Message to examiner

I wanted to take the time to thank you for looking over my work, I am excited to share with you the progress I've made during this class by showing off my skills and theories I've learnt and applied. I really hope you especially like my final product. Enjoy.

Final Production

Below is my final product, enjoy.

Evaluation - Question 7

In my media piece, I've tried to appeal to my target audience by making sure certain features were kept to. Whilst my media product does apply to both genders it is mostly aimed at females aged 15-25 and as a result the rating one gave the film was 15 as people younger would not understand certain aspects like the enigma code.
Being targeted for females I wanted the cast to be specifically female dominated since there is a lack of female protagonists even in mainstream films they always seem to play: the love interest, victim, or support character. Like Scarlett Johansson in 'The Avengers' she plays a strong female lead however she is always more a supporting character as shown in 'Iron Man 2'. Whilst we've empowered females with the casting some conventions were kept to like on of them playing a victim as it is to aware women of the dangers of certain areas and stalkers which at the time many girls have been targeted even on the location we filmed on, so in our local area it was a prominent issue. The reason for this is to unite the female gender, as in many films they are seen put against each other. Girls also tend to be target for appearance and this film highlights that a girl should be able to travel where ever, without the fear of these stalkers etc.
Music, there were lots of non diegetic sound to attract the audience and due to this type of music it gave a sense of danger with the horror style sound but also sounded natural and fit into the scene.
There is a twist which causes an enigma code as you don't see what happens to the victim or who kills her or even what happens to her. Whilst gore does attract audiences I thought that leaving it on this cliff hanger was far more beneficial as the audience wonders all these things and more: like what will happen to the protagonist Emma. Both girls are the average teenage stereotype hence why they are more relatable in younger teenage-early 20s girls. But also the sexuality as more LGBT themes are being explored in mainstream film and TV which effects the relationship with the audience and they are not conventional characters seen.

Evaluation - Question 6

What type of target audience would your product be aimed at.
Because my film is a niche it relies on those who go to the cinema an see it alone and more about escapism, rather as a social aspect. I think my film also applies to the male and female audiences as its highly "normal" and relatable and it relates to those who want to feel love and belonging in todorov's hierarchy of needs. The age is from 14-24 as it covers some real themes which are mature and you need a sense of that to understand certain enigma codes.

Evaluation - Question 5

Evaluation - Question 4

Evaluation - Question 3

"What kind of media institution might distribute your product and why"

Distribution is how you make your media product available to your audience for viewing, in my case it would be my short film/opening.

Film can be distributed via many platforms: TV, cinema, DVD, or online via sites like Netflix, who are currently monopolising the online market of film and TV.

You then have the Big Six who are multi national corporations who distribute most box office hits: Disney, Paramount and 21st Centaury Fox to name a few.

Due to my opening/film being British Arthouse film wouldn't distribute my product as it's just not suitable. However, whilst doing my research since my film would clearly be an independent I did research and I think Lionsgate might be the best institution. I say this because during research I stumbled upon a film I had loved and knew others did too and didn't realise it wasn't mainstream. With a budget of only 3.5 million pounds "The Descent" was created and distributed by Lionsgate, this is a British adventure horror. The cast was European but location was in North America. The reason this was distributed in the US was that it had something they could relate to as well exploring caves and being adventurous relates to most peoples childhoods of role playing and wanting to know everything. Arguably, this could be more of a mainstream film as independent films make you more think and are major hybrids of genres that are risqué, this uses safe genres however and in that case may be more relatable. It's profit return at box office was pretty decent gaining 57 million dollars back, which is good considering only 3.5 million pounds went into making it. Similarly to this film however, it relies heavily on those niche audiences, especially since when they marketed the film it was disturbed by bombings, which meant posters ignored and everyone focusing on the media coverage on that.

Hopefully, one would not be in the same situation, however, being a fresh idea and there would not be much funding for marketing, advertising and merchandising - one would also have to rely on the niche audience as well. My product also breaks conventions, and would be shot on location this would bring cost down as opposed to "The Avengers" which would need lots of hardware and green screens to shoot, mine would more than likely have lots of handheld camera work. Due to being similar to "Moonlight" So independent companies like A24 and Lionsgate UK might be the best for an independent risqué film, especially since I'd be unknown. A24 might however, want to revamp it with an American cast in an American looking forest as their deciduous tress are taller so location relates more to what they've seen to appeal to the American audience.
Hollywood tend to go for more reboots of a reboot, Wonder Woman for example is not original, it's already had past marketing and production and was quite popular. But now they want to modernize it to appeal to a larger audience and has a revenue stream rather than drip. Anticipation for this film had already came from her appearance in Batman vs Superman made the film an anticipation for the public and had audience drawn in so marketing, advertising and merchandising might not be a big issue. Superhero films seem to be the new popular genre however all are predictable as they follow the same Toldorov's Equilibrium theory. My film however lacks anticipation by a worldwide audience which makes it more likely to be distributed by an independent company rather than Disney or any of the Big Six.

Evaluation - Question 2

"How does your media product represent different social groups" this is the question I'll be answering on the prezi below

Evaluation - Question 1

'In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?'

1) Flashbacks
  Our thriller takes aspects and conventions from this thriller film Sin City. Throughout the story it has a narration over it, we chose to incorporate the narration in our product with the flashback a slow motion of things. This adds a sense of depth to our product and helps the audience to understand what is going on, whilst creating a non linear narrative for the audience follows. The flashbacks show Scarlett's and Emma's previous relationship and the tree where the story is based around. This also helps to create an enigma code of location and death, this is because they do not know why they always meet at the tree, until the end of the flashbacks and since the camera swaps from Scarlett to Emma you also do not know who is going to die.











2) Violence against women
Violence against women is a common theme seen throughout the thriller genre according to the genre convention theory like "The girl on the train" which makes this prominent by also making the protagonist female similarly to what was decided for our opening. However, unlike the film we chose to have homosexual relationships rather than heterosexual which challenges most conventions today. This also adds a sense of hyper-reality as the threat against women is the stalker and that has been in the news and word of mouth for a while and adds a 'real' sense to it which can also allow the audience to connect to it more since it's more realistic.












3) Heterosexual male
Unlike "Sin City" and many other films, we chose not to have the protagonist as a heterosexual male but instead subvert this and have a homosexual female teenager lead, as the male is also usually of age to be called a man. One has done this as we and our qualitative data collected had shown that more would like to see women empowered in film, hence we did that in our opening - we went down a more Jodie Foster route.












4) Typography
The typography used looks like and old font that screams creepy and danger, almost paranormal feel. Our typography uses the style serif its simple yet respectable and gives a calming feel which is a binary opposite when the non diegetic music starts which plays on the enigma code.
5) Generic Setting
Many horror thrillers use the conventional stereotype setting of woods/forest such as "wolf creek" and "Cabin Fever" just to name a few. These films often have a common place that the characters feel safe and secure that eventually turns into a dangerous place. Similarly, in our opening the tree symbolizes this place that the two know very well and is safe and secure to them, and as the opening progresses it turns a dangerous place when Scarlett is killed by a crazy stalker.
6) Lighting
My lighting is unconventional of mainstream films, but conventional films as it uses lots of natural lighting to give it a normal feel, and make it seem like daily life rather than with mainstream films how they use lots of high key lighting to make everything seem happy - I just wanted the film to have a everyday standard feel. Otherwise, it's like glamourizing death and it doesn't make the film feel right.

Editing my opening

Throughout my opening there are many techniques used. Firstly, at the start I wanted to set the scene with a non linear narrative, I did this by using flashbacks, this further generates an enigma code of location as the viewer will then want to know why the protagonists meet at the tree. The flashbacks also show the significance of the tree "a meeting spot" for the protagonists.
I further used parallel editing techniques to show the two traveling and what is going on at the same time showing elements of being stalked for one of the main protagonists, whilst the other is unaware that this might be the last time she'd see her lover. This allows the viewers to empathize  at the protagonists situation as one dies and the other will never know what had happened leaving her clueless, alone and heart-broken.
I further then used a few fast cuts when the death was coming near, this was to build tension, and show that some action was going on at the time. I ended it with a shot of the main protagonists hand which creates another enigma code of how she died, as you don't see any blood or the state of her body viewers are left to wonder how she died, or if she's even dead at all.
I was also able to follow the 180 degree rule as both characters came from two different points in the forest so I had to ensure I wither showed me crossing the line or stay on the right side of it until I was ready to cross it.

I also used the fade effects by going into the effects panel and video transitions then selected the fade I wanted then dragged it to the timeline where a cut icon would appear and then bam a fade. I did the same for the slow motion which was also in the effects tab. I was taught I could do it by remapping but I think that removes or alters the audio too and since I had a voice over along with it this means that it would be altered in a way that didn't flow with the film.

Thriller opening

Analysis of credits: Cyberbully

Analysis of editing: Woman In Black

I used powerpoint to present this and then had to turn it into a jpeg since the I couldn't upload it.

Analysis of lighting: paranormal activity

Script Justification

Here is our script. I wrote this with inspiration from Psycho and Friday the 13th stalker(ish) themes as they had great shots for stalking as well as settings. It fits the conventions, like the camera angles for example. We have an over the shoulder tracking shot, this gives the implication that the person is being followed or watched, while giving the audience a full view of what is happening, which engages the audience. -this also builds tension as the audience does not know what could happen next, which could allow one to subvert the genre etc. If one adds this with the combination of the over the shoulder shot this builds up tension and atmosphere as you can see everything the victim does and gives a sense of vulnerability: or a shadow/stalker behind the victim which makes a tense atmosphere. 


Another shot we have is a point of view shot. This enables the audience to connect with the stalker in this case emotionally and see things through his eyes, as the audience feel that whatever happens, or whatever the stalker/villain does in this case the audience is doing to the protagonist. Another reason why we used a point of view shot is that it allows us to convey ideas to the audience without actually having to state it in  dialogue, which is an example of subject cinema if done correctly. Different POV shots can change the meaning of something drastically, depending on the expressions and mise-en-scene used. We also have a conventional setting: a remote wood/marshland this conveys the idea of isolation since it is obviously in the middle of nowhere so the person is far away from any aid, with the added fact that the character is also really gives off the isolation vibes and tense atmosphere.
When one adds this with a female protagonist this builds on the vulnerability as females are typically implied to be the damsels in films and always in need of saving. This also has the added convention of threat of violence against women which nearly all films such as Psycho have used with the iconic shower killing scene.  Whilst subverting as the woman is a lesbian and female leads aren't typically used as the protagonist in thriller films, this break in cliché makes their personalities, actions and reasoning unpredictable keeping the audience on the edge of their seats building an enigma code throughout.


We have also decided to keep the narrative simple. This allows the audience to fully connect and be enticed with our technique because the narrative is not confusing or complicated such as the likes of Inception, but more like Taken in sense of a simplistic linear narrative, while removing all extraneous material.
We have also chose to title the clip "Scarlett" with the fact that red is a major signifier in film in general, since this is a thriller the red signifies many inferences: since being a name of the secondary lead character it relates to the beauty since they are a woman and love interest of the main protagonist. However, since the secondary protagonist dies (also a subversion since not many thrillers kill the protagonists) it signifies that there is danger, death and blood to come.

Script

Open with black screen 

Narrator: Scarlett.

Piano music begins

Fade to Scarlett.

Flashback begins, slow motion and distorted as Scarlett turns her head and laughs/smiles. Child's laughter, echoing/distorted. 

Long/wide shots showing them waiting at the tree (has to have a scarf tied around one branch on the right).

 (Happens as a montage, so costume changes in each montage, and different time and angle to show days passing) 

Narrator: She waits. She was always early, I was always late. Every Saturday at the tree; the big one with the scarf tied around the branch.

Flashback shot of the tree with the scarf, panning. 

Close up of the narrator and Scarlett hugging, slow motion, fades to black.

Narrator: I remember the day it happened. I doubt I’ll ever be able to forget.

Long shot of Scarlett walking through the forest. Muffled audio of music coming from earphones.

Close up of her face as she walks and her humming. Interrupted by the sound of leaves rustling and branches breaking. Scarlett stops and takes out one earphone.

Long shot of Scarlett looking around, match on action shot possibly. Leaves rustle again. Tree with the scarf has to be visible, showing how close she was to almost being there.

Cut to an over the shoulder shot of the Narrator walking to the woods (by the road on the third common). She’s on the phone.

Narrator: Yeah, I’m on my way to see her right now.

Cuts to hand held camera POV shot of someone walking through the trees, looking at Scarlett. Scarlett turns around scared. Audio from previous scene of Narrator saying: “see her right now” (shows the two are happening at the same time). More rustling. Music begins.

Long shot of Narrator walking to the woods. Music builds more.

High angle of Scarlett's feet as she is backing away Leaves rustling.

High angle shot of Narrator walking forwards (Match on action of foot placements). Sound spot of footsteps.

Narrator: Almost a year. Yeah, I know, I worry too – look, it’s only a short walk. The woods around here aren’t even that bad.

Close up of Scarlett’s face showing fear, also looking around nervously. Continue backing away. This plays at the same time as “aren’t even that bad”.

Close up of Narrator talking on the phone.

Narrator: Alright, talk later. Bye.

Include a phone sound to signify that the call has ended.

Midshot of Narrator walking into the woods, showing that she might be being watched too. She puts her hands into her pockets. Sound of leaves. 

Long shot: A shadow could pass over the camera, and then Scarlett turns around suddenly, stares directly at the camera, and then begins to walk towards it slowly. Scarf tree is visible behind her. Rustling of leaves and distorted laughter.

Turns around looking at the camera again, and then looks around her, closer shot, possible fast cuts. More leaves rustling and distorted laughter.

Narrator: It had never occurred to me… 

High angle POV shot, Scarlett looks at the camera, rolls her eyes and smiles but her smile suddenly drops. Her eyes move from the left to the right and back again, showing that there are multiple people in front of her.

Music builds as narrator speaks. 

Narrator: That one day, I’d reach the tree.

Over the shoulder shot of Narrator that becomes a close up as she turns her head and looks behind her.

Narrator: And she wouldn’t be there.

High angle shot of Narrator at the tree, showing that Scarlett isn’t there. Narrator looks side to side, there is non-diegetic laughter.

Narrator: Or that one day I’d call her.

Midshot: Narrator quickly goes on her phone and holds it up to her ear. 

Narrator: And there would be no reply.

Cuts to Scarlett, extreme close up of her hand/arm on the ground. If possible, it can be a pull focus from Narrator standing at the tree to Scarlett’s hand behind her on the ground, far enough that she won’t see her.

Close up of Scarlett’s phone and earphones pulled out, on the phone “name” calling. Phone ringtone.

Black screen with the title “Scarlett” sound spot of loud and slightly distorted ringtone. 

END.