Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Looking back now, I would say that I have made a dramatic progression from my preliminary task. For our preliminary task we had to use several techniques to prepare for making our film, we were in the same groups for our thrillers and we made a short film, using the 180 degree rule, the match on action shot, shot reverse shot and the over the shoulder shot. I think ours was successful, we kept to the criteria and made it short and snappy. Although it was good practice I feel after getting on with our thrillers, that I developed more through the process of making the thriller than through the creation of our preliminary task. But the experience did inform our thriller as members of our group had poor attendance during the task but brought it together learning from their mistakes, we learned how to work and develop as a group during the task which really showed during the thriller production.
Through analysing the openings of other thriller texts , it allowed me to identify generic thriller conventions in order to plan and develop mise-en-scene in my own thriller including locations, characters, costume, lighting and camera shots.
Our group made many compromises over the story and narrative of our film, as well as the names of characters and the name of the film. After compromising through the shooting, we all decided to edit our own versions so that they could all have our own ideas.
Casting was a steep learning curve, it took a while to find the right actors, several people turning us down but then after finding the right ones it made me realise you need good actors but also reliable ones.
In conclusion, after the preliminary task i had learned a lot, but i thought that i learned a lot more through actually making the film, than what i did preparing for it.
Sunday, 10 April 2011
Evaluation Of Thriller Film "Captured" Question 6
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing the product?
Technology has been an essential asset through the construction of this product. The whole of the creation and research has been based on Blogger. The use of a blog has made it simple and easy for me to create,update and organise my work. Without the need for paper, I haven't lost any of my work. The blog allowed me to look at others work, compare it to my own and improve as well as advising others. The blog also allowed our tutors to watch over us and give us weekly updates on work to be done and give us feedback.
For my research I used the blog to update all of my research into thriller films. I used YouTube and Flicker to illustrate my points about each film.The spell check allowed me to make sure all of my work is correct and I used the "Edit HTML" to embed photos, video clips and presentations to add the appeal to my work as well as to illustrate and back up points that I have made. I also used YouTube to watch clips of thriller films such as "Witness" and "Essex Boys" to establish by knowledge of the thriller genre and the conventions of the genre.
Technology made it a lot easier for group work as well, the use of mobile phones to contact each other was essential as well as the use of social networking sites to exchange photos and other items of information.
One of the most important things was learning how to work with the camera to get the quality shots that we needed. I recently bought a new camera and decided to use that for our film, I had to get attuned to all of the effects and settings on the camera. For example, I attuned the camera to create a gritty effect when filming the raining dark night, this created a CCTV effect. I worked with all the light and sound settings as well to get the best out of the camera. Using the camera taught me how to use different shots and angles to connote different meanings, such as a low angle shot connotes power.
After I had all the raw footage I used my own editing program called Pinnacle, I had a bit of practice with the program beforehand but nothing significant, I learned how to cut apart the footage, re-arranging it and adding in effects. For example, I changed the colour of some of the footage to tell the audience it was in the past. After the film had been put together I added titles, using motion titles added a professional feel to it. Lastly I had to add the soundtrack which a member of my group made using a music program.
Technology has been an essential asset through the construction of this product. The whole of the creation and research has been based on Blogger. The use of a blog has made it simple and easy for me to create,update and organise my work. Without the need for paper, I haven't lost any of my work. The blog allowed me to look at others work, compare it to my own and improve as well as advising others. The blog also allowed our tutors to watch over us and give us weekly updates on work to be done and give us feedback.
For my research I used the blog to update all of my research into thriller films. I used YouTube and Flicker to illustrate my points about each film.The spell check allowed me to make sure all of my work is correct and I used the "Edit HTML" to embed photos, video clips and presentations to add the appeal to my work as well as to illustrate and back up points that I have made. I also used YouTube to watch clips of thriller films such as "Witness" and "Essex Boys" to establish by knowledge of the thriller genre and the conventions of the genre.
Technology made it a lot easier for group work as well, the use of mobile phones to contact each other was essential as well as the use of social networking sites to exchange photos and other items of information.
One of the most important things was learning how to work with the camera to get the quality shots that we needed. I recently bought a new camera and decided to use that for our film, I had to get attuned to all of the effects and settings on the camera. For example, I attuned the camera to create a gritty effect when filming the raining dark night, this created a CCTV effect. I worked with all the light and sound settings as well to get the best out of the camera. Using the camera taught me how to use different shots and angles to connote different meanings, such as a low angle shot connotes power.
After I had all the raw footage I used my own editing program called Pinnacle, I had a bit of practice with the program beforehand but nothing significant, I learned how to cut apart the footage, re-arranging it and adding in effects. For example, I changed the colour of some of the footage to tell the audience it was in the past. After the film had been put together I added titles, using motion titles added a professional feel to it. Lastly I had to add the soundtrack which a member of my group made using a music program.
Evaluation Of Thriller Film "Captured" Question 5
How did you attract/address your audience?
Suspense, suspense is the main aspect of our thriller that would attract the audience. Films such as Psycho are all full of suspense and keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Our film does this by flashbacks between Jason Strong in the present and in the past following Caesar Arjana, causing suspense in when and how he is going to hurt Caesar. The narrative pleasure is one of the largest aspects of suspense due to the transition between past and present. This makes it hard for the audience to conclude, keeps them thinking and makes it interesting.The film also attracts through the aspect of social realism, the dark dim lower class streets of England similar to those in Essex Boys and This is England, and the beautiful yet frightening woods similar to the location of the murder in Heavenly Creatures. These locations are all related to places that the audience may live in or near
. Another part to the social realism is that the audience can relate themselves to the characters, mainly Caesar or Helen. The audience would put themselves in Caesar’s position and think about how horrible it is, making it realistic. This is similar to Heavenly Creatures which is based upon a true story where two girls murder their mother.
. Another part to the social realism is that the audience can relate themselves to the characters, mainly Caesar or Helen. The audience would put themselves in Caesar’s position and think about how horrible it is, making it realistic. This is similar to Heavenly Creatures which is based upon a true story where two girls murder their mother.
Our thriller is a mix of sub-genres, social realist, drama and crime. Crime makes the film frightful because it is mixed with social realism making it seem real, making the audience think that it could happen to them. The drama is the suspense of the film making it exhilarating and interesting as well as making the audience feel pity and fear for Caesar's awful fate that awaits him. The father is a kind of "horror" film generic concoction, his body language, obsessiveness and army fatigue all symbolise evil, making the audience fear him, scared of him.Sunday, 3 April 2011
Evaluation Of Thriller Film "Captured" Question 4
Who would be the audience for your media product?
Our target audience would be male between the age of 16 and 25 because this is a large range to aim at and the audience targeted like similar films to ours. They would watch films like Se7en and Essex Boys. This is because they are violent gritty thrillers than target males between the age of 16 and 25.
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These are just some of the examples that they might watch which are all similar to our film to some extent. In Maslow's Pyramid of Needs our audience would be placed in the self-actualisation section. This is because our film is problem solving, it has spontaneity and its creative. These are the things that self actualisers want; they want something out of the ordinary. Our audience would also be considered as individuals; although this may not be the vast majority it is specific which is what we are aiming for. Our audiences main "Social value group" would be self actualisers, these people are focused on people and relationships, individualistic and creative, they enthusiastically explore change. Our audience would be C1 and B. These are the higher middle class and lower middle class citizens that have supervisory, clerical, administrative and professional occupations. Together it is 51.4% of the population which is a large audience.
I think that our film is more aimed at males but could identify with women. This is because the female character can be related to by other females who have a similar problem with their father. Looking at the IMDB user ratings of Se7en, males find this a better film than females do. This is what i think our thrillers reception would be similar to but closer as our film has a woman that they can relate too just like the wife in Se7en . She is a marginal character.
Votes | Average | |
223,363 |  8.7 | |
35,052 |  8.5 | |
3,245 |  9.0 | |
2,695 |  9.0 | |
522 |  8.6 | |
156,998 |  8.8 | |
135,042 |  8.9 | |
21,221 |  8.6 | |
84,584 |  8.6 | |
73,005 |  8.6 | |
10,775 |  8.3 | |
13,449 |  8.0 | |
11,082 |  8.0 | |
2,192 |  7.7 | |
57 |  8.4 | |
868 |  8.1 | |
72,722 | 8.6 | |
150,462 |  8.7 | |
IMDb users | 312,575 |  8.7 |
Evaluation Of Thriller Film "Captured" Question 2
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
In Captured we decided to challenge the contemporary representation of ethnic minorities. In thrillers such as Pulp Fiction,the black character is represented as a criminal, in Pulp fiction Samuel Jackson works for the crime lord. We challenge this by making our main character innocent but powerful. Usually characters of the black ethnicity are either the protagonist, or the hero, just like in Se7en with the character of Somerset. In social realist films such as This is England, the ethnic minority is stereotypically a criminal or is a victim of racism like Milky from This is England.
Throughout the film, Caesar is the focus, camera angles and techniques are used to connote Caesar's dignity,tracking shots are used to make him the centre of attention, close ups to capture his emotions and bring the audience closer to him. The character is young as well which challenges the black hooligan stereotype as he is a young university student who we presented as sophisticated and smart using formal attire for his costume, a shirt,trousers and black shoes with his distinctive dreadlocks which is a distinct signifier of his culture.
Another challenge we made was making our protagonist/criminal of a religious background. The stereotypical Christian does good deeds and is a "good Samaritan". Whereas Jason Strong is a fundamental Christian racist which "Captured" puts across as a toxic combination.
Another representation is of age, our main character Caesar is 22, still young, at university and is the victim of a racist attack. Our protagonist Jason Strong, is in his 40's, he attacks and plots to kill Caesar, this challenges the stereotype of younger people abusing older generations.
Our female character represents women in our film, she is passive, although she contrasts her father's racism by dating Caesar. She is a marginal character like the wife in Se7en and doesn't appear in the action thus perpetuating the imagination of women in thrillers.
In Captured we decided to challenge the contemporary representation of ethnic minorities. In thrillers such as Pulp Fiction,the black character is represented as a criminal, in Pulp fiction Samuel Jackson works for the crime lord. We challenge this by making our main character innocent but powerful. Usually characters of the black ethnicity are either the protagonist, or the hero, just like in Se7en with the character of Somerset. In social realist films such as This is England, the ethnic minority is stereotypically a criminal or is a victim of racism like Milky from This is England.
Throughout the film, Caesar is the focus, camera angles and techniques are used to connote Caesar's dignity,tracking shots are used to make him the centre of attention, close ups to capture his emotions and bring the audience closer to him. The character is young as well which challenges the black hooligan stereotype as he is a young university student who we presented as sophisticated and smart using formal attire for his costume, a shirt,trousers and black shoes with his distinctive dreadlocks which is a distinct signifier of his culture. 
Another challenge we made was making our protagonist/criminal of a religious background. The stereotypical Christian does good deeds and is a "good Samaritan". Whereas Jason Strong is a fundamental Christian racist which "Captured" puts across as a toxic combination.Another representation is of age, our main character Caesar is 22, still young, at university and is the victim of a racist attack. Our protagonist Jason Strong, is in his 40's, he attacks and plots to kill Caesar, this challenges the stereotype of younger people abusing older generations.
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
Evaluation Of Thriller Film "Captured" Question 1
1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
My group's thriller "Captured" was primarily inspired by Se7en, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Heavenly Creatures. It is also influenced by This is England, which isn't a thriller but played a large part in our idea. The title is short snappy and cuts to the chase, similar to Se7en or Psycho, they state what they are about and clue the audience in. Just as Se7en is about seven deadly sins, our thriller is about someone being captured. But the title could also refer to Jason be captured by racism or Caesar being captured by love. Not only does the film use conventions used and made by these films, it develops them and challenges them. For example, our thriller is set in a grungy city street,lit by street lights,pouring with rain, similar to those in Witness and Se7en which use the traditional conventions which connote moral decay, destruction and violence. But our thriller is also set in a secluded wood, where no one can hear anything, just as the murder scene in Heavenly Creatures is set in a trackless woods.
The woods challenges thriller conventions, the usual dark urban areas and small claustrophobic spaces are challenged and changed into surrounding woods, which have just as much of an impact if not more through the woods enclosed around you, making you even more claustrophobic than usual. Similar to the opening of the first episode of The Killing TV series when the victim is running away from her attacker.
Another convention that is clear in our thriller is the use of a modern interpretation of the femme fatale, our femme fatale, Helen Strong is mysterious,elegant but also deviant, just as the conventional femme fatale is. But Helen is a mix of conventional and challenging, as she is inspired by characters such as Lisbeth Slander(The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), who challenges the conventions,fights back and defends herself and Eve(Once Upon a Time in America) who is elegant and helpless. The Lisbeth Slander side of Helen is more through her appearance than her actions, but is more like a sixth former than a 29 year old computer hacker.
The soundtrack in the attack scene is generic and cliche. It builds up slowly, gets louder and louder, frightening the audience. Just like in the shower scene of Psycho, although the soundtrack in Psycho is more high pitched and discordant. Whereas the soundtrack chosen for the attack scene is more frightening than creepy. I thought it paid a large resemblance to Jaws, which is a mix of genres, but the soundtrack holds generic aspects of thriller music.
The deep humming music throughout the first part of the film was inspired by The Killing, which reflects the idea of panic,menace and doom.
One of the most commonly used conventions, is the use of knives. Psycho is the most applicable to this as the famous shower scene involves a knife. As well as the knife we used a shovel to show the audience that there was a possibility of Caesar being buried either dead or alive. This links in with the claustrophobic space within the thriller, being buried,being one of the most terrifying, as shown in Kill Bill 2 when the bride is being buried alive by Budd's cronies.
Another use of conventions, is the use of flashbacks and flashforwards to develop and create an interesting narrative. The use of flashbacks and flashfowards makes the audience think, develops the storyline making it increasingly intriguing. There is a use of flashbacks and flashforwards in several thrillers. Frailty's storyline is based upon a flashback throughout the whole film, at the beginning of the film the main character has grown up but has a flashback about his childhood concerning his religious father, murdering people thinking that they were demons.
Which also ties in with our thriller as Jason could think that ethnic minorities are "demons". Another film that uses flashbacks is Kill Bill 2, when the bride thinks back to her training with the master as she tries to break out of the coffin. This is a similar use to our flashbacks, our flashbacks represent thoughts within Jason's head and also within Caesar's head. The flashbacks are reminders of what Jason has done, reminding him of the times that he slammed the door in Caesar's face and the way that he followed and attacked him. Our film also challenges the conventions of flashbacks by having flashbacks within flashbacks to develop the story and narrative further.
My group's thriller "Captured" was primarily inspired by Se7en, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Heavenly Creatures. It is also influenced by This is England, which isn't a thriller but played a large part in our idea. The title is short snappy and cuts to the chase, similar to Se7en or Psycho, they state what they are about and clue the audience in. Just as Se7en is about seven deadly sins, our thriller is about someone being captured. But the title could also refer to Jason be captured by racism or Caesar being captured by love. Not only does the film use conventions used and made by these films, it develops them and challenges them. For example, our thriller is set in a grungy city street,lit by street lights,pouring with rain, similar to those in Witness and Se7en which use the traditional conventions which connote moral decay, destruction and violence. But our thriller is also set in a secluded wood, where no one can hear anything, just as the murder scene in Heavenly Creatures is set in a trackless woods.The woods challenges thriller conventions, the usual dark urban areas and small claustrophobic spaces are challenged and changed into surrounding woods, which have just as much of an impact if not more through the woods enclosed around you, making you even more claustrophobic than usual. Similar to the opening of the first episode of The Killing TV series when the victim is running away from her attacker.
Another convention that is clear in our thriller is the use of a modern interpretation of the femme fatale, our femme fatale, Helen Strong is mysterious,elegant but also deviant, just as the conventional femme fatale is. But Helen is a mix of conventional and challenging, as she is inspired by characters such as Lisbeth Slander(The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), who challenges the conventions,fights back and defends herself and Eve(Once Upon a Time in America) who is elegant and helpless. The Lisbeth Slander side of Helen is more through her appearance than her actions, but is more like a sixth former than a 29 year old computer hacker.
The soundtrack in the attack scene is generic and cliche. It builds up slowly, gets louder and louder, frightening the audience. Just like in the shower scene of Psycho, although the soundtrack in Psycho is more high pitched and discordant. Whereas the soundtrack chosen for the attack scene is more frightening than creepy. I thought it paid a large resemblance to Jaws, which is a mix of genres, but the soundtrack holds generic aspects of thriller music.
The deep humming music throughout the first part of the film was inspired by The Killing, which reflects the idea of panic,menace and doom.
 | John Williams - Jaws Theme |  |
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 | Found at Jaws Theme on Duck.fm |  |
| Horror Movies - Psycho - Shower Scene Theme | |
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| Found at Psycho - Shower Scene Theme on Duck.fm | |
One of the most commonly used conventions, is the use of knives. Psycho is the most applicable to this as the famous shower scene involves a knife. As well as the knife we used a shovel to show the audience that there was a possibility of Caesar being buried either dead or alive. This links in with the claustrophobic space within the thriller, being buried,being one of the most terrifying, as shown in Kill Bill 2 when the bride is being buried alive by Budd's cronies.Another use of conventions, is the use of flashbacks and flashforwards to develop and create an interesting narrative. The use of flashbacks and flashfowards makes the audience think, develops the storyline making it increasingly intriguing. There is a use of flashbacks and flashforwards in several thrillers. Frailty's storyline is based upon a flashback throughout the whole film, at the beginning of the film the main character has grown up but has a flashback about his childhood concerning his religious father, murdering people thinking that they were demons.
Which also ties in with our thriller as Jason could think that ethnic minorities are "demons". Another film that uses flashbacks is Kill Bill 2, when the bride thinks back to her training with the master as she tries to break out of the coffin. This is a similar use to our flashbacks, our flashbacks represent thoughts within Jason's head and also within Caesar's head. The flashbacks are reminders of what Jason has done, reminding him of the times that he slammed the door in Caesar's face and the way that he followed and attacked him. Our film also challenges the conventions of flashbacks by having flashbacks within flashbacks to develop the story and narrative further.
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