Audience feedback is essential to carry out to determine the success of our thriller film and whether it appeals to our target audience of 15+. Audience feedback allows us to take upon positive and negative points about our film which we can take onboard for future projects we work on. We screened our product in a school classroom to our target audience of 15+ where we received positive and negative feedback. We then uploaded it to Youtube to receive further feedback from a wider audience of people. This helped us by making us more aware of the positives of our thriller and what we could do to improve it. The feedback we recieved from screening our production to a group of people in a school classroom was as follows;
"The transitions and effects used
were effective as it informed me that a nightmare was taking place” – Jackie
Jarvis
“The use of low-key lighting
is successful as it defines the thriller genre” – Drew Wyllie
“I don't think the ending flowed
well with the quality of the rest of the film” - Kai Tyler
“There should of been a clear
transition when it changed from the shot of the girls face to the nightmare” –
Caroline Cheung
Overall I am pleased with the thriller that we created. I believe that it has all the codes and conventions required to produce a successful thriller film. However if I was given the opportunity to create my thriller again I would make sure I plan ahead in a lot more detail, allowing time for any mistakes or mishaps to occur. This would be a benefit as I would be fully aware of everything that we wanted to include and create each time we completed a task in our production process.
I think it is
important to create a meeting discussions table so that my group could record
everything we discussed about each action we anticipated to carry out. This
allowed us to be organised so that the information was available if we needed
to refer back to it at any point.
I think myself, Daisy
and Danniella worked well as a team as we were all aware of what we anticipated
from our thriller film. The 3 of us in my group worked together throughout each
action we had to complete except creating the group storyboard and writing the
opening scene narration. This is because as a group we believed Danneilla would
be most successful with creating the group storyboard, as she is more able to
complete an artistic task. Whereas we decided that myself and Daisy were more able
to successfully write the opening scene narration.
Editing styles are an important part of the film production process. Different editing styles are incorporated to set the pace of a film, which can create certain effects upon the audience to enhance their experiences while watching. For example, fast pace editing can be included in films to create a sense of chaos upon the audience, whereas slow paced editing is used to lengthen a scene, raising the audiences suspense levels and creating more of a thrilling experience. Also various transitions can be used to create meaning to a certain shot as well as just linking it to the next one.
During the process of creating our group storyboard we had to be aware of all the editing styles we could include. We then had to decide upon the type of editing we wished to include at different points of our thriller opening. This meant discussing as a group, the pace of editing we wanted to incorporate and the transitions we wished to include.
As a group we decided that during the house scene we would use slow pace editing which is conventional to a thriller as it heightens the audiences suspense levels, as they are left on the edge of their seats. Between these shots we would also incorporate mainly straight cuts to show the smooth transitions between the actions the audience are presented with. However we hope to include a dissolve transition as Billy and Evie fall asleep and the audience are taken into their nightmare. This will therefore notify the audience that they are being taken into their nightmare so that they can follow the plot and enjoy their experience while watching.
My group also decided upon employing fast pace editing during the forest scenes as it will build tension and leave the audience on the edge of their seats as they feel as though they are experiencing the nightmare with them. We aim to capture a variety of shots from various angles during the chase scenes which we will edit together using straight cuts to enhance the audiences suspense and panic, further engaging them into the film.
Before the filming process for our thriller opening scene began we had to
take into consideration the sound we wished to use throughout. This meant
our group had to come together to discuss our ideas with regards to what our
group storyboard reflected. During our discussion we decided upon which
diegetic and non-diegetic sounds we wanted to include.
During the very beginning of our opening scene we will employ an ambient soundtrack to create an eerie atmosphere as the idea that Billy has schizophrenia is revealed. The use of the sound links in with the idea that Billy is unstable. At the begining of our opening scene we will incoporate diegetic sound of a clock ticking whilst Billy is preparing the tablet in the drink that is for Evie. We have chosen to use this sound as we hope to create an effect on the audience as we present to them the slow passing of time which links in with his slightly odd thought pattern due to his schizophrenia. Also during this part of the opening scene we hope to include the sound of the pill being dropped into the water and the fizzing of it as it dissolves. This is to emphasise the ongoings of what Billy is doing, which we hope will create a great impact on the viewers. The audience will also be presented with the dialogue where Billy tells Evie to drink the mixture which will raise the suspicions of the audience.
Further into the opening scene as the nightmare begins to happen we will
incoporate heavy breathing and the sound of a heartbeat during the fast pace
shots of Billy and Evie running through the forest. This is to heighten the
audiences experieneces as their suspense levels are greatly increased. Also
during the nightmare we hope to include the sound of crunching leaves as
they run through the forest. This is because we were unable to achieve the
correct sounds during filming and also to heighten the effect of the forest
location upon the audience. Throughout the nightmare reversing we will also include an soundtrack to enhance the idea of the audience being taken back to reality which we hope we have a substantial effect on the viewers.
A filming schedule is produced before the film production takes place. This is so that crew members can plan out a schedule of when each shot is to be filmed and what is needed in each one. This therefore can save a lot of time and disruption during the filming process.
Creating our own filming schedule allowed us to consider each shot individually which meant we were more prepared when it came to the filming process. With each individual shot we included the date of which we hoped to film, the location, the action of the shot, costumes, hair and make-up, iconography, personnel and also the equipment we needed to film the shot. During the filming process, we only referred to our schedule
a few times. This is because we wanted to follow the flow of the natural ideas
that occurred to us. We changed a few shots to suit the conventions of
thrillers for example we shot a close-up of Billy’s face whilst stirring the
pill rather than a mid-shot to display his sadistic nature.
By creating a film schedule it benefitted us as we were prepared and knew what had to be done and what was needed for each shot. The filming process was therefore less time consuming and it left us with room to experiment with different shots we thought of on the spot.
At the beginning of thriller films credits are employed for a number of purposes. They are used to inform the audience of the most important cast and crew members, for example, the main characters, the director and the producer. The film credits are also incorporated to create suspense alongside the transitions and the music, which therefore informs the audience of the genre of the film. This is also portrayed to the audience with the use of thriller conventions throughout the opening. The style of font used on the film credits also plays an important part in setting the tone of the film and allows the audience an insight into what to expect throughout the film. Opening film credits are extremely important at engaging and setting the interest for the audience, as they should directly relate to the genre of the film, which means that the viewers are prepared for what is to come. Se7en Opening Credits
During the opening credits of Se7en dark colours are employed which evokes a sense of darkness and mystery upon the audience, this keeps them engaged as the plot is being introduced, which sets the viewers interests early on. The dark colours also allow the audience to pin point the genre of the film and therefore are aware of what to expect throughout the film.
The font of the cast and crew members that are included is white, and is set mainly on a plain black background. This allows the text to stand out and convey its significance to the audience. The style of the font is gothic which relates directly to the thriller genre as it is mysterious and gloomy. This creates an impact on the audience before they are introduced to the main plot of the film. The visual look of the font is as if it has been scratched in which links to the image of someone scratching the dead skin off of their finger. This raises the suspicions of the audience as they wonder what the significance of the image is. The scratching effect also links to the thriller genre as it creates an impact on the audience and makes them imagine something violent happening as it is between high pitched, sharp music.
Throughout the opening credits generic conventions are employed to follow the thriller genre and to inform the audience of the genre of what they are about to watch. Low-key lighting is used to show the darkness of what is being portrayed in the opening. The audience witness a character cutting off his fingerprints, which may suggest he will, or has, committed a crime. The use of the low-key lighting at this specific point allows the audience to figure out the darkness of the plot and therefore raises their anticipation to find out why he has infact cut off his fingerprint. The iconography of the opening credits are all significant to the actual film, which gives the audience an insight into what to expect. The significance of the book to the opening conveys to the audience that it may infact be a diary that the character is recording occurrences that have happened or will happen. This point is also further highlighted by the use of the image of someone that has been scribbled out. It portrays to the audience that it may be someone the 'killer' is after, or is plotting against. The opening credits as a whole are relatively fast paced allowing the viewers to be introduced to a vast number of significant forms of iconography. This builds the audiences' anticipation as more and more is revealed to them regarding the plot which means their interests are kept keen. This could also signify a characteristic of the character, that they may carry out a number of murders at a quick pace. Sound is a huge aspect of this particular opening scene as it creates a huge impact on the viewers. The employment of the high pitched scratching sounds allow the audience to imagine a violent act being carried out which therefore increases their thrill while watching. The diegetic sound used in the opening scene also creates a great impact on the viewers, as the sound links in with the visuals. This allows the significants of each significant shot to enhance the viewers experiences while watching even more. The opening credits are presented in the order as follows; the name of the studio, name of the production company, who the films by, followed by the main characters, the film title, featuring actors, then casting by, music by, costume designer, edited by, production designed by, director of photography, co-producers, co-executive producers, executive producer, followed by the more important roles of written by, produced by and directed by. These are presented in the most common form of appearance, allowing the audience to be introduced to the cast and crew members in an order that allows them to recognise their importance and relevance to the opening credits. The After Life Opening Credits The opening credits of The After Life are employed onto a pure white, angelic background. The use of the colour white could be symbolic to the audience as it may connote the idea of heaven, which relates to the fact the male character in the opening is a funeral director, who deals with people that have died. The font incorporated on top of the pure white background is red, which connotes the idea of blood, which further links in with the theme of death. The style of the font is basic and in capitals which is unusual as it does not follow thriller conventions. The use of the capitals however, allows the information in the credits to stand out and in result the audience are more likely to remember what they read. Throughout the opening scene generic conventions are employed to enhance the thriller genre throughout. The idea of death is conveyed through the images the audience are presented with of a dead man in a coffin and also the low key lighting used, which creates shadows and reinforces the theme of death. Forms of iconography are also incorporated to signify different aspects of the plot of the film. A camera flash is used which extracts a pure white flash that could represent the mans path towards heaven, as it then links onto the white background with the red font. This provides the viewers with a further insight into the plot of the film and allows them to know what to expect during the rest of the film. The order of appearance of the relevant cast and crew members is in the most common order. This allows the viewers to be introduced to the significant members of the cast and crew that is relevant for them to be aware of before they watch the film. This could also inform them of a certain structure of film production by the company involved, this could therefore mean they to know what to expect from the film.
For my thriller opening scene I had to create my own storyboard of my interpretations of what we anticipated our opening scene to look like. I had to include the aspects of each shot I created, including; shot type, duration, iconography, location, characters, lighting, sound and how the shot would be edited. My storyboard conveys how I have included thriller conventions, such as; low key lighting and fast pace editing. I have incorporated these within my ideas as I believe it would enhance the audiences experiences while watching.
Creating my own individual storyboard allowed me to present the ideas I had regarding our narrative, and therefore I was able to share these with my group members when it came to conjoining our ideas together to create our final group storyboard. I decided to create my own images rather than drawing them because I thought it would give me and my group more of a visual idea of how I pictured our thriller opening scene to look like. Using my own images proved a success as I was able to visualise my interpretation of the opening scene in detail which allowed me to contribute my ideas accurately within my group.
