We are going to start of our film in a normal colour whilst viewing the police officer and the when changing scene to the killer, we will edit in the tritanopia spectrum so that all will be seen is the colours of what the killer would see which will bring the audience deeper into the mind of the killer.

Friday, 28 January 2011
Colour Blindness
In our film, the killer is going to have a symptom of tritanopia - a form of colourblindness in which the victim is only able to see shades of red and blue and a few other dark shades, as seen below.
Thursday, 27 January 2011
Logos and Design Ideas
This is a photo of all of the design ideas for our film title and our film company logo.
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All Ideas |
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View Point Idea 1 |
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View Point Idea 2 |
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View Point Idea 3 |
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Iris Entertainment Idea 1 |
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View Point Idea 4 |
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Iris Entertainment Idea 2 |
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View Point Idea 5 |
Monday, 24 January 2011
Directors
There have been many directors of thrillers. One of the best known for early thrillers was Alfred Hitchcock, who directed Psycho, Rear Window and North By Northwest. More modern directors include Christopher Nolan, who directed Inception, Memento and Batman Begins and Dark Knight. I think his work is brilliant as he seems to get really great performances from his actors. I also like Ridley Scott’s work on the Alien film and Hannibal, both of which are very atmospheric.

Thursday, 20 January 2011
Cape Fear
This remake stars Robert de Niro as a rapist released from prison who seeks revenge on the prosecutor who put him behind bars. He is covered in tattoos and he mentally tortures the family – killing their dog, intimidating them in a cinema and flirting with their teenage daughter.
The music in this film is very effective and when you hear it, it makes you sit on the edge of your seat as you know something is going to happen.
Title ideas audience research
We surveyed 17 people and these are our results:
View Point: 8
Ripper: 0
The Pupils: 0
White Eyes: 0
Spectrum: 0
Violent Vision: 3
Tritanopia: 2
Oculus: 1
Eye Spy: 3
Through these results we have chosen View Point as our Thrillers title.
View Point: 8
Ripper: 0
The Pupils: 0
White Eyes: 0
Spectrum: 0
Violent Vision: 3
Tritanopia: 2
Oculus: 1
Eye Spy: 3
Through these results we have chosen View Point as our Thrillers title.
Title ideas for our thriller
The main focus of our Thriller is the eye, and we want our title to reflect this. These are our ideas:
View Point
Ripper
The Pupils
White Eyes
Spectrum
Violent Vision
Tritanopia
Oculus
Eye Spy
View Point
Ripper
The Pupils
White Eyes
Spectrum
Violent Vision
Tritanopia
Oculus
Eye Spy
Credit usage in prelim
This is our preliminary task where I have put the credits that we are thinking of putting into our film. This is useful as we are able to learn how to put credits into our film. I have also found that we need to find out how to fade our credits out of the image so they can look more mysterious. Also we need to learn how to put our credits behind everything else so that our characters do not walk past or through the credit.
Wednesday, 19 January 2011
Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman has played a variety of roles in thrillers, from the police psychologist searching for his niece in Kiss the Girls, to the friendly bank robber in Hard Rain. He has an almost reasonable tone whenever he is talking – as if the things that are happening are ordinary run of the mill, which makes the crimes seem even worse. One of the best films he was in was Seven with Brad Pitt, searching for a serial killer killing people who were guilty of the seven deadly sins. Other thrillers he has appeared in include: Wanted, Gone Baby Gone, Dark Knight and the Sum Of All fears.
If we were to add a police detective in our work, I would base him on Morgan Freeman’s character Alex Cross as he would be a good contrast to the killer. His almost laid back approach is directly opposite to the franticness of a killer.
Kiss the Girls
This is another film about serial killers. It is based on the book by James Patterson and stars Morgan Freeman as a police detective/psychologist searching for his missing niece, who has been abducted. Many other women have also gone missing, but only a couple have been found, tied to a tree in the middle of a large wooded area.
The start of this film is good; the voiceover as the opening credits roll, is of the murderer himself describing how he first became a killer, although the death is more implied from the scenes on the screen than actually seen. This is good, because it allows the viewer to imagine, which builds suspense.
Convention of Thriller: sound
The sound used in our opening scene will be non diegetic sound which will able use to create a specific atmosphere in our scene. Also we will use diegetic sound such as dialogue to give the audience knowledge about the mood of the character speaking and their relationship with other characters. We will also use silence in our opening scene to create a sense of mystery behind our characters while also making the audience think about what the characters are doing and why.
Conventions of Thriller: Camera shots and angles
The shot mostly used in thrillers is the close up. This kind of shot is used in films such as Se7en and Phone booth. This shot is used to build suspense as it can be used to distort what the audience can see as they can only see a certain amount of the image. Also these shots build up mystery around what the camera is looking out as sometimes the audience will have to think about what the object is. However if the object is a gun for example the audience will have to figure out who will use it and what for.
We will incorporate in our thriller the use of close ups as this allows us to build mystery and suspense around certain characters as well as keeping the audience guessing about what is happening. Also many fast paced jump cuts between close ups could be used to build a fast paced momentum or to add shock into our opening scene.
The angles used in most thrillers are low angles for the hero type character as this makes the character shown seem more powerful or that they are in a powerful position. Additionally this can be used on either character as in different scenes either character may hold more power over somebody else.
In our thriller film we will use low angle shots to make our characters seem more powerful as well as being strong. However we will also use high angle shots to make our characters seem less powerful and that they are not in control. This can be used in the scene with the police detective as he will not be in control of the killers movements or killings. Additionally high angle shots can be used to set the scene of an area.
We will incorporate in our thriller the use of close ups as this allows us to build mystery and suspense around certain characters as well as keeping the audience guessing about what is happening. Also many fast paced jump cuts between close ups could be used to build a fast paced momentum or to add shock into our opening scene.
The angles used in most thrillers are low angles for the hero type character as this makes the character shown seem more powerful or that they are in a powerful position. Additionally this can be used on either character as in different scenes either character may hold more power over somebody else.
In our thriller film we will use low angle shots to make our characters seem more powerful as well as being strong. However we will also use high angle shots to make our characters seem less powerful and that they are not in control. This can be used in the scene with the police detective as he will not be in control of the killers movements or killings. Additionally high angle shots can be used to set the scene of an area.
Props
Props - Fake Blood
There are many different types of fake blood that we could use such as non-toxic blood, edible blood, chocolate blood, and then you can also buy fake blood from joke shops.
I think the non-toxic blood looks the most surreal and it is also easy to make. To make the blood we will need to mix water, flour and red and green colouring, the blood can be made within minutes and would look effective in our thriller opening.
Conventions of thrillers: Titles
The credits of most thriller films are put onto a black and white screen which is used to set the scene. Also non diegetic sound is normally heard as this sets the mood of the opening scene as well as allowing for sound effects that add dramatic effect. Also the use of non diegetic sound could be used for a narrative commentary.
However in our film we will incorporate our titles into our opening scene to set the scene early on in the film. The use of putting our titles into our opening scene will allow us to put effects onto our titles to make then add suspense and hints towards what the films theme is as well as what it may be based on. This is also present in the film Se7en however our credits will not fade when images are shown they will be present throughout the scenes.
Here is a link to Se7en's opening credits:
However in our film we will incorporate our titles into our opening scene to set the scene early on in the film. The use of putting our titles into our opening scene will allow us to put effects onto our titles to make then add suspense and hints towards what the films theme is as well as what it may be based on. This is also present in the film Se7en however our credits will not fade when images are shown they will be present throughout the scenes.
Here is a link to Se7en's opening credits:
Risk Assessment ideas
Risk assessment ideas
Before we start our filming we need to consider certain risks that we have to take whilst filming our thriller. Our thriller contains things such as fake blood, tools, and other things such as a bed.
The thriller contains many props that maybe seen as a risk and we will have to be cautious when we use them. Tools are used in our film; these tools are things such as needles, hammers, and other pieces of doctor’s equipment. Whilst using these tools we have to be careful as they can be very dangerous.
Fake blood is another prop that we are hoping to use in our opening, fake blood could be dangerous as it could get into someone’s eye or mouth, whilst using this fake blood we must ensure we are careful with it. Also keeping this prop away from the filming equipment is key as it could damage the cameras etc.
In our story, a character pretending to be a dead body has to lay on a table, there is a potential risk that the person could fall off the table, when we use this table we need to take care that the person does not fall off the table.
Before we start filming we need to make sure we have covered all of the risk assessment aspects. This ensures that no one will get hurt in the making of the film, and no equipment will be able to be damaged.
Lighting
The lighting used in our film will be mostly dim in the scene with the killer in. This will create suspense, suspicion and mystery around the character as well as not letting the audience see perfectly what is going on. Also the hiding of parts of the scene will make the audience think what else is in the scene as well as making them think that there is something out of the ordinary to do with the character. Additionally as our film is focusing around the aspect of eyes we will use dim lighting to help reinforce the impact of the theme on eyes by distorting the audience view onto the scene.
Props used in our thriller
The props that will be used in our thriller will be large and simply identifiable for example knives and tools. This will make the audience know that the character using these props is dangerous and therefore that he might not be trusted or that he will be up to something dangerous. As the props will be easily identifiable this will allow the audience allow to know what kind of actions could be performed with the prop as well as letting them know that the character using the prop could be anyone.
Conventions of our thriller: Hero and Villain
The hero type character in our film will be a man who is employed in a dangerous job, such as a policeman. The male heroes aim will be to defeat the villain by stopping him from committing a certain act such as a killing. He is also trying to preserve the life's of other innocent people.
However our Villain character the killer will be a man who is well tall and look out of the ordinary so he can be easily noticed and remembered. This will make him look more suspicious which will give the impression that they are not to be trusted.
However our Villain character the killer will be a man who is well tall and look out of the ordinary so he can be easily noticed and remembered. This will make him look more suspicious which will give the impression that they are not to be trusted.
Our thriller sub genre
Our film will be in the sub genre of a crime thriller this is because we are aiming our film to focus more onto the criminal rather than the policeman or other authorities. However our film will focus more onto psychological aspects rather than action events. Additionally our centre topic will be on a serial killer who will be involved in chases and double crosses.
We have chosen this sub genre above the others as it can be incorporated into our film easily as well as making it a lot more exciting.
We have chosen this sub genre above the others as it can be incorporated into our film easily as well as making it a lot more exciting.
Monday, 17 January 2011
Minority Report

This film is set in the future and stars Tom Cruise and Colin Farrell. The plot is that psychics can predict when a crime is going to happen, and the police can arrest the person before the crime is committed. However, one of the crimes is supposedly committed by a police officer. He then gets chased by various other officers/technologies until he finds the truth. The best bit in the film is when Tom Cruise has an operation to change his retinas so he cannot be recognised. It’s really quiet and then there is a scratching and it is these little robots looking for him; they are heat seeking so he lies in a bath of cold water. This really builds up the suspense.
Sunday, 16 January 2011
Modern Thrillers
Modern thrillers are more closely linked to horror movies than in older movies. Many of these thrillers have a link to serial killers; the general public have become fascinated with this sub genre of the thriller movie.


I think our opening should incorporate this more bloody approach.
Saturday, 15 January 2011
Murder by Numbers

I do think we could use the outwitting the police somehow – maybe put in something to imply the police are looking for our victim?
Lighting
The product is goping to have different lighting at different times, in the scene with the policemen, it will be bright to show them as the 'good guys', however in the scene with the killer it will be dark and dingy to show him as the 'bad guy'.
Thursday, 13 January 2011
Technical Convention
There a three distinct groups when referring to media conventions; technical, symbolic and written and audio. This group, technical, is mainly about camera techniques and shots. We will use lots of different types of camera angles in our film, including; close up, extreme close up, over the shoulder shot, tracking and long shot. The close up and extreme close ups will be very useful to focus on the killer and the things he is doing.
Symbolic Convention
The symbolic category refers to clothing and colours. Our clothing is very simple as we only have three characters in our piece. The two policemen wear; smart, black trousers, a smart shirt, black shoes, and one wears a jumper and the other, a casual jacket. The killer wears; wellington boots, jeans, a white T-Shirt and an apron. The policemen’s costumes represent professionalism to them and the job they do, whilst the killers costumes brings him across as a scruffy and dirty person. For the colour part of this convention, for the policemen scene, we will edit it on final cut express to make the colours allot brighter than the original footage and for the killer scene, and then the colours allot duller and darker than the original footage. This contrast of dark and light we will have in the scene change between the policemen and the killer will really bring out the mood of the scene and will give the audience a feel of the atmosphere they are in.
Written and audio Convention
The music we will have in our film is an intense, yet moderately paced tune which will give a really dark, creepy feel to it. The music will begin when the killer, Gabriel McKay, appears on the policeman’s screen in the police records. This immediately gives the audience a dark feeling whilst in his presents.
Storyboard
Tuesday, 11 January 2011
Lighting
For our film we want to create a sense of suspense and mystery throughout our opening scene. We will achieve this by using low lighting incorporated with darkness. We will only use low lighting for the killer as this will make him seem more mysterious which will keep the audience guessing about his background and what exactly he is doing. Additionally when we film inside a garage we will use dim lighting sources so that we can see what we are filming while still being able to have the thoughts of mystery involved.
However when we are filming the police detective we will use brighter lighting to show the audience all of his props such as his police badge. This shows the audience what job title he holds as well as being committed to his job. Also as we want to show the detective as being tired and working into the last hours of his day. Therefore we will film at night to show that he is obsessed while being dedicated and compelled to solve the case he is working on.
However when we are filming the police detective we will use brighter lighting to show the audience all of his props such as his police badge. This shows the audience what job title he holds as well as being committed to his job. Also as we want to show the detective as being tired and working into the last hours of his day. Therefore we will film at night to show that he is obsessed while being dedicated and compelled to solve the case he is working on.
Costume
We want the characters in our Thiller to be stereotypical of what they represent, for example we want the killer to look like a killer, being blood stained, and dirty. He will wear a costume characteristicly of a psychotic killer, such as an apron, boots, and gloves. The police will will also wear stereotypical clothes, smart trousers, smart shirt, and a jacket.
Monday, 10 January 2011
The Number 23
The Number 23 is a great thriller film which i really hope we can relate to in our thriller opening. It s about a man, Walter Sparrow, who becomes obsessed about a novel which he believes was written about him. His obsession increases, and as it dies, more and more similarities begin to arise.
From the statistics on youtube, it is clear that this video is most popular with :
Gender | Age |
Female | 13-17 |
Male | 18-24 |
Male | 25-34 |
Sunday, 9 January 2011
Anthony Hopkins
Anthony Hopkins played Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs, Red Dragon and in Hannibal . He comes across as a very intelligent and arrogant character. He never raises his voice and tends to speak quietly and calmly. In all of the films, Lecter has a close relationship with FBI agents; he appears to be helping but it is clearly for his own gain, and in Red Dragon where he gives the killer known as the tooth fairy the agent’s address, perverse enjoyment.
Saturday, 8 January 2011
Hanibal Rising

Again there is a contrast between the horrificness of the killing with the completely normal looking and acting killer.
Set / Scenery
For the set of the policeman scene, we will use an office and change it a bit to suit the policeman’s characteristics. Inside the office there will be a map of an undecided city with pins pin pointing all of the killer’s murders.
The murder map will be more traditional than this by having a notice board on the wall with a paper map over it and the murders will be pin pointed with pins and then tied together with string to show the order of the killings.
The set for the killer will be a much darker, dirtier room which i think we will film in a garage. Similar to the murder map in the police officers office, there will be a board on the killer’s wall with photos of his murders and victims to come. When we see the killer interacting with a dead body on a work bench/table, although the viewer cannot be sure what he is doing, it is apparent that it is something gruesome and unnatural as next to him we can see a table of tools. The will not be ordinary tools you can find in an operating theatre but tools found in a tool box or garage and will be old and dirty. This will give a large sense of uncomfort to the viewer and make the atmosphere allot better for the scene.
Although we use the inside of a garage to film this scene, will not film the killer leaving the garage from the outside of the garage but will take the first shot of him leaving from the inside of the garage and then the second shot will be him leaving from an abandoned building somewhere so that the viewer assumes that the killer has been inside the warehouse the whole time.
The murder map will be more traditional than this by having a notice board on the wall with a paper map over it and the murders will be pin pointed with pins and then tied together with string to show the order of the killings.
The set for the killer will be a much darker, dirtier room which i think we will film in a garage. Similar to the murder map in the police officers office, there will be a board on the killer’s wall with photos of his murders and victims to come. When we see the killer interacting with a dead body on a work bench/table, although the viewer cannot be sure what he is doing, it is apparent that it is something gruesome and unnatural as next to him we can see a table of tools. The will not be ordinary tools you can find in an operating theatre but tools found in a tool box or garage and will be old and dirty. This will give a large sense of uncomfort to the viewer and make the atmosphere allot better for the scene.
Although we use the inside of a garage to film this scene, will not film the killer leaving the garage from the outside of the garage but will take the first shot of him leaving from the inside of the garage and then the second shot will be him leaving from an abandoned building somewhere so that the viewer assumes that the killer has been inside the warehouse the whole time.
Props
The props we will be using in our Thiller are going to be significant to the outcome of the product. They will be items like knives, saws, pliers ect. they will add to the atmosphere and also build to the character. We will also be using fake blood, to add to the realism, and atmosphere of the Thiller.
This is a key frame from the movie hostel, that shows the kind of props we will be using.
This shows the kind of fake blood we will be using.
This is a key frame from the movie hostel, that shows the kind of props we will be using.
This shows the kind of fake blood we will be using.
Music
We used music from the artist SoundJay, from soundjay.com. We found the music to be fitting for our product as it started off slowly, helping to build up tension, but then it burts into the main tune, in time with the scene. It is relativly slow paced, but still fast enough to create a tense atmosphere.
Friday, 7 January 2011
Costume
We will have two main costumes in our thriller opening for the main two characters. The first costume is for the police officer who will wear a suit worn casually as he is entering his office in the morning with a cup of coffie. He will probably wear a shirt with a couple of top buttons un-done and a lose hanging tie, suit trousers, and a suit jacket in one hand hanging over his sholder with a coffie in the other. For the killers character we are thinking of a brutal dirty outfit with a butchers apron.
This character shown above from the film 'Hostel' is a prime example of the type of character we want the killer to portray. We havent yet fully decided on what clothes he will wear under the apron but will probably be some casual cloths.
This character shown above from the film 'Hostel' is a prime example of the type of character we want the killer to portray. We havent yet fully decided on what clothes he will wear under the apron but will probably be some casual cloths.
Props and ideas
For our opening sequence, one of the most important things that we need in our film are props.
We willl need quite a few props for our film but the majouritiy of them will be used for the scene of which the killer is shown for the first time in an old, rustic building. Because of he nature of the building, the look of the props will need to follow. They will need to be dirty and a little rusty and most of them will be every day tools and equipent found in a garage such as; a drill, a knife, a hammer, nails, pliers, spanner and a screwdriver. These are all ideas that we could and probably will use but we may not use all of the tools which were just listed. we will use other props for different scenes such as the opening scene with the plolice officer who will have a coffie and maybe some police equipment on him such as a gun and handcuffs. if twe were to involve a gun, we would have to carry out a large risk assesment to insure the safety of us and all around us.
We willl need quite a few props for our film but the majouritiy of them will be used for the scene of which the killer is shown for the first time in an old, rustic building. Because of he nature of the building, the look of the props will need to follow. They will need to be dirty and a little rusty and most of them will be every day tools and equipent found in a garage such as; a drill, a knife, a hammer, nails, pliers, spanner and a screwdriver. These are all ideas that we could and probably will use but we may not use all of the tools which were just listed. we will use other props for different scenes such as the opening scene with the plolice officer who will have a coffie and maybe some police equipment on him such as a gun and handcuffs. if twe were to involve a gun, we would have to carry out a large risk assesment to insure the safety of us and all around us.
Credit ideas
Credits
We have tried to create credits that we can incorporate into our film by placing them in our opening scene. After that we have figured out how to create effective credits that we can transfer onto final cut express. Then we tried to use an effect that will make the credits look obscure to the eye without making them unreadable. This helps us to create a sense of tricks to the eye as well as a motif of eyes, sight and disillusions of the eye and mind.
Here is a clip from our first preliminary task which we changed where we have incorporated our credits into it just to see the effect of our credit we had made.
We have tried to create credits that we can incorporate into our film by placing them in our opening scene. After that we have figured out how to create effective credits that we can transfer onto final cut express. Then we tried to use an effect that will make the credits look obscure to the eye without making them unreadable. This helps us to create a sense of tricks to the eye as well as a motif of eyes, sight and disillusions of the eye and mind.
Here is a clip from our first preliminary task which we changed where we have incorporated our credits into it just to see the effect of our credit we had made.
5 Important Factors for a Thriller
5 Important Factors for a Thriller
Some of the most successful thrillers quite often have far fetched story lines as there are so many different components to thriller writing, yet the writer must tell the story in such a way that the audience see it as believable and can be totally entranced by it. In my opinion, there are five very vital points everyone needs to consider when come to make a good thriller film.
Creating a Sense of Danger
In most thriller films you see, there is bound to be a central main character that ends up in danger somewhere. Often, the character will be isolated from the world around them to give the audience a much wider insight to their inner feelings and emotions. In order to achieve this successfully, there needs to be a great sense of loss and betrayal. Another word for this type of character is a ‘Protagonist’.
It is also quite likely that the protagonist will be at risk of death, or worse, at the hands of their main opponent; also known as the antagonist. The antagonist is not crucial to use in thriller films, although they do build up a great sense of excitement for the audience. Antagonist or no antagonist, the important thing to remember when coming to make a successful thriller is to get the audience to literally feel the problems which the protagonist encounters and to get them to realise that it could happen to them which will drive force of fear, worry and dread through them. Therefore, considering the previous factors, I would think that since J.M.T productions focus on a niche market, if they were to make a thriller, they should include all of the points in this paragraph.
The Balance of Power
The second ever so very important aspect of making a thriller is balance of power. This ensures that the antagonist (villain) has the balance of power shifted in their favour throughout the majority of the film. This absolutely vital point draws the audience’s attention into the feelings and struggles the protagonist needs to try and overcome. This nicely places the audience onto the protagonist’s side for the battle of good and evil where the villain is always one step ahead, until the climax of the movie when the power balance shifts and the villain is eventually defeated.
The Importance of Pace
I’m sure that everyone has previously watched a thriller in the past and has got very bored after the first 40 minutes. When one makes a thriller film or video, they must make sure that it is fast paced throughout in order to make it work. Usually, the beginning of a thriller wastes no time in putting the main character (the protagonist) in a dilemma from the very start which enables the audience to relate to their situation immediately.
Twists and Turns
Most good thrillers use twists and turns to attempt to draw the audience into a false sense of security where they should be led on an adventurous journey, unsure of what lies ahead. An excellent way to maintain the suspense and tension is to have scenes which build up to a certain point where the audience think they know exactly what to expect and to then dramatically change the scene to and unforeseen outcome
Character Growth
Another important aspect of making a great thriller is to make sure that the audience get to know and understand all of the fears and weaknesses of the protagonist’s character. Also, as they begin to overcome the challenges they are given, the film or video also must reflect their determination and strength and have the final outcome showing that how they have overcome their greatest fear and rising to the challenges they were set, has made them a better person. At the same time, it is also important to show the antagonist’s weakness and their fears as the balance of power finally shifts and good wins against evil.
Often in thrillers, good writers build up to a climax where good wins and the audience feel they can finally relax and stop biting their finger nails, when the villain will have one final attempt to beat the hero before being finished for good.
Some of the most successful thrillers quite often have far fetched story lines as there are so many different components to thriller writing, yet the writer must tell the story in such a way that the audience see it as believable and can be totally entranced by it. In my opinion, there are five very vital points everyone needs to consider when come to make a good thriller film.
Creating a Sense of Danger
In most thriller films you see, there is bound to be a central main character that ends up in danger somewhere. Often, the character will be isolated from the world around them to give the audience a much wider insight to their inner feelings and emotions. In order to achieve this successfully, there needs to be a great sense of loss and betrayal. Another word for this type of character is a ‘Protagonist’.
It is also quite likely that the protagonist will be at risk of death, or worse, at the hands of their main opponent; also known as the antagonist. The antagonist is not crucial to use in thriller films, although they do build up a great sense of excitement for the audience. Antagonist or no antagonist, the important thing to remember when coming to make a successful thriller is to get the audience to literally feel the problems which the protagonist encounters and to get them to realise that it could happen to them which will drive force of fear, worry and dread through them. Therefore, considering the previous factors, I would think that since J.M.T productions focus on a niche market, if they were to make a thriller, they should include all of the points in this paragraph.
The Balance of Power
The second ever so very important aspect of making a thriller is balance of power. This ensures that the antagonist (villain) has the balance of power shifted in their favour throughout the majority of the film. This absolutely vital point draws the audience’s attention into the feelings and struggles the protagonist needs to try and overcome. This nicely places the audience onto the protagonist’s side for the battle of good and evil where the villain is always one step ahead, until the climax of the movie when the power balance shifts and the villain is eventually defeated.
The Importance of Pace
I’m sure that everyone has previously watched a thriller in the past and has got very bored after the first 40 minutes. When one makes a thriller film or video, they must make sure that it is fast paced throughout in order to make it work. Usually, the beginning of a thriller wastes no time in putting the main character (the protagonist) in a dilemma from the very start which enables the audience to relate to their situation immediately.
Twists and Turns
Most good thrillers use twists and turns to attempt to draw the audience into a false sense of security where they should be led on an adventurous journey, unsure of what lies ahead. An excellent way to maintain the suspense and tension is to have scenes which build up to a certain point where the audience think they know exactly what to expect and to then dramatically change the scene to and unforeseen outcome
Character Growth
Another important aspect of making a great thriller is to make sure that the audience get to know and understand all of the fears and weaknesses of the protagonist’s character. Also, as they begin to overcome the challenges they are given, the film or video also must reflect their determination and strength and have the final outcome showing that how they have overcome their greatest fear and rising to the challenges they were set, has made them a better person. At the same time, it is also important to show the antagonist’s weakness and their fears as the balance of power finally shifts and good wins against evil.
Often in thrillers, good writers build up to a climax where good wins and the audience feel they can finally relax and stop biting their finger nails, when the villain will have one final attempt to beat the hero before being finished for good.
Certificate rating
Certificate research
For our film I have begun to think about which certificate rating our film should be. This is because whether our film is a 12A, 15 or an 18 either of these will decrease our audience. However as we are looking for a niche audience we have to aim our certificate quite high. In addition to this our film will contain sequences where characters break the law in offenses ways. Also our film will contain discrimination, horror with threats of a menace, imitable behavior which will contain scenes of dangerous actives.
However in our opening scene the audience will not actually see the bloody gore, or dangerous scenes that may be seen later on in the film.
In conclusion we have decided to put the certificate of our film to a 15 therefore we can gain a higher audience count as well still targeting our niche audience.
For our film I have begun to think about which certificate rating our film should be. This is because whether our film is a 12A, 15 or an 18 either of these will decrease our audience. However as we are looking for a niche audience we have to aim our certificate quite high. In addition to this our film will contain sequences where characters break the law in offenses ways. Also our film will contain discrimination, horror with threats of a menace, imitable behavior which will contain scenes of dangerous actives.
However in our opening scene the audience will not actually see the bloody gore, or dangerous scenes that may be seen later on in the film.
In conclusion we have decided to put the certificate of our film to a 15 therefore we can gain a higher audience count as well still targeting our niche audience.
Thursday, 6 January 2011
Audience Research 3
The table below (http://sy10.ukfilmcouncil.ry.com/14.12.asp?search=14.25) shows we have chosen the right age group to focus on. They definitely watch more media than any other age range, excepting younger viewers.
Table 14.25 Frequency by age of cinema-goers watching DVDs and Blu-ray, going to the cinema and watching television, 2009
Age | 7–14 % | 15–24 % | 25–34 % | 35–44 % | 45–54 % | 55+ % | Total % |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Watch DVD or Blu-ray once a month or more | 87 | 83 | 77 | 79 | 71 | 59 | 76 |
Watch DVD or Blu-ray once a week or more | 57 | 50 | 46 | 40 | 29 | 23 | 42 |
Go to cinema once a month or more | 54 | 63 | 54 | 36 | 34 | 34 | 47 |
Go to cinema once a week or more | 6 | 14 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
Watch TV 35 hours or more per week | 13 | 23 | 22 | 19 | 16 | 23 | 19 |
Watch TV 15 hours or more per week | 69 | 61 | 67 | 70 | 74 | 79 | 69 |
Wednesday, 5 January 2011
Wolf Creek
This is a more modern approach to a thriller and crosses into horror/slasher flick territory. The film is about a group of backpackers who go into the Australian outback. Their car breaks down and they are rescued by a local, who later turns out to be a psychopath. He ties them up and then the girls escape. They stumble into a room and see trophies – pictures and backpacks of other backpackers, the implication being that he had killed them all.
Using the audience to imagine is very effective. You don’t have to actually show dead bodies to know, or think you know, that someone has been murdered. We could use this, especially if we want to keep the certificate at 15 or below.
Using the audience to imagine is very effective. You don’t have to actually show dead bodies to know, or think you know, that someone has been murdered. We could use this, especially if we want to keep the certificate at 15 or below.
Props
Props
The use of props in our film will consist of items that will give the reader as much possible information about the character to help the audience determine what is going on, why something is happening as well as giving the audience personal and specific information about the characters.
Such items will be the use of a police detectives badge of a unique branch of the police. This will give the audience personal information about the character such as hard working, brave, ambitious, a leader, analytical, perspective of the job at hand therefore seeing no obstacles, and also that he up holds the law which is in contrast to the serial killer.
In addition to this the use of specialist equipment for example high tech computers therefore showing the audience that he is of a high technical caliber as well as being a computer whiz.
Furthermore the serial killer will be seen using items such as knives, hammers and basic tools. This shows the audience that this character is primitive as well as being outside of society as he has to resort to using basic tools by himself showing that he is all alone. Also the audience may see the character as being neurotic making him seem more outside of normality. In addition this character may use more old fashioned equipment, either for writing or movement. He may use a fountain pen not because he is of a high class but because that is what he remembers his parents doing and that is the way he was brought up. This increases the audiences fear and thoughts that he is outside of society.
The use of props in our film will consist of items that will give the reader as much possible information about the character to help the audience determine what is going on, why something is happening as well as giving the audience personal and specific information about the characters.
Such items will be the use of a police detectives badge of a unique branch of the police. This will give the audience personal information about the character such as hard working, brave, ambitious, a leader, analytical, perspective of the job at hand therefore seeing no obstacles, and also that he up holds the law which is in contrast to the serial killer.
In addition to this the use of specialist equipment for example high tech computers therefore showing the audience that he is of a high technical caliber as well as being a computer whiz.
Furthermore the serial killer will be seen using items such as knives, hammers and basic tools. This shows the audience that this character is primitive as well as being outside of society as he has to resort to using basic tools by himself showing that he is all alone. Also the audience may see the character as being neurotic making him seem more outside of normality. In addition this character may use more old fashioned equipment, either for writing or movement. He may use a fountain pen not because he is of a high class but because that is what he remembers his parents doing and that is the way he was brought up. This increases the audiences fear and thoughts that he is outside of society.
Location Ideas
Location
I think about different locations to help set our scene as well as back our scenes more creepy, dark and sinister. We therefore thought that we should place our scene inside a basement or a derelict warehouse. However as we no one in our group has a basement or a warehouse area that we could use. We have opted for the use of a garage where we could close the door to make it as dark as possible. Which will therefore create a dramatic atmosphere through the use of darkness creates a sense of mystery and will make the audience imagine and wonder what is present inside the dark room.
In addition to this we are thinking of jumping scenes between this dark garage to an office suite which will be used as a police office where the mysterious garage will be located by the police to try and track down the killer. Also the use of this office suite will help us to establish to the audience that the people present in this office are part of a unique police force where they track down serial killers.
In addition to all this the use of the binary opposite between the deranged doctor in the dark,sinister garage and the city living, smartly dressed police detector.
I think about different locations to help set our scene as well as back our scenes more creepy, dark and sinister. We therefore thought that we should place our scene inside a basement or a derelict warehouse. However as we no one in our group has a basement or a warehouse area that we could use. We have opted for the use of a garage where we could close the door to make it as dark as possible. Which will therefore create a dramatic atmosphere through the use of darkness creates a sense of mystery and will make the audience imagine and wonder what is present inside the dark room.
In addition to this we are thinking of jumping scenes between this dark garage to an office suite which will be used as a police office where the mysterious garage will be located by the police to try and track down the killer. Also the use of this office suite will help us to establish to the audience that the people present in this office are part of a unique police force where they track down serial killers.
In addition to all this the use of the binary opposite between the deranged doctor in the dark,sinister garage and the city living, smartly dressed police detector.
Tuesday, 4 January 2011
Locations
It is hard to choose locations, but it must be atmospheric and claustrophobic. Low lighting will also help with the feeling of claustrophobia. Many thrillers are set in wooded areas, like Hannibal Rising, but I think the ones set in dark dingy buildings are better.
Sunday, 2 January 2011
Taken
This film is about a spy who has to go to Paris to find his daughter who has been kidnapped and sold to the white slave trade. It received 7.9 stars on the following website http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0936501/ and had 123, 576 votes, so is very popular.
The trailer for this film is amazing:
I like the music overplaying whilst the main character is talking calmly in contrast to the images flashing on the screen, but I don’t think we will use this; I think we will use a more simple approach, as silence is just as, and sometimes even more, effective.
The trailer for this film is amazing:
I like the music overplaying whilst the main character is talking calmly in contrast to the images flashing on the screen, but I don’t think we will use this; I think we will use a more simple approach, as silence is just as, and sometimes even more, effective.
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