The Closing and The Opening...

This whole experience has been very valuable for me. I learned so much throughout. I have learnt lots of filming techniques, camerawork, editing skills, and to use many different technologies and softwares such as Final Cut Express and Garageband. I have realised just how much work professionals put into providing media for us, and how hard and exhausting this must be. However, I also know that they must enjoy their jobs, as I have had so much fun filming and editing. There were hard and annoying bits along the way but overall, good experience.

So, If you're just about to read my blog, I hope you gain knowledge of my progress in media; from how inexperienced I once was, to how far I have come up to now. If you are just finishing my blog..... I hope you gained knowledge of my progress in media; from how inexperienced I once was, to how far I have come up to now ;)

Here is my thriller opening: Guess Who?    (Oh, and please turn of annotation whilst watching....)

The Treatment

The Action and Themes
London is in panic due to the repeated kidnappings that are occurring around many towns in the city. There are sightings of the kidnapper, but there is no proof that it is actually him due to the many imitators. There are no obvious links between the victims, however, once the investigation goes further, interesting revelations are revealed... The film will focus on revenge, voyeurism, stalking, fear and more. It will also focus on satirising London social attitudes.

The Narrative

The opening is based on different times and dates, although they all link to tell a story. These all come together for the end scene, when the antagonist has found his destination. Moreover, throughout the film there will be some flashbacks, giving the audience some insight of the characters lives and why certain thing have happened/happening. Sound in the opening is entirely non-diegetic. Initially we decided to have 5 words of speech; a girl saying "who is it" when the doorbell was rang, and the antagonist saying "guess who", but due to deadlines, we were unable to record any material.

The Setting

The location we filmed in was South Norwood, London. More specifically, we filmed in alleyways, a park, around a train station, bridge and outside my house. Most filming contained the actor walking. These locations were deemed suitable due to the fact that no one is hardly around these areas, which is the effect we wanted; desertion and solemness. Also, it allowed for easy filming, and we wouldn't have to ask for permission as it is in public. However, the rest of the film will take place in numerous London towns. Through this, we can create relatable locations for the audience, which will be more effective psychologically. Filming in various locations is possible due to the big budget we have to spend on our film.

The Mise-en-scene
We used low key lighting for most of the opening, as this best represents the dark mood we were aiming for. This way, we can create more suspense, keep the audience engaged, and stay in line with the conventions of a thriller. To maintain this dark look, we had the antagonist dress all in black, as this makes him mysterious, and we we filmed where colours were dull, for example browns, whites, creams, blacks, and other dark colours.

The Conventions (considered part of "The Evaluation: Part 1")

Title

The title of our film is "Guess Who?". This conforms to the thriller genre as it is a title that raises many questions. In fact it is a question itself, towards the audience. The title will intrigue the audience, and lure them in making them want to watch the film, and find answers.

Place

There are various locations in our thriller opening. They are all in urban city areas, which is common in thriller films. They play on the viewers mind, as it presents these familiar settings as potentially dangerous places. Most scenes are set in the night. The night is seen as scary, and that anything could happen. This is why thrillers usually use these settings. Also, all locations have a cold and deserted look in them, due to the weather and editing we have used. Coldness and desertion connote solemness and bad circumstances; anything could happen.

Mood and Tone

The thriller opening's mood is very dark and tense. This is a result of our soundtrack I created, editing effects and how we executed our camera shots. The music I created is intense and eerie, which complements the the shots and story. Some thrillers use similar soundtracks, to make suspense and keep the viewers interested. We used editing to make the brightness and contrast of the shots darker, and we used grainy effects and CCTV effects too. Thriller films use such effects like darkening scenes, to create a spooky atmosphere that will keep the audience on edge.

Theme Tune

We believe we have a catchy theme tune, that goes really well with the film. When certain cuts take place, the music will change to go with it. Just like other thrillers, they also use non-digetic sounds to indicate a change of scene,mood, or in the titles too.

Questions

The opening raises many questions that will be answered later on in the film. The title is one main example of a question. However, there are many others created. These include, who are the people being kidnapped? why are they being kidnapped? are they dead? plus many more. The newspaper shots also present questions, such as, what is next?. The fact that we didn't show the antagonists face creates a sense of mystery, and will make the audience ask who is this guy?. It is important for a thriller not to give too much away in the opening, as this will make the rest of the film less interesting and too predictable.

The Initial Idea

This is some cuts of what we were going to use for our thriller opening. At first, the idea was to set the thriller opening entirely indoors, in a corridor. However, we soon realised that this was not enough to keep the audience interested. It was set in one location, void of any interesting sights. It limited our selection of camera shots we could execute, and it just wouldn't have worked. So we decided to film outdoors instead, choosing various locations to shoot. These locations allowed us to take many camera shot and movements, and were much interesting to look at. We were able to use lots of different effects as there were different locations to work with. If we were to have used one location, we would have only been able to use few editing effects. Plus, outdoor locations will be more relatable to a wider range of viewers therefore creating a bigger psychological impact, something that is necessary in thrillers. So I believe we made the right decision by taking the film outdoors.

Another thing wrong with this video on further inspection, is the shakeyness of the camera movement. This would have been no where acceptable for a our thriller opening. Since then we have gotten much better with camera work. Also, the clothing worn is not suitable for our film either. I dont think we thought about Mise-En-Scene properly back then. I believe we have learnt so much more looking back on this.

The Evaluation: Part 7

Looking back at your preliminary task (the continuity editing task), what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to full product?

The Progression

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The Evaluation: Part 6

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Initially we decided to film using only the Sony HD A1, as it recorded footage in HD and would provide us with the best quality end product. However, we soon learned that it was quite hard to work with, not to mention the weight, and the effort it take to carry it around with the tripod. It did have its strengths though, such as the high tripod allowing us to record higher angles.

When we were unable to get our hands on this camera for a session of filming, we took the Canon FS200 instead. Fortunately, this was a much easier camera to work with, and was much lighter. Although the quality wasn't as good as the sony camera, we still preferred this camera and used it for the rest of our filming. It did have some weak points though, such as a low tripod.


To edit our thriller opening we used Final Cut Express. It was a highly effective program for creating and editing films. It allowed us to cut down to every frame, and produces very accurate cuts. It provided many effects we could choose from, like transitions, fades, and the CCTV camera effect that we incorporated in our video. On the other hand, it was hard to use at first, and took training to get use to it. For the titles we used Adobe After Effects, which gave us lots of titles font and stylings to choose from. However, just like Final Cut Express, it was hard to learn how to use.


Once we had finished our video, we used Adobe Media Converter to decrease the file size. This enabled us to upload it onto YouTube so that we can get feedback. The only bad thing about it, is that it along with the file size, decreased video quality. But hey, what can you do... Oh, and we also used Facebook for feedback, as it is one of the biggest social networking websites in the world and that would let us reach out to a lot of people


Photoshop was used to edit newspaper titles and add pictures to it so that it is our own. Photoshop also converted the PSD file into JPEG so that it was compatible with Final Cut Express. Other equipment used was a Desk Lamp for indoor lighting, and we used Garage Band to create our music. Garage Band was a very useful tool, and was very easy for me to get into and learn. It provided many sounds and it has a very user friendly, allowing me to create what I wanted to. There were multiple layers I could put each sound on, and many things could be altered and played around with. These include tempo, volume of each layer, and whether each layer play in the left speaker or right speaker.

The Evaluation: Part 5

How did you attract/address your audience?

The Evaluation: Part 4

Who would be the audience for your media product?

The Audience

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So, the target audience for our product we believe is very broad. We believe that it has enough dark mystery to attract a younger audience of 15-30, yet still has the psychological depth to attract an older audience of 30 and over. At first we were going to aim to towards the older audience, but I learned from my audience research however (which can be found further down my blog), that it is the younger audience who are more valuable to us, as they seem to go to cinemas much more often then older audiences. However, under 15's can not see the film, as the certificate is 15.

The same can be said about gender. However, we may be targeting the film slightly more towards females, as there are enough female characters in the film that females of all ages could relate too.

The younger viewer who is male may be social, athletic and also a student. They like to have fun, and be with friends. This is good for us, as this viewer will not only enjoy our film, but will bring along their friends too. An older female viewer may be into reading books and stories, and may be very intellectual. As stated earlier, our film has enough psychological depth for such viewers, and they would enjoy watching the film whether by themselves or along with their families. So our target audience is very diverse, and we believe we have enough material to satisfy all.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a theory which discusses the psychological needs of people. My film would definitely cover safety, as it is set in a familiar setting (urban area), and will play on the watchers sense of safety. Plus the social level will be covered too, as viewers these days watch films with friends and family.

The Evaluation: Part 3

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

A production company's aim is to develop and distribute a film to an audience. They use many different advertising methods to put their film across to the public. This includes TV advertising, posters, billboards, magazines, newspapers and through many other forms of media. Plus, merchandise is also a good form of advertising.

Since we've filmed a British film, we believe that Working Title would probably be the most suitable production for our film, and that they would be able to provide us with the funds for this film. They have produced hits such as Bridget Jones Diary and hot Fuzz. However, because I'm looking for the film to be of a bigger budget, we may have to bring in another production company such as Fox Searchlight, who specialise in British films.

Since its a big budget film, we will need a big cinema chain to distribute it, such as ODEON or Vue. Therefore our film will more likely to reach a larger audience, and we will be able to make back some profit. We realise that releasing our film in big cinemas will be very risky, as the film may fail due to being brand new, and not in a well known franchise or something. However, it is a risk we are going to take, as we believe that our storyline is very gripping, and special effects attractive.

Similar films to our thriller include Seven. Seven has a detective looking for a murderer who murders people for based on their sins. Our film will also have a detective looking for a murderer, however the murderers motive for killing will be different.

Our thriller will provide many opportunities for merchandise, particularly clothing items such as t-shirts and bags. the dark, chilling visual style of the film will fit perfectly for clothing. It is also worth noting that the plot will allow for future sequels if the film is financially successful. If we were to create a sequel to Guess Who?, we may not necessarily bring back the same main antagonist or protagonist. We could change the antagonist and also the area. This will allow us to promote a new and improved idea but with the same premise, but only if demand is there. However, if the audience responds very positively to the characters, we may have them make a come back.

The Evaluation: Part 2

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

The main antagonist is male. In my thriller opening, he is portrayed as a serial kidnapper/murderer; this is a typical representation of male antagonists in thriller films. If you look at the image to the left, there are some similarities between the two characters. One similarity is that it is not clear on who the person is. Thrillers do this a lot so not to give too much away and keep a mystery in the atmosphere. However, one major difference we have compared to other thriller films, is that our male antagonist is not a huge intimidating figure. Our antagonist is quite small. This helps us move away from the current trends of thrillers, as we try to make our film as unique as possible so that it can compete and present a strong challenge against other thrillers. We wanted to have someone different to the others...

Initially we wanted to represent an older social group, around the ages of 30-50. however, we believed that this would make the film a bit unoriginal and too familiar. The character in the film doesn't necessarily represent any specific social group. We wanted to create a different character; an "unknown" character. Someone that no one can no nothing about, someone who is unpredictable. This way, it will have a more psychological impact upon the audience.

The Evaluation: Part 1

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

The Title of the film/Font/Style

We decided to use a curly, old-fashioned style of font for our title. This will connote mystery and intrigue, as a thriller film should. For the other title, we decided to use a font that will give the impression of seriousness and importance, as our film is a psychological/crime thriller. Red is the colour we used, because red connotes danger and fear. It also is very attention grabbing, important for keeping an audience engaged. The name of the film is 'Guess Who?'. We believe this leaves a lot of questions to be asked. The fact that it is a question in itself is very thriller like, as that is a main purpose of a thriller; to make the audience ask question...

Setting/Location

We filmed all outdoors in urban street areas and alleyways. Thriller tend to use setting such as these so that the audience can relate to these areas. They also have a psychological effect on the watcher, in the sense that they may live or travel in these areas, and after having watched the thriller, they may become paranoid of their safety. We used alleyways because they are isolated, quiet places in which anything could happen there without anyway noticing. The shot on the left/frame 2 is an establishing shot. I believe this frame may be attractive to the audience as it shows conventions to engage the audience in the film. The lighting and editing we used conveys coldness, as we wanted to let the audience know that it is cold and windy. Thrillers usually use cold weather settings and low key lighting to create tension, mystery, solemness and generally a negative mood.

Costumes and Props
One prop we used is a map. This will help the audience understand that the character featured in the opening is searching for something or someone.   Maps are usually used in thrillers for this purpose, and it provide a nice transition onto the next scene too. Costume-wise, we decided to use a dark coat to imply that the character is a criminal, as this is the colour a stereotypical criminal would wear. Plus, we decided to use a big coat too, so that we could show that it is cold outside, which could suggest that it is unsafe.

Camerawork, Editing and Special Effects
We used various camera shots, as we believe that this is necessary to keep the audience engaged and prevent them from becoming bored. We used shots such as match on action, mid shots, close ups, long shots, among many others. Match on action shows continuation, and helps the audience to follow what is happening on screen. Plus it creates suspense, which is why thrillers use them. Long Shots help to establish a shot, so that the audience get an idea of what is happening or is about to happen. We have also used a heavy amount of editing effects, such as the CCTV effect. This helps to establish the film as a crime thriller. Another effect we have incorporated is tinting and brightness altering, so that we can give it a dark look which most thrillers typically have.

Story and how the opening sets it up
The opening gives enough information to the audience without giving too much away. From the opening, the audience would be able to tell that the featured character may be looking for someone or lots of different people. The shot to the left/frame 6 shows that he may be choosing his next 'victim'... it may also connote that its at random who he goes for. However, there are many questions that can still be asked, such as who is he looking for?, why is he looking for them?, is he even the antagonist?. It is important for a thriller not to give too much away in the opening as it may potentially water down the suspense and psychological impact of the film. 


Genre and how the opening suggests it
One thing that shows that it is typical of a thriller film is that the antagonists face is not revealed in the opening scene. This intrigues the audience, making them want to see who it is doing all of this. Also the newspaper shot to the left and in frame 7; these help to add mystery to the atmosphere, and it makes the audience wonder, who is this mysterious figure?, and why is he kidnapping all these people? It is important to keep the audience guessing in a thriller.


How character is introduced
The character in the opening is introduced right from the beginning. When he comes in, a the music changes into a deep intense sound,  which connotes that some sort of danger has arrived. Music in thrillers are used to create atmosphere, or imply something about a character. It is another method of keeping the audience engaged.

The First Draft

From our first draft of the film, we learnt from audience feedback that there were hardly any story elements what so ever. The audience had no idea what was happening, as all they saw was someone walking somewhere. To fix this we had to add features that would give the audience the idea that this character is going somewhere. We added suggestive newspaper titles, we added a map with the character marking a destination, and we added a mysterious shot using a prop, and this shot connotes "who is he going for next?".

Once this was done, we went to go and get some more feedback, and this is what we have so far on facebook..

(Ignore the bit where it says "the descriptions you should leave them up..." - its referring to YouTube connotations)

So, adding these storyline elements into the opening resulted in better audience reaction.

The Preliminary

In our preliminary task, we had to use 3 mandatory rules: 180 degree rule, match on action and shot/reverse shot. At first, we thought that we accomplished these 3 rules. However, this was not the case and we had to do it again, due to lack of all three rules...

So, we done it again, this time using all 3 rules...

.Match on action; where we took a shot of me going into the door, and another shot of me entering the room...
.180 Degree rule; this time we didn't cross the 180 degree line, so, we passed that...
.Shot/Reverse Shot;  when my friend asked me a question, the camera would focus on him, then when I said my answer, the camera would cut onto me.

Filming Diary 12/DEC/2010

Once Again I decided to do some filming indoors at home. This time I filmed a map, and used my desk for the platform and a desk lamp and room light for lighting. I learned that certain positions that I put the lamp, shadows would appear in undesirable places... however once put at a suitable position, i had no troubles with this.

Research...

Student Film Research



This is another opening scene for a film that I have found. I think it is very good, with plenty of camera and editing techniques that would make me want to watch the rest of the film. The fact that the creators stated that their film is "based on a true story" instantly gives it more appeal. Then theres the production logo; easily distinctive and memorable. Combined with the its professionalism and high quality, viewers will associate the logo with shattering effect they have incoporated.

However, what is not professional, are those newspaper shots. They seem out of place and random. I would prefer a smoother editing effect and transition, which doesnt include the irrelevent sound effect, and which doesnt shake around so much. A shame considering how good the prodcution logo is. Also, there are some shakey shots in there, which can prove to be a big and costly distraction.

On the other hand, I do like how they set the scene at the beginning with their long shot, and the non digetic score in the scene adds emotion and tension to it all. I believe we also need to add a soundtrack with emotion too, as it keeps the audience engaged more. Setting the scene would be a good addition aswell.

Filming Diary 6/DEC/2010

Because of the fact that we were unable to find a house to film at... I used mine instead. Since it was dark, I took my lamp outside to provide lighting (via extension cord) and then filmed...

Filming Diary 6/DEC/2010

Today we filmed what we believed would be our final shots... We shot what we wanted, which were night shots. However, we learnt just how much of a significant issue lighting can be. However we worked our way around this using as many illuminated areas as possible. Also, snow wasnt such an issue as it had melted since last week. We will be filming for the last time tomorow.

The Soundtrack

Thrillerhythm

This is the soundtrack I made myself. I used Garageband to create it, as it is very user friendly... But more information on that elsewhere on my blog...

Filming Diary 5/DEC/2010

Unfortunately, snowy weather condition hindered us from filming our last couple shot on 1st December. We're goin to have to wait till the snow clears up, as we dont want any lack of continuation within our film. Once snow is cleared, we will decide on a date to finish all filming. We are likely to be filming again on 7th December.

Filming Diary 2/DEC/2010

Due to snow, I decided to do some filming at home. I used my desk for the platform for the prop, and a desk lamp for lighting. It went as planned, and was deemed suitable by my group to be put into the final draft of the thriller opening.

Video Diary 1/DEC/2010

Filming Diary 15/NOV/2010

Right, we're looking to film today; we have a time (13.00) and a place to meet, so, everything should go good hopefully...

Filming Diary 10/NOV/2010

Unfortunately, filming today didnt go as planned, as there were further schedule conflicts. We have sorted out another date to film (November 15th) so we should start filming then, with a camera readily available.

Filming Diary 8/NOV/2010

Today I discussed with my group about our filming schedule. Although I was looking to start filming today, this was not possible as there the schedule conflicts. One good thing about not filming today is that the weather isnt looking to good; its very rainy and very cold, with low sunlight due to rain clouds.  Wednesday 10th November is our current target to start filming... Hopefully the weathers better too.

Research...

Location Research

Location will be quite an easy thing to choose, as I already have a location in mind that I will be filming at. However, it is still necessary for research to be conducted, as I may find flaws in the location, and advantages from other locations. Also, it is important to have extra locations just in case there are problems with filming in the original location that was chosen. The location must be a corridor, however.

A corridor like this is very good for lighting. We could edit the lighting effects to make it brighter, so that it connotes mystery and freedom, like a heavenly-like place. However, the original idea is for the corridor to be dark, with low key lighting. I like the idea of this white light trying to get through, so I will consider it as an option.

This pathway got me thinking in a broader sense. I never thought of filming in a corridor/pathway outdoors. The only problem is that it will take away from the intense atmosphere that indoor environments can bring. On the other hand, an outdoor environment will allow me to film without the need for permission. The olden look of this pathway is also full of connotations that could make the audience think, “is this place special?”, “why is this place special” etc.

This corridor is dark with low key lighting. This is very much what I am looking for, though the lighting is a little too dark. Once again it does look like an outdoor corridor, something which I am particularly keen on at this time.

The lights on the side provide a futuristic look, which automatically connotes mystery. However, a location like this will be very hard to find, and even if we did, I don’t believe this is the right location to suit the scene and plot.

Mood Board...

This is my Moodboard. It shows what kind of location i would like to film my opening scene, it shows what will be in the scene, and it shows what connotations i would like my scene to give to the audience.

Mood Board

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Audience Profile

Audience Profile

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The Proposal...

The Proposal

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Research...

Costume Research

The only costume items we will be using are a pair of footwear, and trousers. Below is some research that I have conducted to get a clearer idea of what type of footwear and trousers we should use. I have also considered what these props connote, and what impression it will give the audience of the character wearing them.

These boots would be suitable for our opening scene, as they are large and give the impression that they would make loud footsteps. The old look of the boots will give the impression to the audience that the character wearing them may a very physical man, or an older man over 50 years old.

Shiny shoes such as these may not be very suitable, as the shine will distract the audience from what is happening in the scene, and focus will be on the shoes for unnecessary reasons. If we are to use smart shoes such as these, we will likely choose a pair that isn’t as brand new-looking as these are.

Trainers will make the character seem like an ordinary, everyday person. This is good as it makes for a more psychological scene, but this isn’t what we are quite looking for. Our character is to be a man over 30, who isn’t about to walk through a gym door.

Jeans are commonly seen as casual wear. This will help the character become more relatable to the audience, making for a more psychological scene. However, we need to be careful what type of jeans we pick, as we don’t want too much unwanted attention on the jeans. Something to flashy and stylish will give the wrong impression of the character, and will ruin any intense atmosphere that is created.

Sporty trousers such as this is something that seems very unsuitable for our scene. It is much too youthful for what we are trying to create.

Smart trousers like this will be good as they are plain, and won’t take away too much attention from what is going on in the scene. It shows that the man is working; we have not really decided on if we want to give the character an occupation or not, but if we wanted to present a business man, or even a gangster, then trousers such as these are an excellent option.

Conventions: Thrillers...

- “By definition, if a thriller doesn't thrill, it's not doing its job”.

In order for a thriller film to “thrill”, certain conventions are usually followed.  The most basic of these are things such as atmosphere. Thriller atmospheres are usually menacing, violent and mysterious. Through atmosphere comes tension, which is vital in a thriller film. Atmosphere can do many things, such as make society look like a corrupt and dangerous place to live in, and it can manipulate emotions and mood.

The way in which mood and emotion is manipulated is very important, and can be what ultimately defines the film as a thriller. A thriller must cause arousal, and make the viewers adrenaline rush. The viewer should be anticipating the next big twist in the plot, and must be kept at the edge of their seat. One way in which thrillers do this is by covering up important information from the viewers. This can create anxiety, high expectations, and even terror.

Moreover, different thriller sub-genres have various different conventions that they follow. For example, crime thrillers will consist of ransoms, heists and revenge. Psychological thrillers may contain mind games, stalking, and obsessions. A mystery thriller would usually have investigations, and the “whodunit” technique commonly used. There are many sub-genres in the thriller genre, and each one has their defining conventions.

Other features typical to thrillers are the type of characters in the film. Characters will usually be criminals, stalkers, innocent victim, psychopaths, police and more. Plus this depends on the sub-genre of the film too. Another thing worth noting is that thrillers typically take place in ordinary cities and environments. This is so that the viewer is easily able to relate to the area, therefore making the film more psychological.

General Questionairre.....

I handed this questionairre out in Bromley. Around 14 was given out, equally between men and women. I found many different bit of information, like many people who watched films were between the ages of 21 to 30. Action films were the most popular, aswell as comedies. Reasons put for action films is that they enjoy the fast pace action that happens, whilst reasons for comedies were generally along the lines of sitting back and having a laugh with their friends. Around 8 of the people went to cinemas, the majority 1-2 times a month, with one of them going 3-4 times a month. Around half the the participants admitted to downloading and pirating films, whilst the other half rented or bought theire films.
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- What gender are you?
Male/Female
　

- What age group are you in?
11-18    19-30    31-40    41-50    51-60    60+
　

- What film genre do you enjoy watching?
Comedy     Romance     Thriller     Horror     Action     Sci-fi     Other

Please explain why:
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- Do you go to the cinema often?
Yes/No
　

- How often do you go to the cinema per month?
Less often     1-2 times     3-4 times     5-6 times     7-8 times     9+ times

　
- Which method do you take to watch films?
Rent     Purchase new     Purchase pre-owned     Download/watch online     Pirate

Specific Questionairre.....

I done this questionairre in Bromley, to get an idea of what people liked in there thriller fims. I handed out 12 of them, and in all cases, every one had watched a thriller film atleast once in their life. The age of the films they watched correlated with the age they were; for example, older people watched films such as Psycho, whilst younger people watched films such as Saw.
Responces to "what makes a good thriller" was a mixed bag. One responce stated "it must be attention grabbing, and hook the viewer into it so they keep on guessing whats coming next". Another responce i got was "it has to be scary". With the reponces to the opening sequence question, i got "something that'll get me interseted in the film without giving too much away"
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- Have you ever watched a thriller genre film?
Yes/No
If so which ones?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
　
- What is your favourite Thriller sub-genre?
Action thriller Comedy thriller Crime thriller Psychological thriller Other
　
　
- In your opinion, what do you think needs to be included in a film to make it a good thriller?
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- What would you expect from the opening sequence of a thriller?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
　
　
　

Advertisment Analyses...

Lincoln MKZ 2010 Commercial VS Volkswagen Passat 1988 Commercial

These two commercials clearly show that each car is targeted at different target markets. The Lincoln advert has more of a flashy, more upbeat style, which its purpose is to emphasize speed and modernity. The VW advert is more focused on highlighting the high level of luxury and comfort the Passat is able to offer, with its calm music and fade shots.

The first thing that can be noticed in the Lincoln advert is that the MKZ shoots down from out of space. This suggests the car is extraordinary and out of this world. This will appeal to business men still in their younger years, who want something special for their money. The sci-fi sound effects also add to the idea that the car is out of this world.

There are fast cuts in the Lincoln advert, which lays emphasis on the speed of the car. There are also fast cuts in the VW advert; however, the purpose of the fast cuts in this commercial is to show just how hectic and busy the city environment is. The loud sounds of a man shouting and traffic also add to this frantic effect. This all changes though, when the Passat slowly drives along the road halfway through the advert, whilst the camera follows. Combined with the composed music, it gives off a relaxed vibe, as if it has come to rescue the father and daughter from the frenzied city. The woman driving the car looks calm and collected, plus the daughter looks happy too. High class business people with family would find this alluring, as they would be looking for this level of comfort when they are coming home from a busy day in the city.

In contrast with the relaxed approach of the VW advert, the Lincoln commercial has many different camera angles, editing and lighting effects. The camera is never still; it is constantly swinging around, panning, zooming and more. This gives the impression that the camera is trying to keep up with the car, once again putting emphasis on the rapid speed of the car. This is also the effect of the lighting.

The Lincoln advert uses many close ups, so that the viewer can witness the design of the car. Editing has been applied to the car to enhance what it looks like, such as extra gloss and lighting. As a result, the car will probably not look like this in reality. These advanced editing effects are not present in the VW commercial, as it was created in 1988, a time where technology was not as advanced as it is today. The VW advert uses many different camera shots, including medium shots and close ups, to convey the emotion on the citizen’s faces, and the father and daughters faces as well.

Music-wise, the VW adverts’ music has a classical feel to it, and classical music is usually used for relaxing to. This relaxation helps to ensure that the Passat is as “reliable” as the advert states it is. In contrast, the Lincoln commercial has a much more modern, upbeat tune playing in the background, which goes perfectly with the fast-paced nature of the advert. The different types of music also help us to get a feel of who the cars are targeted at. The more classical sound of the VW advert implies that the car is marketed towards the more upper class society, whilst the upbeat sound of the Lincoln advert implies that the car is marketed towards a younger audience.