Research into Target Audience

Research into Target Audience

My group and I have carried out research in aim to discover people's personal preferences in regards to an ideal thriller in hope to aid us to produce a good opening sequence and enable us to get a good idea in regards to an appropriate target audience. We decided to create a questionnaire for 40 participants as we felt this would make our results more reliable and inform us on our audience's ages and preferences.

Questionnaire

Below is the questionnaire that my group and I created. We chose these ten questions as we felt they related to thriller films and would produce answers that would enable us a group to use the information we gather to create an effective likeable opening thriller scene while remaining in regulations of our chosen target audience. We asked questions in regards to age and gender to determine who likes what and to produce a good idea of an audience who would enjoy our thriller opening sequence.

Vox Pops: Question Evidence

Vox pops are video questionnaires that the public has been asked to participate in so they can be viewed at a further point and provide evidence that the correct questions were asked and that they relate to the topic.

Vox Pop 1

Vox Pop 2

Vox Pop 3

Questionnaire Results

Question 1

This is one of the question's I asked in the questionnaire. The reason I asked this question is because I wanted to see the number of females and males that took part and how this influences the findings of the other questions.

Question 2

I also asked individuals taking part in my questionnaire what age group they fell into. I asked this to determine  an accurate idea of a target audience. This was an important question to ask as age determines the certificate of a film. The findings show that the majority who took part in the questionnaire fell into the age group of 16-18, this means that the majority of the results collected will relate to this age group. The second most common age group was the 13-15 category.


Question 3

'What type of thrillers do you enjoy?' is another question my group and I asked participants.  We asked this question in order to inform us on what sub-genre of thrillers people most enjoy out of the above categories so that we as a group could apply this information when creating our thriller narrative. Findings gathered show that the most popular sub-genre of thrillers enjoyed was a psychological thriller. The second most popular sub-genre was a scary/horror thriller.

Question 4

The above question was asked to participants in order to determine whether they preferred a hidden identity theme within a thriller film. Findings show that the majority of participants who answered the questionnaire said they did prefer it when the identity of the antagonist is kept hidden. Using these findings my group and I have decided that this is something to include in our opening sequence as the results show that this is a likeable feature of a thriller film and it fits conventions. Therefore we believe it would be an effective theme to use within our thriller opening sequence.


Question 5

Participants were asked 'How do you prefer a victim to be murdered in a thriller film?' This question was asked as my group and I were curious to see how the audience would prefer the victim to be killed. As the question asked was an open question we received varied responses. However, the most common response regarded the use of a weapon e.g. gun, knife, chainsaw. This is useful for my group and I to know as we can incorporate the idea of iconography into our own opening sequence as our findings show the audience would enjoy this more. However, as the majority of participants said they would want this, we can suggest that they would expect to see this in a thriller therefore this may make the opening sequence too predictable for the audience causing a lack of excitement unless my group and I can come up with an idea into how to incorporate the use of weapon that is not predictable and still thrilling and scary for the audience, in order to generate excitement and apprehension - conventional thriller audience responses. 

Question 6

Individuals who took part in the questionnaire were asked 'What would your preference be to a setting of a thriller film?' We asked this question to enable us as a group to establish a suitable location in which we could film our thriller opening sequence. Results show that over half of participants preferred the setting of a thriller to be an abandoned location, this was seen to be the most popular finding out of the above categories. This is something that my group and I should take into consideration when discussing the mise-en-scene of our narrative as it is clearly a popular location within the thriller genre.

Question 7

My group and I asked participants what they disliked about thriller films. We asked this question as we were curious on what people generally dislike about thriller films. The question asked was an open question as there again was a variety of options of what people may not like about thriller films. We sorted categories within this for the results included the categories Jumpy (27.5%), Scary (10%), Overdramatic (10%), Boring (2.5%), Other (50%). Most people selected 'other' as their answer as we found a large sum of varieties of answers for the question. This question was good and helped us because we now know what people dislike about thriller films, and it helps us to decide what we should and shouldn't put in to our opening sequence and helps us decide on our target audience.

Question 8

Question 8 was also a closed question as there was only two options for participants to choose from. This question was important to ask as we wanted to know whether the audience prefer a Female or Male victim in thriller films. The results included 90% choosing Female and 10% choosing Male. This was the result that I expected as a female victim is the most conventional victim within a thriller film. It is unconventional for in a thriller film for there to be a Male victim. The use of a Female victim creates suspense and tension and sympathy for the female victim character.

Question 9

Question 9 was again a closed question. This question was about weather the audience enjoys jumpy scenes within thriller films. This is a closed question because there is only two options for the audience to answer or to choose. The options were Yes (92.5%) and No (7.5%). We found that from the people that we asked that most people enjoy jumpy scenes and that it wouldn't be a thriller film and that  tension, apprehension, enigma and surprise are created with the aid of jumpy scenes.

Question 10

Question 10 was a another closed question due to there being only two answers for the participants of our questionnaire to choose from. Our last question we asked was a question about plot twists and if the audience enjoy them. The results include Yes (62.5%) and No (37.5%) we have found that people do enjoy most plot twists as it makes the thriller film conventional. We will take this into consideration when producing our own opening sequence

Conclusion

In conclusion,  creating the questionnaire and asking 40 people about thriller films has allowed us to decide on a target audience and what our audience may like to see from a thriller film. What they find conventional and what will make the audience be hooked and want to continue watching the thriller film.

Research into the BBFC - Miss Miller

Research into the BBFC

What is the BBFC?

BBFC stands for British Board of Film Classification. The BBFC is an organisation which purpose is to make decisions to apply a suitable target audience for various films. The intention of doing this is to inform the audience on whether the film would be deemed appropriate depending on age of the viewer. Therefore, this ensures the audience, especially younger audiences protection from explicit material such as graphic violence, nudity, adult themes, strong language, drug use and so on. Films have been separated in to six different categories; U, PG, 12A, 15 and 18. Each category has specific requirements that the content in the film must meet in order to receive that particular rating.  The BBFC also control ratings on DVD's, Bluray, Video Games and Film trailers in addition to showings at the cinema.

U

'U' in context to film classification refers to the word 'Universal' meaning that the film is suitable for all. Requirements of this rating would include that here be next to nothing deemed unsuitable for children e.g. no violence or strong language.  In order for a film to be classified as a 'U' by the BBFC, any violence that children could copy or use of  weapons such as knives, swords or guns  is not tolerated. 

An example of a film rated 'U' is Finding Nemo (2003). This is a certified 'U' because there is no content within the film that is unsuitable for a child under 8. The film is about a clownfish named Marlin who lives in the Great Barrier Reef with his son, Nemo, who is taken from him by a diver, Marlin the clown fish sets off on a journey to rescue him. Together with Dory, a blue fish with short term memory loss, they set off through the oceans, whilst joining a club with sharks, dodging jellyfish, and hooking a ride with turtles. Whilst this is happening, Nemo and his new tank friends hatch a plan to escape from their new home. Throughout the film there is no sign of any violence, neither any strong language or scenes that would be distressing for a child under 8. 

PG

PG stands for Parental Guidance meaning that The BBFC recommends that parents should watch the film with their children as all ages are permitted, however, parents may prefer to watch with their child to see for themselves whether they judge it acceptable for their child's viewing and to be there to answer questions children may ask about the film. A PG film is required to not cause distress to viewers over 8 years old and advise that under 8's should be accompanied by an adult. 

An example of a film that has a Certificate ‘PG’ is  Hocus Pocus  (1933). This has an age certificate of ‘PG’ because anyone can watch this film including children but parents are recommended that those under the age of 8 should watch the film with an adult.. In this film there is minimal use of bad language and a few scary scenes. The film is about three witch sisters who after three centuries are resurrected in Salem Massachusetts on Halloween night, and it is up to two teenagers, a young girl, and an immortal cat to put an end to the witches' reign of terror. Parents should know that this movie involves a plot to suck the life force out of children (and one little girl dies that way). A couple of high school bullies harass a male classmate in a graveyard, asking him for "smokes" and "hash" and finally stealing his shoes. There are also mild sexual references, such as a high school boy hugging his pillow and murmuring, "Oh, Allison, you're so soft," as well as some frisky flirting from one of the witches. The main character is teased about being a virgin. The body of an "unfaithful lover" rises from the grave. Main features of the story are a book bound in human skin and a candle made from the fat of a hanged man. A tale is told about the Devil, and there are various gross-out moments. But it's important to note that all of the above is done in the fun and playful, spooky spirit of Halloween.

12 & 12A

Films classified 12A and video works classified 12 contain material that is not considered by the BBFC as suitable for children aged under the age of 12. No one younger than 12 may see a 12A film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adult. Adults planning to take a child under 12 to view a 12A film should consider whether the film is suitable for that child prior to allowing the child to view it.The 12A certification requires an adult to accompany any child under 12 seeing a 12A film at the cinema. This is enforced by cinema staff and a cinema may lose its license if adult accompaniment is not enforced for children under 12 admitted to a 12A film. Accompanied viewing cannot be enforced in the home, so the 12 certificate remains for the DVD’s, rather than the 12A. The 12 is also a simpler system for retailers. It means they cannot sell or rent the item unless the customer is over the age of 12. The BBFC's Guidelines state that strong language may be passed at 12 or 12A, depending on the manner in which it is used, who is using the language, its frequency and any special contextual justification. Aggressive uses of strong language may result in a film or DVD being placed at the 15 category. There is some allowance for puns on strong language at this category. There may be moderate language (e.g. uses of terms such as ‘bitch’ and ‘twat’ at 12 or 12A). Any discriminatory language or behaviour will not be endorsed by the work as a whole. Aggressive discriminatory language (for example homophobic or racist terms) is unlikely to be passed at 12A or 12 unless it is clearly condemned. Sex may be briefly and discreetly portrayed at 12A or 12. Verbal sex references should not go beyond what is suitable for young teenagers. Comedy may lessen the impact of some moderate sex references or innuendo but frequent crude sex references are unlikely to be accepted at this category. There may be nudity in 12A films but nudity in a sexual context should only be brief and discreet.Sex and sex references are treated the same irrespective of sexuality At 12A, moderate violence is allowed but it should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if they can be justified by their context (for example brief sight of bloody injury in a medical drama). Action sequences and weapons may be present at 12A or 12, and there may be long fight scenes or similar. Weapons which might be easily accessible to 12 year olds (such as knives) should not be glamorised in 12A and 12 works. An example of a film that is a 12A is Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). Within the film there is very mild use of sex and nudity. Examples of this are when a  man is shown briefly in his underwear, Peter and Gamora nearly kiss, but Gamora pulls away and holds a knife to Peter's throat and announces that she will not be tricked by his "pelvic sorcery" and that a main male character is shirtless for the entire film. There is also quite a large amount of violence and some gore, examples include Several men hold a man while another man gut punches him a few times and slaps him in the face, A man tries to knock another man out, but is thrown into a pool and left there, A tree creature stabs several men and uses them to slam other men to the ground and A prison guard is stabbed through the chest in the background although no blood is shown. There is also a moderate use of strong language throughout the film. Overall the tim has been give the 12/12A rating due to intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for strong language.

15

A film rated 15  means no-one under 15 is allowed to see a 15 film at the cinema or buy/rent a 15 rated video. 15 rated works are not suitable for children under 15 years of age. When watching a 15 rated film it is likely you’ll see strong violence, frequent strong language (e.g. ‘f***’),  portrayals of sexual activity,  strong verbal references to sex, sexual nudity, brief scenes of sexual violence or verbal references to sexual violence, discriminatory language or behaviour, drug taking and mental illness. An example of a certificate 15 rated film is 2 Guns. 2 Guns is about A DEA agent and a naval intelligence officer who both find themselves on the run after a botched attempt to infiltrate a drug cartel. While they are fleeing, they learn the secret of their shaky alliance: Neither knew that the other was an undercover agent. 2 Guns is rated a 15 as it contains brief sex and nudity atht he beginning of the film, violence and gore, a lot of strong language, a fair amount of alcohol, references to drugs, smoking and some intense fight scenes. 

18

Films rated 18 are for adults. No-one under 18 is allowed to see an 18 film at the cinema or buy / rent an 18 rated video. No 18 rated works are suitable for children. 18 rated films are for adults and can contain strong issues such as; very strong violence, frequent strong language (e.g. 'f***') and / or very strong language (e.g. ‘c***’), strong portrayals of sexual activity, scenes of sexual violence, strong horror, strong blood and gore, real sex (in some circumstances),  discriminatory language and behaviour. An example of a film rated 18 is Gone Girl. The film gone girl contains scenes of nudity and sex on more than one occasion within the film, frequent use of strong language, scenes of violence one which would be considered specifically gruesome. There is suspense and tension which can be intense. Also,the music and cinematography add to the theme to create an overall feeling of strong intensity throughout much of the movie.




Conclusion

In conclusion the importance of the BBFC with regards to films is that they are there to make people aware if or not a child or teenager should watch a film, and if it is deemed appropriate depending on their age. They recognise and respect adult freedom of choice within the law. They help to respond and reflect changing social attitudes towards media content. 

This research into the BFFC age certificates will help me when it comes to deciding who I want my target audience to be for the film and bare that in mind when creating it so that the content within my film will meet these classifications so that those of a specific age are aware if they can watch it or not. When I come to creating my own thriller sequence the age classification I want to aim for is '15' because it is a more broad and varied age category. This means that the content that I will have to be mindful about is sexual content and too much violence. In order to get the classification I need to consider that the BBFC will not be mindful about anything that is inappropriate for a younger audience and so they will not give the classification that you want so my sequence must not have too much violence that can easily be copied or used in the same way and must have only brief sexual content in order to comply with the BBFC rules of age ratings and film classifications.

Research Into Conventions - Miss Miller

Research Into Conventions

The definition of convention is conforming or adhering to accepted standards. In films, conventions are elements which are typical of a specific genre, similarities that can be found from different films from the same genre. Conventions aid in setting the setting and atmosphere of the scene as they help produce suspense and keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Typical conventions of a thriller film would be suspicion, drama, antagonist v. protagonist themes, cliffhangers, complex narratives, low key lighting, close ups, reaction shots, female victims, themes of insanity, eery music, iconography including weapons such as knives, crime, enigmas, a fast pace and mysterious occurrences.

Low Key Lighting

Low key lighting is used throughout the scene, you can see this from the beginning to the very end of the clip. The audience is unable to see exactly what is happening and where the antagonist is, this generates suspense for the audience as the unknown is feared. This enables the audience to suspect danger approaching. This is a typical convention of the thriller genre as darkness and unknowing produces a sense of danger and uneasiness. This, in turn, helps the audience develop a relationship with the victim as the audience are able to sympathise with the victim, placing themselves in the characters shoes, allowing them to feel more involved in the situation they are watching, heightening their senses, causing them to feel anxious and afraid, portraying parallel emotions of the character in the film.

Female Victim

A very common convention often found in thriller films would be the female victim. This convention has been used in the above clip from the movie Kiss the Girls. The character Kate plays the young female victim who is alone in her house when the antagonist breaks in and kidnaps her. Using female victims is typical of the the thriller genre as women are portrayed as weak and vulnerable easy targets. This convention is effective as it tells the audience that something is likely to happen soon in the film if there is a young woman alone in a secluded location, this enables the audience to build a relationship with the character as they presume the characters survival rates are slim and that its likely the character is either going to be hurt or killed in the near future.

Hidden Identity

Another very commonly used convention in the world of thriller films is the theme of hidden identity.  This convention can be found in many thriller films such as Scream, Halloween, Strangers and Kiss the Girls (clip above). A killer behind a mask adds a sense of mystery to the thriller genre and generates enigma. In the clip I have used above the antagonist's identity is not revealed. Throughout the majority of the movie up until the very end where the film reaches the dramatic climax and the hidden identity of the antagonist is finally revealed, the identity of the antagonist if kept unknown as the camera either avoids the character or the character is masked. This is an effective convention of the the thriller genre as being instantly introduced to the killer would be nowhere near as exciting as being left guessing who it could possibly be. Also, it seems that antagonists with a hidden identity are portrayed as being more violent than those without in thriller films. This allows viewers to build a negative relationship with the antagonist, leaving the audience feeling uneasy and frightened when presented with the antagonists presence in scenes in the film. This causes the audience to feel a range of emotions that could be considered to be similar of that of the victims, feeling afraid and apprehensive. Finally a masked identity hides the flaws or weakness' of the antagonist in order to make themselves appear authoritative and strong in comparison to the victims portrayed as weak and helpless and this enables both the victim in the movie to feel intimidated and the audience as the emotions of the audience reflect those of the victim, generally
.

Non-Diagetic Sound

Non-diagetic eery sounds such as rain, thunder and creaking of the house, are presented in the clip when the character Kate is awoken in bed to hear strange noises. The use of these eery sounds adds emphasis to what is going on in the characters surroundings. If there was no use of non-diagetic sound the film would become dull and uninteresting for the audience as the use of this sound exaggerates and heightens both the character and the audiences senses as tension builds. The use of this non-diagetic sound would be conventional to a thriller as the sounds lead to suspense accumulating until a shock or jump scene occurs.

Diagetic Sound

In the above scene, there is use of diagetic sound, which is conventional to thriller films. Diagetic sound is sound whose source is visible on the scree or whose source is implied by the present action of the film. In this scene the use of diabetic sound is evident when we hear and see the clothes hanger swinging on the door handle and the increasingly heavy breathing of Kate a she begins to become panicked that there may be an intruder in her home. This use of diagetic sound is effective as it builds tension as it is made obvious that someone else has been in the room and this is confirmed by Kates heightened state of emotion which is evident through the increasing rate of her breathing heavily. This build tension and suspense preparing for a jump scene which shortly follows.

Conclusion

In my own thriller opening sequence I will ensure that I take into consideration all conventions of the thriller genre as I would hope that this would encourage the audience to enjoy the film further. I would hope that by using as many thriller conventions as possible and effectively I may be able to produce an opening sequence that is thrilling, suspenseful and nail biting for the audience. I will aim to do this through ensuring I use the appropriate thriller conventions to capture and engage the attention of the audience.

Group Narrative - Miss Georgiou

Planning The Thriller Production

I will be working in a group to produce an opening sequence of a thriller. I will be working with Miranda Simpson and Chloe Eustace. 

Chloe's Narrative Idea

The main character is a girl (One of the Victims), her parents are away for the weekend and decides that she could have a party with friends. She lives in a pretty abandoned place in the town where there is only the neighbours. The party gets out of hand when everyone starts bringing there own friends and there is actually a murderer been brought to the party.  They try to work out who is the killer (antagonist) but people keep dying one by one leaving only the females alive, the males at the party are being killed first. 

Advantages -  

• There is the use of a female victim, this would be typical of the thriller genre.
• The victims parents are away and she lives in an abandoned area, instantaneously the victim is seen a vulnerable and the audience are likely to sympathise with her.
• A murder occurs at the party, this would be conventional of a thriller and would be effective in generating shock, fear and apprehension
• Only a group of females survive, the advantage of this would be the audience feeling sorry for them as they are portrayed as vulnerable as all the men have already been murdered so they are left to fight off the killer on their own.

Disadvantages - 

• A disadvantage of this narrative would be it may not be realistic to film as to find a location that is in a secluded area would be challenging.
• Another disadvantage would be that it would be difficult to find enough people to partake in filming the party scene, which would be necessary to make the film realistic.
• I would also be challenging to fit the main points of the narrative into 2-3 of an opening sequence. 

Miranda's Narrative Idea

A house in the middle of the Countryside. There will be 3 female victims who wake up locked in  different rooms scattered around the basement of the house, banging on the doors screaming trying to find a way to escape thinking that it is abandoned. However, with out them knowing the antagonists family are living in the house, not aware of the victims being there as all the walls are sound proof. Will the victims escape before it is too late or will one of the family members become suspicious as the antagonist keeps heading down to the basement?

Advantages -

• The location is presumed to be in a isolated area, this would be conventional of a thriller as it makes the characters within the sequence that much more vulnerable as help is too far to reach, again this would be deemed as a convention of the thriller genre.
• The use of 3 female victims is also a convention of the thriller genre as the the audience feel sorry for them when things go wrong, generating sympathy for female victims is very typical of a thriller.
• The theme of being trapped if used would make and effect opening sequence for a thriller as this would generate a lot of enigma and excitement from the audience and fit conventions of a thriller.

Disadvantages -

• It would probably be unrealistic to find a isolated location, with a house that has a segregated basement to film.
• It would be challenging to be able to film both parts of the narrative i.e. the antagonist playing 'happy families' and the ordeal the victims go through. 

My Narrative Idea

A group of friends are going on a camping trip for Alice Morgan's 18th birthday, little does she know the females in her family have been plagued by a curse since the 1800s. Every once in a while, a female in the Morgan family on their 18th birthday, usually of good nature and innocence, are said to have been taunted by a young ghostly figure before mysteriously vanishing and said to be claimed by an demoniacal being.

During the 1800s, William Morgan, a relative of Alice, broke the heart of a beautiful young woman named Elise Elliot, she was a young maid working for William and his wife Anna. Elise and William had a whirlwind affair, and eventually called their relationship off, explaining to Elise he never loved her, only his wife. Unknown to William, Elise was of Romany decent, she was in fact a gypsy. Elise was riddled with  unbearable heartache, excruciating grief and anger, so much so she cursed William before taking her own life. She cursed the whole Morgan family because she wanted William to pay for the pain he had caused her and wanted her suffering to be remembered for all eternity. 

Alice, leading up to her 18th had been having what she considered of odd dreams, she had been vividly dreaming of a young woman weeping over a man she had loved and lost, a woman eventually revealed to be Elise Elliot. Alice reveals to her friends the strange dreams she has been having while camping in the woods by her house, shortly before the ghostly taunting's commence.

Advantages -

• An advantage of my narrative idea is that the location (a forest) would be convenient to film and still remain within the conventions of a thriller as the setting would be remote, eery and dark which would be typical of a thriller film setting
• Another advantage would be the use of a female victim, this would again fit conventions of a thriller and enable the audience to sympathise with the character as she's portrayed as young, innocent and vulnerable.
• A sub-theme of supernatural activity in regards to a curse, demons and hauntings; would produce excitement, apprehension and fear. These are three audience reactions which would be typical of the thriller genre.

Disadvantages -

• The main disadvantage of my narrative would be that its far too detailed and would be challenging to portray in just a short opening sequence therefore the part filmed may not make sense and confuse the audience. 
• It may be unrealistic to expect to film a portion of the opening sequence as if it were set in the past in addition to generation a convincing atmosphere of an 1800's time period. 

Final Group Narrative



Two young girls Holly and Gemma are on their way to a party. Holly is driving down a dark deserted road when the car breaks down. Gemma and Holly get a bit panicked when they realise their phones have no signal.

The narrative would include two girls on the way to a party, who had been being followed by someone, and they didn't really notice, so when they break down on the way to the party the stalker is behind them, which creates tension for the audience and dramatic irony because the audience know that they are being followed but the characters (girls themselves: Holly is the driver and the story bases around her. Gemma dies in the car from the stalker) are unaware of this. One of the girls gets out of the car and wanders off away from the forest to get signal, and the other girl stays behind which is when she gets murdered by the unknown stalker who has a hidden identity. The setting is in an abandoned street where there is no one around in the middle of the forest. 

This idea is conventional because there is a broken down car which is in a an abandoned area, there are female victims as well as the main antagonist , weird noises are outside the car and inside the car such as the radio, They are being followed by the antagonist so this is the hidden identity. 

• Broken down car in abandoned area
• Female Victim x 2
• Weird noises - car radio
• Being  followed 
• cold - visible breath
• no signal
• friend goes missing

Narrative Theory

Todorov's Theory;

Todorov suggested that narratives begin with an equilibrium where any potentially opposing forces  are in balance. This is then disturbed by  as series of events (disequilibrium) which is then recognised by the characters whom then attempt to repair the damage and restore a new equilibrium. 

Summary

In conclusion this research has enabled our group to  brainstorm our narrative idea and allowed us to produce a final group narrative that we believe is conventional to the thriller genre. We believe our narrative is conventional as it fits a wide range of conventions which would be found within the thriller genre.

Individual Narrative Ideas - Miss Georgiou

Individual Narrative Ideas - Planning the thriller production

A narrative is important as a film without one would seize to exist, a good story captivates the attention of the audience and aims to make a good thriller memorable and stand out from the rest. 

I would like the narrative of the thriller I plan to produce to be exciting, original and to generate apprehension and a sense of fear - to fit terms of the thriller conventions.

My Developing Idea

Narrative 

A group of friends are going on a camping trip for Alice Morgan's 18th birthday, little does she know the females in her family have been plagued by a curse since the 1800s. Every once in a while, a female in the Morgan family on their 18th birthday, usually of good nature and innocence, are said to have been taunted by a young ghostly figure before mysteriously vanishing and said to be claimed by an demoniacal being. 

During the 1800s, William Morgan, a relative of Alice, broke the heart of a beautiful young woman named Elise Elliot, she was a young maid working for William and his wife Anna. Elise and William had a whirlwind affair, and eventually called their relationship off, explaining to Elise he never loved her, only his wife. Unknown to William, Elise was of Romany decent, she was in fact a gypsy. Elise was riddled with  unbearable heartache, excruciating grief and anger, so much so she cursed William before taking her own life. She cursed the whole Morgan family because she wanted William to pay for the pain he had caused her and wanted her suffering to be remembered for all eternity. 

Alice, leading up to her 18th had been having what she considered of odd dreams, she had been vividly dreaming of a young woman weeping over a man she had loved and lost, a woman eventually revealed to be Elise Elliot. Alice reveals to her friends the strange dreams she has been having while camping in the woods by her house, shortly before the ghostly taunting's commence. 

Opening Sequence

• Alice phone calls her friends to see what time they will be coming over 
• Alices dad tells her to be careful looks worried
• Alices friends arrive and they leave to go camping 
• All joking about 
• Alice thinks she sees something 
• They walk through the forest hear voices and joke, scaring one another
• Set up camp 

Inspirations - Miss Georgiou

Inspirations

Being inspired means to be mentally stimulated to feel or do something, especially to do something creative. Inspiration is generated when we as individuals admire, enjoy and respect something or someone. In relation to my thriller project I have taken inspiration from several scenes taken from various thriller films including; Halloween (1978), Saw......

Cinematography

Recently I analysed the film Halloween (1978) and was inspired by numerous editing techniques used within the opening sequence. The two I felt have inspired me are the use of point of view camera shots (from the p.o.v. of Michael Myers, the killer) and the reaction shot used at the very end of the scene, revealing the killer. Cinematography is really important within a film, as it can affect the way an audience feels about a film scene and if there was not a variety of different shots then the film would dull and uninteresting and it would not attract an audience for the film or the sequence. Planning these shots and angles are important in order to create a good opening sequence because if they are planned then you know exactly what shots you want to use and what effect they will have on the audience.

I specifically liked these aspects of the opening sequence as I felt that portraying the protagonists point of view was effective in generating mystery and enigma, this technique mean that not all the information is given away to the audience in one go, as the the killers identity is hidden, the audiences are left guessing what will happen next and who is the killer. I would like to use this technique in my own opening sequence of a thriller as I believe it would be effective in producing effective and conventional audience responses, such as creating suspense and enigma, for individuals viewing pleasure. 

I felt as if the reaction shot used at the very end of the sequence was highly successful in bringing about shock. The true identity of the the antagonist is eventually revealed to be simply a young boy.

Sound

Film is generally thought of as an essentially visual experience, however, the importance of sound within films is underestimated. An effective sound track is often as complex as the image on the screen. The entire sound track within films is comprised of three essential things. They are the human voice, sound effects and music. All aspects of sound used within film are used to manipulate the emotions of the audience. As we are producing an opening sequence for a thriller, my group and I are using specific sound techniques to produce specific effects such as the conventional audience responses of the thriller genre which include; shock, fear, apprehension, enigma and tension.  Therefore in order to produce an excellent opening sequence of a thriller, the planning of sound is an essential process for my group and I to take part in. In my own time I have researched several thriller films including Se7en, The Sixth Sense and Shutter Island.  The purpose of doing this was to gain an overall idea of what it was in regards to sound that we as a group thought what you be effective to include within our thriller opening sequence. Shutter Island was 

Editing Styles

Editing styles are important to include within a thriller film as various editing styles produce various effects. For example; a fade out, which is where the screen fades to black, is often used to represent the end of the narrative or scene whereas the Kuleshov effect, which is when two shots are put together, would be used to give the audience a third meaning.  The inclusion of editing styles within a film sequence aids in the production of conventional audience responses such as shock, surprise, suspense and assist in engaging the audience and establishing a relationship with the audience. When planning our editing styles we analysed.......



Mise-en-scene

Opening Sequence Analysis - Miss Georgiou

Research into Thrillers 

"How does the opening sequence of the film Halloween, inform the audience of the conventions of a thriller film?"

The purpose of an opening sequence to a thriller film is to engage the audience and set the narrative of the film which will unravel throughout the duration. A typical thriller opening sequence should contain an introduction to main characters, generally a mysterious/strange scenario, opening credits, and generate conventional audience effects such as fear, tension, apprehension and enigma.

Cinematography

In the opening sequence of the film Halloween there is a zoom out when the mask is taken off Michael by his parents when they return home, revealing the killer. This technique produces a sense of shock as the protagonist of the film is revealed to be simply a young boy. The zooming technique highlights the reaction of shock that the audience are expected to feel after its revealed that a young boy murdered his sister for no apparent reason.
There is also high angle cinematography used when the camera zooms out. This juxtaposes from earlier shots in the opening sequence as most were high angle shots but from the antagonists perspective inside the house. This leaves the audience looking down on him as it is revealed he is simply a child. In addition, this diverts the audiences attention to the killer encouraging shock as the identity of the antagonist is unknown up until this point. This would be conventional of a thriller as hidden identity is often found in thrillers as it is effective in producing enigma and mystery from the viewers perspective.
Throughout the opening sequence the events that unfold take place from the perspective of the killer, Michael. This is evident when we see Michael put on his Halloween mask and the shot becomes obstructed, just before he murders his sister. This would be considered a good effect as it leaves the audience guessing the identity of the killer, generating suspense and enigma from the audience leaving viewers anticipating and waiting to discover the true identity of the cold blooded killer. This is conventional of a thriller as point of view shots are often used to give audiences an insight from a different perspective and in this case the effect leaves the audience questioning not only the identity of the killer but also his motive.

Editing

Slow editing is used in the opening sequence of Halloween. This can be seen when the antagonist Michael is calmly walking up the dark staircase about to murder his sister. The effect of this editing technique is to overall generate suspense. The audience is given a rather long period of time to question the antagonists intentions, therefore, generating  a sense of worry for the other characters as the antagonists behaviour previously e.g. looking into the house and spying suggest that the intentions are likely to be somewhat sinister. The tension that is created by using this editing technique and would be conventional of a thriller movie as slow editing allows time for the audience to question everything they see, perhaps assuming things will take place which are worse than the actual scene they witness. This is effective as it produces apprehension, fear and for some excitement, these are all audience reactions which are all typical of a thriller film.
Following the murder, the tempo of the scene increases. This can be seen just after Michael is seen stabbing his sister in her bedroom. The fast paced editing suggest that the antagonist, Michael is wanting to get away. This further excites and engages the audience as they anticipate what is going to happen next. This would be conventional of a thriller film as the pace of tempo is often used to reflect the mindset of characters, in this case the audience are able to infer Michael Myers is possibly in shock and panic, therefore the pace increase or he either enjoyed what he did and the pace increases as he gets a rush from his actions. From either assumption the audience make, both enigma and apprehension is produced.

Sound 

The use of non-diagetic sound of children chanting Halloween songs while the opening credits are playing produces and eery atmosphere for the audience and gives them an insight into the age of the killer as he is later revealed in the clip to be a child. This insight prepares the audience for the revelation they witness soon after. The use of children chanting is also contrasting to the plot of the opening scene as children are often linked with innocence, happiness and laughter. Furthermore, this specific use of non-diagetic sound exaggerates the shock of the audience once the true identity of the killer is revealed.
Within the opening sequence there is a use of silence when Michael is watching in on his sister and her boyfriend from outside the house. This creates an eery atmosphere and intimates as theme of madness, this would be conventional of a thriller movie to portray themes of insanity. In addition, the use of this silence generates suspense from the audience as they anticipate the characters next move.
In the scene there is use of diagetic sound when we can hear Michael stabbing his sister. The use of this sound produces sympathy for the victim as the audience can already see  the awful state of the character and the use of the sound of her being stabbed puts focus on her suffering and produces a sense of horror and perhaps make the audience feel uneasy which would be conventional of a thriller film.

Conventions

Low key lighting is used in the scene, this can be seen when the antagonist Michael Myers is walking around the house. The use of dark shadows and shades of black are effective in generating suspense as it is not clear to the audience who is there, leaving the audience engaged and anticipating to find out who it is. The use of darkness also has connotation of evil and hidden identity, both of which are themes which could be argued are present in the film Halloween, and are both conventional themes of a thriller, therefore the opening sequence gives the audience a slight insight into the direction the film begins to unravel.
Iconography has been used in the scene. This is evident as the victim is a youthful, attractive, female. It is conventional of thrillers to use young attractive female victims as it entourages the audience to feel sympathy for the character, feeling sorry for her as she's portrayed as a vulnerable individual. This in turn, generates suspense as the audience presume she's an easy target.
The conventional point of view shots have been used, in this case to hide the identity of the killer. This can be seen when the view of shot is reduced by the mask Michael puts on before murdering his sister. This convention is effective in thriller films as it generates mystery, keeping the audience on the edges of the their seats waiting and anticipating the identity of the antagonist to be revealed.

Characters

Michael Myer's character is not revealed to be the killer until the very end of the opening sequence where he is unmasked to be the killer by his parents. The camera remains up until this point to shoot from the killers point of view so the character of the antagonist is not immediately obvious to the audience. This would be conventional of a thriller as a theme of hidden identity generates enigma, suspense and surprise.
The victim in the opening sequence would be considered a typical victim in thriller films because she is young, female, blonde and naked when she is stabbed to death, this highlights her vulnerable state before her attack. The way in which she is presented as being vulnerable makes the audience feel sorry for her as it is predictable she is likely to be killed/hurt. This would be an example of dramatic irony as the audience assume the character is going to be murdered yet the character doesn't see it coming.  Using a young, blonde, female character would be considered conventional of a thriller movie as there is typically female victims found in thriller films that the audience can sympathise for.

Narrative

The narrative is based on Halloween night. Halloween has connotations of evil, costumes and masks. Simply the title of the film and the fact its set on Halloween suggest to viewers that something sinister is soon to take place. The narrative is set in a suburban american neighbourhood, this would be conventional of a thriller as it can be easily related to by most individuals. However, the typical suburban family is torn apart following Michael Myers, a young boy, killing his older sister to only be caught by his parents following the awful act. The fact the film includes murder would alone fit the conventions of a thriller film. When murder is committed in the film shock and enigma is produced, both two audience reactions typical of the thriller genre. There are several narrative conventions in the opening scene such as; your typical, blonde, female victim, who is left alone in the house naked, indicating she is vulnerable. The scene ends with Michael stabbing his sister repeatedly before fleeing the house only to be caught by his parents. The narrative of Halloween is conventional of a thriller and most of the storyline the audience could relate to as the film begins with an ordinary american, suburban neighbourhood which due to the sinister acts of Michael Myers leaves the community feeling uneasy and torn apart.


Summary

My analysis of the opening scene of Halloween will enable me in planning my own thriller in the way that I have closely focused on the main aspects of conventions of a thriller that would be typically used in an opening scene. I have also obtained a good idea of what camera angles I should begin to consider to use, a rough idea of a narrative that I like, the variation of lighting I could use e.g. low key lighting, types of characters I would like to use e.g. female victim, antagonist v. protagonist and the sound I would like to use in my opening sequence of a thriller. In conclusion, this research into the conventions of a thriller opening sequence has educated me in regards of what to include in my own production of a thriller opening sequence in order to generate enigma, suspense and shock.