Audience research questionnaire

Myself and my group decided to publish a survey on survey monkey in order to receive some feedback from our audience, we thought this would be helpful in gathering some ideas that we might not have considered, this will also make us aware of the factors that our audience will be looking for in our thriller film.

1. We decided to include this question as it  will give us an idea of what will make our thriller film most effective and enjoyable for our audience to watch, one factor that we need to concentrate on is the amount of excitement within our film, this question will ensure that we are including the appropriate factors.

2.  We included this question in our survey as it will allow us to make our opening effective, meaning that we can engage our audience immediately. By gathering this information, we can create an opening preferable to the viewer which will keep them gripped and intrigued.

3.  This question explores the different kinds of thriller sub-genres and will allow us to find out which sub-genre is most popular, from this we might choose to apply one of these sub-genres to our thriller film.

4. We chose to include this question as it will help us to select an appropriate target audience for our thriller film, giving us a better idea of the factors that we can include to make our film age appropriate.

5.  This question will ensure that our thriller film effectively fits into the genre by allowing us to find out what our audience will be hoping to see. We will be sure to include as many factors as possible that will make our film exciting and suspenseful. 

6.  We decided to include this question as it will allow us to find out what gender our audience would prefer to see as the protagonist, this will help us to select who we will choose to act in our film and whether gender/stereotypes matter too much.

7. This is another question that will allow us to create an effective atmosphere throughout our film, ensuring that we meet all the criteria by making our thriller film as suspenseful as possible. 

Initial ideas

Potential ideas

Ident analysis

Legendary pictures are famous for producing thriller films, their indent links brilliantly to the thriller genre; the colour scheme is extremely effective as the colour black symbolises danger and mystery: two of the main themes that typically run throughout the thriller genre. The interlocking celtic symbol situated above the company name resembles a maze, this again links to the theme of mystery and the unknown. Finally, the yellow, smokey gradient emerging from the text appears menacing and puzzling, again preparing the viewer for the themes that follow throughout the upcoming film.

Walt Disney has been known and loved for many years for creating wholesome children and family friendly films. This ident brilliantly represents that with bright and vivid colours filling the twinkly night sky, the bright colour of the pastel pink clouds immediately portrays happiness joy. The extravagant castle links to the sense of fantasy that is portrayed within many Disney films. The ident is detailed, attractive and artistic, meaning that people are more likely to remember it. The company's overall target audience is children, therefore this ident is age appropriate and truly appeals to their audience. The ident's stunning appearance immediately draws the viewer in and makes them eager to continue and watch the upcoming film.

Vertigo nine frame analysis

The opening credits to Vertigo are introduced with a close up of half a woman's face. The viewer is aware that this unknown character is a woman, due to her lipstick, but her full identity is concealed, creating an element of mystery and suspense, making the viewer eager to carry on watching. The background is completely black which connotes danger and further mystery.

The camera then moves across to reveal the woman's complete pair of lips in a close up shot. Her facial expression from what can be seen within this shot looks fairly relaxed and so, the audience is not yet concerned. By slowly revealing more features of the woman's face, the tension is built for the viewer as they become increasingly more eager to find out her full identity.

The camera then gradually moves up to reveal the woman's eyes, her eyes look slightly uneasy and fretful, this creates further tension and suspense and starts to build an eerey atmosphere. The viewer is left asking questions and becomes interested as to why she appears concerned.

The suspense begins to rise as the woman's eyes begin to move frantically from side to side; implying that she is watching something terrifying.

The camera then zooms in to show an extreme close up of the woman's eye, the close up allows the viewer to notice that she now has tears in her eyes; connoting fear and distress. Her pupil now remains completely still, suggesting that she is fixated on something. This builds the tension and suspense further and causes the viewer to feel eager to carry on watching.

Quickly after this, a red filter is added to the shot, red is known for it's ability to connote danger and violence, therefore this use of colour causes the tension to rise even further.

The title sequence begins to reach it's climax as the woman's eye widens in shock/fear, this helps to build an eerey and unrestful atmosphere. The audience are unaware of why the woman appears to be so frightened, therefore this sense of the unknown will prepare them for the main plot of the film as they will be eager to learn the woman's fate. At this moment, the non-diegetic soundtrack also increases in volume and pitch in order to build the suspense and tension for the audience.

A spiral effect is then added, this adds to the effect of suspense and mystery and leads to the idea that the unknown woman may have been hypnotised and is now under the influence of something or somebody, assumingly with negative motives. The audience now begins to ask even more questions just as the title sequence draws to a close.

The same spiral effect used for the previous method then cleverly fades out as the remaining credits begin to appear. The audience is now left both concerned for the distressed woman and compelled to find out what will happen to her throughout the main plot. Vertigos' title sequence is extremely effective as it introduces a concealed character very briefly whilst introducing an element of terror, causing the audience feelings of eagerness regarding viewing the rest of the film, whilst starting to anticipate the content of the main plot.

Shutter island nine frame analysis

1. The first shot establishes the location, providing essential information to the viewer and preparing them for the upcoming scene.

2. The second shot shows a ship emerging from a cloud of fog, this creates a sense of mystery and suspense for the viewer, the fog connotes uncertainty and trepidation; typically seen throughout horror films. This immediately starts to reflect the conventions of a thriller film and therefore effectively introduces the film.

3. This shot shows an unknown man staring at himself in a mirror, his expression conveys that he is anxious and apprehensive, this leaves the viewer immediately asking questions and wondering what is concerning him, meaning that the viewer is eager to continue watching the film. There is a bandage attached to his head, implying that he has been previously injured, again, this creates a sense of mystery for the audience. The male's head and hair both appear wet, perhaps from sweat, also adding to the idea that the man is extremely anxious.

4. This shot shows the man bent over; connoting his vulnerability and weakness. Looking at his facial expression, the man appears to be coughing or throwing up; suggesting that he is suffering. His surroundings are very bleak, showing worn walls and rusting pieces of metal. The room he is contained in is relatively small, perhaps adding to his apparent anxiety, enclosed within a room of little space, perhaps implying his lack of freedom.

5. This shot shows a room with handcuffs hanging from the ceiling. The handcuffs connote disorder and retribution, the handcuffs also add further mystery to the opening, the viewer is eager to find out why they belong there and if they are still in use. The walls within the room are a mucky blue colour, making the room appear bleak and lifeless. The handcuffs imply a lack of freedom and free will.

 

6. This shot depicts a change of scene and a new character is added to the opening sequence, the new character is shown looking down on the other man, who is shown bent over with only his hat in view of the camera; this portrays him as weak and vulnerable and possibly inferior to the other man who is captured standing sturdily above him

7. This shot shows both men in full view of the camera. Their clothes suggest many things to the viewer; both are wearing ties which portray power, authority, and professionalism. Both men are wearing shirts and long coats, both of these items of clothing portray traditionalism as well as the desire to appear presentable, but who for? The hats suggest that the men possibly have something to hide, that they are somewhat concealing themselves behind the article of clothing. The fact that both men are wearing the same outfit suggests a mutual respect and that they possibly have the same aim in common and are working together rather than against each other.

8. Within this scene, the sky appears grey and is filled with dark, bleak clouds. It looks like it is about to rain, possibly symbolising something negative that is upcoming within the film but is yet to take effect. The weather reflects to mood within this scene and adds to the mystery that you would expect to see within a thriller film. The dark clouds foreshadow negativity and uncertainty and suggest to the viewer that there is a metaphorical storm erupting.

9. In this shot, the lighting and location changes dramatically, the warmth and saturation is rapidly increased to portray a sudden change of mood; the atmosphere within the scene is now very calm and comfortable and connotes happiness and positivity. The woman within the scene has blonde hair which connotes innocence and purity, the light is also bouncing off her blonde hair which creates a positive glow. The woman is wearing a floral top, showing youth and naivety. The couple appear to be dancing which also adds to the happiness of the shot.

Se7en nine frame analysis

1. This shot shows a pair of hands that appear deformed or almost bent out of shape. This unnatural position implies that something must have happened to them; possibly an act of abuse or something sinister. The hands also look worn and wrinkled, with calloused, rough fingers and nails. The hands are black which is also unnatural, and black connotes many negatives within media, such as death, morbidity and pain.

2. In this shot, we see a pair of rough, calloused fingers gripping a small blade. The fingers appear to be covered in blood which connotes violence and possibly harm, they also appear worn which suggests that the person has been working or creating something. The blade represents pain, suffering and immorality, the blade could be deemed as something to be feared or something that instantaneously makes people apprehensive. This shot makes the viewer question why the hands displayed are marked with blood: is it from the blade or is there another possible cause?

3. This shot shows writing that has been flipped upside down. This is effective as it may suggest that something has been corrupted and therefore cannot be relied on or deemed as accurate, therefore creating a sense of tension or unease for the viewer. The page also appears to be marked with a scratch of some sort, implying violence or dislike to what has been written. The unusual way in which the writing is presented suggests that it has been tampered with or manipulated, this perhaps suggests that someone has done this to hide something that they fear or regret.

4.  In this shot, we see a young boy, his eyes have been scratched out and his arms appear to be tied up, or he is signalling with the surrender sign. The boy also appears to be naked, this connotes something extremely sinister and unnatural, the boy is seemingly smiling, however he appears to be in danger or enclosed within a menacing situation. The fact that the boy's eyes have been scratched out suggests that somebody has something against him or wants to harm him, however this appears unnatural to the viewer due to the boy being so young. His young age connotes that he is extremely vulnerable. The shot also shows a pair of tweezers, seemingly gripping a piece of waxed paper. The tweezers give the viewer the impression that something is undesirable needs to be extracted. Tweezers can also connote negatives such as harm and disruption.

5. This shot shows a page of text with some of the words missing. Certain words have been stricken out which suggests that somebody is trying to conceal something, perhaps something that they are afraid of or something that they don't want others to know about. The words have been marked out in black pen, the colour black represents many negatives within media such as darkness, the colour is so dark that it can easily hide what is concealed beneath the ink.

6. In this shot, we see a man with his face pointing down, his head has been shaved and there is a nail or some kind of metal contraption plunging into his head. The fact that part of his head has been shaved implies that someone has tried to dehumanise him by stripping him of such a basic human feature, it could also suggest that whoever has shaved it doesn't want this man to be identified, and so have stripped him of a distinguishing trait. The metal contraption sticking into his skull connotes something harmful and brutal. Half of the man's face is concealed beneath a black shadow, signifying that the man's identity is purposely being covered, possibly hidden because of shame/regret or possibly being kept from someone.

7. This shot shows a young boy with his eyes scratched out, this signifies that somebody has something against him or wishes to harm him. This again makes the viewer ask questions as the boy is of such a young age, why would somebody be deforming a photograph of him? The fact that the boy's eyes have been scratched out may also suggest that somebody wishes to conceal his identity by stripping him of one of the most distinguishable traits, this could be because somebody wants to protect him or because somebody fears him.

Art of the title inner workings

Different films use title sequences in a variety of ways and forms in order to create some sort of effect on the target audience.

Many title sequences contain similar themes and these themes can be applied to a selection of genres ranging from comedy and romance to horrors and thrillers. Another example of a form of title sequence is the detail-oriented approach where the audience is introduced to themes through relevant close-up or overlapping imagery. This technique can clearly be seen in the film “Se7en”.


There are so many different forms of title sequences including graphic animation, nostalgic influence and photomontage to name just a few. Because of its short format and creative license — and sometimes because of their budgets — title sequence real estate is often used to explore elaborate, abstract worlds previously unknown or unseen.

Sub-genre research

Psychological thriller


One sub genre of the thriller genre is the psychological thriller. The difference between a regular thriller and a psychological thriller is that a psychological thriller emphasizes the abnormal psychological state of its characters and often includes a "dissolving sense of reality".

Psychological thrillers are loved particularly for their ability to raise engrossed questions and often spark debates and even controversy.






Popular psychological thrillers include titles such as Das Experiment, angel heart and silence of the lambs. Described as a story which emphasizes the psychology of its characters and their unstable emotional states, these films are benchmarks for what a successful psychological thriller should aspire to be. Instead of displaying legions of gore and violence, their main objective is to play with your mind; to leave it up to you to construct the tension of what you have just witnessed.

Crime thriller


This subgenre focuses on crime, and is often shown from the criminal's point of view, this sub-genre is filled with action, ulterior motives and often include many appearances from the police in order to gather evidence and capture the criminal. Stats show that crime thrillers are the most popular type of thriller.




Popular crime thriller films include titles such as: nerve, gone girl, prisoners and the departed.


popular crime thriller TV shows include titles such as: breaking bad, narcos, line of duty, Whitechapel and luther.

Action thriller

Action thriller films are action-packed adventures, loved for their ability to pin the viewer to the edge of their seat. Action thrillers typically include plots involving the protagonist or protagonists ending up in a series of challenges that typically include violence, close combat, physical feats and frantic chases. Action thrillers tend to feature a resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which normally result in victory for the hero. 

Popular action thriller films  include titles such as: Casino royale, kill bill, face off and taken.

Popular action TV shows include titles such as: arrow, the flash, prison break and Dexter.

Romantic thriller

Romantic thriller or romance thriller is a narrative that involves aspects of both thriller and romance. Romantic thrillers focus on passion, emotion and lust as well as including the suspense and tension that viewers love to see throughout thriller films. The plot of a romantic thriller often centres around a couple that has gotten themselves involved in crime or a disorderly situation.

Popular romantic thriller films include titles such as: color of night, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, the tourist, match point and the bodyguard.

Popular romantic thriller TV shows include titles such as: the originals, true blood, pretty little liars and the vampire diaries.

Thriller genre research

The thriller genre: what is it and how has it changed?

The thriller genre has existed for decades and is famous for providing the viewer with heightened feelings of suspense, excitement, surprise, anticipation and anxiety. Thrillers are loved for their ability to keep the viewer on the "edge of their seat" and so are regularly teeming with suspense and mystery. Plot twists and cliff-hangers are used throughout thriller films in order to grip the viewer.




 A common misconception is that thrillers are the same as horror films, however thrillers typically explore themes such as crime, revenge, ransoms and captivities, and horrors typically revolve around ghosts, aliens, clowns, exorcisms, zombies and haunted houses.

Popular and recent thriller films include titles such as:

Some older thriller films include titles such as: silence of the lambs, the sixth sense, vertigo, the third man and Chinatown.

How has the thriller genre changed over time?
Many people believe that over the years, the thriller genre has become more focused on blood and gore rather than being centred around gripping the viewer. Some say that thriller films are now created with the purpose to shock and even horrify the viewer rather than entice them and have lost their element of mystery and suspense. This may be because thrillers have been slightly influenced by the horror genre; incorporating sadistic violence and body counts. These opinions are based on recent thriller films such as SAW and would you rather; films that explore extremely gruesome elements and lack any intelligent plot.

Thriller analysis

Flightplan

The title of the film is introduced which is embedded into an image of a yellow train and an unknown woman. High key lighting is used to highlight to the viewer that she is in a significant place. The yellow train serves an important purpose; it connotes that she has just arrived from somewhere or is possibly heading to a specific destination. The yellow colour also contrasts with the dark, bleak surroundings of the train station, perhaps symbolising the last remaining shred of positivity or hope left in her life. The train station in this scene is completely secluded, this is unusual and so leads the viewer to ask further questions. Furthermore, she is wearing black, which epitomizes the thriller genre, suggesting a dark secret or possibly a death. The shot used in this image is a mid-shot of her back which introduces mystery and suspense into the scene. This also suggests that she has turned her back on something that is bothering her, perhaps implying that she is trapped in a harmful situation. The fact that her back is turned could possibly suggest that she isn't willing to face what is bothering her yet.

The opening of the film goes on to switch between the scene at the train station and a scene at an unknown hospital. This creates further suspense and leaves the viewer wondering why the location is constantly altering, again linking with the typical theme that runs throughout the thriller genre: mystery. Non diegetic sound used in this scene includes slow music to contribute to the mysterious atmosphere.

As the opening progresses, the camera pans to the woman inside a house; the camera pan is included to suggest that she is being watched. Within this scene, the woman wishes to sleep with her child and share a room: implying her fear of upcoming danger and her apparent desire to protect her child, she is clearly living in fear. The woman strokes her hand over her child's face; marking protection and defence. Outside the safe, warm surroundings of the house, the view of dark pavements soaked with rain, lit only by street lights can be seen from the bedroom window. This use of pathetic phallacy contributes to the already dark atmosphere. Low saturation and low key lighting is used throughout the opening.

Limitless

The opening scene commences with a close up of a metal door and diegetic sound of loud banging against it. The door is damaged showing aggression and violence. The scene opens with dramatic noise in order to immediately grab the viewer's attention and leave them wanting more. The camera then pans across a room where men are lying motionless on the floor in suits: implying that they are injured or dead. This immediately adds mystery to the scene; the viewer is instantly left wondering what happened to them and is eager to find out more. These factors effortlessly contribute to creating the typical atmosphere of a thriller film. The men are shown in suits to represent power and authority, showing them as possible business men or entrepreneurs.  

After this, the camera pans up a high scale building; suggesting that the location is a city and establishing the surroundings for the viewer. The camera continues panning until it finally fixes on a man standing at the very edge of the building, his feet dangling off. This engages the viewer and adds further mystery to the scene; the viewer is left wondering why he wishes to jump. The low key lighting within this shot focuses on just one side of his face; perhaps suggesting that he has something to hide and is not entirely pure. As the camera focuses closely on the man's face, the viewer can also notice his red, bloodshot eyes; suggesting that he may have been crying, possibly portraying his frustration or sorrow. The diegetic sound within the scene includes dialogue coming from the man at the edge of the building. Police sirens can be heard from down below, extenuating the sheer danger of the situation, then the sound of gun fire can be heard as the camera pans to a smashed window, this shows the ongoing threat within the scene.

Then follows a POV shot from the man's point of view as he throws himself off the building. Typical city surroundings can be heard and seen below such as lit windows in apartment blocks and the sound of sirens and ongoing traffic. The title of the film is then shown and is embedded into an image of a typical city street: taxis, shops, skyscrapers and pedestrians. The camera then pans through a row of taxis, cars and people until it reaches an entirely new destination, away from the previous city scene. The new location tells the viewer that the film is progressing onto its next chapter where many questions will be resolved.

Preliminary task link

Link to my preliminary task:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MD9tapAkv4
I found carrying out the preliminary task extremely helpful as I had never used the software before that was required to edit our short film, therefore planning, filming and editing the video really helped me to understand how everything works. Carrying out the preliminary task also helped me to decide who I was going to work with for my main task; I have decided to remain with the group that I filmed my preliminary task with because I feel that we all worked well together and contributed an equal amount of effort, this assures me that filming for our main task will be just as effective and successful.

Main task

Main task

The titles and opening of a new thriller fiction film, to last a maximum of two minutes

Response to task

Response to task

I was really optimistic when I heard about this task, I feel like the thriller genre is such an interesting genre to explore as there are so many themes and techniques to look at. Filming a thriller will be great as it will allow us to experiment with new techniques and get accustomed to filming in a different style. Already, my group have been discussing interesting and unique ideas which I feel will lead to an effective and gripping storyline. We have already considered factors such as location and props in order to make our film as successful as possible. In order to make a thriller gripping and suspensful, our group will have to incorporate dark lighting, low saturation and non-diegetic, eery music. This will really help create an effective atmosphere for this style of genre.

My group

My group

My group for my main task consists of the same people that I worked with for my preliminary task: Keeley cox, Anyia Deignan, Emily Owens, and  myself. I have decided to remain with these people as I feel that we all work extremely well together and we all contribute equal amounts. I cannot see any problems arising in this group as we all put in sufficient amounts of effort in order to successfully complete our work. I feel that working with this group will allow filming to be interesting and varied as we all have our individual ideas to offer.