Planning - Microelements - Mr Smith

Micro elements

Cinematography is important in films because it helps make the final product, by colliding edits and shots together to keep the audience drawn to the screen. I believe it is important to think about the cinematography especially in thriller films because shot sizes, shot movements, shot angles and the pace of edits is what makes the narrative create a meaning and a response from the audience. We want the audience to feel anxious and nervous throughout the whole of the narrative. Some of the conventional uses of cinematography in thrillers are shots like reaction shots, close ups and extreme close ups to show deep emotion in the action of the thriller. 

Effective uses within thriller consists of conventions such as; a fast pace of edits for a violent attack (for example) makes the audience uneasy as the quick edits from different angles make the attack more thrilling. Also, shot movements can help create tension and fear for the audience and helps follow the tension building narrative.

Medium shots will be used when the audience is shown the 2 injured body's laying on the floor. I've chosen to use this because it shows a clear view of both of the bodies and how injured they are. This is conventional to a thriller because it allows the audience to not only see both of the characters, but some of the scenery.

Long shot will be used for the end to show the last shot of all the 3 characters. I have chosen to use this because it's a shot where we can see all the characters actions in the last shot. 

A high angle will be used when the female victim is scurrying around after waking up from being knocked out by the violence between her and her boyfriend, she is looking for a gun. I have chosen to use this high angle to show the character as an inferior character. This is conventional to a thriller because it shows vulnerability in victims which is usually what is shown in thrillers. 

 

An ariel shot is used right at the beginning when the scene opens and the audience see both bodies laying on the floor. We chose to use this because it will show the bodies and iconography clearly for the audience to grasp the atmosphere in the first couple seconds of the scene.

A close up is used when showing carlie's hand. This is to emphasise the cuts and damage that has happened to her. She will still be bleeding which suggests the violence that has occurred before. This will help give the audience an understanding of what has happened beforehand. This is conventional to a thriller as close ups are almost always used for emphasis to affect the audience.

A zoom out will be used for the shot of carlie's eye. It zooms out to see the rest of her body and also Lashane's. We decided to use this as it would help create a natural flow from the eye show to the bodies then zoom more into a fade to white. These edits work quite well together which helps the audience stick to the narrative.

A shot reverse shot will be used when both the actors are arguing. We will use this to create tension between the two characters. This is conventional to a thriller because it will generate a reaction from the audiences as well as encouraging emotion and helping them withdraw meaning.

An extreme close up will be used when the antagonist is introduced. This will be used to give the audience a clear view of the character entering the narrative. It will show the emotion of the character therefore giving spectators time to try and figure out what her intentions are. This is conventional to a thriller because the extreme close up will also show that the characters has a hidden identity, making the audience feel uneasy.

This is beneficial to my planning because it helps a lot with the camera operator with what shots they are doing before they even start doing the filming. Also, I have learnt that different shot angles and movements add a lot of interest from the scene for the audience.

Sound is important in films because it sets an atmosphere/mood within the narrative. I believe it is important to think about the sound especially in thriller films because the sound is what makes the tension, fear and suspense in the thriller. Some of the conventional used of sound in thrillers are non-diegetic sound of eerie music which brings a scary atmosphere to the scene that is present. Another example is off screen sound, which brings mystery to the audience, for example, a scene in a dark forest and a man is there but is hearing whispers, the off screen sound causes the audience to be nervous of who is in the forest with the man. 

Effective uses of sound within thrillers is all the types of sound because they all bring an effect to the audience. Without the sound in a film, the film doesn't grab the audiences attention as much as the images do. 

Non-diegetic sound is used when the shots are showing 2 injured bodies, this music is very dim but eerie for the audience to listen to. I used this because it would make the audience feel uncomfortable watching the scene. This is conventional to a thriller because in the making of non-diegetic sound you can bring an atmosphere to a certain moment in the scene with an upbeat tone of sound to make the audience jump out their seats. 

Parellel sound is used when the flashbacks are happening with the couple, you hear their voices and what they are arguing about. I have chosen this so the audience see and feel what the characters are feeling through their words and passion in their voices. This is conventional to the thriller genre because it shows violence in the characters and the situation itself which is needed for the audience to have an understanding.

Diegetic sound is a sound that is part of the film world  and will be used during the flashback scene of the couple arguing. The audience know exactly where the sound is coming from and is important for the audience to hear the dialogue between both characters. This is conventional to a thriller film as without diegetic sounds the audience will not understand the film.

On screen sound will be used when carlie is arguing with lashane and objects are being smashed about, e.g. the glass and frames. The audience is able to hear the smashing and see exactly where the noise is being created.

Off screen sound will be used when the gun is used to shoot someone. You will not be able to see where the gunshot is coming from but you will have it. We have chosen to use this because it is very conventional to a thriller, by the way it will leave the audience in suspense and it will encourage the theme of mystery.

This planning has been beneficial because it allowed us to use and have a variety of sounds used within our thriller opening. I have learnt that sound is a big reason for the atmosphere to be set in films especially thrillers, so having a choice of different types of sound helps in the making of the tension in the thriller for the audience to feel themselves.




Editing is important in films because this also sets an atmosphere with the pace of edits brought together to make the scene, the edits add a lot of interest to the scene as well with different editing techniques, for example; straight cut, fade to black, wipe cut, dissolve, etc. I believe it is important to think about editing especially in thrillers because without editing the film wont be put together in a unique way which will engage the audience, the pace of edits build an atmosphere in the scene. Some of the conventional uses of editing in thrillers are the techniques used like straight cut, jump cut and fade to black which is used to go from shot to shot.

Effective uses of editing within thrillers is all the types of editing technique which adds interest to the scene. Jump cut is used to effectively to show sharp movements in antagonists and other dangerous characters that may occur in thriller films.

Fade to black is used when the production company's name comes up on a black screen and edits into the next shot of the hand dripping with blood. I have chosen to use this edit because it runs smoothly with the background of black in the first edit.

Fade to white is used when we're doing a flashback scene. We used the fade to white as this symbolises the reminiscence of what had happened. This will give the audience a clear understanding that the scene is going into a flashback.

Straight cut is used when showing different shots of the bodies. This is used because it is a simple transition from one shot to another, also making It a quick transition .

This has been beneficial to planning because it helps with understanding what edit works with particular shots, and also helps with letting each shot run smoothly with each other. I have learnt that editing the images helps add interest especially with the technique and pace of the editing.

Planning - Shotlist - Ms Begum

This is the camera shot list for my groups thriller opening. Camera shot lists are important for the camera operator and director to have because it gives them a clear guideline of what needs to be filmed and the shot size, angle and movement. Here is my groups camera shot list:

Planning - Preliminary Task - Mr Smith

Purpose of a Preliminary Task
The purpose of the preliminary task is to give us a taster of a simple 30 second scene filmed and edited by ourselves. This is so we can have a flavour of the work we have to do before we start our thriller openings. This is also to show us what we need to do to improve and create in our thriller openings. Also, this allowed us to see what the roles in the production consists of and how hard the job is. The preliminary task also taught us how to share roles out.

 

The Scenario
The scenario in our preliminary task was two girls talking about a party coming up. One of the girls invites her friend to come along to the party with her but she doesn't seem to want to go. In the conversation, shot reverse shot is used to show the 2 girls having a conversation clearly. One of the girls say something offence to her friend and this makes a reaction shot to convey the emotion on her face.  Long shot was used when both characters were travelling towards and away from the scene. In the editing process, we used a fade from one scene to another to show continuity. At the end of the scene we used a fade to black to show the scene coming to an end.

Group Roles
In our group we shared the roles out fairly:

Director - Katie.
Katie was director because she has very good leadership skills.
Camera Operator - Emine.
Emine was camera operator because she has experience in filming and holding the camera.
Editor: Emine and Carlie.
Emine and Carlie both edited as they have some experience in using the editing software.

Difficulties Encountered Whilst Filming
Difficulties whilst filming was the continuity in the scene, for example, in the last shot a chair is in show, when it wasn't there before.

Difficulties Encountered Whilst Editing
We found editing quite hard as the majority of the group because we haven't got much experience in the editing room. We had to figure out how to cut shot sizes and how to add effects. We was all new to the software (except for Emine) but still got the hang of things on the computer and was learning new skills off of each other whilst editing the preliminary task.

What Have I Learned?
I have learnt how to use the software for editing in the editing room, whilst learning new skills on the computer. Also, I learnt how to vary in shots for filming to show different angles of a film. Another thing I learned was what shots fitted best in particular scenes and the reasons for movement/angles.

Conclusion: How Has The Task Beneficial?
The preliminary task was beneficial for my group because it gave us a taster of what its like to shoot a scene with all the filming techniques and how to operate the camera properly. Also, this helped us understand the process and how hard it is to get every shot correctly and the meaning of taking repeated shots to have a multiple choice in the editing room. This saves time in the process of filming the actual thriller opening because we have already practiced the filming process beforehand.

Planning - Preproduction Paperwork - Ms Begum

Introduction: We need the paperwork for our thriller because it helps us schedule and organise the filming times and dates and what we need to do in the process of filming. Also, it helps us confirm with the location and actors/actresses in the making of the thriller, which is professional.

Production Schedule: Summary of exactly what is going to happen in your filming schedule, which is the time and date. Also, the advantage of doing this is it organises the team/production, allows/provides meaning and understanding for the audience. This document should be given to everyone in your filming team and cast so they have all the information they need about your thriller (times/dates).

 

Location Recce: A summary of the location that you have decided to use for your thriller. This document should be given to everyone in your filming team so they all have the information.

 

Risk Assessment: An analysis of your location, and you need to identify what risks might arise and how you plan to overcome them. This document should be given to everyone in your filming team so they all have the information they need to about location and risks. This is a legal document. Need to show an analysis of your location and calculate the risks.

 

Client Release Form: A legal document that discusses the terms and agreements for any actors in your thriller. This document should be given to everyone who will be a part of your cast. Need to show an analysis of your location and calculate risks.

 

 

Location Release Form: A legal document that discusses the terms and agreements  for the company/council/people that are allowing you to film in their location. This document should be given to company/council/people to show that you have agreed to the terms and conditions. Need to show that you have understood yours and their rights.

Planning - MES - Mr Smith

"MES" (Mise en scene) is very important to actors in the film industry. It gives each character their own flavour and style and sets up their personality in the film.

Setting; ordinary black room in a house, both living room and bathroom, we picked this location because we needed low-key lighting and an enclosed area to suit the scenario. 

Iconography; Blood, to put on the bodies to show traces of the violence that took place beforehand. Glass and frames to show the damage of items that were violently used by the main characters. Lipstick for the antagonist to represent her as a confident, feminine character. Finally, guns to show the final violent part of the opening, Which is a major item for all the characters in the thriller.

Character 1: Carlie.

•Costume - Grey, casual clothing. 

•Natural make-up, smeared mascara etc.

•Curly big hair.

Character 2: Lashane.

•All black.

•Hair and make-up is all natural as it's stereotypical for a man in reality to have a natural look, no matter what make character it is.

Character 3: Zelal.

•All black. 

•Dark lipstick/nails.

•Straight, long, attractive hair.

The lighting is low-key, forming a smokey atmosphere for the audience. Light resources like dim lights and candles create this effect for the audience. 

Colour throughout the opening consists of dark colours like black and grey to represent evilness, negativity and violence.

This is beneficial to our thriller because it helps us show our target audience a major difference between each character in the scene and shows their personalitys in a clear way.

Planning - Character Representation - Ms Begum

Name: Carlie Cokell-Smith

Character Role: 1

Age: 21

Gender Stereotype Of Role: Female, attractive, innocent.

Costume: Grey clothes, casual.

Hair and Make-up: Big hair, ordinary make-up, quite pale.

Body Language and Facial Expression: Confidenr, upright, slightly weak, and vulnerable.

Represented As: Angry girlfriend who is hurt about her boyfriends actions.

Role Within Narrative: Arguing with boyfriend as hearing he has cheated, attempts to kill him as he is unconscious. Stopped by mystery girl who walks in.

Name: Lashane Williams

Character Role: 2

Age: 21

Gender Stereotype Of Role: Male, attractive, dark side.

Costume: All black clothing.

Hair and Make-up: Neat hair.

Body Language and Facial Expression: Confident, masculine, strong, built, superior, angry, frustrated.

Represented As: Sly boyfriend who denies his wrong actions of cheating.

Role Within Narrative: Argyes with girlfriend (Carlie) over him cheating, denies his actions and gets the girls caught up in a bad situation. Almost gets shot by Carlie and Zelal.

Name: Zelal Keskinbisak

Age: 21 

Gender Stereotype Of Role: Female, attractive, intelligent, arrogant, selfish,

Costume: All black clothing, choker, hoody hiding identity. 

Hair and Make-up: Long, straight hair, dark lipstick, pale, nails dark.

Body Language and Facial Expressions: Upright, confident, bland, mysterious, emotionless.

Represented As: Crazy girl in love with character 2 (Lashane), trying to get rid of girlfriend in violent way. 

Role Within Narrative: Getting ready, looking good/proud as she is going to attempt to kill character 1. However, audience doesn't know if she succeeds. 

Planning - Production Roles - Ms Begum

Production Roles.

Emine has the roles of being a camera operator, location manager and editor. We put her for these roles because firstly, she has experience with operating cameras because she done her work experience at a photography shop and they showed her how to use the camera effectively. Secondly, she is location manager because where we are filming is all at her own home so she is responsible for this. Lastly, we put her for editor because she done a lot of editing in her music gcse and she was successful in doing this due to her final grade.

I have the roles of producer, storyboard maker and sound maker. This is because I'm good at keeping great communication amongst the team. Also, I was responsible for the storyboard because my narrative was most creative and organised out of the 3 of us. Finally, I have experience in mixing music for my dance lessons and dance sets, so I have ideas on what is suited best in certain areas of the scene in the sound category. 

Katie has the roles of director, lighting, costume hair and make-up. We put her for this because firstly, as a director she is very good at organising and making sure her vision is clear for the actors and she is very good at managing the scene. As for the lighting, she has helped In showcases when they needed help for lighting so her experience is good when it comes to this. She also has a steady hand to hold the light for a long period of time at a certain angle. Finally, she is very creative when it comes to costume hair and make-up and with experience of practicing on other people she knows how to do hair and make-up correctly in a professional way. 

 

This is beneficial for our group because it gives us an equal amount of jobs to do so we can get things done in a more quicker and organised way. This will help our thriller become very successful and our experience as individuals will make our thriller a lot more professional. 

Planning - Storyboard - Ms Begum

Storyboard

This storyboard shows the narrative in different camera shot and angles in an effect way, showing the thriller in a thrilling and scary way. Here is some images of the storyboard me and my group have created. 

Planning - Final Idea - Mr Smith

Final Idea

 

Narrative/Plot: Pictures and images of the crime scene scattered across the floor, showing victims and their families. The sound of flash on camera's, whispering and sirens are muffling in the background. Then, the scene changes to a girl in an interview room being interviewed by the police. The girl is hearing whispers in her head and she looks messed up but confused in why she is in this room. Her hair is messy and her face looks pale. the police is talking to the antagonist and asking her questions, this voice eventually muffles as all she can hear is the voices in her head. Tension increases, the voices get faster and louder in her head and she eventually has a fit. When she wakes up, she's on a chair with her hands cuffed, she hears her own thoughts in her head about what she done and how she feels. When she's done with her thoughts, she's hears a door open in front of her. Audience sees flashback of girl killing her boyfriend saying "Our love died so I guess he had to."

 

Narrative structure: Todorov, Aristotle - provoking emotion which is conventional to a thriller.

 

Characters: Antagonist (teenage girl), 2 police officers, nurses, dead boy on the floor.

 

Mise en scene: (Lighting)  Low-key/under lighting (when she wakes up) , top lighting (interview), Colours should be dark, however interview room should be white. 

(Settings) Hospital, forest, police station.

(Body language & facial expressions) Antagonist physical appearance is quite petite however can come across quite confident.

(Costume, hair & make-up) Costume of antagonist = dark colours to represent evil. Police and nurses will wear uniform like reality. Hair of antagonist is messy, curly, big, etc. Her make-up is pale.

(Iconography) Blood, knifes, ropes, pictures, and medicine.

 

Film influences:

Memento
Identity

Se7en
Shutter Island

 

Why is this opening conventional to a thriller? This is conventional because it sets a frightening and uncomfortable atmosphere for the audience and the rest of the thriller. Also, the narrative revolves around an investigation, leaving the audience confused and wanting to know more.

What themes does your thriller present?

Psychological 

Death

Obsession

Envy

Crime

Violence

 

What response will you get from your audience? The response I want from my audience is to be curious, frightened and disturbed. I would like the audience to be attracted to the narrative and enjoy watching it. Also, to be intrigues in the narrative in deep thought.

Planning - Inital Ideas - Ms Begum

Initial Ideas

 

 

In my group, we have 3 members meaning 3 of us had different ideas to what our opening to a thriller could have and also what the narrative was about. Even though our ideas are quite different, there are a couple of similarities like with the antagonists and what they look like and portray themselves.

 

IDEA 1!

Narrative: girl being interviewed by the police, she killed both her parents.

Sub-Genre: crime-thriller.

MES: White room (police station for the interview room). Bedroom (for killing).

Characters: 2 police officers, teenage girl, parents.

 

IDEA 2!

Narrative: crime scene, someone's dead, eye witness cant explain what they saw? mental person, schizophrenia, controls him.

Title: the unknown.

Sub-Genre: psychological/crime thriller.

Characters: victims/antagonist, no protagonist, maybe the police?

Narrative Structure: Aristotle, importance of plot structure, arouse emotion, within tragedy.

MES: forest, abandoned places, dark, blood, knifes, tools, low-key lighting, back lighting.

 

IDEA 3!

Narrative: a young girl who loses her way in life and ends up spiritually possessed.

Title: the red flag.

Sub-Genre: psychological thriller.

Characters: female victim, children, crazy man, police.

MES: urban setting, city, flashing lights, dark, leather clothing.

 

In conclusion, this has helped us all as we discussed each others ideas and plotted each idea out to see what works well and what doesn't. Then we linked them to see what works with each other and what could make a unique thriller within the 3 ideas. This has helped us create our final idea.

 



Planning - Open Scene Narration - Ms Begum

Open Scene Narration

 

My thriller opening scene will start with pictures of a crime scene, with police tape, evidence of the killer and people investigating the crime. Someone is dead on the floor covered in a white sheet showing that they are officially dead and has not been identified yet to the audience. The audience can hear picture shots and sirens in the background, with some non-diegetic sound of eerie music. Then there is an interview scene with a medium shot of the antagonist, wearing dark colours. The police is talking to the antagonist however she is not listening due to the voices in her head, this shows that maybe she is going crazy and has something wrong with her mentally. The voices get louder and she starts having fits and cannot control herself, this builds a lot of uncomfortable tension for the audience. She eventually can't take the noises anymore and faints which fades to black. When she is awake she can hear shuffling noises and is tied down to a bed or to a chair in a room. The girl starts seeing flashbacks of the crime she committed. The first one is of her boyfriend dead and her sitting in the corner shaking and panicking. Then the scene goes back to her sitting on the bed again close up to her face to show her panicking after what she did. Then the second flashback shows her actually killing her boyfriend and ending the scene with her smiling and saying "Our love died so I guess he had to." This ends for the mystery of what she meant by that sentence.



Research - Questionnaries And Results - Ms Begum

Questionnaire's

 

What Is The Importance Of Primary Research?
Primary research is very important and is more important than secondary research because it is more reliable and is your own research meaning that it is 100% true. Primary research will let you feel more in control of the results and you decide how, when and where your research is administered. This helped me target a specific audience because all questions where related to the conventions, themes and other microelements in thrillers.

 

Who Did I Ask And Why?
I asked people between the ages of 15 years old to 25 years old because my thriller uses characters in their age group, I believe the age reflects from the characters as they relate to their age groups a lot more than characters who I much older or much younger than the target audience. I asked both genders because thrillers can appeal to both male and female, so fair answers will be received from both.

Advantages/Disadvantages.
An advantage for this questionnaire is that it gave me an idea of what would appeal to the target audience the most. So, the making of the thriller idea was an easier/quicker purpose. A disadvantage was the effort of collecting important questions and fitting it into a small and easy questionnaire for the target audience to fill out.

 

Example Of My Questionnaire?

 

Conclusion: How Has This Research Been Beneficial?
This research has been beneficial because it has helped me build my ideas and features that will best suit my target audience and I believe my final idea will really attract my target audience. Also, It helped me realise that certain themes aren't as popular to the public as I may have thought. Personally, it was very beneficial as it gave me an idea of what would appeal to an audience the most.

My Results.

This graph shows me that the majority of people I asked like watching thrillers. This helped me because it showed me that the people I questioned about this topic, will give an honest opinion and will show some sort of experience in the thriller world.





This graph shows me that the sub-genre "psychological thriller" is popular in this generation. This helped me because this directed me to a group of ideas for this sub-genre and showed that my target audience will like to watch this thriller.

 

This graph shows me that the people I asked in this questionnaire, the majority are interested in psychological thrillers on a whole. This has helped me massively because it has led me to an idea of psychological confusion for the audience to feel with my narrative.

 

 

This graph shows me that the audience have a mutual opinion to whether a thriller is better with a supernatural narrative or a realistic narrative. This didn't help me as much as it should have but it did show me that whatever I decide, the audience will like it just as much.

 

 

 

This graph shows me that the age group the target audience will be most interested in for the actors is under 10's. This has helped me because it showed me that the category of under 10's fort he main characters of the thriller will maybe scare the audience more.

 

 

 

This graph shows me that the audience would like the antagonist to have a hidden identity. This has helped me because it showed me that my antagonist would be scarier hidden.

 

 

 

 

This graph shows me that the storyline should be a mystery to the audience in the opening as the audience likes to work things out by the end. This has helped me because it helps my idea of psychological confusion for the audience.

 

 

 

This graph shows that people wouldn't like to see a protagonist in the opening of a thriller. This has helped me because it shows my narrative has a lot of trouble without the 'hero'.

 

 

 

This graph shows that a hospital would be most scariest for a setting in a thriller. This helped me because it related to my idea of a mentally ill antagonist in my thriller.

 

 

This graph shows that the audience think the victim is best suited as a female. This helped me because I needed to decide who would look weak out of the two genders for a victim.

 

This graph shows me that the people I questioned believe that an antagonist will be better as a male. This helps because it shows me the antagonist will be more scarier as a male.

 

 

This graph shows that the more eerie music in the scene, the more scary it is. This helped me because I was stuck to whether I should use a lot of music or not but now I know.

 

 

 

 This graph shows that the title 'alone' would attract this target audience the most. This helped me with a variety of one worded titles for my idea so I can attract an audience.

 

 

This graph shows that there was a 50/50 count of whether moving objects would be scary or not. As this would only be in a supernatural thriller, I will no longer need this in my thriller.



Research - Typography - Mr Smith

Typography

What Is Typography?

Typography is another word for "font". Typography is how the writing is presented to the audience. When we as media students analyse typography, we look at the following things, which is; style, size, letter case, and colour in the font.

Typography And Connotations: Various Genres?

Disney fonts are very bubbly and quite italic, bringing a happy vibe to the title of the film. This can portray a positive atmosphere for the film and audience and makes people happy.

Horror fonts are bold and usually have effects of Halloween to it. This makes the atmosphere eerie for the audience and shows an uncomfortable way in the the font for the audience's eyes.

Romance fonts are italic and have a sweet look to it, bringing a happy vibe to the title of the film. This shows a sweet style of font that is smooth and sets a romantic mood for the audience.

Typography And Thrillers: Examples Of Thriller Fonts?
These are different types of fonts that would be used in thrillers or horrors. As you can see they are all quite bold and also quite messy in a scary way. They set an eerie mood for the audience.

Analysis Choices I May Consider?
The bloody/slimy font is quite gruesome and is good for a title of  thriller as it sets the scene. Another thriller font example I may consider is the thin, italic one which looks like scratches, this portrays violence and maybe animal-like behaviour from characters in the thriller it is advertising.

Conclusion: What I Will Use And Why?
I will use a bold/dark font because I believe in my thriller that's what will suit the narrative best. If I had a thriller font that was dripping which looked like slime or blood it would suit my themes in the thriller as mine if more psychological than bloody and gruesome.



Research - Age Certificates - Ms Begum

Age Certificates

What Is The Role of The BBFC And Why Are They important To The Film Industry?
The role of the BBFC is to check over films to see if they are appropriate for the age rate it applys to. If not, then they will either ban the film from showing in  cinemas or they will censor or cut particular scenes. The BBFC are very important to the film industry because films cant be shown in the UK without being checked by the BBFC (British Board Of Film Classification).

Different Age Certificates?
U - Suitable for all audiences aged 4 years and over. Set in a positive moral framework and should offer reassuring counterbalances to any violence, threat or horror.
PG - General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children. Unaccompanied children of any age may watch. PG films shouldn't disturb a child ages around eight years and over.
12 - These categories are awarded where the material is suitable, in general, only for those aged 12 and over. Works classified at these categories may upset children under 12.
12A - Exists only for cinema films. Noone younger than 12 can watch this unless accompanied by a supervised adult. An adult may take a younger child if they feel the film is suitable.
15 - Content may have some controversial elements to it, but on the whole, there shouldn't be any discrimination, drugs may be touched upon, but not promoted, violence can be displayed but cannot dwell on injury and pain. May be use of bad language but only when appropriate.
18 - The BBFC's guidelines concerns will not normally override the principle that adults should be free to choose their own entertainment. Sexual activity and bad language can be permitted. Violent or dangerous acts are allowed, illegal drugs, erotic behvaiour, sexual violence, and others.

12A rating - Spiderman Case!
12A rating started because of the film spiderman. There was scenes and certain parts of the film which was inappropriate for a 12 rating. But, the comics from marvel where being read by eight years old. So the BBFC decided to make a new rating of 12A so younger children could watch it supervised by an adult.

Thrillers And Their Ratings?
Thrillers tend to get either a 15 or an 18 because of the language and behaviour used throughout the films. But, thrillers like the excorcist where banned for 20 years by the BBFC because of the religious side of the film. Certain scenes in the thriller was mocking religious views and religious audiences could find some of the content in the thriller offensive towards them and their religion.

Age Certificate For My Thriller?
My thrillers age certificate will be a 15 because it isnt going to be too gruesome or inappropriate for someone who is 15 or over. My thriller will be psychological, so not too gruesome or offensive.

Conclusion; What Have I Learnt About Certificates And What Do I Need To Consider For My Thriller?
I have learnt that in the film industry, the ratings of films are very strict due to some incidents that have happened, for example the james bulger case. So, they study carefully into what needs to banned, cut and censored in films so it protects all types of audiences. In my thriller i will consider how far i will go with the amount of inappropriate behaviour i will put in my own thriller, due to being offensive towards audiences.

Research - Opening Credits - Mr Smith

Opening Credits

What Are Opening Credits?

Opening credits are written information presented to the audience on who produced the film, who is starring in the films and other production roles. Opening credits also introduce the themes of the film through shots of iconography, settings and sound used.

What Is Their Purpose?

The purpose for opening credits is to advertise and show appreciation to the makers of the film. This is because people might not be aware of the backstage crew etc. The opening credits are a way of opening up the film and introducing elements and themes of the film, like a taster of what the audience are about to see.

What Information Do Open Credits Provide?

Opening credits mention the producers, costume designer, director, actors/actresses, and many more who helped in the making of the film. These are examples of opening credits.

How Do They Make The Audience Feel?

As opening credits are a taster for what the audience are about to see in the film, it all depends on the genre of the film to what the audience will feel. For example, in a horror or a thriller film the opening credits will be scary so the audience feel tension and fear as this will be a taster of what they will be feeling in the film. Another example is in a romance film, the opening credits will have nice music and making the audience feel all loved up as that is the themes in the film.

Opening Credit From A Thriller, What Is It Like?

I analysed the opening credits for "Se7en" and the first thing I noticed was the music in the background. I wouldn't even call it music, the sound was so uneasy and random sounds was added to make an effect for the audience to feel uncomfortable. Also, images of newspapers and extreme close up shots of fingers and weapons made the audience have a taster of the sort of iconography used in the thriller. Se7en's opening credits uses the names of the actors/actresses, directors, producers, co-producers, and others.

Conclusion; What Information Would I Use In My Thriller?

In my thriller, I would definitely start with mentioning the actors/actresses of the film, then the producers, directors, music composers and editors. Everything needs to be mentioned.

Research - Censorship - Mr Smith

Censorship

 

Who Are The BBFC And What Is Their Role?

The BBFC stands for the British Board Of Film Classification. From the website, it quotes "The BBFC's income is derived solely from the fees it charges for its services, calculated by measuring the running time of films, DVDs/videos and other works submitted for classification. The BBFC is not organised for profit, and its fees are adjusted only as required to cover its costs." This means their role is to control the target audience in films and checking over the film to see if certain scenes are suitable for showing cinemas for their audience. In the BBFC, examiners view the submitted works, write many reports and recommend a category decision, cuts or other actions. Many people across the UK complain about the BBFC's decisions of rating films and what should be cut etc. The American film classification is called the MPAA (Motion Picture Association Of America).

Why Is The Role Of The BBFC Important To The Film Industry?
The BBFC is important to the film industry because it manages the films released in a way that is appropriate for the publics eyes. The public cant be exposed with particular scenes, themes and ideas that come from film directors, as some are too extreme to be published to the world of film.


What Things Get censored And Why?
There are a list of themes that the public shouldn't see for multiple reasons. Themes are collected together which are in a film and then judged whether it should be banned or cut, such as; violence, graphical representation and realism, corrupt the young, controversy and the press, sex and nudity, sexual violence, religion, class, language, shock, drug abuse, culture, race and true events. These themes are too inappropriate for the public eye and can be offensive to the public too, so the public are protected from such shocking and traumatising images.


Difference Between Films Being Cut Or Banned?
For a film to be banned, it is to be taken away from cinema viewing completely due to indecent, harmful or offensive material. But for a film to cut, it is edited or has had scenes taken out of it to make it appropriate for viewing to the public eye.


Forna Vs Kemode Debate, My Own Opinion?
Forna's argument was for censorship, whereas Kermode's argument was against censorship. Forna believed that by things not being censored would make people be influenced by behaviour and actions in the film, for example, in the 1970's-80's, the case of james bulger really shocked the world. The fact that a couple of 10 year old boys was influenced by chucky to go and kill a 3 year old made people realise that films influence peoples actions in todays society. Forna also believed that being against censorship would allow directors to express ideas in a way that's beyond what is classified as 'safe' for the public eye. Kermode's argument was against, and he started his argument with, I quote, "Your an idiot; stupid, weak, impressionable, easily led and unable to distinguish  between fiction and reality. If you're and adult you're probably an immature one and if you're a parent your a very bad one". This indicates that whoever gets influenced by fictional films are too immature to watch content at an 18 rate. Kermode believed that having the BBFC censoring films was giving limits for directors with brilliant ideas for films, in fear of freedom in ideas. Also, Kermode believed that cutting or editing a directors finished piece could potentially change the meaning of the film and probably ruin the whole concept of the film. In my opinion, I am for censorship (Forna) because protecting the public from other people being influenced is way more important than maybe having a couple of ideas cut as they are too extreme or offensive to the public. People who are mentally disturbed can watch a film and be influenced so easily, its dangerous for the public.


Conclusion; what have I learnt about film regulation? What Should I Consider For My Thriller?
I have learnt that a lot more films that I ever thought would be censored have actually been cut and banned a lot in the past century simply because a couple of scenes or themes was too inappropriate, harmful and offensive for the public eye. This has made me think about my thriller in a way that I should make a psychological theme to it, making disturbing ideas and thoughts for the4 audience without actually showing content in a disturbing and obvious way.

Research - Mise En Scene: Iconography And Setting - Ms Begum

Iconography And Setting

 What Are Setting And Iconography? Why Is It An Important Convention?

 Iconography is a particular item which is highlighted in a scene, which also brings significance to as scene. Setting is what the surroundings are in the scene, e.g. abandoned house, forest.


Typical Settings For A Thriller?
A lot of thrillers use settings which are dark and abandoned like a forest, house, alley way, etc. These settings are ideal for thrillers because it is the main reason for it setting the scene. For example, in the film "Would You Rather" it is set in an abandoned house in the middle of nowhere, This sets an atmosphere which makes an eerie effect for the audience. Another example, is in the film "Cabin In The Woods" the setting is a forest which also makes a scary atmosphere for the audience as it is isolated from the rest of the world.


How Are Settings Dependant On Sub-Genres?
Different genres are dependant on the settings because certain genres need an atmosphere to set the mood. For example, in thrillers an eerie atmosphere is needed to set the scene, so a setting like an abandoned forest or house is needed to make the audience feel uneasy and scared. Another example is in comedies, where settings like a bright house in the day time or a busy, bright place will set the mood of happiness and makes the audience calm/relaxed.


Typical Iconography In Thrillers?
A lot of thrillers have significant items/objects which are highlighted in scenes. For example, blood, knifes, funs and other weapons signify the actions made by the characters in the scene. Iconography in thrillers gives obvious indications to the audience, helping construct the plot line and promotes the feelings that were meant to make the audience feel a certain way when watching a thriller film.

How Is Iconography Dependant On Sub-Genres?
Different objects/items are dependant for sub-genres because they signify the actions in the film which make the genre what it is. For example, objects like money, guns, knifes, etc, would make up elements to a crime-thriller. Another example, objects like shadows, running water, street lamps, bars/covers from windows and fences, are some of the elements which make up a psychological thriller (I looked this up on google and found this information from this page; http://prezi.com/fp0ccjdjxezc/symbols-signs-and-iconography-in-a-psychological-thriller/).

Thriller Scene Analysis; The Use Of Iconography And Setting.
The setting is in the little boys room, this is a flashback seen of the house but in real life at that moment this room is abandoned. You can see the contrast of it as when its the flashback the setting is brightly coloured and fresh representing the normal life they had in that bedroom. It also sets a scene of childhood. The iconography isn't presented that well in this scene, but the sense of childhood is shown in the child's toys which he plays with.

Conclusion; What Type Of Setting And Iconography Am I Now Planning To Use And Why?
In my thriller, the main settings i am thinking of locating to is either a forest, dark street. house or abandoned park or any sort of abandoned place. This will be useful because it will be one of the reasons for a scary atmosphere to be set. The iconography i would use will be significant to the characters in my thriller. For example, depending on the narrative, i will include weapons or certain objects which a character could use against another character. Other objects like maybe a book or an item which hides a mystery or some sort of information to the thriller would be unique and mysterious.

Research - Mise En Scene - Costume, Body Language And Facial Expressions - Ms Begum

Mise En Scene - Costume, Body Language And Facial Expressions

Costume, Hair, Make Up, Body Language And Facial Expressions are all important conventions to films in general. They are important because they express characteristics and emotions thoroughly through the characters in the films and relate to other films in their genre. This can help with character representation because it can illustrate characteristics easily in the way they dress, and how tidy their hair and make up is.

Costume, Hair and Make Up can all be similar in particular genres in the film industry. For example, in horrors, all female victims look similar in this particular bit of mise en scene, (normal clothing, pretty neat hair and girly/natural look to their make up, this shows innocence in their personality). Another example is in action films, the protagonist is usually in smart/casual clothing with neat hair and generally quite attractive for the audiences eyes, this is for the audience to like the protagonist as he is the hero. A typical antagonist costume would be quite rough clothing with messy hair and usually wears heavy make up or a mask to hide his real identity, this is so his identity is hidden from the public of the film world and the audiences eyes.
                               

Body language is important to films characters. It shows the audience a lot in the character and how a character feels towards a particular event which takes place in the film. For example, usually, when the victim is being attacked, hunted down or chased, their body language portrays them as weak, this is shows through their posture. Another way the victim shows its weakness is through the way they move.  On the other hand, antagonists are generally quite upright and strong when doing their business in the scene as they do have power over the weak victim a lot of the time.

Facial expressions show the characters personality and emotions a lot. The meaning that is given to the audience through facial expressions gives off a lot from the characters. For example, a stereotypical victim in a thriller would show fear and sadness whilst being attacked, this effects the audience a lot as it makes them feel what the victim is feeling. Another example of facial expressions shown through thrillers, is the antagonist because that character shows so much evil, hatred behaviour. But, still the antagonist is so calm in its facial expressions which scares but interests the audience.




I analysed the scene from the thriller "would you rather" where they all try and escape and their was big commotion. The hair and make up was overall messy and smudged because the things they had to do in the rounds and how the group of antagonists were treating them was aggressive and rough.
This showed a big difference from the start and to then because of how they was tidy and then the outcome of the torture they was facing. Also, the costume was smart and neat at the start but by this scene their costumes were ripped and had blood stains from the torture. This shows the audience what they have been through in the film.


Overall, hair make up and costume do make a big difference to the film. It shows characters personalitys and their way of representing themselves. This particular part of mise en scene shows characteristics and how much the character has been effected by the events of the film. I will think carefully about what sort of style i would like my characters in my thriller to have because its important for the characters to have this. I would like my antagonist to wear all black and a mask or hood to hide their identity. Finally I would like the victim to wear bright clothing to show signs of innocence and vulnerability.