Questionaire results

Question 1
For the first question we decided that we need to find out the age of the audience we are going to aim it at. Due to the results we found out that the most popular age group was 15-17, we will try and make our suitable for a minimum of age 15.

Question 2
In the second question we asked the gender of the people taking the questionnaire we found out there is slightly more males than females but the gap isn't that big so we will have to aim our films at all genders.

Question 3
I asked what was their favourite sub genre of thriller was, i asked a variety of sub genres and the most popular one was Psychological, me and my group will try to come up with a psychological thriller for our film.

Question 4
for question 4 we asked what are the most effective factors in a thriller, actors/acting and editing had the most amount of votes so for our opening we will try to include good actors which will be very suspicious to the audience and we will try to make the editing fast paced scenes towards the end to build up the tension.

Question 5
for question 5 we asked for their opinion on the most appropriate for titles, the answer with the highest votes was white,  but as white is the most popular colour and it has been used so many times we will experiment with the titles and find the most suitable colour

Question 6
For question 6 I wanted to find out what what the best narrative would be, due to the results I found out that stalker was the most popular narrative, so I will try and make my opening sequence about a stalker.

Question 7
In question 7 asked if it was important  for a thriller to have an intense opening, yes was the most popular answer so I will try and make my opening intense so it engages the audience so they will want to watch more.

Existing A level films

This was a existing A level film called exemption which we looked at in class, we made notes of what we liked about the film so we could try and include them in our opening sequence. some of these points are:

• Titles, my group liked the way the titles went off screen.
• Editing/Overlay, we liked the way the eye faded into a clock.
• We liked the way the music stopped and the titles appeared.
• Montage of close ups.
• Extreme close ups.
• POV shots.
• The music and the action start at the same time.
• Builds tension using fast shots.
• Jump cut shot.
• Over the shoulder shot.

This is another existing A level media film called Captive which we also looked at in class, we watched it once then discussed what we liked about it and it has the some of the same points as exemption, these are:

• Not centred shots
• Titles and how they move and jump around
• Establishing shot links into the title
• The security camera angles
• Extreme close ups
• POV Shot
• Silence or no dialog
• Music builds up suspense
• High pitched string instrument
• Fast paced editing 
• Flashbacks
• Sound bridge
• Montage of quick shots
• Reflection in the puddle
• Continuity of titles

Codes and Conventions of opening sequences

The purpose of a film opening is to entice the audience into carry on watching the film, the opening of a film should establish the characters and genre this can be done in many different ways, some of these are:

• A flashback, this is when the story jumps back in time and we can learn something to do with the film or a character
• A wide landscape shot, this sets the scene and inform the audience of where the film is taking place
• Narrations, this is the most simple but effective way to get the audience involved, this can give background information on a character or what has been happening which gives the audience and insight of the rest of the film.
• An action scene is normally very fast paced and attracts the audience straight away which will make them want to carry on watching
• logos, this is normally the logo of the production company normally the logo is adapted to reflect the genre of the film
• Title sequences, at the start of the film there are always titles which show the actors name and production tea, the titles can build up suspense to reflect the genre of the film.
• Montage of photographs, this portrays the genre to the audience. For example in the walking dead opening sequences it shows different pictures of what the apocalyptic world looks like now.
• 
  

continuity exercise

I

Thriller directors and their sub genres

One of the most famous British thriller directors was Alfred Hitchcock, he had a very successful career as he became renowned as England's best director, because he made very good silent films and then films with sound. Hitchcock was mostly famous for creating: psycho, vertigo, rear window and north by northwest. He directed a lot of different types of thriller for example; horror, mystery, romance, action, adventure and crime. Most of his work were mystery thrillers.






Christopher Nolan  is the highest grossing and one of the most successful filmmakers in the 21st century. Nolan created his first thriller in 2002 which was insomnia, which was a very big budgeted psychological thriller  which made $113 million dollars worldwide, this is the only film that Nolan directed without receiving at least a share of one of the writing credits, although he wrote the final draft of the script. Nolan has created some of the most famous action thrillers for example: the dark knight trilogy, inception, and interstellar.






Quentin Tarantino is an american director and actor, his work is best known for being out of chronological order. Tarantino has received many industry awards such as academy award, golden globe awards, BAFTA's and the Palme d'Or, his work has also been nominated for an Emmy and a Grammy. Tarantino has created lots f films most of theses seem to be action thrillers for example: Pulp fiction, Django Unchained, The Hateful Eight and Reservoir dogs.

Sub genres of thriller

comedy thriller: this combines thriller and comedy elements, its a combination of comedy and suspense or action.

action thriller: this sub genre includes action and thriller, where the main character is confronted dangerous obstacles where they have to get through, action thrillers normally include a race against the clock.

conspiracy thriller: the hero confronts a large group of enemies only he/she recognises.

crime thriller: this genre is a hybrid of crime films and thrillers, these often include murders and robberies, chases and a shootout.

horror thriller: this is the type of thriller that blends horror and thriller, the film normally includes a   lot of suspense, tension and adrenaline, while having an emphasis on fear.

legal thriller: this normally includes the main characters are lawyers or employees.

political thriller: this movie normally includes a hero who has to ensure the stability of the government that employs them. 

supernatural thriller: this type of genre normally bringing otherworldly element.

Thriller montage

Saul Bass

Saul Bass was an american graphic designer and an academy award winning filmmaker.
Saul Bass has made a lot of films but his most recognisable films are: Around the world in 80 days, The man with the golden arm.

These are some of his movies posters, they all have the same style in all, the background is a whole colour and the silhouettes are very effective and dynamic, because they stand out off the background.

Bass got most of his fame after creating the title
the man with the golden arm.

Bass' creations include:

• The man with the golden arm
• Around the world in 80 days 
• Edge of the city
• West side story
• Its a mad, mad, mad, mad world

bass described his main goal as trying to reach his opening sequences to be a simple visual phrase that tells you what the film is about and evokes the essence of the story

This was a very famous title sequence he made for the thriller film called 'the shining' the opening sequence focuses on the colour of red which portrays blood 

this is the opening sequence for 'vertigo' 

The Brief

Preliminary exercise:Continuity task involving filming and editing a character opening a door< crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom  she/he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue. this task should demonstrate match-on-action, shot/reverse shot and the 180 degree rule.

Main task: The titles and opening of a new fiction film to last a maximum of two minutes.

My first post

Hi I am Rhys Jones and this is my blog for a level media.

Today was my first day of my a level media studies. We created a blog and starting customising it, I used a walking dead background because it is my favourite TV series.