RESEARCH - Target Audience Surveys and Interviews

SURVEY

I created a survey using SURVEY MONKEY. 

I asked questions about the audience members such as: age and gender. Also, asked some other questions which were related to movies, such as: favourite genre, favourite movie celebrity, if they go to the cinema often, what kind of location withnin movies they enjoy, etc. 

I then distrubuted my survey using social media :

The answers that I got were:

All people who completed the survey were between age 18-24.

57% were females and 43% were males.

Top 3 genres were : Comedy (57%), Romance (28%) and Horror (14%)

Most people said that they prefer American movies.

71% said that they would prefer comedian as a main character in a film.

Film location:  School (57%), Supermarket (14%), Hunted House (14%) and other (14%)

70% of people said that their favourite movie celebrities are either Johnny Depp or Angelina Jolie.

66% of the people watched a film at the cinema in the past 6 months.

Moreover, interviewed 4 people each of different genre and age. Most of them prefer action and comedy movies. This is because they find it entertaining.

RESEARCH - Summary of thriller conventions.

Thriller usually consists a battle/fight between two sides. The story contains a chain of events which builds up a tension and suspense for the climax. Characters on one side (protagonist) aim to protect justice, while other side (antagonist) tries to destroy it. 

Most common conventions of a thriller are:

* Dim lighting 

*Quick cuts

*Shadows

*Tension music

*Changes in shot angles

*Diegetic sounds

*Black and white/ vintage effect shots

Characters: 

The protagonist will be a male who is looking for someone or tries to fix something, while antagonist will be unidentified character at the begging, but as the film will build up towards climax the character will be revealed.

Shot types:

There are many close ups and extreme close ups when it comes to the protagonist character. This is to make the audience feel his emotions and focus on props. However, when it comes to antagonist character the shots are ofter quick or shots from the back and low key. This helps to hide their identity. 

Editing : 

Many cross-cuting to create a suspense.

Soundtrack:

Very important part, usually chosen to reflect the main characters or key ideas. Mostly sad, tense or slow at the begging that builds up togeher with visual effects and shots.

Mise - en - scene:

Usually dark clothing, lots of make up and filmstroke.
 

RESEARCH - Macro and Micro elements of thriller title sequences

"The Game" 

Micro analysis

In the title sequence of "the game" there are many close up, wide and long shots as well as zooming in and out during the same shot. This way it makes the sequence look as if it is home-made video of a family celebration. Also, the vintage film tape effects are used throughout the whole sequence to establish that the settings of the film opening is meant to be in 80's - 90's. The mice-an-scene of the oipening is a family meeting/party in a big garden. The house that is shown in the opening is very big which suggests that the main characters had quite high status in society. Moreover, the costumes and props also convey that the memories are quite old and goes back for couple of century's. In addition, at the beggining audience is able to hear some noises of water, waves, rain and thunder. Hoewever, the mainsountrack of the movie is piano instrumental piece which is mostly sad and get even deeper (minor) towards the end. This sets the tone and reveals the genre of this movie.

 Macro analysis

The key plot idea in the title sequence is to show main characters memories about an important event of childhood. The whole storyline in this order: preparation for the party- people posing for pictures together - kids watching a pupet show - kids playing games - a man staruing through the window - clown show - mood of some characters chaging (getting sad/angry). The main character which is being introduced at this point is a boy which is as I quess the same man that is being shown at the end of the title sequence. Also, as mentioned before the main social class represented is high social class which is shown mostly postively but with some suspition.

The order of the titles 
The sequence of credits for this movie was very simple; it only uses four main credits which made the opening very discrete and mysterious. Credits only appear the beggining on digitally stylised screen made of black puzzles which then break and flow out of the image transitioning to another title.
The order of credits:
1.Ident
2.Distribution company
3.Production company
4.Film title 

Micro analysis

The title sequence of 'Splice' contains mainly of close up of different scientifical and biological organisims as it is discrete type of opening. The movement of camera and different shots are quite fast. All of the sequence has been created digitally adding lots of effects. The transitions between ident and didtribution company is edited to create a visual effect of a x-ray scan. Also, the rest of the credits are 'flowing under the water' as the trasition between them are water bubbles that flow straight into the screen creating a 3D type effect. The sound includes music (slow piano music which then gets faster as more instruments join in) and some foley sounds and sound effects            ( scietific tool sounds, water  and wind sounds, also some other weird blood, slime sounds).

Macro analysis

There are no key plot ideas or characters introduced, as well as there isn't a clear storyline to analyse. 

The order of titles

For this movie there are many credits which happens to be diffrent. For example actors names and the title are eddited to appear on the organisms which makes it look as if they are intergrated into the actual opening, where the rest of the team names appear on the moving images in white small font. The opining is dicrete with some use of stylised edditing done. 

Order of the credits:
1. Ditribution ident
2. Production ident 1 
3.Production ident 2
4.Production ident 3
5. Distribution company 
6. Production company
7.Production companies
8. Director
9. Actor 1
10. Actor 2 
11. Actor 3
12. Casting
13. Make up
14. Actor 4
15. Visual effect supervisor 
16. Actor 5
17. Digital effect and animation
18. Costume designer
19. Sound mixers
20. Music
21. Editor
22. Production designer
23. Director of photography
24. executive producers
25. executive producers
26. executive producer
27. Actor 6
28. executive producer
29. Producer
30. Story writter
31. Screenplay
32. Film title
33. Director 

BLOGPOST 18 PLANNING- 'SEVEN'- props and location.

'seven' Props and Location 

Location:

• Photography room in the dark room 
• Kitchen with the lights off with a spotlight 
• Room 333 with a spotlight Lights off, blinds closed 

props:

• Books - journal and sketchbook
• Pens 
• Plasters 
• Print outs of Hands and a scary baby printed out on lined paper 
• Red paint 
• Nail file 
• Maths pape 
• Sellotape 
• Metal part of a screwdriver 
• cardboard box 
• Teabag 
• White or grey towel 
• Metal box 
• Pictures of an ultrasound 
• Images of a child sitting down in a dark room 
• Film 
• Scissors
• Paperclips 
• Black and white photographs of family 
• Lighter
• Ink 

Dim lighting, mostly black, Also red lighting (red paper)

BLOGPOST 17 - GENRE SHORTLIST

Genre Shortlist

I think the 3 genres that our group may produce our own tittle sequence are thriller, horror or a romance. This is because the codes and conventions are easy but interesting  to explore.

BLOGPOST 16 RESEARCH - Analysing the sound of Gone Girl (CAMTASIA)

GONE GIRL

The Analysis of sound.

The opening title sequence of a 'Gone Girl' contains many types of sound starting with slow soundtrack to set the dramatic tone. It then goes into narrator voice which is as we can hear the main character speaking about his marriage, this reveals more about the film storyline. Also, there are many diegetic sounds such as a barking dog, sea eagles, sound of the wind, water and cars.

BLOGPOST 15 RESEARCH- WHY IS SOUND SO IMPORTANT.

Why is sound so important

 

Sound is very important to film and makes up 50% of the actual film

Sound is in media terms it is everything that you hear in a film.

A soundscape is combing sound to create a certain atmosphere.

There are different terminologies for soundscapes including:

• Wild track
• Ambient sound
• Diegetic
• Non-diegetic
• Score
• Song
• Voiceover
• Dialogue
• Dubbing
• Foley
• Synchronous  
• Asynchronous  
• Sound bridge
• Sound motif

Sound design  it is the process of specifying acquiring and manipulating or generating audio elements.

Sounds used in film to establish tone, atmosphere and to help give the audience clues about the plot, characters or to identify the genre of the film.

In lesson we watched Taking of the Pelham 123 without sound and the actual movie opening seemed longer. It made me feel disinterested and less intrigued and it was weird as the things that were meant to have sound didn't for example the trains moving. However when we watched the film with the sound on and it was more tense and entertaining. I also learnt that there was dialogue and a soundtrack in the background which added to the mood.