Main task- Target Audience Questionnaire Results

I found that through the variety of people who answered my questionnaire it showed that the age range for those who do watch thrillers is very wide. From the 20 people who answered, 17 of them regularly watch thrillers all in the age range of 15-40 years old therefore i can generalise my Target audience and through my results demonstrates that it is in fact reliable.

Everyone rated my film above 7 out of 10 which i am very pleased about.
1 person rated my film 7 out of 10
2 people rated my film 8 out of 10
5 people rated my film 9 out of 10
12 people rated my film 10 out of 10
I feel this has given me confidence about my film and i am very pleased that people do feel it is a sucessful final product.

Some people said they would have added more scenes of the romance scenes however i feel that this would have made the film drag and therefore do not beleive it would be effective and successful.

Another result that i collected from my questionnaire that i administered was that everyone, all 20 people felt that my film was a conventional thriller.

Main Task- Editing

I  used final cut to edit both my main film and my evaluation. The the software is on a mac which I was unfamiliar with at first. I was able to learn and develop skills through editing, however I experienced some problems especially as I had never used it before. It was a very time consuming process as I had to learn while I was working in post- production . I gained a lot of my help from online tutorials, I found them very useful as I was able to get help with specific issues and learn step by step how to sort the issues out.
Overall i am very glad that i used final cut as i have broadened my area of research and is something different and a new experience compared to adobe premiere pro with is on the normal PC.
I began editing by arranging my shots into the correct scenes and labelling them so that it would make it easier when i came to organising them into the correct order. I then colourised the shots for example i make the shots in the bedroom scene darker to make it match the genre for thriller. I then added transitions to connect my shots together and then edited in my audio into the correct places. I then edited my audio by dimming the hum and also changing the volumes for them depending on who was speaking. I then added the appropriate music to represent certain stages of my film. I then added sound effects for instance, a car door closing and the sound of a mobile phone ringing. I had to align this up precisely to fit in with the scenes. I finally finished by adding titles in the appropriate places and adding transitions to make it look more professional.

Main Task- About my article

As seen below my article has a colour scheme of red, black and white that runs throughout my article. I decided on this as having a white background will prevent the reader from getting distracted away from the text. Having red and black as well will connote death and i feel represents the thriller genre effectively. The colour of my article also connects well with my other ancillary text, my poster. Both of these have my title 'A tainted Love' in red and my poster has a very dark effect applied to it therefore linking both my ancillary texts together in order to both promote my film in the same way.
My article is layed out in a traditional structure for example the way Empire sets out its film reviews. My article also includes the typical items that a film magazine would have, for instance an interview, summery, photo's and review.
In my photo's i wanted to choose the ones that best told my plot without giving to much away. This was harder than expected however i feel they made my article visually more attractive and therefore feel i have been successful in promoting my film and telling my story through the photography.
I used photoshop in order to edit my article this enabled me to develop my skills with this technology.

Main Task- Article

Main task- article research

by looking through a variety of articles for example empire and total film i have summed up what it necessary to put into my article and what could be put in if i wanted to add a little extra.

• Pictures of the film (this is a necessity) i will therefore provide a variety of different images that represent my film as well as advertise it to the correct target audience. I will have a main focus image that will be the main attraction visually to the readers of my article
• I will also have a star rating for my film which will provide an overview of how critiques have rated my film based on a 5 star rating
• i might include a release date for extra information
• film credits are not used all the time as well however this may be important to add if i want a varied article that is very informative
• i could also add a 'see this film if you like' which will enable me to inform my target audience of what media products best represent my story line for example Mr and Mrs smith.
• it also important to continue a colour scheme mine is going to be red and white which connotes death and a sense of mystery however the white background will not distract the readers attention away from the text.
• It is important to provide the name of your magazine as it is a brand therefore i must create my own and publish it at the top of my article in order for it to look realistic and represent a conventional article from a magazine.

Main Task- Article research

Diary Entry 3

I have decided to change my decision based on weighing up how much time i have left in order to meet my deadline. Therefore i have decided to change from doing a radio trailer to doing an article on photoshop which i feel i will be better and quicker at doing.
I decided to change as i want to create the best results without rushing, therefore i feel i can do an article for my film more effectively than i would have done with a radio trailer.

Evaluation- draft one

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

A thriller genre has a number of conventions for example, suspense, tension and twists within the plot. My film a Tainted love uses all three of these however it does also challenge many conventions. A Tainted love is about an assassin who had been assigned to kill a man, who she must pretend to be in love with. The overall plot for my film is also very conventional as it builds up suspense throughout with the use of music that adds emotion and tension to the scenes. The pace of my music is very slow but build’s up to add drama and show that something is about to happen that will be significant to the film itself. Another typical convention for a thriller is the use of my transitions that I have edited in to my film to connect my scenes together. To add drama and suspense the transitions are incredibly quick in some places to match the pace of the music, I also added pauses, for instance when you hear the gun shot the scene will change quickly to being pitch black leaving the audience guessing or wondering what exactly is going on. The while idea of my film is to unravel a story that will shock the audience, this therefore will portray the genre of a thriller. My media product has also developed some conventions of real media products for example, ‘Mr and Mrs Smith’ which is a film about to professional assassins who have been given the case to kill each other. As the plot unfolds they find out that it is fact each other that they are trying to kill and comes down to identifying whether they should choose their career or each other. I have used this thriller to come up with my own, by developing my character, Sophia to being the assassin I have given her a vulnerable side that is demonstrated when she is being shown in love with Jack in the beginning scenes, which is very similar to how the Mr and Mrs Smith characters were shown at the beginning. I also used a variety of props such as guns, costumes and cars in which I could create a background and realistic setting to film my thriller a tainted love. My media product has also challenged typical conventions of the thriller genre, one being that the assassin is female. I decided to use a female assassin to add something different and wanted the challenge to create a character with characteristics that were very uncommon and difficult to get exactly right. I wanted her to come across on scene as very strong yet also portray a softer side which I feel I have accomplished. I also used a romance scene which can been as very unconventional however this helped my plot and therefore develop a twist to the film which would unfold in the final scenes of my film.

How effective Is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

Using both my article and my poster will help to entice my target audience which is 15-40 years old of both men and women. My ancillary texts hold the interests of this group of people as well as extracts from my thriller genre. The combination of them both is very effective as both represent the genre and tell the story without giving to much away, leaving the audience guessing and wondering what will happen. My poster is there to promote my film and intrigue people to watch it. It shows my character Sophia, looking into a mirror and her reflection looking back at her. I decided to us this photo as it connotes that there is two sides to her which she is starting to uncover. Although this poster will not give much a way it’s very eye-catching with the use of my photography as well as the title which has been created in a specific font which matches the typical conventions of a thriller. The title is also in red to demonstrate blood and death. My poster connects well with my film as it show’s sides to Sophia in order for my audience to feel connected with her. My article contains snippets from my film to build up any interests that my audience will have towards my film. It will also leave the audience asking questions and wanting to watch more. My article contains images both advertising my film as well as ‘telling a story’ to interest my target audience. It works effectively with the film itself as well as the poster for instance; I’m using the same font for both my poster and my article. It contains a detailed analysis of my character Sophia as well as a one to one interview with her to give the audience a chance to get to know Sophia and therefore will make them watch the film. This connection that they will gain with my character Sophia will mean that they feel automatically more engaged in the film itself, making it more realistic and more effective.  They both combine well with my final film my ancillary texts act as a template in which I can build the main picture of my thriller film.

What do you feel you have learnt from my audience feedback?

When I showed my first draft to the class it had no transitions, no lighting effects and hadn’t edited my audio or my voice overs. However I did get good useful feedback from my audience. They commented on the usefulness of my shots and how I had framed them. They also liked the story I was telling and it reassured me that my target audience would understand and enjoy my film. I did get critique on my audio as I hadn’t edited it to match the pace of the scenes and it wasn’t lined up precisely with the rest of my shots. They did back this up with another complement with the use of my script and the way my story is told just as well through my audio as it would be visually. I got some incredibly useful advice on what I should use in terms of music and what transitions I should us and where. The audience feedback was effective and did help me in terms of moving on to my next stage of edition; by showing it at such early stages in the editing process also meant I could re-film shots or change any shots that the audience didn’t like. For example I did film opening scenes which I based on American horror story which is all about creating an atmosphere of suspense and creating a template in which I can the begin my opening scenes. My film was also not 5 minutes and therefore being given the advice to film some opening shots it enabled me to fill in extra time but effectively.

How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

I used media technologies throughout making my film; this covered the construction stages right up to the evaluation stages. In my construction stages I edited on final cut which was very easy to use. I also used a sony HD camera in which I used to film my footage and used a microphone to record my evaluation and other audio that was needed.

Main Task- Final poster

Main Task- Poster edit first draft

This was the original photo that i took for my poster without any editing. I will show the stages that i have gone through with the editing process for my poster in order to achieve my final product.

This is very simple, i have altered the light and the exposure in order to make it appear as though she is looking in on 'another' side to herself which will hopefully match the genre of a thriller convention well.

Preliminary Task- Final Poster

Main Task- Target audience questionnaire

Questionnaire

What is your gender?

Male           Female

How old are you?

15-20     21-25    26-30   30-40    41+

Do you enjoy watching movies from the thriller genre?

Yes     No

What in your opinion is the 2 most important aspects of a thriller film?

Suspense and fear    tension and suspense   romance and tension 

How many films have you watched this month?

0      1-3      4-6     7-10     10+

Out of these films how many would you say were from the thriller genre?

0     1-3      4-6     7-10     10+

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being very poor how much did you enjoy watching A Tainted Love?

1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10

What did you find appealing about A tainted Love?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

What aspects of A Tainted Love did you dislike or would change?

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

Do you feel that A Tainted Love fitted into the thriller genre?
Yes     No

If no why not?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

Main Task- feedback from target audience

I showed my first draft of A tainted love to an audience of 10 people. This was a rough edit with no music, transitions or changes in lighting.
The feedback i got was extremely helpful i now know what to do to make my film stand out. Some of the positive feedback's i got was that my shots were well framed and i also combined them well within my film which enabled it to flow.
I also got some useful improvements one of the main ones was my audio as i haven't yet edited this to make sure its smooth therefore it seems to loud and dominant in my film at the moment. I also need to add transitions to make my shots flow into one another better. They also wanted to see titles which i need to finish and add and i also need to add music that will engage the audience with the film more.
Overall i got really good feedback and now know what i should do to improve the quality of my film.

Main task- Radio Trailer script

V.O

(Man)

What happen's when the life your living is a lie, you have the constant feeling of regret, anger and pain but you don't no where from. You remember the time you were forced to forget in order for others to believe...

Sophia 

Sometimes we underestimate the power of a smile, a touch a whisper. With you jack you make me feel special, i love you i truly do but something hurts deep inside. I feel anger and i just don't understand. 

I've being these dreams, i dream of a man telling me about you, he tells me i must forget my old life in order to love you, in order to trap you and then i must kill you.

(sound of a gunshot)

(SOPHIA begins to scream)

Sophia 

Jack! Wake up, what have i done what did i do.

(sound of a phone ringing)

Sophia

hello?

Man

Case is now closed

Sophia 

(screams) who are you! who am i?

V.O

(Man)

Your reality is questioned your world falls apart with every moment that you begin to remember. Somethings missing, someones lying and somethings wrong.

case closed.

A tainted love out soon

Main Task- Creating new characters

My actors for Sophia Taylor and Jack Wright

Sophia

Sophie Batten plays the role of Sophia in my film a tainted love. I decided to use Sophie as my actress as i have worked with her before in my previous films and she is very easy to work with as well as being apart of a drama group. 

She is also suited to the role of Sophia who has to play two different personalities one being in love with Jack and the other being strong and independent when she portrays her role as an assassin.

Jack

Jack is played by Hisham Bryan, i felt that he was well suited to this role as he suits the theme of an action/thriller. He is also very easy to work with and has past experience in drama and therefore copes to difficult situations well. He also has chemistry with Sophie and therefore meant that he could carry of portraying the romantic scene at the introduction of my film.

Main Task- Music idea's

Thriller music- idea one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rumJ4USRWi4&feature=related
I feel that by using this type of music for my thriller will add to the suspense and terror that i want to build up. This will be played throughout two of my main scenes, the bedroom scene where she shoots jack and also the scene where she is being assigned the case in the car.
Thriller music- idea two http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2fwY99c7GQ
This music is slightly less dramatic than the one above. I feel its more eerie and therefore may not fit into the scene as well as my first idea. However the music does create an atmosphere that enables the audience to engage more with the film as it builds up the tension which is what i am looking for.
Thriller music- idea three http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94blEBYnpnk
This music is a slower in pace compared to the other two but has the same effect and delivers tension suspense and emotion which is what i want the music to portray and illustrate.

Thriller music for romantic beginning- idea one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44YGF9fmEEo&feature=related
At 0.51 it begins with a slow piano section which sounds soothing and emotional yet still has that eerie sense to it as though something is about to happen which is still very important within my thriller. This also creates a story and demonstrates the love that the two characters have for one another.
Thriller music for romantic beginning- idea two http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QINhS2n3fCU&feature=related
At 0.30 on wards the beat begins to pick up and i would be using this section if i were to choose to use this idea for my introduction. It portrays a very emotional and romantic side and will show the couple being in love, however it is also very sad and the slow pace makes it very dramatic showing that something is wrong or something is being hidden which ties in well with the plot.
Thriller music for romantic beginning- idea two http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAV23epUyYo&feature=related
This music is the only one that has voices as well as music however they are very quiet and therefore will not take any attention away from the film. This music is more emotional rather than romantic but it's very slow and creates an atmosphere which will enable a plot to unfold.

Main Task- Radio Analysis

Radio Trailers have to be dramatic in order to get the audience to listen and engage in what they are saying. This is essential as without the aid of something visual it may be difficult to get the same effect as a movie trailer would do if it was shown on television.
Radio Trailers are used rarely now a days however many series and movies have developed and broadcast their films over radio.
For an effective radio trailer i feel that i need to include the following~

• A voice over that attracts attention therefore i need a deep and powerful voice in order to portray the drama and tension in their voice
• Parts of my script in my main film in order to provide snip-its of the plot and the outcome of my story line
• An effective tag line to begin and end the radio trailer that will remain in their minds 
• sound effects of a phone ringing, a car engine and a gun shot to engage the listeners to feel as if they are truly there and therefore heightens the suspense and makes them want to watch it to find out the true story
• bring a sense of mystery so that not all of the story is told leaving unanswered questions that the listeners will want answers to
• dramatic music that brings tension and plays well with the script 

Main Task- Radio trailer idea's

Main Task- First draft of editing

This is the first draft of my edit for my film a tainted love. There are no transitions, music or special effects which will obviously make a dramatic difference to how my film appears to the audience. I also need to adjust the lighting and effects of my individual shots to make them suit the thriller genre.

This first rough edit will be shown to the class for feedback to ask about my storyline and how well they understand the main plot. This will also give me some indication as to what i should do next in terms of editing or if there are any scenes i should re-do or move around.