Questionnaire and Target Audience Research- Miss Frisendar

Analysis of Questionnaires and Target Audience Research

My group carried out a questionnaire with a range of questions about Thriller films. We asked 20 people to get different opinions on what makes a good Thriller, what kind of iconography has the most impact during a Thriller scene and what they would want to happen at an opening of a Thriller to make them want to carry on watching. We done this so we could get some ideas for our own Thriller and so we know what people would like. 

In our questionnaire we asked a number of quantitative questions to provide us with data. One of our questions was 'What is your preferred location for a Thriller film?' The options we gave were: Prison Cell, Forest, Garage, House, Orphanage, Rural/Urban place, Dark Alley and other. From our research we have found out that peoples preferences for locations in Thriller films are in an Orphanage or a House with a Rural Area coming in at a close third choice.  The top choices are both our choices and not their own which tells us that we are aware of what people like in a Thriller. This tells us that people prefer the locations to be more realistic so they can relate to it themselves, therefore we can include this evidence in our own Thriller opening. 

Another question we asked in our questionnaire was 'Out of these conventional forms of Iconography which do you find the most effective?' Options we included were: Lamp, Knife, Mirror, Rope, Gun, Dolls, and a Mask. Our results concluded that Masks were a top favourite with Rope being a close second choice. These results have came out of a the Quantitive questions and allows is to be more aware of what the viewers like being included in Thrillers and therefore we can include this in out Thriller to enhance their experience while watching it. 

We also included Qualitative questions in our Questionnaire to produce more data. From the Qualitative data we found out that the most popular Thriller film is The Strangers, from this we are provided with information that the viewers are fans of shock and suspense films and also like the fact that the antagonist has a hidden identity which links in with the previous question and that the preferred Iconography was a mask and also the fact that the viewers like suspense, enigma and unexpected twists included in the film. Another aspect we found out was that the most popular sub-genres are Crime, Horror and Psychological Thrillers which can give us more ideas for our Thriller opening and we have a better meaning of knowing what to include. Finally another fact we found from our Qualitative Data was that people like there to be either a murder or a chase at the beginning of a film to grab their attention and make them want to keep watching, this again provides us more information that we can include for our opening Thriller scene so we can make it full of shock, suspense and surprises to grip the viewers. Another fact we found out was that viewers also like there to be a type of sound during the film to create a climax of tension and suspense again to make them hooked this is also good for us as we now know we need to include sound to create the same effect.

Group Narrative- Miss Georgiou

Group Narrative

Myself and my group each created our own individual narratives, we then analysed what we had came up with and produced advantages and disadvantages for each. 

My idea for a narrative for our thriller is about two teenage girls who have lost a friend in a car crash and after a year anniversary of her death and mysterious paranormal activity happening to them they both realize she is haunting them both and maybe blaming them for her death, the girls also see flashbacks of how she was killed even though they weren't there to witness it. Eventually one of the girls is possessed by their late friends spirit. During these scenes there will be shadows and low key lighting to create a suspense atmosphere which is conventional to a Thriller film.

Setting:

There will be three different settings throughout the Thriller, they are an isolated school, a deserted forest and the friends house. When the girls find out they are both witnessing spooky paranormal activity it will be set in an isolated school toilets. Their friend was killed in a deserted forest lane and there was no trace of anything happening which creates mystery and shocks the audience as to why there is no trace of a murder and if there ever was an accident? The girls end up in their friends house where they experience some paranormal activity which leaves the audience tense as to what is going to happen. 

Beginning:
The Thriller will begin with a flashback of the car crash in a spooky, deserted and dark forest lane (low key lighting) which left a teenage girl dead, it will then cut to a split scene with two other teenage girls waking up in fear as they've had a nightmare which is the vision of their friend being killed. During this opening scene there will be low key lighting which will create an effect of a dim, creepy atmosphere, the non-diegetic sound of noises that come from the forest to add a dramatic effect within the audience and also diegetic sound of heavy breathing when the girls are having a nightmare and screams when they wake up in shock and fear this will create a tension within the audience and also are generic conventions towards a thriller.

Middle:
The middle of the Thriller will consist of two different settings, the school toilets and the forest. During the middle of the Thriller there will be a scene in the isolated school toilets where the two girls start talking about their paranormal experiences and tell each other about the occurring nightmare they both keep having which is a flashback of their friends murder even though they weren't there to witness the accident which has made them more scared. There will be close up shots during these scenes to see the fear and shock in the girls faces which will create suspense within the audience. They end up agreeing they should visit the forest lane where their friend got killed which creates a tension within the audience in itself as they're visiting the scene of a murder which is conventional towards a Thriller as something bad would usually happen.
The girls are in the forest trying to find the spot where their friend was killed; they hear noises (non diegetic) and they decide to see where the noise is coming from, this creates a suspension. The sound they hear leads them to the lane where their friend was killed and then their friends ghost appears and says shes been blaming them for her death and that is why shes been haunting them through their dreams and if they don't find her killer she threatens them by showing them she'll hurt their family, (there will be faded shots and split scenes and close ups to show the audience the scene from the characters point of view).

End:
The end of the Thriller the spirit of the girl possesses both of the friends which will make the audience uncomfortable, one of the girls who was possessed then dies which is conventional to a Thriller as there's always a murder. Meanwhile, the other friend was left in the forest on her own and was never seen again, this will be shown in the credits at the end.
The target audience for my Thriller will be 15 year olds and older as it will contain moderate violence when they're in the forest and won't be acceptable for younger viewers.

One advantage of my individual narrative are the range of locations I have used throughout my Thriller which provides us with a variation of suspense for the audience as they may be able to relate to them and believe paranormal activity may occur in these locations, another advantage is the fact that there are two female characters, this is conventional to a Thriller film and shows how females are portrayed as vulnerable and innocent victims. A disadvantage of my narrative is the scene of the car crash as it would be hard to create and locate a car crash happening which wouldn't create the shock and suspense we would hope to in our Thriller opening.

Emmas Individual Narrative

My idea for a narrative for our thriller follows a theme of revenge and jealousy. A family, consisting of the mother, father, and two sons aged 6 and 15, move into a new suburban house. They lead a happy and normal life until the parents begin to hear talking from the younger sons room at night, because of this they go into the younger sons room to see who he is talking to and are faced with the reality that he is asleep. This shocks them. The talking at night continues but the parents are unaware of what is actually happening behind his bedroom door. The young boy is actually exposed to the on goings of the family who lived there before that were murdered by the estranged father, in their sleep. They enter the little boys bedroom every night and at first he was petrified until they possessed him so that he was on their side because of the fact they want the family out and their house back.The young boys family notice a difference with the boy when he stops eating, interacting with his family members and is always locked up in his room, so they begin to worry.
The story line comes to the climax when the murdered family tell the young boy in his sleep that he must murder his own family so that they can get their house back. The boy then wakes up in the night with the mindset that he has to murder his family and therefore progresses to their rooms. However the older brother is awake and hears the younger boys bedroom door open, and the footsteps of him moving towards the stairs. But he ignores it. The little boy then walks to the kitchen to get a knife then makes his way back upstairs to his parents bedroom. The older son then hears his footsteps again as he walks up the stairs, and peers out his bedroom to see what his brother is doing. Then he is faced with the sight of his little brother holding a knife progressing towards his parents bedroom. His brother reacts fast and tries to stop him but in the process is killed himself, the little boy then carries on into his parents room and kills them in their sleep.
The little boy then walks back into his bedroom and gets back in bed when he is awoken by a policeman who has to break the news that his family have been murdered. The little boy remembers nothing. He is then taken to an orphanage. A police investigation is carried out which lasts 5 years until they realise it was the young boy himself. However by the time they get to the orphanage the little boy had killed himself as he had been depressed and hated being so alone. He also had to live with the fact he no longer had a family, yet he did not know he was the one who killed them.
During the beginning of our thriller film it will be set in a suburban house. We will use low key lighting when the little boy is in bed. We will also use a close up shot of his face to show his expressions which portrays to the audience that he is asleep. As well as when the little boy is in bed we will use low key lighting when he is communicating with the murdered family to evoke the sense of mystery and fright upon the audience, and to also distort their identities. When the little boy begins to change his behaviour we will use dark make up around his eyes to convey the lack of sleep he is having.
During the build up to the climax and the actual climax of the film we will use angled shots to show the state of power the characters have. When the child is being possessed we will use a low angle shot to convey that the family have more power over the little boy. Then when the little boy progresses to kill his family we will use a another low angle shot but to show that he now has a high level of power over his family who will become the victims. We will include iconography into my film as the little boy will carry a knife, the knife I would use would be reasonable big and therefore the audience will feel uncomfortable and will expect the occurrence of death. The little boy will then kill his brother and parents so the viewers would be presented with the sight of blood and in result their experience will be extremely realistic.
Towards the end of the film the setting will change to an orphanage where the little boy has been taken. We will use high angle shots to show that he no longer has any power and that he is now alone and vulnerable. In my film we wont allow the audience to witness the little boy killing himself, instead we will use a high angle zooming in shot of his body once the police reach the orphanage to surprise the audience and shock them with will increase their suspense as to what will happen now.

Emma's individual narrative is conventional to a thriller film as the victim is a young child which is typical of a thriller film. Also if the audience members have children they will be able to relate to the film more, and their thrill will therefore be enhanced. Her narrative is also set in a house which is a conventional location for a thriller film, and she has incorporated the iconography of a knife, which is a conventional weapon seen in thriller films. Within her narrative she would also use a vast amount of low-key lighting which is conventional to a thriller film as it creates an eerie, frightening atmosphere. This would therefore also enhance the viewers experience while watching the film. Throughout her narrative she should also employ a number of high angle and low angle shots to convey to the audience the state of power of the characters in the particular scene. This is conventional as these shots are incorporated into thriller films to help the audience understand the film in more detail and so they are aware of the role of the characters. At the end of my narrative it will be set in an orphanage which is another conventional location seen in thriller films. It is a location where children are staying and therefore increases the audiences suspense levels and will feel realistic to them.
Her individual narrative will appeal to our target audience of 15 and over because of the conventions she has used throughout. The use of the young boy character is easily relatable for audience members and therefore their thrill will be enhanced, which will in result make them want to watch the film. My narrative will also be appealing for this age group as rather than including a lot of blood, gore and explicit violence we will incorporate more shock, surprise and suspense. Therefore if the viewers are of the younger age of the target audience, what they witness will be suitable and will not harm them in any way.One advantage of Emma's individual narrative is that the narrative she has chosen is conventional to a thriller film and she has included generic conventions that she would employ into it. Another advantage is that most aspects of her narrative are realistic to include in our opening, for example, the setting of the house and being able to obtain the different range of characters. One disadvantage of my narrative however is that the setting she has chosen is typical to a thriller film, however we believe it would still create an impact on the audience as from our questionnaire we found that a house was the most popular location for a thriller film to take place. An advantage of Emma’s individual narrative is that the narrative she has chosen is conventional to a Thriller film as she has included generic conventions that would fit into it. However one disadvantage of her narrative is that the setting she has chosen is typical of a thriller film, however from our questionnaire we found that a house was the most popular location for a thriller film to take place so it will still make an impact on the audience.

Daisy's Individual Narrative

Narrative background

A group of 3 girls who have known each other since they were little meet after not seeing each other for 5 years after leaving school. However, they were not always friends. Kate and Louise sometimes played tricks on Beth which made her want to get revenge on them. Beth was diagnosed with schizophrenia and the voices in her head told her to torture them both then kill them and hide the evidence...

The beginning

We first see flashbacks of Kate and Louise bullying Beth when they were small. Beth was very sensitive and was badly effected by it. Makes us feel sympathetic towards her. They all left school on good terms as they apologised if they had ever upset her. We then see Beth diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 18, after she had lost contact with Kate and Louise. After, (3 years later on her 21st birthday) we see an extreme close-up of Beth's eye after waking up in the middle of the night. We then hear the voices she is hearing in her head, telling her she should never have forgiven the girls for the damage they had caused. The voices say they wouldn't be there if it wasn't for Kate and Louise. Beth decides to organise to see them both... she wants revenge. They meet in a club that night to celebrate her birthday and decide to go on to another after having a good time. But then, whilst waiting for a cab Beth offers Kate and Louise the drug Perteniam which she says would make them feel good. Beth does not take any but pretends she does disguising another tablet for one. Kate and Louise begin to hallucinate and as the audience we can witness how they feel with out-of-focus camera shots (inspiration from Saw) The cab comes and Kate and Louise stumble in, unaware that their next destination is not a club but an abandoned house. 

The middle

They arrive at the house in an eerie forest and Beth pays the concerned driver then drags her sleepy friends out. The cab pulls away and Beth makes sure it is gone before blindfolding them and tying up their arms together whilst they are asleep. She drags the attatched bodies into the house but they wake up and notice that they are restricted. They begin to scream. Beth tells them to be quiet and follow her instructions or she will kill them in the most painful way possible. Beth stabs Kate several times and makes Louise watch. Sadistic method. Beth gets pleasure from seeing Kate in physical pain and Louise mentally distressed.  Louise manages to get the knife off of Beth and stabs her then escapes from the house whilst Beth is slowly dieng next to Kate's dead body.

The end

Louise tries to find her way home but the house is abandoned and in a seclusive and rural location. No phone signal. No way of communicating to anyone for help. She gives up hope but then a cab pulls up beside her and the man acts as if he will help her and take her home. After Louise gets in the cab, the audience find out that the man who claims he will help her is actually the man who took them to the house in the first place and is in with the act with Beth! He locks her in the boot of the cab after tying her hands and feet together so she cannot escape. The cab driver then drives back to the house to find Kate and Beth's corpse on the blood stained floorboards. He panics and calls the police, forgetting that he has Louise in his car boot! The police arrive and find no evidence that he was involved in the murders of the girls... but then they find Louise. It ends on a cliff-hanger with the cab driver and Louise in court. A split-screen of a close-up of their faces. Voiceover of the court judge sentencing speech. The audience decides what happens for themselves.

Advantages of Daisy’s individual narrative are that the iconography used within the narrative are easy to obtain and also the narrative is a typical Thriller genre. However, the disadvantages from her narrative are that the characters needed will be hard to find, particular locations would be hard to find and some scenes will be hard to edit. Me and my group have taken all of this into perspective and we have taken the advantages from each of our individual narratives to create our final narrative.

We had a group discussion to come up with a final narrative for our Thriller opening, we chose different advantages from each of our narratives and put them together to create our final group narrative. From my narrative we have used the locations of the forest and house as through our Primary research we found these two locations were the most popular therefore including them in our opening would also grab the viewers attention and enhance their experience throughout. From Emma's narrative we have taken the idea of a nightmare and that the character was a young child, the use of the character is conventional to a Thriller film as a young child in danger is realistic to the audience therefore increases their experience while watching. Finally from Daisy's narrative we have chosen to take the idea of the character taking a pill which causes side effects, the use of this idea is not a stereotypical convention to a Thriller film and therefore we are experimenting with new and unique ideas.

Our Thriller film opening will start with two young children, a brother and sister in the location of their home. The brother (who has schizophrenia) gives his sister a pill to take before she goes to bed, no one knows what the pill does. This portrays the convention of a vulnerable, young girl being the innocent victim which therefore creates suspense within the audience. There while be a split screen shot of the brother and sister asleep in their separate beds, in separate rooms from a high angle view, the two shots will the zoom in to their eyes, a dissolving shot will then be used on both characters to show how the audience are being drawn into their dreams. The dissolving shot will be of their eyes and the nightmare together, this will help the audience see what both characters are experiencing and they will be viewing this from the characters point of view.

The nightmare in which both characters are having will be set in a forest where the young girl is being chased by her brother, at the start she is unaware who it is chasing her as he is wearing a mask. Low key lighting will be used here and the the use of diegetic sound, when the audience hear their footsteps as they run through the forest across the leaves and the screams of the young girl. We will also use fat-paced editing and a number of straight cuts to provide the audience with a chaotic atmosphere; as well as this we will incorporate a handheld shot to let  the audience see what is happening from the young girls point of view when she is running through the forest, therefore the audience will feel tensed and frightened as the event will feel realistic to them. The brother, who is wearing a mask manages to catch up with his sister and then audience are provided with a close up view of a knife that he is carrying. He then restrains his sister from moving and repeatedly attempts to stab her but she is constantly trying to pull away from him. In result her brother ends up stabbing her on the cheek, at this point of the nightmare we will flash back to a split screen of them sleeping showing their reaction during the event. 

When the audience are returned to the nightmare they are shown a high angle shot of the young girl lying on the floor covered in blood with her brother standing over her staring at her. We will then include a point of view shot of the girl which will be out of focus as she drops in and out of consciousness. The brother thinks she is dead and at that point removes the mask, however she manages to make out his identity and at this point they both wake up from their dream. The young girl immediately look in the mirror and sees the horrific knife wound on her cheek and therefore throws up as she is in shock. She then looks back again but this time the gash has disappeared. The nightmare impacts on both of the children as she is scared for her life and because her brother is schizophrenic he panics and becomes possessed by the nightmare he has experienced. Because of this we will add dark make-up around the boys eyes to portray how he is not himself and he has been taken over by an evil spirit and therefore the audience will suspect this which in a result will be in suspense and anticipation levels will be raised. 

An advantage of our final analysis is we have used a wide range of different camera shots and angles, and also out generic conventions and all conventional to the Thriller genre. Another advantage is the use of locations as we incorporated what people preferred the most and what brings the most tension to the audience from our questionnaire, and also the use of the female victim and the use of a pill which is unique, however a disadvantage to out Thriller is that we haven't explored new ideas to break any conventions to make out thriller opening more original.

Film Classification- Miss Frisendar

Film Classification

The BBFC stand for The British Board Film Classification.

They are a highly experienced regulator of film who serve a function in society which is to advise and protect the young viewers as to what is appropriate for their age range. The BBFC provide the public with advice, information and guidelines that empowers them to make appropriate viewing decisions for themselves and also parents to protect those in their care and the younger viewer. Furthermore they protect vulnerable viewers and society from the effects of viewing potentially harmful or unsuitable content for certain age groups as they may find certain images discomforting,whilst also respecting adult freedom of choice. 

'U' ratings should be suitable for aged four and above, they should be set within positive moral framework and there should be reassuring counterbalances towards any violence or horror.

Parental Guidance rated films may be unsuitable for some children but should not disturb children aged around eight or older. However, parents are advised to consider whether the content may upset younger children.

           The material is suitable for 12 years and older and these categories may upset children under the age of 12 or parents may find footage unsuitable for younger viewers. The rating '12A' only occurs at a cinema where a child needs to be accompanied by an adult. No one under the age of '12' may rent or buy a DVD.


 No one under the age of 15 may see a '15' film in a cinema. '15' films contain strong language and sexual references.

No one under the age of 18 may see a '18' film in the cinema or rent or buy any '18' rated work.  '18' Rated films contains more violent scenes.

The 'R18' category is a special and legally restricted classification primarily for explicit images consenting sex and involving adults. Films may only be shown to adults in specially  licensed cinemas and also only supplied in specially licensed sex shops. There are some content which is not acceptable: rape, pedophilia, strong physical or verbal abuse.

People argue whether adults should be free to choose what films they watch or not, however the BBFC believe that adults should not have a free choice for these reasons:

• If explicit images of sexual content or activity which can not be justified by context are incorporated.
• If material appears to risk harm to individuals through behaviour, or incourages the behaviour that is happening e.g sexual assault, suicide...
• If the material has broken the law during filming/ when it is distributed.

However I believe that any person aged 18 or older should have the right to watch what they wish as I believe they are mature enough to not be incouraged by any explicit/violent scenes they will experience whilst viewing the film. Consequently, if they are effected psychologically or physically in any way after watching the film it is down to them and no one else.


Back in 2002 before The Spiderman movie was released it had to be cut several times so it was suitable enough for a '12A' rating. However people still complained that it still wasn't suitable enough for that age group and should have been rated a higher certificate as it was too violent for 12A viewers. To be rated a 12A the film would have only moderate violence as long as it is sustained, taking this into consideration Spiderman doesn't do this. The audience are exposed to a 4 minute long fighting scene with violence throughout which could mean that the younger viewer could be incouraged by this and maybe even imitate some of the things that the characters do as they idolise super heroes therefore may come to a conclusion they are doing nothing wrong.

However the Spiderman film is fiction and the main protagonist is a superhero which is unrealistic, and so are the iconography and weapons which are used in this fighting scene as they do not use the stereotypical weapons (i.e knives, guns...)  so the children will be unfamiliar with what they are using and therefore won't be inspired by what is going on. Therefore the children will be able to watch this scene without copying them and end up potentially in danger.

Following from my last point both Spiderman and the antagonist use weapons in the fighting scene and there is a huge dramatic effect by using them. This could be dangerous for the children as these weapons are almost glamourised by the characters and as children idolise their favourite superheroes could easily pick up a weapon and cause harm to someone even though they think they aren't doing anything wrong as they've watched their idol do so. This could also increase their chance of being violent in the future as they've been exposed to it at such a young age.

On the other hand Spiderman could get away with being appropriate as a 12A certificate as the viewers maybe too young to even pay close attention to the fighting scenes therefore may not get any inspirations as such of what is happening and would just sit and enjoy the film and not realize how violent it actually is. Secondly, during the fighting scene the blood and injuries aren't emphasised therefore aren't scaring the children but there are some occasional gory moments which justifies the scene perfectly therefore the children aren't shocked by the fighting that is happening.

Our Thriller opening is going to be rated 15 as it will contain more of a shock and suspense within the audience rather then show violence and gore. I will be able to use strong language, I will also be able to contain violent behaviour as long as it doesn't focus too much on the detail as then it would lean towards a rated 18 certificate. I could also use strong threat as long as it isn't detailed.

Individual Narrative- Miss Georgiou

Individual Narrative

My idea for a narrative for our thriller is about two teenage girls who have lost a friend in a car crash and after a year anniversary of her death and mysterious paranormal activity happening to them they both realize she is haunting them both and maybe blaming them for her death, the girls also see flashbacks of how she was killed even though they weren't there to witness it. Eventually one of the girls is possessed by their late friends spirit. During these scenes there will be shadows and low key lighting to create a suspense atmosphere which is conventional to a Thriller film.

Setting:

There will be three different settings throughout the Thriller, they are an isolated school, a deserted forest and the friends house. When the girls find out they are both witnessing spooky paranormal activity it will be set in an isolated school toilets. Their friend was killed in a deserted forest lane and there was no trace of anything happening which creates mystery and shocks the audience as to why there is no trace of a murder and if there ever was an accident? The girls end up in their friends house where they experience some paranormal activity which leaves the audience tense as to what is going to happen. 

Beginning:
The Thriller will begin with a flashback of the car crash in a spooky, deserted and dark forest lane (low key lighting) which left a teenage girl dead, it will then cut to a split scene with two other teenage girls waking up in fear as they've had a nightmare which is the vision of their friend being killed. During this opening scene there will be low key lighting which will create an effect of a dim, creepy atmosphere, the non-diegetic sound of noises that come from the forest to add a dramatic effect within the audience and also diegetic sound of heavy breathing when the girls are having a nightmare and screams when they wake up in shock and fear this will create a tension within the audience and also are generic conventions towards a thriller.

Middle:
The middle of the Thriller will consist of two different settings, the school toilets and the forest. During the middle of the Thriller there will be a scene in the isolated school toilets where the two girls start talking about their paranormal experiences and tell each other about the occurring nightmare they both keep having which is a flashback of their friends murder even though they weren't there to witness the accident which has made them more scared. There will be close up shots during these scenes to see the fear and shock in the girls faces which will create suspense within the audience. They end up agreeing they should visit the forest lane where their friend got killed which creates a tension within the audience in itself as they're visiting the scene of a murder which is conventional towards a Thriller as something bad would usually happen.
The girls are in the forest trying to find the spot where their friend was killed; they hear noises (non diegetic) and they decide to see where the noise is coming from, this creates a suspension. The sound they hear leads them to the lane where their friend was killed and then their friends ghost appears and says shes been blaming them for her death and that is why shes been haunting them through their dreams and if they don't find her killer she threatens them by showing them she'll hurt their family, (there will be faded shots and split scenes and close ups to show the audience the scene from the characters point of view).

End:
The end of the Thriller the spirit of the girl possesses both of the friends which will make the audience uncomfortable, one of the girls who was possessed then dies which is conventional to a Thriller as there's always a murder. Meanwhile, the other friend was left in the forest on her own and was never seen again, this will be shown in the credits at the end.

The target audience for my Thriller will be 15 year olds and older as it will contain moderate violence when they're in the forest and won't be acceptable for younger viewers.

One advantage of my Thriller Narrative is ma narrative as it is conventional to a Thriller and has a few generic conventions throughout. A second advantage is that I have two female characters in my narrative which is another convention as it portrays females being innocent and vulnerable victims,  another advantage of my narrative is the setting of a Forest is conventional to a Thriller Film as it creates suspense within the audience but it may be too typical for a Thriller film and from our questionnaire the setting of a Forest was the forth favourite so we may have to take that into consideration and change it. A disadvantage is the car crash scene as it will be hard to create and won't create the shock and suspense to our Thriller Convention that we are hoping.

Psycho Analysis- Miss Frisendar

Psycho Shower Scene Analysis identifying Thriller Conventions

There are many Thriller conventions throughout the shower scene of Hitchcocks' 'Psycho' from close up shots to shadows. These are used to let the audience see whats happening from the characters point of view.

Throughout the film Psycho there are many camera shots being used to create an understanding that something bad may happen: Panning is used when the woman walks from her dresser to the shower which indicates a change of location, there is also a zoom in shot into the shower plug which shows the running water and the woman's blood circling down the drain which represents her life being washed away which is conventional to a thriller as a innocent and vulnerable woman has been murdered. Another camera shot that has been used throughout the shower scene is a zoom out from her eye to her face which shows not only is she dead but her full facial expression in which the audience can see the fear and shock in her face which makes them uncomfortable as they did not anticipate that.

There are many camera angles that have been used as well, including a straight on angle which shows the woman's scared facial expression as she is being attacked, there is also a high angle shot in which we witness the killing from a birds eye view which represents the murderer being more powerful than the woman which is conventional to a Thriller as the woman is vulnerable and is fighting to stay alive. There is an extreme close up of the womans eye, the fact that it is wide open with no movement indicates she is dead, there is also a close up on the murder weapon which is conventional to a thriller and makes the audience uncomfortable as they can see the brutal murder taking place.

Another Thriller convention in the shower scene is that the murderer has a hidden identity, this creates more suspense and mystery to the scene and makes the audience uncomfortable as you can't see the murderers face. The murderer is also dressed in black which represents danger and doom which is also conventional to a Thriller film also as the murdered sneaks up on the female in the shower the audience can see the murderers silhouette in the background behind  the shower curtain which gives them an idea that something bad will occur which makes the audience uncomfortable, these are all conventional to a Thriller film.

Scream Analysis- Miss Frisendar

 Scream Thriller Conventions Analysis

Cinematography is used in Thriller films so that we can see the shot from different angles to create a dramatic effect on the audience: an example of this is in Scream and there is a close-up shot which is used, this is used to show Casey's facial expression whilst shes on the phone to the villain and she realizes she is being watched by him, the close up shows the fear in her eyes which allows the audience to relate to just how scared she actually is.

There is also a high angle shot being used when Casey sees her boyfriend dead and tied up outside her house which highlights they are both powerless compared to the villain, this is conventional to a Thriller as there has been a murder and the victims are powerless, this makes the audience uncomfortable as they realize something bad is about to occur.

Another aspect of cinematography used throughout 'Scream' is a mid shot, also used during the phone call to the villain which helps to show the audience just how frightened she is; this is shown by her body language where she is sat down looking tense and her eyes are shut which and tells us she is scared, this makes the audience scared also. This is conventional to a Thriller as it represents a scared and vulnerable female who is trying to stay alive. 

In Scream there is a zoom-in shot which shows Casey's dead body hanging on the tree, the purpose of this is to show that there has been a murder and the victim is in fact dead which shocks the viewer as they aren't expecting to see a close up of a dead body this early into the film. This is conventional to a thriller film as it shows just how brutally murdered she was which will make the audience uncomfortable even though they expect a death as it is a Thriller, also the fact that the victim is a girl makes it conventional to a Thriller as they portray girls as vulnerable.

The Strangers Sound Analysis- Miss Georgiou

The Strangers Sound Analysis

Sound is used in Thriller films to create an understanding for the audience and to create more meaning about the character and their emotions. The editing of sound is also important in Thriller films when the sound speeds up and is louder its creates a tensed and panicked atmosphere, where as if Sound is quiet and at a slower pace it is a more calm atmosphere.
Sound is also used to create a response from the audience: to make them feel uncomfortable.

On screen sound is used in The Strangers when the girl character plays a record from in the kitchen when she makes a drink, the music from the record players pace speeds up when the girl sees the villains in her house which makes the audience tensed and uncomfortable as they have had experiences whilst watching other Thrillers which they can relate back to and know something will happen, there is also an on screen sound in The Strangers just after there has been a knock at the door and the girl sees smoke coming from the fire and the fire alarm goes off, this is also a tensed moment during the film as its just after the knock at the door so it makes the audience think that maybe the person who was at the door has done something to make the fire alarm go off and distract her.

There is also a non-diegetic sound in this clip of The Strangers when there is a knock at the door when the female character is on her own in the house, the knock gets louder and louder and more violent, you can see the female is hesititant and you also see the fear on her face, as the knock gets louder it brings suspense within the audience and also makes them scared and weak which is conventional to a Thriller film. The knock also makes the audience tensed as they can not see what it is behind the door, so there's a hidden identity which is also conventional to a Thriller.

There is an Off Screen Sound during the kitchen scene just after we see 'The Stranger' appear behind the woman when we can hear a door shut but cant see it, the female is very hesitant in whether she should investigate further into the noise which is conventional to a Thriller or if it is her boyfriend James, this makes the audience uncomfortable as we already know the villains already been in the house but she doesn't which is conventional to a Thriller as the girl is vulnerable.

  

An example of diegetic sound is also in this clip of The Strangers when there is a knock at the door;  and there is a close up shot of the girls face and you can hear her breathing heavily which shows that she is scared and vulnerable which is conventional to a Thriller film, this represents the audience being tense and makes them know something is going to happen to her which is also conventional to a thriller film as shes a girl alone in a house.

How does editing inform the audience and how does sound enhance the tension within The Strangers?- Miss Frisendar - Miss Frisender

"How does editing inform the audience of the generic conventions of the film and enhance the tension within the scene with the use of sound?"

Editing in The Strangers is used to inform the audience that something terrible is going to happen by the use of the generic Thriller conventions.This enhances the tension of the audience throughout the scene with sound by the tones and the pace of the music.

An example of this is when there is a knock at the door and the noise gets louder and faster, you can see the fear in the characters eyes and facial expression which makes her look vulnerable which is conventional to a thriller film as they make females less powerful. When the knock at the door gets faster and more intense there is a fast cut from the character to the door and then the camera zooms in onto the door, this makes the audience feel uncomfortable as you can tell something bad is about to happen; this is conventional towards a thriller film.

Slow editing is also used when the female character is walking towards the doors whilst someone is knocking, the pace of the editing shows us that she is hesitant to open the door which connotes she is scared. The audience can relate to this as when the character is shown as being scared the audience are as well, they are represented as weak which is common in the Thriller genre.

Diegetic sound is used as well during the slow editing shot of the female character as she is moving towards the door you can hear her breathing heavily which connotes she is scared which also makes the audience tensed as they don't know whether she'll open the door and don't know what they are expecting to be there this is also conventional to a Thriller film.

Alfred Hitchcock Research- Miss Frisendar

Alfred Hitchcock Research 

Sir Alfred Hitchcock, was an English film director and producer who was born in Leytonstone in 1899 and died in 1980. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in silent films, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood to carry on his career in film making, his first film he made in Hollywood was called Rebecca (1940) where he won an Academy Award for best picture.

Over a very successful career Hitchcock was known for his high suspense Thrillers and thrilling plots and later on known as an ‘auteur’ which is a director who has been known to be successful with a specific genre.

Hitchcock directed more than fifty featured films in a career lasting more then 6 decades.

 His most famous films are: 

• Psycho
• Mr and Mrs Smith 
• Saboteur
• Notorious
• Strangers on a Train
• The Birds
• To Catch a Thief
• Veritgo
• The 39 Steps 

A famous quote by Hitchcock is: 

"The purpose of a thriller is to put their (audiences) totally in the cold water of fear to see what it's like"

There are many Thriller conventions throughout  Hitchcocks' famous film 'Psycho' from close up shots to shadows. These are used to let the audience see whats happening from the characters point of view.

Throughout the film Psycho there are many camera shots being used to create an understanding that something bad may happen: Panning is used when the woman walks from her dresser to the shower which indicates a change of location, there is also a zoom in shot into the shower plug which shows the running water and the woman's blood circling down the drain which represents her life being washed away which is conventional to a thriller as a innocent and vulnerable woman has been murdered. Another camera shot that has been used throughout the shower scene is a zoom out from her eye to her face which shows not only is she dead but her full facial expression in which the audience can see the fear and shock in her face which makes them uncomfortable as they did not anticipate that.
There are many camera angles that have been used as well, including a straight on angle which shows the woman's scared facial expression as she is being attacked, there is also a high angle shot in which we witness the killing from a birds eye view which represents the murderer being more powerful than the woman which is conventional to a Thriller as the woman is vulnerable and is fighting to stay alive. There is an extreme close up of the womans eye, the fact that it is wide open with no movement indicates she is dead, there is also a close up on the murder weapon which is conventional to a thriller and makes the audience uncomfortable as they can see the brutal murder taking place.

What is a Thriller Film?- Miss Georgiou

What is a Thriller Film?


There are a few generic conventions which make a film a Thriller, including camera shots and camera angles for example: high angle, zoom in/out, hand held and close ups so the audience can see an object from the characters point of view. There are also different paces of editing which can instantly change the effect of a scene, if there is fast cutting it can show chaos and panic. As well as camera shots and cutting there is also the low key/high key lighting according to the setting and also sounds which can show a different atmosphere which causes different kind of feelings and emotions within the audience. Another generic convention are weapons and iconography, and also if the villain has a hidden identity it makes a Thriller more tensed and uncomfortable to watch.
Finally there is always a theme throughout a Thriller whether it being a love triangle or envy thriller, also there is always a Target Audience which ranges between 15 and above which of whom are mainly male.

A Thriller film is a film which creates suspense within the audience throughout the whole entire film, it makes the audience feel uncomfortable throughout by the dark settings, slow or fat pace editing, non-diegetic sounds and diegetic sounds for example heavy breathing and screams.

Saw Opening Scene

In the opening sequence of Saw it starts off straight away with a generic convention of a Thriller film as we hear a non-diegetic sound which comes from the bath, this gets our attention straight away, after this we hear someone speak and as there is low-key lighting the character who is speaking has a hidden identity which is also generic to a Thriller as we can't see who it is, which causes tension. When the lights turn on we see a dead body which straight away is conventional to a Thriller as there has been a murder, there is also a close up shot on the dead body which we see from the characters point of view, it then zooms out so we get a view of the whole of the body which gives the audience an idea of how he got killed and maybe how the other victims may get killed. It is also a high angle shot which shows us the killer has a higher power then the victims which is also conventional to a Thriller film.

How does the opening sequence help to define the genre?

The opening sequence helps us to define the genre as it shows the audience all the main conventions to a Thriller film as soon as the film starts; we hear a natural spooky sound and there is low key lighting used which creates a tension as to where the noise is coming from. After the sound the character appears to be shocked which puts the viewer in an uncomfortable position, there is also a voice over but again the setting is full darkness so there's a hidden identity which will create a feel of suspense within the audience. Finally, in the same scene when the character turns the light on the first thing you hear are non-diegetic sounds for example: screams, gagging noises which will also cause tension within the audience and then we are shown a close up on a dead body which puts us in the characters point of view, deads bodies are also conventional to a thriller film and when the shot zooms out to show us the full body it gives the audience a clue as to how maybe the other characters will get murdered later on in the film.

How can you use the film to help you to plan your own Thriller film?

I can use how they have drawn the audience straight into the film by not showing us the main villian straight away, in my own Thriller film and also how they start with spooky noises in the dark which makes the audience tense. Also how they haven't shown you the murder and just a dead body which leaves the viewer wondering how the victim was murdered and who by, by keeping the villians identity hidden.

The Orphan Analysis

In the Orphan there are many varied generic conventions which makes it a Thriller film throughout. The film starts off with high key lighting whilst Esthers foster mum and dad are in the hospital and the mum  (kate) is about to have a baby, this makes the audience think straight away that something happy will happen but it doesn't, instead Kate has a miscarriage and then we find out it was just a nightmare which then again surprises the audience as they think it is really happening. This is conventional to a Thriller film as nightmares link to the psychological side to a Thriller. Throughout the scene the lighting and colours vary between high and low key lighting, there is low key lighting when the film goes back to the present time to show its no longer a happy time, this is also shown by the clothes worn as they are all dull and dark colours, also the sky is always grey and gloomy where as when there is a flashback the lighting is high-key the majority of the time and there are bright colours, these flashbacks can give the audience an idea as to why Esther is now mentally disturbed as they show the demons of the families past. This shows suspense and shock within the audience which disturbs them.

Another generic convention in the scene is when Esther holds a knife as she walks to her step dad which makes the audience think something bad like a murder is about to take place but there isn't. The strongest weapon in the film is Esthers twisted mind which is like a weapon of fear towards the victims especially her family, the use of weapons in this scene makes the audience uncomfortable as its scary how someone so young can have such a disturbed mind, especially how the Target Audience for The Orphan is 15+ it can disturb them as maybe some of the audience can relate towards it. Including the settings as the location is a home and there could be some viewers having family trouble which would then relate to them which could then make the audience feel uncomfortable.

Esther is a young, disturbed individual who is the main antagonist who goes back for revenge on her family, mainly her foster mum and other children because she is jealous or just for revenge. Female audiences can relate to this as her main victims are females, which in a generic convention to a Thriller film.

In this Thriller there is a lot of violence, physically and mentally which creates a lot of discomfort to the viewer by exposing psychological vulnerability as it exposes the evil behind normality which shocks the viewer especially how a small child can hurt people like she does.

No Country For Old Men- Miss Frisendar

No Country for Old Men

 In this lesson I have learnt how to identify the codes and conventions, camera shots, and editing techniques whilst watching an opening scene to a Thriller. I have also learnt how to identify the target audience due to these techniques.

Opening Scene of 'No Country for Old Men'

The editing during the first scene of 'No Country for Old Men' shows an establishing shot of different landscapes that cut to each shot with a slow pace. The voiceover during this establishing shot tells us about the villains background and lets the audience know that he has killed before so gives us an idea that he may kill again. When there is the scene whilst the policemen is on the phone and the villain is in handcuffs behind him there is another slow pace editing shot as the man creeps up on the cop which creates an eerie effect. There is also a zooming in shot of the villain strangling the cop which lets the audience see the killing from a closer point of view.

The setting during the opening scene of 'No Country for Old Men' shows a deserted place which makes it seem like its hard to get help or to escape from, it is also isolated and intimidating which are both conventional to a Thriller film. The landscape of the establishing shot was field with all of the plants and land dead which links to the killings during the film. Also the Police Station was very unequipped which made the villain superior to the cop which is another convention to a Thriller as the villain was more powerful then the victim. These are all essential towards the plot as they signify murder.

The events in the opening scene of 'No Country for Old Men' starts off with the establishing shots of the peaceful landscapes which contrasts with the fact the villain gets arrested in which the peacefulness is killed by this and the voiceover saying 'See you in hell' which is conventional to a Thriller film as we associate hell with murder or murderers. Another event during the opening scene is when the villain is creeping up on the cop from the background which makes it mysterious, also after he kills the cop he leaves the evidence of the killing behind in the bathroom and then goes on to the next killing and kills an innocent man which is also conventional to a Thriller. 

Characters during the opening scene of 'No Country for Old Men' contrast from innocent to evil throughout the scene, for example the policeman was small and the villain was bigger which makes him more vulnerable and weak straight away. The villain has killed before as we learn at the beginning due to the voiceover, h is a psychopath and is dressed in black which represents doom and danger which are all convention to a Thriller as well as the villains voice which had a creepy tone but also a calm tone which tells us he is confident and calm in what he about to do as he has done it before.

The Camera Work throughout the opening scene uses close ups and high angle during the murder which can show the audience a closer view of the murder and also see their facial expression clearer which can tell us what exactly they are feeling at that moment and the audience can relate to the character. There's an establishing shot right at the beginning which shows us where the film is set which brings us a sense of mystery as we are not familiar with the scenery.

The target audience for 'No Country for Old Men' is a 15 because it contains quite a lot of violence which can be disturbing for a viewer of a younger age also as this film is quite violent it will attract mostly male audiences. Most Thriller films attract viewers under 25.