Q7) Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Looking back at my preliminary task I feel as though I have improved tremendously with regards to planning, filming and editing. At the beginning of the planning for my thriller opening, many different ideas formed that we carried out by using storyboards, shot lists and intertextual links to other thrillers to prepare for the shoot. Researching the thriller genre made it easier to recreate scenes and perform intertextual references between a variety of thriller films. I worked in a group of three where we created the characters and their personalities, costumes and props to define them and make them believable. As I was one of the characters, I was therefore responsible for my costume and chose specifically to wear a red scarf and gloves to display intertextual references to the film ‘Sin City’ (2005, directed by Frank Miller) because I learnt that audiences like to notice aspects of the thriller genre. From my preliminary task I have learnt the importance of planning, therefore developing more detailed storyboards and the complexities of certain shots. For example, I feel my greatest achievement has been the effect of certain camera angles and shots such as close ups and over the shoulder shots, which I had no experience of before the preliminary task. In particular, we made sure that background noises were kept under control as we had suffered this problem during our preliminary task. We searched different locations and went on a recce to decide whether the location we wanted to use would create the perfect image of cinematography for the final product. We decided on the different shot types and camera angles that were usually used in thriller films, such as close ups, low/high angle shots to display power or vulnerability and over the shoulder shots to create the sense of being watched. A great deal of effort was put in to make sure all the scenes were exactly how we wanted them and especially the importance of composition for the mise en scene.
I used the editing suite to a much greater extent when producing the full product. Before on my preliminary task, my editing was not as advanced or elegant as it is now. For example, most types of transitions and visual effects were used between clips and I used slow motion for Eve White’s head spin to create a sense of motion and fear. I edited with a member of my group which helped me to advance as we learnt different editing skills from each other. I was good at performing how to piece the clips together and he taught me how to use smooth transitions.
The audience feedback that I received from year 13 students (our target audience) praised my camerawork and editing skills. This shows the extent of my media progress and has made me more enthusiastic about the media industry giving me more confidence about the subject. I was extremely pleased with the positive feedback and have taken on board their suggestions for improvement that will help me with future projects. Personally, I think that the strengths of my product have been the editing because we spent a long time perfecting it. The weaknesses are that the image of the character Scarlet Fraser was not obvious enough to portray as a femme fatale, and the ending wasn’t a significant cliff-hanger as noted on the student feedback. Most were undecided if they would want to watch the rest of the film. However, saying this we changed our idea a number of times due to them being unrealistic and too weak to represent as a thriller.
Overall, I have enjoyed the experience of creating a film and fully researching the thriller genre, as I was uncertain of what a thriller film entailed before I started this course. The most important thing that I have learnt is recognising key aspects and how much time and effort goes into the making of a film.
Sunday 10 April 2011
Evaluation Question 5
Q5) How did you attract/address your audience?
In the opening of my Thriller film, ‘Thief’, I have put in a high standard of mise-en-scene visuals, short camera shots and close-ups, together with an eerie soundtrack and a cliff-hanger ending in order to attract the audience.
I have sampled 8 students, aged 17 and 18, 2 females and 6 males. They were asked to rate the production on a number of aspects of the film and give an overall assessment. Their findings are shown in the following charts.
From the results of their questionnaires, everyone (that’s 100%) liked the camera work and editing of my film ‘Thief’. Such comments included ‘huge variety of shots’ and ‘nice close-ups of faces’. They all agreed the soundtrack to the film effectively enhanced the mood and action. However, some were confused by the sudden transition of day to night which, on reflection, could have been avoided by adding a title such as “Later that day…” appropriately. One participant found the characters (teenage hoodies) were stereotyped and would show teenagers in a bad light from the perspective of an older audience.
In conclusion, I received a favourable response to the film and am pleased the work perfected on camera angles/movement and editing techniques was highly appreciated.
Evaluation Question 4
Q4) Who would be the audience for your media product?
The primary target audience for my thriller opening ‘Thief’ would be people in the 16-24 age range. My film would appeal most to this particular audience because of the youth casting and the theme of crime. They would enjoy crime/gangster thrillers as youths are interested to see how other teenagers act in certain situations, as they have maybe been in one of these themselves or are curious as to what they would do if they were to find themselves in one. The contemporary settings of the city locations that I have used will entice a younger audience, as they could visualise themselves with these common settings and is therefore a realistic representation. Many teenagers and young adults are fearful of being mugged in the street - especially by someone younger than themselves - and would therefore feel embarrassed and demoralised so perhaps would not report it. Many of these crimes go unreported due to these reasons. Also, audiences of this age group can relate to the character’s attitudes, behaviour and opinions identifying with them about being unemployed. The characters are communicating to the audience about the major flaws in society and so they would understand the issues easily. Female audiences would also be able to empathise, especially with the character Eve White, whose vulnerability and naivety causes her to be a victim of an unprovoked attack from a teenage boy. This demonstrates how females are portrayed by the media to be the weaker sex (both mentally and physically) and have the qualities of Eve which can lead to sexism. However, the character Scarlet Fraser breaks the mould by appearing tough, intelligent and independent which is a positive representation of women that they will prefer to watch, as it creates a better image of females and by using a strong femme fatale creates the sense of power. On the other hand, the male demographic might be slightly annoyed as I have portrayed male behaviour in a controversial way, as Will Block is seen to be arrogant and focussed on getting what he wants without thinking about the consequences.
The primary target audience for my thriller opening ‘Thief’ would be people in the 16-24 age range. My film would appeal most to this particular audience because of the youth casting and the theme of crime. They would enjoy crime/gangster thrillers as youths are interested to see how other teenagers act in certain situations, as they have maybe been in one of these themselves or are curious as to what they would do if they were to find themselves in one. The contemporary settings of the city locations that I have used will entice a younger audience, as they could visualise themselves with these common settings and is therefore a realistic representation. Many teenagers and young adults are fearful of being mugged in the street - especially by someone younger than themselves - and would therefore feel embarrassed and demoralised so perhaps would not report it. Many of these crimes go unreported due to these reasons. Also, audiences of this age group can relate to the character’s attitudes, behaviour and opinions identifying with them about being unemployed. The characters are communicating to the audience about the major flaws in society and so they would understand the issues easily. Female audiences would also be able to empathise, especially with the character Eve White, whose vulnerability and naivety causes her to be a victim of an unprovoked attack from a teenage boy. This demonstrates how females are portrayed by the media to be the weaker sex (both mentally and physically) and have the qualities of Eve which can lead to sexism. However, the character Scarlet Fraser breaks the mould by appearing tough, intelligent and independent which is a positive representation of women that they will prefer to watch, as it creates a better image of females and by using a strong femme fatale creates the sense of power. On the other hand, the male demographic might be slightly annoyed as I have portrayed male behaviour in a controversial way, as Will Block is seen to be arrogant and focussed on getting what he wants without thinking about the consequences.
The film Kidulthood (2006, directed by Noel Clarke) is specifically aimed at teenagers, as the cast is made up of mostly teenagers and it conveys issues that are sometimes common with them such as bullying, suicide and mugging. This makes it successful because it portrays these issues to a wider audience and the film’s popularity has increased due to the performance of the young actors and concerns raised.
This is a trailer from the film "Kidulthood"
"Kidulthood explores the lives of teenagers in London in Huda's interesting and controversial 2006 British drama. The British media runs riot on any story they can get their hands on and exploit, and in recent years have developed various forms of stereotypes, none more so than the stereotypical "gangster teenager" who swears every other sentence, drinks, does drugs and has a violent motive towards others and this ideology is explored by Doctor Who star Noel Clarke. Clarke dives deep into the lives of numerous teenagers to bring out the personalities of the teenagers, and his character Sam is a stereotype of a teenager, the use of violence and swearing portray the villain of the narrative. I'm usually against stereotypes being used in films but in this case it is interesting to see how these stereotypes feel about being branded that way, when the teenagers walk into a shop and are accused of a crime they didn't commit just because of their image as this stereotype the media has created."
This is a quote about the film from a 24 year old member of the public.
This is a trailer from the film "Kidulthood"
"Kidulthood explores the lives of teenagers in London in Huda's interesting and controversial 2006 British drama. The British media runs riot on any story they can get their hands on and exploit, and in recent years have developed various forms of stereotypes, none more so than the stereotypical "gangster teenager" who swears every other sentence, drinks, does drugs and has a violent motive towards others and this ideology is explored by Doctor Who star Noel Clarke. Clarke dives deep into the lives of numerous teenagers to bring out the personalities of the teenagers, and his character Sam is a stereotype of a teenager, the use of violence and swearing portray the villain of the narrative. I'm usually against stereotypes being used in films but in this case it is interesting to see how these stereotypes feel about being branded that way, when the teenagers walk into a shop and are accused of a crime they didn't commit just because of their image as this stereotype the media has created."
This is a quote about the film from a 24 year old member of the public.
Final Shot List
SCENE 1:
Will Block in his bedroom, angry that he has no money and creating a plan to mug someone.
Close up of Will on his bed.
CUT TO: Medium shot of Will on bed, opening wallet.
CUT TO: Close up of empty wallet.
CUT TO: Close up of Will’s face on bed, he gets up.
CUT TO: Close up of Will’s face as he looks out the window. He walks away.
SCENE 2:
Eve White using the ATM machine, with Will Block stalking her.
High Angle of Eve White arriving at the ATM machine just about to put her card in.
CUT TO: Close up of card going into the ATM machine.
CUT TO: Over the shoulder of Will looking at Eve White at the ATM machine.
CUT TO: Over the shoulder of Eve looking around her, suspicious that someone is watching her.
CUT TO: Close up of Eve typing on the keypad.
CUT TO: Close up of Eve's hand going into her bag to put her purse away.
CUT TO: Close up of Eve walking away from the machine, putting card into her purse.
CUT TO: Close up of Will following Eve down the road.
SCENE 3:
Will Block mugs Eve White in the city underpass.
Long shot of Eve's feet walking/running.
CUT TO: Low angle of Eve running down the ramp towards the camera.
CUT TO: Medium shot of Eve looking bewildered in subway.
CUT TO: Long shot of Will rolling down the ramp fast on the skateboard.
CUT TO: Low angle shot of Will’s skateboard rolling slightly right to the camera at speed.
CUT TO: Medium/Long shot of mugging of Eve.
CUT TO: Handheld shot of mugging.
CUT TO: Medium shot of Eve shouting at Will as he rides off, too fast to catch up with.
CUT TO: Close up of Eve sitting down in the underpass, head is hands, looking distressed.
SCENE 4:
Will Block is back at the ATM machine having chosen his second target, Scarlet Fraser.
Close up of Will, back by the ATM watching Scarlet Fraser.
CUT TO: Close up of Scarlet at the ATM.
CUT TO: Close up of card entering the ATM.
CUT TO: Close up of Scarlet as she looks at Will, suspicious.
CUT TO: Close up of Will, looking back at her, waiting.
CUT TO: Close up of Scarlet using the keypad.
CUT TO: Medium shot of Scarlet.
CUT TO: Close up of Scarlet looking intimidating.
END
Will Block in his bedroom, angry that he has no money and creating a plan to mug someone.
Close up of Will on his bed.
CUT TO: Medium shot of Will on bed, opening wallet.
CUT TO: Close up of empty wallet.
CUT TO: Close up of Will’s face on bed, he gets up.
CUT TO: Close up of Will’s face as he looks out the window. He walks away.
SCENE 2:
Eve White using the ATM machine, with Will Block stalking her.
High Angle of Eve White arriving at the ATM machine just about to put her card in.
CUT TO: Close up of card going into the ATM machine.
CUT TO: Over the shoulder of Will looking at Eve White at the ATM machine.
CUT TO: Over the shoulder of Eve looking around her, suspicious that someone is watching her.
CUT TO: Close up of Eve typing on the keypad.
CUT TO: Close up of Eve's hand going into her bag to put her purse away.
CUT TO: Close up of Eve walking away from the machine, putting card into her purse.
CUT TO: Close up of Will following Eve down the road.
SCENE 3:
Will Block mugs Eve White in the city underpass.
Long shot of Eve's feet walking/running.
CUT TO: Low angle of Eve running down the ramp towards the camera.
CUT TO: Medium shot of Eve looking bewildered in subway.
CUT TO: Long shot of Will rolling down the ramp fast on the skateboard.
CUT TO: Low angle shot of Will’s skateboard rolling slightly right to the camera at speed.
CUT TO: Medium/Long shot of mugging of Eve.
CUT TO: Handheld shot of mugging.
CUT TO: Medium shot of Eve shouting at Will as he rides off, too fast to catch up with.
CUT TO: Close up of Eve sitting down in the underpass, head is hands, looking distressed.
SCENE 4:
Will Block is back at the ATM machine having chosen his second target, Scarlet Fraser.
Close up of Will, back by the ATM watching Scarlet Fraser.
CUT TO: Close up of Scarlet at the ATM.
CUT TO: Close up of card entering the ATM.
CUT TO: Close up of Scarlet as she looks at Will, suspicious.
CUT TO: Close up of Will, looking back at her, waiting.
CUT TO: Close up of Scarlet using the keypad.
CUT TO: Medium shot of Scarlet.
CUT TO: Close up of Scarlet looking intimidating.
END
Shot List
Tilt shot of Harry Cooper in the alleyway and Will Block quietly in conversation.
CUT TO: Close up of the hands of Harry and Will as the money is exchanged.
CUT TO: Long shot of Eve White walking away with bag on shoulder.
CUT TO: Close up of Will nodding in agreement to Harry.
CUT TO: Close up of Harry, slight smirk on his face, putting a cigarette to his lips and the gloved hand of Scarlet Fraser lighting the cigarette.
High Angle of Eve White arriving at the ATM machine just about to put her card in.
CUT TO: Close up of card going into the ATM machine.
CUT TO: Over the shoulder of Will looking at Eve White at the ATM machine.
CUT TO: Over the shoulder of Eve looking around her, suspicous that someone is watching her.
CUT TO: Medium shot of Eve walks away from the machine, putting card into her purse.
CUT TO: Close up of Eve's hand going into her bag to put her purse away, her passport seen in frame.
CUT TO: Close up of Wheels of Wills skateboard rolling down the road.
CUT TO: Medium shot of Eve's feet walking/running (Wills legs seen in background).
CUT TO: Low angle of Eve running down the ramp towards the camera.
CUT TO: Long shot of Eve looking bewildered in subway. Silence.
CUT TO: Over the shoulder of Will rolling down the ramp fast on the skateboard.
CUT TO: * Low angle shot of eve running slightly right to the camera and will catching up on the skateboard.
CUT TO: Medium/Long shot of Mugging of Eve, she falls to the ground.
CUT TO: Worms eye of Will riding off on the skateboard as from Eve White's point of view.
CUT TO: Long shot of Will riding down the street to Harry who is waiting for him hidden in the alleyway.
CUT TO: Medium shot of Will passing the stolen bag to Harry, who then passes the bag to Scarlet standing behind him.
CUT TO: Low angle shot of Eve on the floor of the subway, distressed and getting to her feet.
CUT TO: Close up of Scarlet’s face as she’s leaving the alleyway with Eve’s bag on her shoulder. Camera pans out for medium shot as she’s walking to view the her whole body.
CUT TO: Over the shoulder shot/ long shot of Scarlet walking towards the place where Eve is. Eve turns to face the camera, close up of Eve’s face as she looks angry.
* Added shot
CUT TO: Close up of the hands of Harry and Will as the money is exchanged.
CUT TO: Long shot of Eve White walking away with bag on shoulder.
CUT TO: Close up of Will nodding in agreement to Harry.
CUT TO: Close up of Harry, slight smirk on his face, putting a cigarette to his lips and the gloved hand of Scarlet Fraser lighting the cigarette.
High Angle of Eve White arriving at the ATM machine just about to put her card in.
CUT TO: Close up of card going into the ATM machine.
CUT TO: Over the shoulder of Will looking at Eve White at the ATM machine.
CUT TO: Over the shoulder of Eve looking around her, suspicous that someone is watching her.
CUT TO: Medium shot of Eve walks away from the machine, putting card into her purse.
CUT TO: Close up of Eve's hand going into her bag to put her purse away, her passport seen in frame.
CUT TO: Close up of Wheels of Wills skateboard rolling down the road.
CUT TO: Medium shot of Eve's feet walking/running (Wills legs seen in background).
CUT TO: Low angle of Eve running down the ramp towards the camera.
CUT TO: Long shot of Eve looking bewildered in subway. Silence.
CUT TO: Over the shoulder of Will rolling down the ramp fast on the skateboard.
CUT TO: * Low angle shot of eve running slightly right to the camera and will catching up on the skateboard.
CUT TO: Medium/Long shot of Mugging of Eve, she falls to the ground.
CUT TO: Worms eye of Will riding off on the skateboard as from Eve White's point of view.
CUT TO: Long shot of Will riding down the street to Harry who is waiting for him hidden in the alleyway.
CUT TO: Medium shot of Will passing the stolen bag to Harry, who then passes the bag to Scarlet standing behind him.
CUT TO: Low angle shot of Eve on the floor of the subway, distressed and getting to her feet.
CUT TO: Close up of Scarlet’s face as she’s leaving the alleyway with Eve’s bag on her shoulder. Camera pans out for medium shot as she’s walking to view the her whole body.
CUT TO: Over the shoulder shot/ long shot of Scarlet walking towards the place where Eve is. Eve turns to face the camera, close up of Eve’s face as she looks angry.
* Added shot
Saturday 9 April 2011
Evaluation Question 3
Q3) What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
The main distributors for my thriller opening ‘Thief’ would probably be internet based, because it would attract my target audience. The internet is extremely popular within my target audience (16-25 year olds) because many of them use the internet daily and it has therefore become a common place within this age range. The YouTube website is especially popular amongst young adults as it specialises in video sharing and is free and easy to access popular videos/music videos online. Therefore this website would be ideal and a predominant way to distribute my thriller film. It can also be easily accessed through mobile phones such as smart phones (iPhone, Blackberry and Android phones). Youths can then view video clips such as my thriller easily and more importantly for free. The fact that YouTube shows free clips is a major benefit to young people who want to watch clips but without the hassle and expense, as not many of them would pay to watch a two minute clip. They can easily share this video clip amongst their friends via a quick share link. Social networking sites such as facebook and twitter might distribute our media product as they have the same target audience and it is free as well. If ‘Thief’ was shown on a social networking site, then many people from around the World will have the chance to view it and write comments about it, giving opinions on whether they liked it or not. This would then create a sensation surrounding ‘Thief’ depending on whether it is a successful hit or not.
My film is innovative as it challenges the role of women in society but stereotypes teenage boys to be dangerous. By using a skateboard and a young cast makes my thriller original because these are not common factors in thriller films and could therefore merit funding from Working Title or Warp films so it can then be developed as a feature film. It could then be distributed by Art House Media institutions such as Cinema City. Or another possibility is that it could go straight onto DVD as many independent films do because they might not have a budget big enough to pay cinemas to show their film.
Short film competitions are a great opportunity and an important factor for young film makers such as myself. A popular competition is the ‘Virgin Media Shorts’ which looks for films that are just over 2 minutes long, which is how long my thriller opening is, so would be perfect to distribute my film. It also allows the 12 winning films to be shown in cinemas nationwide which would be vital publicity for young film makers. Short films are shown at Cinema City during the adverts before films. This provides students, particularly UEA students to show their films to a wider audience and demonstrate their talent as serious young film makers. If Cinema City distributed my opening to ‘Thief’ then it would be a great platform to launch a film making career.
The main distributors for my thriller opening ‘Thief’ would probably be internet based, because it would attract my target audience. The internet is extremely popular within my target audience (16-25 year olds) because many of them use the internet daily and it has therefore become a common place within this age range. The YouTube website is especially popular amongst young adults as it specialises in video sharing and is free and easy to access popular videos/music videos online. Therefore this website would be ideal and a predominant way to distribute my thriller film. It can also be easily accessed through mobile phones such as smart phones (iPhone, Blackberry and Android phones). Youths can then view video clips such as my thriller easily and more importantly for free. The fact that YouTube shows free clips is a major benefit to young people who want to watch clips but without the hassle and expense, as not many of them would pay to watch a two minute clip. They can easily share this video clip amongst their friends via a quick share link. Social networking sites such as facebook and twitter might distribute our media product as they have the same target audience and it is free as well. If ‘Thief’ was shown on a social networking site, then many people from around the World will have the chance to view it and write comments about it, giving opinions on whether they liked it or not. This would then create a sensation surrounding ‘Thief’ depending on whether it is a successful hit or not.
 |
| This is a screen shot of my introduction to a thriller film 'Thief' on YouTube. It has been uploaded onto my personal channel so that different people can view it and comment. |
 |
| This is a screen shot from YouTube highlighting the simplicity of sharing or embeding a video onto social networking sites as it demonstrates at the bottom with the facebook and twitter logo. |
Short film competitions are a great opportunity and an important factor for young film makers such as myself. A popular competition is the ‘Virgin Media Shorts’ which looks for films that are just over 2 minutes long, which is how long my thriller opening is, so would be perfect to distribute my film. It also allows the 12 winning films to be shown in cinemas nationwide which would be vital publicity for young film makers. Short films are shown at Cinema City during the adverts before films. This provides students, particularly UEA students to show their films to a wider audience and demonstrate their talent as serious young film makers. If Cinema City distributed my opening to ‘Thief’ then it would be a great platform to launch a film making career.
 |
| This is a screen shot of the recommendations for the virgin media short film competition. |
Evaluation Question 2
Q2) How does your media product represent particular social groups?
Our media product ‘Thief’ represents the specific social group of teenagers, as the characters are aged 17-18. The character Will Block portrays teens in a stereotypical light, that they are all dangerous thugs who target women in particular, to make them feel demoralised and vulnerable. He hasn’t got a job which an older audience would see this to be because of teenagers' laziness and antisocial behaviour. However, they may not understand the difficulties of obtaining a job at present especially during the recession, which a younger audience (the target audience) would empathise with. On the other hand, Eve White is represented as an innocent, hardworking member of society who is targeted because of her gender, which is a common factor amongst crimes such as rape, attacks and mugging.
This is a trailer from 'Taken' which demonstrates how young females are targeted because they are seen to be the weaker sex and that men can treat however they want. It highlights the still present issues in society of females being the weaker sex. However, my thriller ‘Thief’ displays the typical views in society through the character Eve White being a vulnerable female who is attacked. However, it then challenges this view with the character Scarlet Fraser who is tough and will fight for her rights.
As our cast is made up of only teenagers, it addresses some of the issues adults have with youths, that they are very intimidating because of their numbers. It emphasises the fear adults have against young adults and the intimidation they feel which then reinforces the typical teenager stereotype, that they will approach adults and attack them because of their violent demeanour. This is a highly unfair mindset that some adults have as many teenagers are law abiding and want to achieve to their full potential.
In a daily mail extract a Labour MP called Emily Thornberry claimed that almost every teenager in her constituency in Islington, London has been mugged. She said: "It is a hidden crime. Kids are robbing other kids but you don't hear about it. It is extremely sad and very serious.”
Our media product ‘Thief’ represents the specific social group of teenagers, as the characters are aged 17-18. The character Will Block portrays teens in a stereotypical light, that they are all dangerous thugs who target women in particular, to make them feel demoralised and vulnerable. He hasn’t got a job which an older audience would see this to be because of teenagers' laziness and antisocial behaviour. However, they may not understand the difficulties of obtaining a job at present especially during the recession, which a younger audience (the target audience) would empathise with. On the other hand, Eve White is represented as an innocent, hardworking member of society who is targeted because of her gender, which is a common factor amongst crimes such as rape, attacks and mugging.
This is a trailer from 'Taken' which demonstrates how young females are targeted because they are seen to be the weaker sex and that men can treat however they want. It highlights the still present issues in society of females being the weaker sex. However, my thriller ‘Thief’ displays the typical views in society through the character Eve White being a vulnerable female who is attacked. However, it then challenges this view with the character Scarlet Fraser who is tough and will fight for her rights.
As our cast is made up of only teenagers, it addresses some of the issues adults have with youths, that they are very intimidating because of their numbers. It emphasises the fear adults have against young adults and the intimidation they feel which then reinforces the typical teenager stereotype, that they will approach adults and attack them because of their violent demeanour. This is a highly unfair mindset that some adults have as many teenagers are law abiding and want to achieve to their full potential.
 |
| This is a photo of 'hoodies', which is how some adults view most teenagers to be like and to behave like. |
In a daily mail extract a Labour MP called Emily Thornberry claimed that almost every teenager in her constituency in Islington, London has been mugged. She said: "It is a hidden crime. Kids are robbing other kids but you don't hear about it. It is extremely sad and very serious.”
 |
| This is the extract from The Daily Mail online. |
Target Audience Findings
I have received 16 responses to the questionnaires and have arranged the answers in pie-charts and graphs as follows:
Most participants go at least once a month but nobody went more often than once a fortnight.
Most participants go at least once a month but nobody went more often than once a fortnight.
This clearly shows that most people prefer the mainstream cinemas of Vue and Odeon (nearly 70%) against the independent Cinema City.
Twice as many people prefer to watch films on DVD than go to the Cinema.
This shows that the most popular genres across the age groups were, surprisingly, Adventure and Drama. Under 25’s enjoyed the most Adventure, Fantasy and Science Fiction, whereas the over 46’s preferred Drama to anything else.
Most participants to my survey who prefer to watch DVDs, which was half of them, surprisingly stated that they found out about the films by Cinema Trailers. TV and word-of-mouth closely followed this statistic, but the use of billboards appears to be wasted on the majority of people. “Other” advertising includes text alerts and posters in bus stations and on buses/taxis.
This graph shows the answers for people under the age of 26 and those over 46 years old. With regard to my predictions, it is true that older people prefer going to Cinema City than to the Odeon or Vue cinemas and that they enjoy watching DVDs at home. It is true too that young people prefer the mainstream cinemas, as none of them answered that they like to go to Cinema City.
This graph shows the answers for the under-26 age group. With regard to my predictions, young males certainly prefer action, horror and sci-fi films compared to young females, but it is interesting that both sexes like fantasy films.
In conclusion, I have discovered that most people in my survey visit the cinema at least once a month and they prefer the Vue/Odeon mainstream cinemas to Cinema City. Younger people like Adventure, Fantasy and Science Fiction genres, whereas older people like a mix of different genres and only have a particular preference to Dramas. Half of everyone I surveyed preferred viewing films on DVD and another quarter, on TV and internet. With technology continuing to grow in these areas, I would expect this proportion to rise in time as I believe that this is a growing trend for people of ALL ages.
With regard to the possible link between how films are advertised and by which method we watch them, it is quite surprising to see that cinema trailers are the best way to find out about films (it received a 75% score) yet only a quarter of participants actually prefer to view films at the cinema. Perhaps if we like the look of a film trailer while we’re at the cinema, we will wait until its DVD is released – bizarre! However, these findings are closely followed by TV, internet and word of mouth so perhaps we shouldn’t judge the cinema trailer quite so highly.
Having spent a long time researching and producing an opening to a thriller film, I am somewhat disappointed to find that only half of all my participants like the thriller genre – and very few of those are in my age group.
With regard to my predictions, my findings show that younger females do indeed prefer Romantic Comedies compared to younger males who, in turn, prefer Action, Horror and Science Fiction (typically boys’ movies). However, it was interesting to find out that both sexes enjoy Fantasy films which I would have expected more young females to have liked.
There is definitely a trend that older people prefer to watch films on DVD and when they do go to the cinema, they prefer to go to Cinema City which, as I have researched previously, does cater more to the older generation as it is cosy, comfortable and has more facilities than the mainstream cinemas. As predicted, nearly all young people in my survey prefer the Odeon/Vue cinemas to Cinema City. I am not surprised by these findings as I have noticed this trend whilst going to the cinemas myself and waiting in the queues with my friends.
In conclusion, I have discovered that most people in my survey visit the cinema at least once a month and they prefer the Vue/Odeon mainstream cinemas to Cinema City. Younger people like Adventure, Fantasy and Science Fiction genres, whereas older people like a mix of different genres and only have a particular preference to Dramas. Half of everyone I surveyed preferred viewing films on DVD and another quarter, on TV and internet. With technology continuing to grow in these areas, I would expect this proportion to rise in time as I believe that this is a growing trend for people of ALL ages.
With regard to the possible link between how films are advertised and by which method we watch them, it is quite surprising to see that cinema trailers are the best way to find out about films (it received a 75% score) yet only a quarter of participants actually prefer to view films at the cinema. Perhaps if we like the look of a film trailer while we’re at the cinema, we will wait until its DVD is released – bizarre! However, these findings are closely followed by TV, internet and word of mouth so perhaps we shouldn’t judge the cinema trailer quite so highly.
Having spent a long time researching and producing an opening to a thriller film, I am somewhat disappointed to find that only half of all my participants like the thriller genre – and very few of those are in my age group.
With regard to my predictions, my findings show that younger females do indeed prefer Romantic Comedies compared to younger males who, in turn, prefer Action, Horror and Science Fiction (typically boys’ movies). However, it was interesting to find out that both sexes enjoy Fantasy films which I would have expected more young females to have liked.
There is definitely a trend that older people prefer to watch films on DVD and when they do go to the cinema, they prefer to go to Cinema City which, as I have researched previously, does cater more to the older generation as it is cosy, comfortable and has more facilities than the mainstream cinemas. As predicted, nearly all young people in my survey prefer the Odeon/Vue cinemas to Cinema City. I am not surprised by these findings as I have noticed this trend whilst going to the cinemas myself and waiting in the queues with my friends.
Proposal:
I have written two types of questionnaire, quantative and qualitative, that I will give to a range of people of different ages and gender. I have chosen 16 people in total, a random selection of family and friends. I will send the questionnaires via email so it will be quick and easy for the participants to fill out.
By conducting my questionnaires, I want to find out how many times people go to the cinema, in particular which type of cinema they prefer (mainstream or independent) and if certain age groups enjoy specific genres. I would also like to know which method of viewing films (e.g. cinema, TV and DVD) is most popular and if there is a link between how audiences prefer to watch films and how they find out about them. And because the film we have made for this project is a thriller, my main reason for scrutinising the genre will be to see if the Thriller genre is popular amongst today’s society.
My predictions are that younger female audiences will prefer fantasies and romantic-comedies, whereas younger males will like action, horrors and science fiction. Older audiences will prefer to see films at Cinema City or watch them at home on DVD, where it is more comfortable, whereas younger people will prefer the excitement of the larger and more sociable venues such as Vue and Odeon cinemas.
I have written two types of questionnaire, quantative and qualitative, that I will give to a range of people of different ages and gender. I have chosen 16 people in total, a random selection of family and friends. I will send the questionnaires via email so it will be quick and easy for the participants to fill out.
By conducting my questionnaires, I want to find out how many times people go to the cinema, in particular which type of cinema they prefer (mainstream or independent) and if certain age groups enjoy specific genres. I would also like to know which method of viewing films (e.g. cinema, TV and DVD) is most popular and if there is a link between how audiences prefer to watch films and how they find out about them. And because the film we have made for this project is a thriller, my main reason for scrutinising the genre will be to see if the Thriller genre is popular amongst today’s society.
My predictions are that younger female audiences will prefer fantasies and romantic-comedies, whereas younger males will like action, horrors and science fiction. Older audiences will prefer to see films at Cinema City or watch them at home on DVD, where it is more comfortable, whereas younger people will prefer the excitement of the larger and more sociable venues such as Vue and Odeon cinemas.
Friday 8 April 2011
This is a qualitative questionnaire about audience segmentation, film marketing and film exhibition. It is to produce informational data for media research into the film industry.
Please write in depth answers to the questions.
1) What gender are you?
……………………………………………………………………………………………..........
2) How old are you?
………………………………………………………………………………………………......
3) How many times do you go to the cinema?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………...
4) Which cinema do you prefer to go to and why?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
5) Who do you usually go to the cinema with?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………...
6) How do you prefer to watch films and why?
………………………………………………………………………....................................
7) Which genre of film do you prefer and why?
………………………………………..............................……………………………………
8) How do you usually find out about the films that you watch at
the cinema?
………………………………………..................................………………………………..
Please write in depth answers to the questions.
1) What gender are you?
……………………………………………………………………………………………..........
2) How old are you?
………………………………………………………………………………………………......
3) How many times do you go to the cinema?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………...
4) Which cinema do you prefer to go to and why?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
5) Who do you usually go to the cinema with?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………...
6) How do you prefer to watch films and why?
………………………………………………………………………....................................
7) Which genre of film do you prefer and why?
………………………………………..............................……………………………………
8) How do you usually find out about the films that you watch at
the cinema?
………………………………………..................................………………………………..
Wednesday 6 April 2011
From Script to Screen
From Script to Screen: The differences between a mainstream and independent film during the four stages of industrial process
Production: A mainstream film can use A-list actors because they have a much higher budget than an independent film and therefore can attract bigger stars who demand higher salaries. The Director, Christopher Nolan, had always wanted Leonardo DiCaprio to act in one of his films and had had several meetings with him, but it wasn’t until he was asked to direct ‘Inception’ that DiCaprio finally agreed, due to the fact that he was ‘intrigued by the concept of the dream’. Directors of mainstream films choose famous actors because people will sometimes go to watch the films just because they are starring in them - or they like the type of films they are normally in – so this will help to widen the audience. This contrasts to independent film Directors who don’t have the budget to attract popular actors and therefore usually hire less known actors instead. In fact, in the film ‘This is England’ the lead actor, 11 year old Thomas Turgoose, had never acted before but was spotted on the street by Director/Writer Shane Meadows who asked him to star in the film. Due to the low budget, it was shot in residential areas of Nottingham including St Ann's, Lenton and The Meadows, which were suitable for the film’s plot. The film ‘Inception’ however, uses a lot of exotic locations including Tokyo, England, France and Los Angeles. Nolan first pitched his idea for the film ‘Inception’ to Warner Bros in 2001, but then felt that he needed ‘more experience making large-scale films’ and so embarked on ‘Batman Begins’ and ‘The Dark Knight’. Now as an accomplished Director, he realised he would need a bigger budget to make ‘Inception’ as most of the scenes would be difficult to film, because they were ‘filming literally a dream world where anything was possible’. Despite ‘This is England’ having a fraction of Inception’s budget, lots of people went to see the film and it won a BAFTA and 7 other awards because it reflected the mood of the moment.
In general, the Producer of a mainstream film often takes the idea from a best-selling novel and to keep up the momentum, looks to produce a sequel to obtain bigger profits, such as the Harry Potter movies. The independent film-maker will look at a lesser known novel which perhaps reflects the current social or political climate which will hopefully cover the costs and make some profit. The soundtrack for both types of films can be similar but the special effects are usually much more dramatic and exciting in a mainstream film where higher budgets allow this to happen. Both mainstream and independent films can use any genres to attract their audiences.
Marketing: Mainstream films are marketed in as many ways as possible using all types of media. Given a large budget this includes: TV, Cinema, internet advertising, merchandising and the actors attending several premieres around the world to drum up interest from a large crowd vying to see their favourite stars. If it is a family film, often actors will bring children to the openings to attract a wider audience which in itself becomes a worldwide media show. Whereas at an independent film premiere, actors will attract attention due to the film’s controversial and obscure theme, from a more select audience. Marketing may be limited to a newspaper spread, magazine flyers and posters on billboards which methods are also used by mainstream films. Independent film-makers often use Film Festivals to show their work to other Producers and film enthusiasts to increase their target audience. In the case of ‘Inception’, a viral marketing campaign began Spring 2010, then in June 2010 a manual filled with bizarre images and texts was sent to various Companies and as the month went on, posters, ads, phone applications and strange websites emerged creating a sense of intrigue. Warner Bros spent 100 million dollars marketing the film. This contrasts considerably with ‘This Is England’ where the whole budget for the film was estimated at 1.5 million pounds.
Distribution: For mainstream films the film companies, including Warner Bros, 20th Century Fox and Walt Disney, will set up a vast distribution service, releasing their films in cinemas around the world. These companies have large distribution budgets and are very organised so their audiences are well informed about film showings and timings. In contrast, the distribution of independent films is on a much smaller scale, due to the high costs and may only be shown in a selected number of cinemas in a few countries. Such companies are less known, Avatar Films, Dogwoof (for documentary and social films) and Indie Flix (an on-line independent media site).
Exhibition: Mainstream films are shown at large multi-screen cinema complexes throughout the world such as the Odeon and Vue. They can repeat a film many times each day using more than 1 screen, have spacious auditoriums and can easily cater for a huge turnaround of audiences. Films continue for several weeks in order to maximise profits before the DVD is released. In contrast, independent films are shown at independent cinemas (such as Cinema City in Norwich) in just a few countries. The films are broadcast on one screen, just a few times a day and only last for a short time. For example, the film ‘Oranges and Sunshine’ (2011, directed by Jim Loach), is currently being shown 4 times a day at Cinema City, but will be cut to 3 times a day in 3 days time and then will be reduced again to just twice daily until it finishes 4 days later, just 2 weeks after it was released.
With regard to the mainstream film ‘Inception’ it cost 160 million dollars to make, was released in UK cinemas on 16th July 2010, grossing an estimated 299 million pounds over its 11 week window here, then went to DVD on 3rd December 2010. In contrast ‘This Is England’ cost an estimated 1.5 million pounds to make, was released in UK cinemas on 27th April 2007, grossing an estimated 3.1 million pounds over its 4 week window, then went to DVD on 3rd September 2007.
On researching the cinema listings for Cinema City and Vue, I notice that a number of the mainstream blockbuster films have been introduced to Cinema City’s schedules in order to attract a wider audience. These include ‘Toy Story 3’ and ‘Avatar’. Because Avatar was expected to be a huge financial success, as it was widely acclaimed and took years making it, Cinema City installed the latest 3D projectors so it was shown to its full capacity and to compete with other cinemas.
Production: A mainstream film can use A-list actors because they have a much higher budget than an independent film and therefore can attract bigger stars who demand higher salaries. The Director, Christopher Nolan, had always wanted Leonardo DiCaprio to act in one of his films and had had several meetings with him, but it wasn’t until he was asked to direct ‘Inception’ that DiCaprio finally agreed, due to the fact that he was ‘intrigued by the concept of the dream’. Directors of mainstream films choose famous actors because people will sometimes go to watch the films just because they are starring in them - or they like the type of films they are normally in – so this will help to widen the audience. This contrasts to independent film Directors who don’t have the budget to attract popular actors and therefore usually hire less known actors instead. In fact, in the film ‘This is England’ the lead actor, 11 year old Thomas Turgoose, had never acted before but was spotted on the street by Director/Writer Shane Meadows who asked him to star in the film. Due to the low budget, it was shot in residential areas of Nottingham including St Ann's, Lenton and The Meadows, which were suitable for the film’s plot. The film ‘Inception’ however, uses a lot of exotic locations including Tokyo, England, France and Los Angeles. Nolan first pitched his idea for the film ‘Inception’ to Warner Bros in 2001, but then felt that he needed ‘more experience making large-scale films’ and so embarked on ‘Batman Begins’ and ‘The Dark Knight’. Now as an accomplished Director, he realised he would need a bigger budget to make ‘Inception’ as most of the scenes would be difficult to film, because they were ‘filming literally a dream world where anything was possible’. Despite ‘This is England’ having a fraction of Inception’s budget, lots of people went to see the film and it won a BAFTA and 7 other awards because it reflected the mood of the moment.
In general, the Producer of a mainstream film often takes the idea from a best-selling novel and to keep up the momentum, looks to produce a sequel to obtain bigger profits, such as the Harry Potter movies. The independent film-maker will look at a lesser known novel which perhaps reflects the current social or political climate which will hopefully cover the costs and make some profit. The soundtrack for both types of films can be similar but the special effects are usually much more dramatic and exciting in a mainstream film where higher budgets allow this to happen. Both mainstream and independent films can use any genres to attract their audiences.
Marketing: Mainstream films are marketed in as many ways as possible using all types of media. Given a large budget this includes: TV, Cinema, internet advertising, merchandising and the actors attending several premieres around the world to drum up interest from a large crowd vying to see their favourite stars. If it is a family film, often actors will bring children to the openings to attract a wider audience which in itself becomes a worldwide media show. Whereas at an independent film premiere, actors will attract attention due to the film’s controversial and obscure theme, from a more select audience. Marketing may be limited to a newspaper spread, magazine flyers and posters on billboards which methods are also used by mainstream films. Independent film-makers often use Film Festivals to show their work to other Producers and film enthusiasts to increase their target audience. In the case of ‘Inception’, a viral marketing campaign began Spring 2010, then in June 2010 a manual filled with bizarre images and texts was sent to various Companies and as the month went on, posters, ads, phone applications and strange websites emerged creating a sense of intrigue. Warner Bros spent 100 million dollars marketing the film. This contrasts considerably with ‘This Is England’ where the whole budget for the film was estimated at 1.5 million pounds.
Distribution: For mainstream films the film companies, including Warner Bros, 20th Century Fox and Walt Disney, will set up a vast distribution service, releasing their films in cinemas around the world. These companies have large distribution budgets and are very organised so their audiences are well informed about film showings and timings. In contrast, the distribution of independent films is on a much smaller scale, due to the high costs and may only be shown in a selected number of cinemas in a few countries. Such companies are less known, Avatar Films, Dogwoof (for documentary and social films) and Indie Flix (an on-line independent media site).
Exhibition: Mainstream films are shown at large multi-screen cinema complexes throughout the world such as the Odeon and Vue. They can repeat a film many times each day using more than 1 screen, have spacious auditoriums and can easily cater for a huge turnaround of audiences. Films continue for several weeks in order to maximise profits before the DVD is released. In contrast, independent films are shown at independent cinemas (such as Cinema City in Norwich) in just a few countries. The films are broadcast on one screen, just a few times a day and only last for a short time. For example, the film ‘Oranges and Sunshine’ (2011, directed by Jim Loach), is currently being shown 4 times a day at Cinema City, but will be cut to 3 times a day in 3 days time and then will be reduced again to just twice daily until it finishes 4 days later, just 2 weeks after it was released.
With regard to the mainstream film ‘Inception’ it cost 160 million dollars to make, was released in UK cinemas on 16th July 2010, grossing an estimated 299 million pounds over its 11 week window here, then went to DVD on 3rd December 2010. In contrast ‘This Is England’ cost an estimated 1.5 million pounds to make, was released in UK cinemas on 27th April 2007, grossing an estimated 3.1 million pounds over its 4 week window, then went to DVD on 3rd September 2007.
On researching the cinema listings for Cinema City and Vue, I notice that a number of the mainstream blockbuster films have been introduced to Cinema City’s schedules in order to attract a wider audience. These include ‘Toy Story 3’ and ‘Avatar’. Because Avatar was expected to be a huge financial success, as it was widely acclaimed and took years making it, Cinema City installed the latest 3D projectors so it was shown to its full capacity and to compete with other cinemas.
Tuesday 5 April 2011
Cinema Survival
Cinema survival: Compare the ways in which Cinema City and Vue/Odeon attract audiences
In the last few years, cinemas throughout the world have had to compete with the growing technology of home cinema entertainment. Large high definition TVs, DVD/ Blu-ray equipment and surround sound gives a cinema-like experience at home, so many people prefer to wait until a film is released onto DVD so they can watch it as many times and whenever they want. These can be released as quickly as 12 weeks after the film has been launched. With the advancement of computer technology, films can also be shown via the internet which allows people to see them on a laptop while on the move, such as on a train or plane journey but this availability takes a lot longer.
So how can cinemas overcome this trend and win back their audiences?
Many mainstream cinemas, i.e. Vue and Odeon, have incorporated high tech HD digital projection and 3D viewing to try to outsmart the TV industry. Vue cinemas have installed Sony’s 4K projectors in its network of cinemas. These give 4 times the resolution of full high definition, producing a fantastic more realistic picture, which teamed with 3D technology, gives the audience an unbelievably lifelike experience, well worth going to the cinema for. They also have a lot of screens (Vue has 8) so they can show a variety of films and the more popular ones can have hourly viewings optimising on the excitement of a new film. For example: ‘Valentines Day’ (2010, directed by Gary Marshall) and ‘Eclipse’ (2010, directed by David Slade). When the initial interest of the film starts to diminish, they can move the film to a smaller screen, releasing the larger screen for the next premiere. They also usually show the more popular mainstream films to draw in the audience and raise their ticket sales. Vue cinemas have also created a DVD rental service called ‘Vue At Home’ which offers free DVD rentals to their cinema going customers: watch a film at Vue cinema, get a voucher to rent a movie; thus working with this popular format rather than against it. The mainstream cinemas can afford to spend a great deal of money on advertising, such as posters, leaflets and billboards on busy roads. Their promotions include discounts on next-visit to the cinema and internet sites discounting ticket prices bought in advance.
In contrast to Vue and Odeon mainstream cinemas, we have Cinema City, an independent cinema, in the heart of Norwich. How does this survive and retain its audience on such a small budget?
Cinema City is part of The PictureHouse network which receives funding from Europa (a company which incorporates cinemas across Europe with a view to show a specific quota of European Language films). They own 19 cinemas throughout the UK in city centre locations, mainly University towns, and choose diverse programming schedules tailored to the local audience, a blend of Arthouse and mainstream films. In Norwich it attracts UEA students and foreign nationals particularly from the language department. Also, the cinema appeals to an older, more mature audience who prefers its traditional style and atmosphere. It is more sociable as it has a bar and restaurant; more select because it only has 3 screens and feels cosy and comfortable; making the whole experience of going to the cinema pleasurable and luxurious. Films shown for example, ‘Tell No One’ (2006, directed by Guillaume Canet) and ‘This Is England’ (2006, directed by Shane Meadows) The PictureHouse network doesn’t compete with the mainstream cinemas as it negotiates its terms and schedules under a co-operative, which therefore offers different genres that cater for a more exclusive, diverse audience. Advertising is very limited, just posters in the windows and details on its website. They have recently brought out a giftcard promotion. The cinema has invested in digital projection in order to show more films made in this way.
In order to attract a wider audience, all the cinemas mentioned above have recently introduced events such as opera and ballet to their screens. These are transmitted live from a number of famous theatres around the world, in stunning high definition and add a whole new dimension to visiting a cinema.
In the last few years, cinemas throughout the world have had to compete with the growing technology of home cinema entertainment. Large high definition TVs, DVD/ Blu-ray equipment and surround sound gives a cinema-like experience at home, so many people prefer to wait until a film is released onto DVD so they can watch it as many times and whenever they want. These can be released as quickly as 12 weeks after the film has been launched. With the advancement of computer technology, films can also be shown via the internet which allows people to see them on a laptop while on the move, such as on a train or plane journey but this availability takes a lot longer.
So how can cinemas overcome this trend and win back their audiences?
Many mainstream cinemas, i.e. Vue and Odeon, have incorporated high tech HD digital projection and 3D viewing to try to outsmart the TV industry. Vue cinemas have installed Sony’s 4K projectors in its network of cinemas. These give 4 times the resolution of full high definition, producing a fantastic more realistic picture, which teamed with 3D technology, gives the audience an unbelievably lifelike experience, well worth going to the cinema for. They also have a lot of screens (Vue has 8) so they can show a variety of films and the more popular ones can have hourly viewings optimising on the excitement of a new film. For example: ‘Valentines Day’ (2010, directed by Gary Marshall) and ‘Eclipse’ (2010, directed by David Slade). When the initial interest of the film starts to diminish, they can move the film to a smaller screen, releasing the larger screen for the next premiere. They also usually show the more popular mainstream films to draw in the audience and raise their ticket sales. Vue cinemas have also created a DVD rental service called ‘Vue At Home’ which offers free DVD rentals to their cinema going customers: watch a film at Vue cinema, get a voucher to rent a movie; thus working with this popular format rather than against it. The mainstream cinemas can afford to spend a great deal of money on advertising, such as posters, leaflets and billboards on busy roads. Their promotions include discounts on next-visit to the cinema and internet sites discounting ticket prices bought in advance.
In contrast to Vue and Odeon mainstream cinemas, we have Cinema City, an independent cinema, in the heart of Norwich. How does this survive and retain its audience on such a small budget?
Cinema City is part of The PictureHouse network which receives funding from Europa (a company which incorporates cinemas across Europe with a view to show a specific quota of European Language films). They own 19 cinemas throughout the UK in city centre locations, mainly University towns, and choose diverse programming schedules tailored to the local audience, a blend of Arthouse and mainstream films. In Norwich it attracts UEA students and foreign nationals particularly from the language department. Also, the cinema appeals to an older, more mature audience who prefers its traditional style and atmosphere. It is more sociable as it has a bar and restaurant; more select because it only has 3 screens and feels cosy and comfortable; making the whole experience of going to the cinema pleasurable and luxurious. Films shown for example, ‘Tell No One’ (2006, directed by Guillaume Canet) and ‘This Is England’ (2006, directed by Shane Meadows) The PictureHouse network doesn’t compete with the mainstream cinemas as it negotiates its terms and schedules under a co-operative, which therefore offers different genres that cater for a more exclusive, diverse audience. Advertising is very limited, just posters in the windows and details on its website. They have recently brought out a giftcard promotion. The cinema has invested in digital projection in order to show more films made in this way.
In order to attract a wider audience, all the cinemas mentioned above have recently introduced events such as opera and ballet to their screens. These are transmitted live from a number of famous theatres around the world, in stunning high definition and add a whole new dimension to visiting a cinema.
Research into Film Audiences: Proposal and Questionnaires
These are the questionnaires that I emailed to 20 people.
This is a quantitive questionnaire about audience segmentation, film marketing and film exhibition. It is to produce numerical data for media research into the film industry.
Please tick the box that applies to you.
1) What gender are you?
Male [ ]
Female [ ]
2) How old are you?
Under 15 [ ]
15-25 [ ]
26-45 [ ]
46-64 [ ]
65+ [ ]
3) How many times do you go to the cinema?
Once a week or more [ ]
Once a fortnight [ ]
Once a month [ ]
Once every 6 months [ ]
Less than once every 6 months [ ]
Other [ ]
4) Which cinema do you prefer to go to?
Cinema City [ ]
Vue Cinemas [ ]
Odeon Cinema [ ]
Hollywood Screen Cinema [ ]
Other [ ]
5) Who do you usually go to the cinema with? (Select as many that apply)
On your own [ ]
With family [ ]
With friends [ ]
With a partner [ ]
Other [ ]
6) How do you prefer to watch films?
Cinema [ ]
DVD [ ]
Internet [ ]
Television [ ]
Other [ ]
7) Which genre of film do you prefer to watch?
Action [ ]
Adventure [ ]
Comedy [ ]
Crime [ ]
Drama [ ]
Fantasy [ ]
Horror [ ]
Musical [ ]
Romance [ ]
Rom-coms [ ]
Sci-fi [ ]
Thriller [ ]
War [ ]
8) Where do you find out about the films that you watch at the cinema?
Word of mouth [ ]
Television [ ]
Newspapers [ ]
Magazines [ ]
Radio [ ]
Internet [ ]
Cinema/DVD trailers [ ]
Billboards [ ]
Other [ ]
This is a quantitive questionnaire about audience segmentation, film marketing and film exhibition. It is to produce numerical data for media research into the film industry.
Please tick the box that applies to you.
1) What gender are you?
Male [ ]
Female [ ]
2) How old are you?
Under 15 [ ]
15-25 [ ]
26-45 [ ]
46-64 [ ]
65+ [ ]
3) How many times do you go to the cinema?
Once a week or more [ ]
Once a fortnight [ ]
Once a month [ ]
Once every 6 months [ ]
Less than once every 6 months [ ]
Other [ ]
4) Which cinema do you prefer to go to?
Cinema City [ ]
Vue Cinemas [ ]
Odeon Cinema [ ]
Hollywood Screen Cinema [ ]
Other [ ]
5) Who do you usually go to the cinema with? (Select as many that apply)
On your own [ ]
With family [ ]
With friends [ ]
With a partner [ ]
Other [ ]
6) How do you prefer to watch films?
Cinema [ ]
DVD [ ]
Internet [ ]
Television [ ]
Other [ ]
7) Which genre of film do you prefer to watch?
Action [ ]
Adventure [ ]
Comedy [ ]
Crime [ ]
Drama [ ]
Fantasy [ ]
Horror [ ]
Musical [ ]
Romance [ ]
Rom-coms [ ]
Sci-fi [ ]
Thriller [ ]
War [ ]
8) Where do you find out about the films that you watch at the cinema?
Word of mouth [ ]
Television [ ]
Newspapers [ ]
Magazines [ ]
Radio [ ]
Internet [ ]
Cinema/DVD trailers [ ]
Billboards [ ]
Other [ ]
Monday 4 April 2011
Target Audience Profile
In this poster I have included a screen shot from my thriller ‘Thief’ to intrigue the audience, and show them what to expect from this film. My crime thriller is aimed at the target audience of 16-25 year olds because it is this age group in particular that may be influenced, or have been affected by crime. For example, identity theft and mugging is a huge issue at present, making this film ‘mood of moment’. Mugging is especially common with the target audience age group because you often hear about gang culture in the media and the amount of teens that are committing major offences, such as mugging and knife crime. Even though ‘Thief’ is an independent film, it is influenced by many independent and mainstream films including the crime thriller ‘Snatch’ (2000, directed by Guy Richie). It relates to ‘Thief’ because they are both about committing a robbery and what extent people will go to for money. It is also influenced by ‘Kidulthood’ (2006, directed by Noel Clarke) which is an independent film about youths and gang crime.
This is a snapshot of the victim Eve White drawing out some money at the cashpoint whilst the ‘Thief’ Will Block watches her. It creates a feeling of suspense as the audience wonders why this teenage boy is stalking her. The fact that this boy is only 17 years old, would be particularly disturbing for the target audience because it would make them wonder if they themselves could commit this type of crime and target innocent strangers. I have used rundown, gritty locations that will appeal to my target audience. These are usual city locations such as, a cashpoint down an alleyway and a subway. The subway is particularly grungy which the target audience could identify with, as they themselves might have walked down a dimly lit subway at night alone and could relate to the panicky feeling of being alone in a rundown area. I have displayed all the awards the film has won on the poster making it more appealing because it has been recommended by top film critics. Films that have won awards usually display them in their posters to entice the audience and gain their attention. For example, ‘This is England’ (2006, directed by Shane Meadows) interested me because it features their awards on the poster demostrating it is a good film, even though the actors are unknown. It involves ‘skinheads’ who are a type of group or gang that were popular in the 1980s and having the title ‘This IS England’ shows that not a lot has changed through time. There are still racist gangs that are extremely violent and numb to the consequences. This relates to ‘Thief’ because it illustrates how ‘normal’ teens can easily get mixed up in something illegal becoming selfish and corrupt like 12 year old ‘Shaun’ from ‘This is England’.
 |
| This is a poster for my Thriller 'Thief' |
This is a snapshot of the victim Eve White drawing out some money at the cashpoint whilst the ‘Thief’ Will Block watches her. It creates a feeling of suspense as the audience wonders why this teenage boy is stalking her. The fact that this boy is only 17 years old, would be particularly disturbing for the target audience because it would make them wonder if they themselves could commit this type of crime and target innocent strangers. I have used rundown, gritty locations that will appeal to my target audience. These are usual city locations such as, a cashpoint down an alleyway and a subway. The subway is particularly grungy which the target audience could identify with, as they themselves might have walked down a dimly lit subway at night alone and could relate to the panicky feeling of being alone in a rundown area. I have displayed all the awards the film has won on the poster making it more appealing because it has been recommended by top film critics. Films that have won awards usually display them in their posters to entice the audience and gain their attention. For example, ‘This is England’ (2006, directed by Shane Meadows) interested me because it features their awards on the poster demostrating it is a good film, even though the actors are unknown. It involves ‘skinheads’ who are a type of group or gang that were popular in the 1980s and having the title ‘This IS England’ shows that not a lot has changed through time. There are still racist gangs that are extremely violent and numb to the consequences. This relates to ‘Thief’ because it illustrates how ‘normal’ teens can easily get mixed up in something illegal becoming selfish and corrupt like 12 year old ‘Shaun’ from ‘This is England’.
Floor Plan
 |
| This is my floor plan I drew to make it clearer where the cameras should be positioned when filming the action. |
Witness Analysis
Title: Witness
Director: Peter Weir
Date: 1985
Genre: Drama, Romance, Thriller
Certificate: 15
Brief Synopsis:
A young Amish boy Samuel (Lukas Haas) is witness to a murder. Policeman John Book (Harrison Ford) goes into hiding in Amish country to protect him until the trial.
This is a trailer from the film 'Witness'
Witness begins with an Amish boy who is witness to a violent murder in a Grand Central Station in Philadelphia which is a location that has been used in many Thriller films such as 'Strangers on a Train' (1951, directed by Alfred Hitchcock) and is typical of the Thriller genre. It is used to emphasize the
This is a clip of the murder scene from 'Witness'
In this clip a black man is the murderer which stereotypically represents black men as criminals. This is called a zeitgeist, displaying the 'mood of moment' in America at the time as there was a lot of racism and discrimination against black people.
Director: Peter Weir
Date: 1985
Genre: Drama, Romance, Thriller
Certificate: 15
Brief Synopsis:
A young Amish boy Samuel (Lukas Haas) is witness to a murder. Policeman John Book (Harrison Ford) goes into hiding in Amish country to protect him until the trial.
This is a trailer from the film 'Witness'
Witness begins with an Amish boy who is witness to a violent murder in a Grand Central Station in Philadelphia which is a location that has been used in many Thriller films such as 'Strangers on a Train' (1951, directed by Alfred Hitchcock) and is typical of the Thriller genre. It is used to emphasize the
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| This is an exteme high angle shot of Samuel from the statue's point of view. It gives an eerie feel in that someone/something is watching him. This is ironic it foreshadows the events of the film because later on Sam is witness to a murder. It is almost as if it is a CCTV shot and that he is being viewed as he accidently witnesses the murder. |
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| This is a close up of Sam in the toilet cubicle witnessing the murder. There is a bright white light behind which suggests innocence and angelicness, giving the boy religious ideology. The cubicle gives a sense of claustrophobia (which is a common factor for Thriller films) and a feeling that there is no escape for the boy. The fact that he is so young and from an amish community where everyone is polite to eachother makes Sam vulnerable which reinforces his innocense. He probably hasn't ever seen this violence before and doesn't fully understand what is happening. This makes the audience empathise with him, making him a likeable character. |
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| There are many extreme close ups of Samuel's eye, which is used to demonstrate how shocked and terrified he is. By using just his eye puts the audience in the character's position iof the sheer horror of witnessing something life changing. It puts an emphasis on how disturbing it is for Sam and how it would be or anyone else in his position. |
This is a clip of the murder scene from 'Witness'
In this clip a black man is the murderer which stereotypically represents black men as criminals. This is called a zeitgeist, displaying the 'mood of moment' in America at the time as there was a lot of racism and discrimination against black people.
Friday 1 April 2011
Soundtrack Choice
This is the soundtrack chosen for our thriller opening. We chose this because it creates an eerie sensation it adds to the action. We also really liked the modern, electrical sound it has. It makes it very contempory and unnatural.
This is another soundtrack that we considered. We liked the thrilling, creepy effect it has, but it wasn't long enough and didn't match the action as well as choice 1.
This is another soundtrack we considered for our thriller. We really liked the high pitch sounds with the low pitch sounds running all the way through it. We felt it made the thriller feel much colder. We chose choice 1 over this because of the exciting climax it had in the middle, which matched with the action of our thriller very well, whereas this soundtrack didn't have the same climax and was the same all the way through.
Thursday 31 March 2011
Location and Character Shots
These are some photos of the cashpoint location used in our final edit 'Thief'. They highlight an important issue that we have raised about identity theft and mugging. At present -especially during the 'credit crunch' - many people are worried about having their money and possessions being stolen from them.
This is a mugshot of Emily King (me) who plays Eve White. I am dressed in jeans, leather jacket, red scarf and gloves. The appearance is feminine and represents the typical style of teenagers today.
This is a mugshot of Jenna Bolingbroke who plays Scarlet Fraser she is wearing a leather jacket, hoody and heavy make up to make her appear dangerous.
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| We have chosen this specific location because due to the narrow street it is in. This is to emphasise the claustrophobic sensation creating the sense of someone looking over your shoulder as you're using the machine. We also think that the stone brickwork and cobbles add to the coldness of the street and mise en scene. |
This is a mug shot of Tom Block who plays Will Block. He is dressed in jeans and a jumper with a hood (hoody) which creates a thug-like appearance. Also, he is wearing 'skater' shoes to emphasise his character of 'the skateboarder'.
This is a mugshot of Emily King (me) who plays Eve White. I am dressed in jeans, leather jacket, red scarf and gloves. The appearance is feminine and represents the typical style of teenagers today.
This is a mugshot of Jenna Bolingbroke who plays Scarlet Fraser she is wearing a leather jacket, hoody and heavy make up to make her appear dangerous.
Storyboards
These are my storyboards for our original Thriller opening idea. We have drawn storyboards to make sure that we know exactly what will happen when we start to film. For example, all of the different scenes with their specific camera angles.
I have used this idea from the film 'The Third Man' demonstrating the intertextual reference with the character 'Harry Lime' and 'Harry' from our original idea 'Double Identity'. This illustrates the complexities of the character and how mystery surrounds him. It makes his motives for watching and hiding in the shadows unclear.
Wednesday 30 March 2011
Evaluation Question 1
Q1) In what ways does your media product, use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products.
I have also used intertextual references from the film ‘The Third Man’ (1949, directed by Carol Reed) through the subway scene where Eve becomes confounded by where she should go, reflecting ‘The Third Man’s’ sewer scene where Harry Lime becomes trapped in a labyrinth of nightmares with no escape. Also, the confined space of the subway can be linked to the film ‘Kill Bill: Volume 2’ (2004, directed by Quentin Tarantino) where ‘The Bride’ is trapped in a coffin, emphasising the claustrophobic space and mirroring the low ceiling of the subway that I filmed in.
I have used specific lighting to create suspense and unease. For example the morose, grey lighting in ‘Essex Boys’ gives the film a sombre and dark undertone that has been reflected in the cashpoint scene in my Thriller ‘Thief’. The fact that ‘Jason’ severely beat up someone in broad daylight enforces fear onto the audience which I have used in the cashpoint scene where ‘Will Block’ blatantly stalks his victims. This makes the situation more frightening as identity theft and mugging is very common at present, making the Thriller ‘mood of moment’. The washed-out lighting also mirrors the blandness of the character ‘Eve’s’ personality and that her costume of a red scarf and gloves goes against the typical connotations that the colour red usually signifies. Normally this colour portrays that the character is dangerous, however I have used the aspects from ‘Sin City’ (2005, directed by Frank Miller) where the characters ‘Goldie’ and ‘The Customer’ both wear red dresses to give the effect of danger but are in fact victims. This indicates that not everything is as it seems subverting a traditional ideology, demonstrating an ambivalent attitude towards the character’s personality and whether they are good or evil. ‘Eve White’ can also be compared to the character ‘Eve’ from ‘Once Upon a Time in America’ (1984, directed by Sergio Leone) which is where we got the character’s name from. It signifies the evening (darkness) or a build up of something that is about to happen such as Christmas Eve. Even though ‘Eve’ is interrogated and threatened by the police she still doesn’t reveal any information, leading to her being murdered, which is like the subway scene where ‘Eve White’ tries to fight for her bag in ‘Thief’ but ends up with it being stolen. Also in ‘Once Upon a Time in America’, ‘Eve’ discovers an outline of bullets on her bed as a warning from the police and is a premonition that she will die there. In my Thriller ‘Thief’ there is an outline someone’s body in spray paint on the subway floor, indicating that something will happen to ‘Eve White’ which will end in her misery.
However, this contrasts the character ‘Scarlet Fraser’ who is the second girl that ‘Will’ targets. ‘Scarlet’ is a femme fatale like ‘Lisbeth Salander’ in ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ because of her brooding demeanour and costume of a black leather jacket and hood. Also, her fringe is hiding her face like ‘Lisbeths’ and therefore hides her identity making her appear mysterious. She is a rebellion of the stereotypical femme fatale like ‘Gilda’ from the film with the same title (1946, directed by Charles Vidor) who is elegant unlike ‘Scarlet’ who is rough and edgy. Because the two girls in ‘Thief’ look so alike it gives an effect they are the same person and have a split personality. This compares to ‘Nina’ and ‘Lily’ from the Thriller ‘Black Swan’ (2010, directed by Darren Aronofsky), ‘Eve White’ being the ‘White Swan’ or good side whereas ‘Scarlet Fraser’ is the ‘Black Swan’ or bad side.
This is a trailer for the film which shows the battle that ‘Nina’ has with herself, and that ‘Lily’ is just a metaphor for her ‘bad side’.
In the opening to my Thriller film, aspects of the genre are immediately introduced to the audience by the title ‘Thief’. This suggests that someone is targeting individuals to steal from them, which relates to the Crime Thriller ‘Snatch’ (2000, directed by Guy Ritchie). It reflects the content of the film, therefore reinforcing the Thriller convention. The locations that I have used were inspired by the urban, gritty locations of the film ‘Essex Boys’ (2000, directed by Terry Winsor). For example, at the beginning of ‘Essex Boys’ the characters ‘Billy Reynolds’ and ‘Jason Locke’ are in a rundown garage with cobwebs, which I recreated in the subway scene giving it a dystopian effect.
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| This is a screen shot from 'Essex Boys' |
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| This is a screen shot from 'Thief' |
I have also used intertextual references from the film ‘The Third Man’ (1949, directed by Carol Reed) through the subway scene where Eve becomes confounded by where she should go, reflecting ‘The Third Man’s’ sewer scene where Harry Lime becomes trapped in a labyrinth of nightmares with no escape. Also, the confined space of the subway can be linked to the film ‘Kill Bill: Volume 2’ (2004, directed by Quentin Tarantino) where ‘The Bride’ is trapped in a coffin, emphasising the claustrophobic space and mirroring the low ceiling of the subway that I filmed in.
I have used specific lighting to create suspense and unease. For example the morose, grey lighting in ‘Essex Boys’ gives the film a sombre and dark undertone that has been reflected in the cashpoint scene in my Thriller ‘Thief’. The fact that ‘Jason’ severely beat up someone in broad daylight enforces fear onto the audience which I have used in the cashpoint scene where ‘Will Block’ blatantly stalks his victims. This makes the situation more frightening as identity theft and mugging is very common at present, making the Thriller ‘mood of moment’. The washed-out lighting also mirrors the blandness of the character ‘Eve’s’ personality and that her costume of a red scarf and gloves goes against the typical connotations that the colour red usually signifies. Normally this colour portrays that the character is dangerous, however I have used the aspects from ‘Sin City’ (2005, directed by Frank Miller) where the characters ‘Goldie’ and ‘The Customer’ both wear red dresses to give the effect of danger but are in fact victims. This indicates that not everything is as it seems subverting a traditional ideology, demonstrating an ambivalent attitude towards the character’s personality and whether they are good or evil. ‘Eve White’ can also be compared to the character ‘Eve’ from ‘Once Upon a Time in America’ (1984, directed by Sergio Leone) which is where we got the character’s name from. It signifies the evening (darkness) or a build up of something that is about to happen such as Christmas Eve. Even though ‘Eve’ is interrogated and threatened by the police she still doesn’t reveal any information, leading to her being murdered, which is like the subway scene where ‘Eve White’ tries to fight for her bag in ‘Thief’ but ends up with it being stolen. Also in ‘Once Upon a Time in America’, ‘Eve’ discovers an outline of bullets on her bed as a warning from the police and is a premonition that she will die there. In my Thriller ‘Thief’ there is an outline someone’s body in spray paint on the subway floor, indicating that something will happen to ‘Eve White’ which will end in her misery.
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| This is a screen shot from 'Once Upon a Time in America' |
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| This is a screen shot from 'Thief' |
However, this contrasts the character ‘Scarlet Fraser’ who is the second girl that ‘Will’ targets. ‘Scarlet’ is a femme fatale like ‘Lisbeth Salander’ in ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ because of her brooding demeanour and costume of a black leather jacket and hood. Also, her fringe is hiding her face like ‘Lisbeths’ and therefore hides her identity making her appear mysterious. She is a rebellion of the stereotypical femme fatale like ‘Gilda’ from the film with the same title (1946, directed by Charles Vidor) who is elegant unlike ‘Scarlet’ who is rough and edgy. Because the two girls in ‘Thief’ look so alike it gives an effect they are the same person and have a split personality. This compares to ‘Nina’ and ‘Lily’ from the Thriller ‘Black Swan’ (2010, directed by Darren Aronofsky), ‘Eve White’ being the ‘White Swan’ or good side whereas ‘Scarlet Fraser’ is the ‘Black Swan’ or bad side.
This is a trailer for the film which shows the battle that ‘Nina’ has with herself, and that ‘Lily’ is just a metaphor for her ‘bad side’.
Tuesday 15 March 2011
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