Thriller Final edit

Q7: Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

One key thing that I learnt from my preliminary task in comparison to my thriller is that sound is key. With only diegetic sound used in my preliminary task, I knew that adding music to our thriller was vital. In reflection I feel that our music choices were effective as it added atmosphere and tension to our thriller. In progression I have learnt how to add music to the opening, how to use sound bridges and how to choose music successfully.

Since the preliminary task I have also learnt how to use the camera to enhance the narrative in an effective manor. One of the major pieces of feedback in the preliminary task was that the various establishing shots made the film feel more like a documentary. When considering this whilst filming our thriller, we ensured to use a wide variety of shot types and movement/editing techniques to enhance the narrative. We also developed are use of close ups further since the preliminary task to create more ambiguity and meaning to the line 'checkmate'.

Throughout the production of our thriller opening I have learnt that following generic conventions of a thriller can be easily done once you understand them and therefore can easily be incorporated into your own work. This links to the importance of research and planning as learning about how other films have used certain conventions has helped us to improve our work.  I have also learnt that working to a deadline can be difficult in terms of re-shooting however I feel it was essential to re-shoot some parts and in reflection am pleased that us as a group did so. My favourite part of the production of our thriller has been creating an engaging narrative as although it conforms to the genre I believe that are narrative is more unique and appealing.

Q5: How did you attract/address your audience?

Q4: Who would be the audience for your media product?

When creating this audience member profile and considering how it relates to my thriller , I based the choices I made on the idea of mainstream media products that young people enjoy as I believe this is the type of mainstream film that would attract a large amount of young audience members.

Q3: What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

I believe our thriller is quite mainstream and therefore believe the following methods of distribution would be the most effective:

Method of distribution	Why it may be an effective choice
Global distributor	I believe a global distributor would be the most effective in distributing our film as I believe our type of film could produce good viewings around the world, like films such as Psycho and Casino.
Vue/Odeon cinemas	These are mainstream and multiplex cinemas which attract many different audiences as they are widely known. I believe our film could attract many different audiences from teenagers to families or older adults. For example bond films are usually distributed in these cinemas to appeal to a wide array of audiences.
Video on demand distribution such as Netflix and LoveFilm	I believe distributing to companies such as these would be extremely beneficial as VoD is constantly increasing in popularity, and has grown twenty times in reputation since 2008. I also believe this method of distribution would specifically target a younger audience as less young people go to the cinema now due to watching films on other platforms such as VoD.

Question Two: How does your media product represemt particular social groups?

Thriller Evaluation Question One

Question one: in what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

In our thriller 'COUNTERPLAY', we used two different, contrasting locations. Firstly, the chess scene was filmed in my conservatory, and the chase scene was filmed outside down an alleyway. Our chosen locations were a significant part of our opening as they were two strikingly different locations, using a variation of a controlled setting with a more chaotic setting to create a juxtaposition between the two. This conforms to the genre and sub-genre of a typical crime thriller as there is often various different types of locations.

One existing media text that personally influenced me on deciding the calmer location was the American TV series 'Suits'. One way in which this media product has influenced my decision on location is the way in which the rooms are set out with the table and the diegetic lighting. It also influenced me as it is a controlled location which reinforces the character's higher class.

We also used costume to highlight the contrast between our two pairs of characters. For example, the character in the first picture, played by Rakib Hussain is wearing a suit, in comparison to the antagonist in the second picture, played by Lewis Hunt, who is wearing casual wear with his hood up. This difference in costume is typical of the genre as it creates a binary opposition between different classes and leads the audience to have different opinions on each character at the start of the film just because of what they are wearing.

Smart costume

Informal costume

The characters in the thriller opening are also typical of the genre as it includes character types such as a protagonist, antagonists and an innocent, vulnerable victim, all of which are clearly defined. The young victim girl, played by Grace Peacock, is an example of this as when we first meet her she is leaving a party and his happy, which creates more sympathy for her nearer the end of the clip where she is clearly fearing for her life.

We also used props to conform to the genre and characters of our thriller. For example, the use of the Ribena, imitating red wine, and the cigarettes conform to the use of stimulants such as alcohol and cigarettes that are commonly used in crime thrillers, as it highlights how characters may be higher class due to being able to afford such luxuries. The prop of the phone and the water, imitating cheap vodka, used for the teenage girl also modernises the convention used in a thriller as it signifies her age and youthful nature.


Phone

Wine



Cigarette

We also used lighting to create contrast between the two scenes. For example the low-key lighting in the chase scene created a more menacing and frightening tension to the scene. Where as the strong chiaroscuro lighting used in the chess scene created a more calm yet tense atmosphere, with the harsh shadows also used to add mystery to the characters.



Low-key lighting used in the chase scene and chiarscuro in the chess scene

We used sound to create a more atmospheric chess scene which added to the idea of the scene being in a more controlled setting. For example, the diegetic sound of the saxophone jazz music played (link below) adds a calm yet tense tone to the scene. In comparison to this, the non-diegetic music used in the chase scene adds an alert and chilling tone and increases the panic within the scene.

Jazz saxophone music used in the chess scene:

 One way in which we used camerawork effectively is through the use of closeups and extreme closeups. For example the close up of the chessboard gives a sense of a claustrophobic atmosphere to my work. This type of shot also adds more depth to my shots, and meaning to the game which my characters are playing. With the  camera focused onto the chessboard it adds a sense of importance, making this a running theme throughout the clip.


This close up is effective in a similar way as the character's face fills up the short, giving a significance to his line, ''checkmate''. This again creates a feeling that there is more to this game of chess than there first is seen. This line and close up also comes at the climax of the music as the piece of jazz music becomes louder and stronger, which adds to the significance.