What iconography do you expect to see in the genre thriller?

Monday, 22 February 2010

How does it communicate and appeal to your chosen target audience?

The target audiences for the trailer greatly appeal to hte choosen audience because it contains suspense, tension and confusion we is what todays society requies from thrilers.

Whilst, doing my research investigation, I have found that if the trialer does not met the audiences expectitions then that would result in the film being a flop. Due to the absences of the conventions of the trailers that are required by audiences, thereofe, expectitions are not met, needs are not fufilled. The film is rejected.

By knowing the great importance that is placed upon the conventions of a genre, in this case in a thriller. To make sure that our trailer does communicate and appeal to our choosen audience, we tried to include all the conventions of a thriller. Having studied thrillers to a great amount, the thrilelr convention that I found are of importance and have included in the trailer include:

Setiings- Are usually safe and secure, but where extradrdinary events take place.
Starting is set in a college. other setting is park, both safe places, which becomes 'unsafe' place by the end of the trailer.

An enigma or secret at the heart of the narrative, which must be explained = In the trailer the secrecy of who the murderer is kept a secret, not revealed.

Phsychological= The protagnist is siplayed to confuse audiences and to question his mentailty.

Therefore, by including these convention, the targeted audiences will be greatly attracted.

Evalution:

Weaknesse also includes, not being properly organised and looking and checking out the trailer together as a group,and not discussing it.

Due to this, we are now towards the end of the trailer, but we are still muddled up on the footages. Before we decided to use the voices of characters and the voice over, in the trailer. However, whilst watching it with Sarah we now have decided to not use the voices, and even have deleted Micheals and Sam's voice over.

This has shown me that lack the abilltiy of having the bond as a group to go over things. If I was to do this again I would make sure that as a group we would fo through the footages and experiment variety things.

As we now are running out of time to experiment and mix the scenes up to convey rhe disequillibrium aspect of the trailer. This is something that I was really hoping to achieve within the trailr. Therefore we are now hoping to achieve this in our free time.




These are the other two trailers that I investigated in my research investigation:

Sunday, 21 February 2010

How does your trailer compare to a real media text? (be specific)

I think that my trailer compares to a real trailer in many ways like the disequllibrium aspect of the trailer conveys the intrigiung and empahsises the confusion, tension that many trailers display to the audiences.

I feel that the storyline is very similar to other media texts, like there are many trailers that consist of similar stories, with a murder being dispalyed
and rhe audiences being kept in the dark about who the murderer is.
This kind of media text creates suspense and confusion which is solved whilst watching the film. Therefore, my trailer also hides the killer, and the killer is not revealed. This kind of films tend to be thrillers. As I have found out within my individual investigation, the genre is also a thriller. Afterschool, Disturbia and Brick are all thrillers.

From my research investigation I found that:
Similar to my trailer, Afterschool and Disturbia's trailer also consist of a murder, where the killer is not revealed, also present in my trailer.

However, in contrast Brick contains a crime investigation where the murder is not presented. Therefore, despite all three being thrillers, including my trailer consisits of the same genre. However have differences as well as similarties.

Whilst doing my trailer, I realized that the two trailers that I had invesigated in my research, Afterschool and Disturbia are very similar to my trailler.

For example: The starting of these two trailers and my trailer all start in a normal, safe envirnment.

My trailer= In a college, students see a "film club" poster and are excited over it, conveying normality.

Afterschool = Also starts in a school, presenting the protagnist in school. Normality presented with the iconography of the school bell, school uniforms and classrooms.

Disturbia = Starting is in a neighbourhood, displaying the normality of the young in his teens protagnist who is presented as a normal guy.

All three show safe, normal settings whhere 'unsafe' things accur.

RESEARCH INVESTIGATION:

Whilst, doing the research investigation I gained lots of new knowlodge about genres and thrilers. Therefore, basing our trailer on thriller, due to having researched and studied it before.

Doing the research investigation, I done academic research from the interenet and libary books. Therefore, recieving new knowlodge within genre, particularly thrillers. This made me more aware of in depth genre theory.

I learnt that theorists such as Stam, Altman and Steiger all have similar beliefs, but express their views and opinions in different ways.

New genre concepts: Sub- genre, and hybrids.

WHAT IS LEFT TO DO:

We have overcome the most difficut aspect of the traielr, the EDITING.

However, we still have to do the mixture of the footages.

We were suppose to do this in lesson on Thurs, but could not becacause Raza had a open day and therefore me and Hina could not contunie to do the editing, not having his password.

Me and Hina done our best to try and get in contact with him, but could not so we decided that we will do it on Friday.

Friday; not having a media lesson on this day, I tried to find Raza all day in my free time, but was not successful.

I then decided to go to Sarah and tell her, she then told me that we can complete it on Monday's lesson after the half term.

This was not good as I wanted a lot of time to do this to try various mixture of shots to see how it would look.

So if we were to do this, I would be more organised and more firm in what I say.
As I did ask Raza on Wed, the day before he went to his open day to give me his password, but was not on his case for it the way I should have been.

DECISIONS WITHIN THE TRAILER:

Decisions:
The decision to make our film high concept, high budget American film or an Independent film, Art Film was a bit difficult as we did not know what road to follow. However, we decided to go with an Independent film, as we did not want the "wow" factor with lots of different things that would intrigue the audience and be colourful and eye catching, with each footage being intriguing. Also Afterschool is an independent film, therefore we wanted to go for that kind of look.

Poll:

This poll allows me to link my indvidual research on genre to my trailer which also is a thriller.

By publishing, this poll I want to recieve information on what others feel that is the most important convention, as all of the conventions mentioned in the poll are included in the three trailers that I investigated Afterschool, Disturbia and brick. However, not all are present in the trailer that we created, so I want know what individuals view as the most relevent convention within a thriller genre.

I feel that the most important convention of a thriller would be a normal environment at the starting, which becomes 'unsafe'. This is present in our trailer, as a normal setting is conveyed with a school being displayed with students, resulting in a normal envirnment.

However, my poll will produce various responds due to each individual having polysemic readings, so not everyone will have the same answears. Therefore, my answear will differ from others.

Saturday, 20 February 2010

Sounds=
Leaves shuffling
School Bell
this was difficult to get because it was hard to find the correct sound that fitted the trailer. Also on some of the websites you had pay.

However, with Sarahs help we found the perfect sounds appropriate for our trailer.
The sound needed for the trailer:

THE SOUND NEEDED:

Sounds

Imrovements:

I feel that one of the improvements that could have been achieved for the trailer is one of the footage. The footage is at the starting of the trailer, filmed in the classroom with Sam playing the teacher. I feel that the scene is meant to have a great focus on the protagnist and the female flirting and being lovey- dovey.

But I think that if we shot this scene again, it would have been better. As Raza and Uzma did not feel comfortable acting like that in front of others. So therfore, I feel that we done that scene again with just the two of them and then added it in, then it would have been much better, making it more realistic, as there chemistry is really great.

Weaknesses

Overall, to figure the plot for the trailer was difficult, considering we each had our own storylines and we seemed to have run ahead and not actual concentrated on the fact that the trailer was inspirational of Afterschool. Therfore it had to be similar, so we all done our own storylines and then looked at each others and picked each of the best points and then put the plot together.

The most difficult was to figure the ending out. But we managed to achive a ending with good team work.

Srenghts and Weaknesses:

Overall, the meetings after colleges were successful.
But the weakness aspect were that:

Examples: Once we planned a meeting, but no one turned up as it was cancelled and I went to the classroom and was waiting but no one turned up seeing as it got cancelled.

Therefore, this was very annoying.

One of the weakness of our group was that, despite all of us taking each other's numbers at the start, we still could not reach each other in hard times.
This was something the group lacked as Raza took the paper that we all wrote our numbbers on. Therefore we could not contact each other. This was very annoying as numerous events took place when I needed to contact one member but could not. For example, when I was left waiting after college for a long time, when I could have rang them but could not, this waiting was very frusrating and I had to wait till the next day to knnow what had happened.

Strenghts: Despite having this problem, I feel that we still managed to successfully completed our work the one that we were behide. Having meetings every Wed after college contuniously gave us a chance to share and hear each others ideas. This time was very useful as we had time to plan nthings like shooting dates, times and the cast. Due to lesson time not being enough to actual proper plan the whole trailer, and there was a lot of things that needed to be discussed between us as a group.

Friday, 19 February 2010

Overall, my role as a dirctor was challenging and frustrating, with having my voice heard and being in charege and planning things.

But I gainined the skills of talking to others and listening to other people and putting ideas together.

For example,for the ending of our trailer, we all had our own individal endings. So we all looked at each others endings and put ideas and then made a final ending.
Making it a team work.

Director evalution:

Being a director it was my duty to make sure everyone was available at the same time, this was difficult as different people had variety of commitments. Therefore, having Raza as a protagnist again made it easy. he knew the importance of shootings.

Shooting Evulation:

The first shooting day was iof shootingn Canal Hill park.
This where we experieced our first problem:

We were all on time , but Suhail was running late, this made us panic as Suhail was the one who was suppose to bring other people to act as other students.
It wss raining and we were all really cold.
But then we decided to stay calm and to carry on the filming of the nature.

Whilst, we were doing this, Suhail ended up coming with other people.

We were really grateful and then we began to successfully shoot.

As there is problem with puncuality, different poeple coming in different times, we did experiece the waiting, but overall we did not experience any major problems, where one of the actors were unable to make it on the actual day.

Our problems accured when uploading the footages and experiencing major problem viewing the footages, due to tecnical and the camrea having problem. This was very annoying. As it wasted time.

Scripts: Evaluation

As a director it was my role to do the scripts.

Doing the scipt for Raza and Uzma, flirting with each other was the easiest script as I could just make it up, them being flirty with each other.

However, the scipts for the voice over, was the hardest.
When I done a scipt for Sam at the starting him being a teacher, I first done it, and showed to Sarah who said that it was "to much information" and that I had to shorten it.

Sarah also gave the idea of having this at the ending "The world is at your doorstep", which is something I really liked.

I then showed to Sam.

Micheals voice over, for the captions things was also easy and simple, as all he had to do was say the captions, name of the film, things which are already there he had to say them.

Casting Evulation:

Choosing the other cast was not a big deal, as me, Hina not Suhail as he is the camearaman, also acted in the background as other students.

Me, as a director found this job the easiest and the most simpilist. Despite all our group getting involved with the acting we still suffered of needing mre people.
Therefore, Suhail told a group of his m8z to come.

Me and Hina brought one each person to be in the background as acting as students.

This went really well and we managed to get these people on time for the shootings.

Thursday, 18 February 2010

Casting: evalution

Overall, as director having the role of choosing the actors, I think my choice for Raza to be the main protagnist was very wise because due to him being part of the group and knowing how important it was for us as a group to meet certain deadlines, he was there. He also knew the story inside out, bringing a grat advantage to hid acting skill, making him look more natural and realistic, despite him not being an skilled actor. Also even if did end making changes within the storyline, we did not have to explain it, due to him already being there.

The next hard job was finding an actress for Raza, someone to act oposite him and be his love interest. As a group we decided to have Hina's friend to act oposite Raza.

But, once we got there the first day of shooting, Raza brought his girlfirend Uzma and wanted her eto be the leading girl. This made things hard, having asked the other girl to do it, but as a group we pulled together and explained to the girl who did not made. As Raza felt more comfortable with Uzma doing love scenes.

However, once on the screen Raza and Uzma's chemistry came out on the screen lookig natural and realistic. They also did have to learn the script, line to line, as they improvised and felt really comfortable flirting and being together.

Although, later on Uzma was not available, due to exams, so we could not re shoot her scenes that came out wrong due to the camera, but we stayed calm and with Phill and Sarahs help fixed the problem.

REFLECTION ON CHOICES:I

Whilst having researched and anylysed three thriler trailers for my research investigation, Afterschool, Disturbia and Brick, I have found that to intrigue the audience, we should as a group take ideas from the Afterschool trailer, it intrigued me and me want to watch it, and the storyline did confuse me and created susupense for me. This is what I want for my trailer. So therefore, Afterschool is an inspirational trailer.

Spare time:

I also looked at different trailers with montages:


My trailer being a British Independent film, I research and analyse lots of British Independent trailers.

SPARE TIME:

This trailer is a contrast to "Even Dead Men Die" which is what I want for my traielr, different shots not in order, disequilbium. Whereas this is kind of straight forward a thriiler which I done for my research investigation, "Disturbia" which displys the storyline in a order, equillibrium.

Disturbia:

Spare time:

Whilst, in my spare time I continued to look at independent film trillers, which continously gave me ideas of the layout, order and the whole outlook of the trailer.



This trailer made me understand how a mixture of shots and angels can be used, to create confusion within the audences.
Different audiences will hava different readings, polysemic readings. Therefore, like the Afterschool, Brick and Disturbia trailers the intended audiences will accecpt the intended meaning that is required for the audiences by the producers and directors, this is a preferred reading.

Whereas, THE Negioted reading, the audience may accecpt the murder and the confusion within the trailer but may be prepared to argue about the representaion of women at the same time. This can be presented in the three thrailers that I am researching Afterschool, Brick and Disturbia in my research investigation.
Our trailer "The Cut" is an independent film, which has an niche audience. This leads to it being a low- budget film.

Audiences for my trailer:

The intended audiences for my trailer would be, considering it has aspects of crime investigation in it would be the age range of 18-38, and would be intended for both females and males, since it has a teeager lover story, part of it. The females audiences will identify with the female who is murdered, whilst the males as well as sympathising with the female, may also identify with the protagnist, the male.

The demographic, socical class would D, working class as they are more likely to identify with the protagnist, and the actors are also presented as working class.

The intended audience for ethnicity would be white, but all the ethnicities would watch it.
Howvever, they are the types of thrillers legal thrillers, which links to my research investigation thriller, Brick, which is a crime investigation. Similar Runaway Jury, which are intended for adults.

Whereas, there are those thrillers that are borderline horror films, such as, The Sixth Sense. Since films like this are close to horror (and horror films target teenage girls), the demographic would be slightly different... probably younger and more female based.

The genre for our trailer is thriller.
Therefore the intended audience for a thriller tend to differ depending on what kind of sub-genres that the film consists of.

For example: No Country For Old Men target audience was probably for the young male adults.

Each audience will consume the same product ina different way. To be able to target the most appropriate audience, the producers tend to meet the demographics of the audiences.

Demographics include: Age, Gender, Sexuality, Ethnicity, Class = Make up of the audiences.
Things that can not be changed within a indiviual.

Theae demographics classify an target audience.

Therfore, different individuals have different readings, polysemic readings.
Four types of readings:

1. Preferred reading = Where the individual accecpts the reading and therefore accecpts the message that that the producers/directors intended.

2. Negoiated reading = When audiences accecpt the dominant meanings but are willing to argue against some represenation within the text.

3.Oppositional reading = Audiences completly reject the preferred reading, the dominant meaning within the text.

4. Aberrant reading = An entirely different meaning from that intended by the maker will be taken from the text. When indivual members of the audiences do not share, in any way the values of the maker of the text.
Audiences:

Audiences for any media product is the group that consumes it.
The target group is the group at who the product is specificallly aimed.

There are two types of audiences:

1.Mass audience = aim to engage a wide audience, like My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Eastenders. Include high concept films.

2. Niche audience = aim at specific group. Include independent and Art films like This Is England and Afterschool.
Applying Transitions
A video Transition defines how a movie moves from one clip to another. It is never a good idea to move between two video clips suddenly. A transition gives the viewer a sense of continuity.
There are many types of transitions. The Cross Fade moves smoothly between two video clips, without jarring the watcher. The picture given below shows you how a Cross Fade transition works.



Adding Effects
An effect produces results that cannot be achieved by normal techniques. While special effects are traditionally very expensive, and the special domain of Hollywood technicians, digital video editing with software like Video Edit Magic makes it simple to leave your audience stunned. One effect is the Brightness/Contrast effect. This can be used to correct images that appear too bright, dark or dull. The picture given here shows you a video before and after applying the effect.
Applying Transitions
A video Transition defines how a movie moves from one clip to another. It is never a good idea to move between two video clips suddenly. A transition gives the viewer a sense of continuity.
There are many types of transitions. The Cross Fade moves smoothly between two video clips, without jarring the watcher. The picture given below shows you how a Cross Fade transition works.



Adding Effects
An effect produces results that cannot be achieved by normal techniques. While special effects are traditionally very expensive, and the special domain of Hollywood technicians, digital video editing with software like Video Edit Magic makes it simple to leave your audience stunned. One effect is the Brightness/Contrast effect. This can be used to correct images that appear too bright, dark or dull. The picture given here shows you a video before and after applying the effect.
Editing:

During editing, despite it being Raza's job.
I learnt a lot of thingz:Applying Transitions
A video Transition defines how a movie moves from one clip to another. It is never a good idea to move between two video clips suddenly. A transition gives the viewer a sense of continuity.
There are many types of transitions. The Cross Fade moves smoothly between two video clips, without jarring the watcher. The picture given below shows you how a Cross Fade transition works.



Adding Effects
An effect produces results that cannot be achieved by normal techniques. While special effects are traditionally very expensive, and the special domain of Hollywood technicians, digital video editing with software like Video Edit Magic makes it simple to leave your audience stunned. One effect is the Brightness/Contrast effect. This can be used to correct images that appear too bright, dark or dull. The picture given here shows you a video before and after applying the effect.

Tuesday, 16 February 2010

Whilst, watching this trailer, I want our trailer to have different montages, with different quick shots, and not in order, disequbillium.
To confuse the audience and intrigue them.

EDITING:

We have greatly achieved in completing everything.
The filming, voice-overs, scripts and music.
This leaves us with the last aspect of to do list, the editing.

Despite, Raza being the editing person, we still ask him if needs any assistance or help, which is up to him to accecpt or not.

I went on youtube to check the editing tecniques in trailers. Due to Afterschool being our inspirational, I decided to analyse that trailer:

Wednesday, 10 February 2010

I watched this trailer and I found the editing tecniques useful, the fast pace and dramatic effects within the trailer greatly intrugried me.
9th Feb:

Today in lesson me nad Hina contunied to look at trailers to get more idea's about the layout of the tailers. We also checked some soundtracks out.

Whilst Raza contunied with the editing.

Me and Hina also came up with different ideas to structure the trailer. The order of the fooptages. We wanted a mixture of the scenes, to make it look dramatic and more likee a trailer.

Tuesday, 9 February 2010



Possible soundtracks:
We can use this as a sountrack
One of the soundtracks that can be used in the trailer is:


Britain's Got Talent - Grand Final - Escala - Click here for funny video clips
Whilst, recording Raza started to laugh
Raza then completed the voice over, whilst me and Hina helped me not to be nervous and told him what to say:
Raza feeling nervous.
Phil helping us.
Phill helped us fix the problem. We then started to do the voice over.

Whilst doing it, Raza did not feel comfortable doing in front of us so we done it a few times to make it perfect
Trying everything and not being able to fix the voice settings, we decided to call Phill, who helped us.
Problems faced within the recording room:

When we went in the recording room, when recording Raza's voice, another sound kept coming in the way. We did not know how to fix this.

We tried everyting to fix this within the Garage Band:
However, although finding out the problem with the voice at the right time and therefore having enough time to fix it.

We faced probelms in the recording room.
Whilst me, Hina and Raza went to do the voice over, we decided that there was no point in all of us going and wasting valuable time, so Suhail stayed and sorted out a problem that we had with the lightening of the footage with the help of Phill.

Problems whilst filming:

Whilst doing the editing and watching the footages.
We realized that Raza voice was not clear. In the footage we could not understand what he is saying clearly.

Solution:

TO solve the problem, we decided to have Raza's voice as a voice over.
We dicovered the problem in lesson time, so we had a fair bit of time left, we then decided to go to do the vocie over as we were all free and the equipment was free to use we decided to do it.

We went to the other room to do this:

This is where the voice over was done.


suhail: The camera man


This is at the background when Sam is talking to the students, to make it look more realistic by having an actual deadline present at the background.


This is the classroom scene:

Raza the protagnist and the main girl are flirting in the background.
The protagnist Raza likes her so he is staring at her.

I had to do a script for this.
But in the end, despite doing one, the two imrovised and therefore did not need the script as all they had to do was flirt.


This is the same scene, but a different angel. This is from the back.


This is the same scene, but a different angel. This is from the back.


This is the starting of the corrider scene. Where Usma and her friends see the film club poster and are interested in it.

This went well because we improvised and we knew what to do and we did not laugh or anything. Depite this, we had to repeat this a few times because we tried different angels. We wanted a variety to choose from when editing.


This is the filming of the poster scene.
I had to do a scrip for this. This is the bit when Raza goes up to Usma and flirts with her and because of her wants to go to the film club.
"If your going, then I am definatly going"
He is flirting with her.
club,

This is the poster for the film will be shown at the starting of the trailer.
In this scene me, Hina and another girl as well as Usma and Raza acted and Suahil filmed with the help of Sam.

We done many various scenes for this footage.
We done different angels, from the top, back and front.


This is Raza and me whilst acting for the trailer.
We are all seated around a tabel with Sam, the teacher by the board and Suhail at back of the classroom making the film so that Sams facing the cameara.
This is Suahil he is the camear man.
We filmed in the college for the starting scene in the classroom when the project is given out. Sam as shown in the picture is the teacher in the trailer.

The rest of us acting in the trailer.

Raza: being the protagnist was in the trailer.

Hina and me: we also particpated being the trailr, but in the background, as the other students in the film club.

We also had other students from the college acting as other students in the trailer.

Being the director, I had to write the script for what Sam as a teacher had to say
"The world is at your doorstep"
"the leaves".

Same read the script but after reading it, instead of memeorising it he decided to improvise.

fILMING PICTURES
LOACTION: jcc

sounds

The sound tracks that we are using in the trailer:

8th Feb:

Toady in lesson Raza carried on with the editing.
I carreid on with looking at independent films on youtube to gain some ideas for the order of our trailer.
Whilst Raza was doing the editing we decided that the questioning scene of the neighbour, mum and uncle was not the way we expected. For example the uncle scene, the footage was messed up with the voice coming after his mouth moving, this made it look out of place. Therefore, we decided not have the footage of the uncle " It was you". We also noticed that the neightbour footage appeared to look scary and did not seem relevant for the trailer. Taking Sarah's opinion we decided to not have the neighbour footage and to stick with only having the mother questioning.

Whilst, looking through the footages, we decided that the last scene of the trailer should be the footage of the dragging of the dead body. Also with the echoing of the protagnist saying "It was not me".

Monday, 8 February 2010

§

In lessons I have been looking at independent films like

Saturday, 23 January 2010

I have been in my spare time looking at independant films to get some ideas on what kind of music they consist of to gain ideas for the trailer.
Due to having January exams we as an group we have not been having meetings after college. So therefore, next week we will have meetings after college and concentrate on the editing.

Monday, 4 January 2010

Monday 4th Jan:

Toady in lesson, we completed a calender for our trailer. This calender includes everything that we will do till 12th Feb 2012, which is our deadline.

The schedule is:

Monday 4th Jan= Schedule in class.

Wed 6th Jan= 3-4 (Phill) Raza and Suhail will do the Editing.
4-5 = Voice- over of Raza and editing= Sameria, Hina, Suhail and Raza.

Monday 11th-8th Feb= Editing in class on Mondays.

Wed 13th-10th Feb= Mac room, editing everyone.

Friday 12th Feb 2010=
Trailer and Blogger deadline.

Saturday, 2 January 2010

SOUNDTRACKS





So far, whilst doing our blogger, we have successfully completed the things that we needed to complete. All of the group memebers fulfiled their own roles, whilst the rest of us also helped to achieve a better result.

We have completed the filming, but we have still got the editing bit to do, so therefore the remaining of us will help him to complete the editing, in order finsh our trailer off.

I feel that as a group we have achieved what we needed, in the amount time that we had.
This may be due us, always having a back-up plan like when we done the voice-over and we decided to have Sam to do it, to be on the safe side we also asked Micheal. So when Sam done the voice over, his voice suited some of the scenes and the one that did not, having already asked Micheal all we had to do was go and call him and he came, giving the trailer a variety of voices.

By doing this we had the choice of deciding between the two.