black and white instead. We were considering not including any effects on the flashback clips as we thought that the black and white effects might make it too dark and therefore fairly difficult for the audience to understand what they are seeing. However we thought that without the effect, the narrative might be seen as even more confusing as the audience wouldn't be able to tell what is the past and what is the present in the clip so we played around with the effects and eventually managed to adjust the saturation so that it appeared all black and white.

Final Media Opening AS

Credit Analysis in Thrillers

The credits at the beginning of a thriller film often include non-diegetic music to set the scene and create an atmosphere for the audience. This score is often orchestral and dramatic-creating the suspense of the film- or alternative/rock music. Its also fairly common for some thrillers to play part of the film within the first five minutes and then play the credits. This allows the audience to see the major event that started the whole film off. For example, the James Bond films often start of with on opening sequence and then is well known for its opening credits after that seen. In Skyfall, James Bond is shot at and then falls in the water, from then the credits begin with Adele's theme tune song starting bringing it in.

Memento's credit opening includes just one scene but it's playing in reverse so that the picture fades out instead of fading in. Over the top of the first shot, orchestral music is playing to create tension in the audience.

Production and Distribution companies

The Coen brothers founded their own film production company, called Mike Zoss Productions. The company was established in 2000 where it produced its first film, O Brother, Where Art Thou? The company has also produced films such as No Country for Old Men (2007) and The Ladykillers (2004).

Mike Zoss Productions Logo.

20^th Century Fox owned by 21^st Century Fox have produced many films including quite a few thriller films. It has produced and/or distributed films such as The Transporter (2002), The Day After Tomorrow (2004) and Taken (2009)

20th Century Fox logo

Fox Searchlight Pictures was established in 1994 and is an American film distribution company within the Fox Entertainment Group. It specializes in US distribution of independent and British films. It has distributed films such as 127 hours (2010) and Black Swan (2010).

Fox Searchlight Pictures logo

Warner Bros. produces and distributes various films such as Argo (2012). Christopher Nolan is a famous thriller directer who has worked with Warner Bros. to distribute his films, Inception (2010) and The Dark Knight (2008).

Warner Bros, logo

Universal Studies is another major company that distributes and produces films as well as focusing on other medias too. Steven Spielberg, the director of Jaws and Jurassic Park has frequently worked with Universal studios for his films.

Universal logo

Other Companies

Miramax films has ben associated with a famous thriller director, Quentin Tarantino who directed films such as Pulp Fiction (1994) and Kill Bill (2003). Miramax has also produced the famous thriller, Trainspotting (1996).

Summit Entertainment has produced and distributed various films such as Knowing (2009), Now You See Me (2013) and Man on a Ledge (2012).

New Line Cinema – Se7en (1995), Rush Hour (1998),

Paramount Vantage – No Country for Old Men (2007)

Marvel Studios – Iron Man (2008) , Captain America (2011) Thor (2011)

Lions Gate Entertainment – Hunger Games (2012) , American Psycho (2000)

Newmarket Films – Memento (2000)

Sir Peter Robert Jackson is a New Zealand film director, producer ans screenwriter. He is best known as the director and producer of The Lord of the Rings (2001-2003) and The Hobbit trilogy (2012-2014). Peter Jackson has his own production company called Wingnut Films which has produced thriller films such as The Lovely Bones (2009) and Heavenly Creatures (1994).

BBFC ratings

Films are given a BBFC ratings as the content in the film may only be appropriate for certain ages.

How it works;

The system works by using eight different categories that the film would contain, these are the following categories: discrimination, drugs, inimitable, behaviour, language, nudity, sex, threats and violence. The film would have varying degrees of these categories for example one film would show some one taking drugs but having a positive anti-drug message would put it at an 12A film but the drugs taking would be very limited. The 15 age category can show some one taking drugs but it can’t encourage or promote drug miss use, also easily accessible substances like solvents and aerosols cannot be shown. The 18 age rating allows anything to be shown for example how to kill someone can’t be shown in a 15 (showing some die is not the same as showing how to kill) but can be show in an 18.

Rated U (universal)- Suitable for all ages

A U film should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over, although it is impossible to predict what might upset any particular child. U films should be set within a positive framework and should offer reassuring counterbalances to any violence, threat or horror. If a work is particularly suitable for pre-school children, this will be indicated in the BBFC insight.

 PG Parental Guidance – General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children

A PG film should not unsettle a child aged around eight or older. Unaccompanied children of any age may watch, but parents are advised to consider whether the content may upset younger, or more sensitive, children.

 12A/12 – Suitable for 12 years and over

Films classified 12A and video works classified 12 contain material that is not generally suitable for children aged under 12. No one younger than 12 may see a 12A film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adult. Adults planning to take a child under 12 to view a 12A film should consider whether the film is suitable for that child. No one younger than 12 may rent or buy a 12 rated video work.

The following films (Sherlock Holmes, G.I Joe, Iron Man) are rated at 12A. Their main audience would be young teenagers that want to see a film with a more cartoon like violence, this means no blood would be seen when someone gets shot or stabbed. Also it’s unlikely to contain mature thriller concepts such as kidnapping or extortion.

15 – Suitable only for 15 years and over

No one younger than 15 may see a 15 film in a cinema. No one younger than 15 may rent or buy a 15 rated video work.

• Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable.
• There may be strong threat and horror. A sustained focus on sadistic or sexual threat is unlikely to be acceptable.
• There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context.
• Sexual activity may be portrayed, but usually without strong detail.
• There may be strong language. Very strong language may be permitted, depending on the manner in which it is used, who is using the language, its frequency within the work as a whole and any special contextual justification.
• Drug taking may be shown but the work as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse.
• The work as a whole must not endorse discriminatory language or behaviour, although there may be racist, homophobic or other discriminatory themes and language.

(The Black Swan, Tinker Tailor Solider Spy, Salt)

The 15 age rating thriller films would deal with more thriller scenarios, such as kidnapping, police detective going after the bad guy and drugs. The age rating allows more to be shown in the film which means the audience is more captivated by film. This is the main age rating for thriller films due to it being the main target market and also more profitable to the producers.

18 – Suitable only for adults

No one younger than 18 may see an 18 film in a cinema. No one younger than 18 may rent or buy an 18 rated video work. Adults should be free to choose their own entertainment.

(Seven, Law abiding citizen, Pulp fiction).

These films would have more graphical scenes containing a lot of blood and psychological suspense. The style of killer would also be more sadistic in their nature. The movies themes would be more sensitive to the viewer containing religious style killing based the seven deadly sins from the bible (Sev7en) or acts of terrorism as in law abiding citizen.

Our thriller age rating 

The age rating of are thriller would be a 15. The reason behind this is that on four out of the eight categories our thriller concept would not be acceptable but we won’t go into as much detail as a 18 film would. There would not be large uses of blood and/or gore in are film as it would be centered on more psychological theories than physical violence.  However it could possibly classed as an 18 rating as the story plot and the antagonists metal state are major themes emphasized in 18 films, such as his obsession with the kidnaped girl and his behaviour that is categorised as being sadistic and sexual. But we will most likely focus the narrative on the detective trying to save the girl and occasionally flick back to the antagonist and the victim of the film. Gathering all this together, the rating of our film would most likely be a 15.

Gender Representaions

Males are often represented as the antagonist of the narrative (the character who opposes the protagonist). They are also represented often as the protagonist. This might be because men are seen as able to cope with dangerous situations better than women however we might think this because females are often played as the victim of thriller films.
The females are usually played by a young actress and are seen as vulnerable and in need of being saved by a male protagonist. A good example of a typical female character is the daughter in the film 'Taken'. In this film, a retired CIA agent has to track down his daughter across Europe who was kidnapped while on holiday with her friend. The daughter is only 17 years old and is seen as helpless so her father who is portrayed as the reserved, intimidating ex-agent has to save her from the male kidnappers who are dangerous criminals.

In Alfred Hitchcock's films, all the females are presented as vulnerable and unable to save themselves. For example, in Psycho the main female character is killed off quickly, showing that she is defenceless and the fact that she was talking to the antagonist before she was killed in the shower scene also presents her as social and sensitive. This is the main female characteristics that is portrayed in most thriller films; being sociable, sensitive and defenceless.
The males in the film Psycho are portrayed as considerate to saving the female and willing to face the antagonist to solve the case. The are seen as more wary of who the antagonist might be and unafraid of facing him.