Audience Review for 2nd questionnaire. (completed by Jasmin Manjdadria)

We designed a questionnaire to understand how the audience would respond to our thriller. Questionnaires are a positive way for gaining feedback on how our audience perceives our film as we aim to meet their needs when it comes the two-minute sequence. 
We gave our questionnaire to thirty people, we choose to give it to an equal amount of males and females.(fifteen males and fifteen females) like the first questionnaire to keep continuity. We asked them to carry out the questionnaire after watching our two minute sequence.
The first question we asked was which age group our participants fit into, like in the first questionnaire. It would be productive to compare the age groups as this would make it easier for us to draw a conclusion on who our main target audience was for this film. We found that majority of our group who were targeted were 18 year olds followed by 15-17 year olds (12%).
The second question we asked was which ethnicity our audience were, we found that majority of our audience was between white and asian at 9%, but this was closely followed by an black audience at 8%. This question helps us specify what type of audience we had observing our film, it may effect they way they could relate to the mise-en-scene and understand the sequence.
The third question whether the thriller meets the needs of a good thriller movie; this is a direct yes or no answer that would help us correlate how many people found the opening realistic. We found that 24% of our audience found the thriller met the needs of a good thriller.
The next question was whether the thriller supported or challenged the forms and conventions of thrillers. Our findings show that 28% said that we used the same forms and conventions like other thrillers which means we kept the stereotype by using a female as the victim and a male as the murderer.
The following question asked whether the film showed a clear antagonist and protagonist, in the previous questionnaire we asked the same question with reference to the script and synopsis, all participants found it was shown clearly. The results found the same results.
We asked which conventions were mostly apparent, the results found that the audience found the location realistic most apparent (14%). This was followed by 12% of them who thought the normal everyday life was apparent the last two options were less apparent.
The last question was which audience would the film appeal to, we found that it appealed mostly to 25+ (13%) and less likely to appeal to 12-14 year olds according to the audience.
We created pie charts to make the results readable. It demonstrates how our film was perceived to the audience, and from these findings we can generalise it to a wider audience.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities

1) Preliminary task shot list – Risha Jethwa
2) Preliminary task Evaluation – Risha Jethwa
3) Preliminary task – Rizwana Jawid, Jasmin Manjdadria & Risha Jethwa
4) Mind map – Rizwana Jawid
5) Outline idea for the two minute opening sequence – Rizwana Jawid
6) A Justified Revenge Script – Rizwana Jawid
7) A Justified Revenge Script – Directors cut – Rizwana Jawid
8) A Justified Revenge Synopsis – Jasmin Manjdadria
9) Questionnaire – first questionnaire – Rizwana Jawid
10) Questionnaire results – graphs – Rizwana Jawid
11) Audience review – Individually written - Jasmin Manjdadia, Rizwana Jawid & Risha Jethwa
12) Codes and conventions – Risha Jethwa
13) Genre research – Risha Jethwa
14) Pictures for the storyboard – Jasmin Manjdadria & Rizwana Jawid
15) Prop notes – Risha Jethwa
16) Cast notes – Risha Jethwa
17) Location notes – Jasmin Manjdadria
18) Storyboard – Rizwana Jawid
19) Disturbia – Thriller notes – Jasmin Manjdadria
20) The Eye – Thriller notes – Rizwana Jawid
21) The Shining – Thriller notes – Risha Jethwa
22) Gothika – Thriller notes – Risha Jethwa
23) Score notes – Jasmin Manjdadria
24) Shot List for the two minute Sequence - Jasmin Manjdadria
25) Two minutes opening sequence – Jasmin Manjdadria, Rizwana Jawid & Risha Jethwa
26) Questionnaire – second questionnaire – Rizwana Jawid
27) Questionnaire results – graphs – Rizwana Jawid
28) Audience Review for the second questionnaire – Jasmin Manjdadria
29) Evaluation – Individually written – Risha Jethwa, Rizwana Jawid & Jasmin Manjdadria

Blog responsibilities: Rizwana Jawid, Jasmin Manjdadria & Risha Jethwa

Evaluation - (completed by Rizwana Jawid)

Question 1 – In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

The media product that we created, Justified Revenge, consists of forms and conventions that real media products would have. As we focused on thriller movies to base our sequence on, we learnt about the different conventions thriller movies consisted off

After looking at a number of films such as ‘Disturbia’, and ‘See no evil’, we were able to come up with an idea for our two minute sequence. The film ‘Disturbia’ is based on an individual having a mixed identity, similarly the main character in our two minute sequence is also seen to have a mixed identity as he is seen as a religious figure with strong beliefs, but his community is seen to be fooled by his outer innocence as he is actually a kidnapper seen to kidnap young girls, who have sinned in his eyes. In addition to this, the film ‘See no evil’ is based on kidnapping by a serial killer that collects the eyes of his victims.

Our two minute sequence is also based on kidnappings; however the main character who is the kidnapper is someone with a hidden identity. These two films mainly influenced the idea of our two minutes sequence as we tried to keep our audience interested by having the main character who had a mixed identity.

Our final media product does support a typical thriller film as there is a build up of tension before the audience actually see what is going on. It also supports the forms and conventions as there would be a sense of cruelty in thriller films. This helps the audience to stay interested as they would want to know what is going to happen next. The storyline for our film would most probably fall under the psychological/crime themes of thriller. We thought that it would fit under the psychological theme as the sequence has emphasis over the character more than the plot itself. We also thought that it may fit into the crime theme as the sequence focuses more on the criminal rather than the mystery solvers.

Question 2 – How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Justified Revenge is based on the male being shown as the dominant and superior figure whereas the female is shown as weak and passive. This goes with the stereotype of males and females in society as males are aggressive, strong and are always shown as the leaders, and females are weak, emotional and are likely to be the followers who have no say in what is going on.

The characters in the two minute opening sequence are shown as middle classed individuals through the way they are dressed. As the main character is shown as a religious figure, he is dressed in a suit. This represents the main character as someone who has pride and may possibly be egotistic.

The victim in the film is casually dressed, as a teenager would be; this also has emphasis on the fact that she is weak. The way in which the characters are represented in the film is an important aspect in order for the audience to be able to relate and have an understanding of how the characters respond to situations and their behaviour towards one another. The victim, a teenager is represented as a defenceless individual who has done something wrong to get herself into the situation that she is in.




This is a typical stereotype of a teenager who has yet to learn through the mistakes that they make.

In the opening sequence of the thriller film, Justified Revenge, the teenager is shown being tied up in the boot, leaving the enigma to be solved by the audience as to what she may have done to get herself into that position. The audience would be able to relate to this as the film is aimed at those around the same age as the characters. Teenagers would be able to relate to this as they would thing that there’s a consequence linked to mistakes that they make.

Question 3 – What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

Justified Revenge could be an art house film as it has a main target group that it may appeal to. It is aimed at a particular age group of those who are roughly aged between 15 and 40. This is because they would most likely be able to understand the characters points of view. The film we created would be seen as something different than the usual thriller films, therefore the audience would expect to see a different storyline from the common ones. As a result, this would be an advantage as the audience would be more interested in seeing and finding out what the film is about. Justified Revenge could be an internet release as it has a storyline that is set out to keep the audience engaged and also is similar to other films in a sense that it consists of enigma, each scene leading to another as it builds up tension.

Within our two minute sequence we used a variety of shots to emphasise suspense. The result of this was that it would keep the audience interested in finding out what was going to happen next. In the first 10 seconds of our two minute sequence we see the main character walk out of his house holding his mobile phone, keys and a bible. This immediately tells the audience that he is a man of strong belief. As he walks out of his house, he walks to the end of the drive and looks up and down his road before getting into the car. This makes the audience think about why he is looking up and down the driveway. Is he looking for someone? Is he looking to see whether someone is looking at him? Could he have something to hide? Why he looks up and down the driveway?




We also used a number of extreme close ups, close ups and mid close up shots to show the characters expressions. In the boot scenes of our two minute sequence we used a number of close ups and extreme close ups to show the victims expressions as terrified and shocked we also showed the main characters eyes whilst talking on the phone. This created enigma and made the audience think about what might happen.





Question 4 – What would be the audience for your media product?

As mentioned briefly previously, the target audience for our film is 15+. We chose this age because the target group that our first questionnaire was handed out to said that the sequence most likely fitted into the 15+ audience. The film, Justified Revenge consists of stereotypes for both genders, male and female therefore it is not set out to target one specific gender more than the other. Similarly it is set out to target teenagers as well as adults as they will be able to engage in the storyline.

Question 5 – How did you attract/address your audience?
A Justified Revenge being a cross genre, psychological/crime thriller will itself attract the target audience. Our thriller uses a sense of corrupt authority and violence, this is shown in the scenes where the victim is shown tied up in the boot. The music we used in the two minute sequence helps the audience see how the main character is represented. The use of the different shots also helps to create tension and build up suspense which keeps the audience guessing. This is something the audience would expect to see in a good thriller movie.


Question 6 – What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing the product?

Throughout the process of directing I learnt a number of things. One of the things I learnt was that planning before hand was necessary in order to work efficiently and successfully. Another thing that I learnt was that it was important to get all the scenes in all the possible shot types so that when editing, the editor would be able to look though all the different shot types and use which ever shot fitted correctly to create tension and enigma. As a director I also felt that it was important to make sure that the camera person knew which shots were required for the sequence and how the shots were planned to be taken. For this to be done almost perfectly, the storyboard was a source of help as it assisted me on knowing which shots would fit in.

The way in which the final product consisted of a variety of shots having an emphasis on the action showed to have worked accordingly. However we came across a number of difficulties during the whole process of filming. Due to this we filmed twice to make sure we had all the required shots. When we filmed for the first time, the shot types that we filmed were long shots, mid close ups and close ups. As well as this, continuity had been broken. This refers to the in car scenes due to this we filmed for a second time, this time making sure that the shots we took consisted of close ups and extreme close ups as well as long shots and mid shots showing the surroundings and the atmosphere. The aim of filming more extreme close up shots and close ups was that it would help create fear and tension keeping the audience interested. In addition to this it would help create enigma. One of the most difficult part s of the process was making sure that each of the scenes had a match on action and making sure that the continuity was accurate. After having problems with this a few times, we gradually over came this.

Question 7 – Looking back to your preliminary task, what do you feel that you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

Before the actual filming of our two minute sequence took place, we went through a vast number of stages in the planning process. One of the planning processes that helped us with understanding the sequence and putting together the shots that we planned to take was done through creating a storyboard. This helped us see which shots would work with particular scenes and which shots we would have to change in the actual filming process. We also created a script which played a role in the filming of the two minute sequence. This helped us as a group to take into account everything that was actually going to happen in the opening sequence. These two elements of the production process as well as others helped us have a clear understanding of what we would end up with at the end of the task.

Looking back to the starting of the whole production coursework to when we started filming our preliminary task, I think that we improved the ways on which we filmed and making sure we got the scenes correct. Continuity was one of the factors that we had problems with. However as we progressed we learnt to be more aware of match on action. Whilst filming our preliminary task we also tended to use panning shots which did not turn out how we thought it would. To overcome this problem we decided to break down the panning shot into a variety of shots. For example, having one of the characters walking from point A to point B was shown using long shots, mid close ups and close ups. We then also used this technique in our main two minutes sequence when showing the main character walking from point A to point B.

Overall I think that we as a group learnt from the mistakes that we made and improved from the beginning to the end. Our thriller film would be successful as it consists of the codes and conventions that are similar to other films that have been successful in the past. There are some things that we could of improved if we spent a little more time on filming and making sure everything was how it was planned to be.

Evaluation -(Completed By Jasmin Manjdadria)

Question 1 – In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Films such as ‘See no Evil’ ‘Along Came A Spider’ and ‘Disturbia’ influenced the ideas for our sequence as well as the synopsis, it also demonstrated our use of conventions throughout our film. For example; the use of mirrors, angles, pace of shots and music/sounds. Our film (Justified Revenge) is a psychological/crime thriller that uses many conventions which support those of a typical thriller. Certain shots such as extreme close ups are used to illustrate this, showing reactions and body language helps the viewer aware of every detail as if they were there in this fictional world. The sound is deliberately slow paced which builds up to a fast paced beat to create a sense of enigma and in general more impact when the victim is found in the murderers boot of his car.
Originally, the lighting was not intended to be in the day, however we found that it added to the misinterpreted identity the main character carries with him throughout the film. It is initially used to 'fool' viewers into believing that the main character is a normal person in touch with everyday life; this in turn will help the viewers understand how the rest of the characters in the film are so easily unaware of the killers double life by the facade he manages to keeps up.
The use of conventions was vital in this production as it gave the sequence more body, by emphasising the impact of facial expressions and body language to make it more realistic to the audience.
A number of mistakes were made throughout the production, for instance, contiguity was broken on a number of occasions, which led to a second filming. The sound was at times too loud or too quiet, or their were a lot of interferences from people passing by or driving past.
Although there were many mistakes made, our group improved from these; especially after filming the preliminary task. our group was able to get an idea of the types of shots we wanted, and how we could get them by readjusting the tripod and camera.

Question 2 – How does your media product represent particular social groups?

In the film the main character is stereotyped as being a religious man of value, with a friendly, charismatic personality; which is what the audience would expect. The male plays a dominant superior role which is shown in everyday life, as men are perceived as being the strong, aggressive type. In contrast, the female who plays the victim is represented as passive, timid and vulnerable, which the audience are more likely to agree with as it fits the typical stereotypes of men and women.
Both the characters are from the middle class as they are both dressed well. The murderer wears a suit which demonstrates this as well as pointing out that he has a certain amount of pride as he makes himself more presentable in the car by looking into the mirror of the car; this would challenge the stereotype of a religious man, as we would assume as the audience that a religious man would not be this concerned about his appearance.
The victim is dressed in young clothes, she also has a young face suggesting she is a teenager. The sequence shows her tied up in bin liner with her mouth tied up, as she is completely defenseless, this supports the stereotype of women being the 'damsel in distress'.
The audience would be able to relate to his as the victims are all teenagers, therefore this similarity is more likely to have an impact on the viewer.
Other thrillers show these stereotypes such as, 'Disturbia' which ties in very closely with the whole idea of the main character being a male is misinterpreted by his neigh-bours, as he also has a double life and fools everyone. 'See No Evil' has an opening, that shows religious symbols everywhere in a house where victims are tortured, this suggests that the murderer is a fundamentalist who kills only because he thinks it is the righteous thing to do. In 'Along Came a Spider' the victim is a girl who is kidnapped.

Question 3 – What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

'Justified Revenge' has a good story line as it reflects similar aspects from other films such as 'Along Came a Spider' where the detective plays a major role in the film. Likewise our film has an detective who is yet to be introduced. These similar aspects means that the idea is not original therefore this media product is unlikely to be produced in a hollywood studio, but more likely to be an art house production, which means that the film will be produced independently however these films are more likely to be aimed at a niche audience rather then a mass audience. Therefore, it may be more suitable for the film to be internet released which is aimed to a wider audience.

Question 4 – What would be the audience for your media product?


The film is aimed to an audience who is 15+, for that reason, it includes specific footage and a story line that the age group can relate to, making it more interesting to the target audience.
Franchising this media product would include advertising the film to franchisers so they can franchise the film with modifications; if this was the case, 'Justified Revenge' may possibly be a better film if it was produced professionally.
The target audience is of 15 - 45 years old. In order to maintain a meaning that would appeal to the audience whilst filming and editing, certain pre-production plans had to be made, a results of this meant contiguity was crucial.

Question 5 – How did you attract/address your audience?




During the rehearsal, we decided to take a number of pictures to get a rough idea of what type of shots we wanted for our story board. This helped a great deal as we were able to get creative with different types of shots of different angles from 400 pictures. By using these pictures it was easier for us to convey the meaning of our film through effective shots.
When the film was shown to a number of people, their response was what we wanted it to be, as they did not expect an girl to be tied up in the killers boot. The mise-en-scene of the characters was accurate; the acting of the characters gave the production a realistic feel and the lighting was used effectively to accompany the acting.
Different interpretations can be made of the opening sequence that can depend on the cultural situation of the viewer, as different cultures can convey meanings differently, however, certain body language can convey similar meanings.
Initially my first response to the brief in regards to the audience was to shock them with the discovery of a young girl being kidnapped by the least suspicious character. The build up had to be precise as it may not have had the impact on the audience we wanted. The sound made a major impact on the audience as the banging of the girl in the boot, made some people jump as they didn't expect it.

Question 6 – What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing the product?

Being the editor of the production, meant I was faced with many issues. As well as learning how to use 'Final Cut Pro'. I was able to participate in the camera work and directing.
At first final cut pro was difficult to get use to as I hadn't used it before. I was fortunate to take part in majority of the production as it allowed me to get most of the shots I wanted.
The digital technology enabled me to develop creativity as it allowed me to collate a variety of shots with the help of the pictures previously taken. In terms of directing, I found it is vital to pre-plan as it helps when editing later on, to create the desired atmosphere in the sequence. Using the camera for particular shots was interesting as I was able to get particular shots that I felt would be good to use in the opening. Fortunately I had access to all the necessary equipment, so there was no obstruction of creative flow.

Question 7 – Looking back to your preliminary task, what do you feel that you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

Whilst editing a number of issues were raised, on a number of occasions contiguity was broken, a results of this was re-filming for a second time to make the shots fit together, however the contiguity still occurred, in order to resolves these problems I used a variety of establishing shots and text screens to cut up the shots and make the opening sequence flow smoothly. I was able to choose from a wide selection of music to fit with the thriller. I went through a number of backing tracks to get to the right one, similarly I tried a number of impact beats to get the right ones that would fit. All together the editing of sound, and shots composed together managed to create enigma all the way through the two minutes.
In contrast with the film, as a group we have come quite far from the preliminary task. If I could change anything about the production it would be the amount of time we spent on filming, with more time it would have been possible to get some more accurate shots that would have made it easier than re-editing the shots to maintain continuity.

Evaluation - (completed by Risha Jethwa)

Question 1 – In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

The film ‘Justified Revenge’ is a two minute thriller sequence about a religious man being a victim of kidnapping and innocent girl. Throughout the sequence there are a variety of shots being used to identify the characters facial expression and body language. The opening sequence for our film followed conventions, for instance the narrative, the type of shots such as extreme close up and close up’s to show the emotions and fear on the victims face, fast pace editing to build tension, non-diegetic sound such as voice over when Tony daughter Angie calls and finally sound effects and music played through the sequence. Relating back to the shots, this shows throughout the sequence we used specific shots to indicate to audience what is happening, for example the girl in the boot, we used a close up shot to show her fear and emotions because this allows the audience to see how she reacts and also how it feels to be in her position. Another example shown is non-diegetic soundtrack. The soundtrack indicates to the audience that the character Tony is symbolised as a religious man through the prop such as the bible and also the religious music playing in his car. The fast pace editing used in the sequence creates suspense and tension right the way through the sequence because it will keep the audience at the edge of their seats. The genre of our sequence is a hybrid of crime thriller, however the use’s of conventions shows the audience what type of genre it is through the iconography and narrative. ‘Justified Revenge’ is and unconventional sequence as it portrays a religious man being a kidnapper. This shows by breaking stereotypes it will become more successful with the narrative as the target audience would like to see something distinctive. Interesting our media product is more efficient to other thriller films, the reason for this is because it shows a clear understanding of the narrative, characters, location and message.

Question 2 – How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Our media product represents a particular social group as it is targeted at both genders male and females age 15 and above, middle class and all ethnicity. Above all else males are seen as dominant and strong, where as women are more passive and fragile. By suggesting this the influence shown on boys will be silent but will keep them going, however for the girls the thriller will keep them screaming and at the edge of their seats. The gender representation shown throughout the sequence is male are dominant, such as Tony and females are weak such as the victim, an example shown for this when the victim is trapped in the boot and in danger. It shows a close up shot show, this is because the audience wants to see the facial expression and also makes the audience feel emotionally close to the action as it creates empathy. Another representation shown is men are evil.


This is shown towards the end of the sequence, where the character Tony is sneaky, sly and shocking. The final representation shown is girls are small and innocent and this indicates the victim. A representation that breaks the stereotype is a religious man being a kidnapper. The reason for this is because, many religious people are shown as respectful, well mannered, superior, well behaved, confident etc. However, the character Tony breaks this stereotype as he is the opposite and becomes violent, aggressive and unmannered. By suggesting to break stereotypes this may shock the audience as it will play with there mind as they think Tony is a good guy, but secretly he’s not.

Question 3 - What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

Our film ‘Justified Revenge’ not be produced by a major Hollywood company because it would not fit into industry, where as it can be distributed in other industry. In my opinion our media product will be sold as and internet film this is because young teenagers and adults would enjoy a night in watching a film such as ‘Justified Revenge’ rather than E.T or Mission Impossible. The media product will have and effect on the merchandising as little things will be sold to help promote the movie such as pens, key rings, books, poster and many more.

Question 4 – What would be the audience for your media product?

For our media product, the audience for the film is aimed towards age 15 and above. The reason for this is because it will be suitable for this particular age group as the sequence may contain violence which is inappropriate towards younger children. Whilst producing the film we had analysed and researched about the thriller genre to help us target the right audience.
By doing this we had, given questionnaires, created our own synopsis, researched into the thriller genre, decided our cast, location and score notes and planned our storyboards to decide what precise shots are being used. As a result of this we had gained further information which will help identify features within a thriller and how it would appeal to the audience through the mise-en-scene and cinematography. By doing all this as a group, we had all come up with the sequence ‘Justified Revenge’ the two minute sequence will be appealing to the audience because it is a unique, interesting, exciting film to be seen.

Question 5 – How did you attract/address your audience?

Attracting you audience is a major issue, the reason for this is because you want to gain more viewers and success for your film. The most appealing part which will gain most of the audience is from the mise-en-scene and cinematography. The reason for this is because the two elements convey a meaning towards the audience for instance the use of close up shots is to identify the characters emotions, where as the in the mise-en-scene the props used to shows the characters background, lifestyle and culture, such as the bible portrays Tony is a religious strong believer. The location signifies the family is middle class. Most importantly there are a variety of sound being used during the two minute sequence such as non-diegetic, ambient sound, soundtrack, incidental music and a sound bridge.



Firstly ambient sound is herd when Tony is walking to the car with a close up shot with his feet. This is shown as ambient sound because you can hear the natural sound occur within the scene. There are a number of non-diegetic sounds being used, such as the voice over of Tony younger daughter Angie whilst speaking on the phone, secondly the phone ringing, thirdly the banging of the boot and finally the music being played. Within many scenes non-diegetic and incidental sound has become effective because it sets the scene and creates a mood within the sequence.

Question 6 - What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing the product?

In my opinion as my duty of being a camera girl, I have learnt many different techniques and shots which can be used for filming. I have experienced many things whilst producing this sequence. Firstly I have learnt different angles and heights to place shot. By keeping the camera in one place, it makes the shots less interesting and fun to watch. I have also tried experimenting with different types of camera movement such as panning, tracking and doll. Unfortunately this was not a success as it became a disaster. The most difficult issue i found hard, was breaking continuity because this was a major which within the film. From this experience as a camera person, if improving the film I will be more confident with the camera movement and experiment with more shots.

Question 7 - Looking back to your preliminary task, what do you feel that you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

During the time of filming our preliminary task I had made several mistakes within continuity and shot angles. After experiences this as a group I became more confident and aware for filming and the equipment. Since filming the two minute sequence the shots have improved as they
have become sharper and vivid. My judgment of the preliminary task was successful because the story line showed humour, continuity did not break and the shots where simple such as shot reverse shot, close ups, establishing shots etc. If producing the preliminary task again, i would use a variety shots and experiment with the camera movement.

Shot list for the Two Minute Sequence

This is a list of shots to show the different ways we used the camera to film our two minute sequence.


1) Establishing shot
2) Extreme close up
3) Mid shot
4) Establishing shot
5) Mid shot
6) Establishing
7) Mid shot
8) Medium close up
9) Mid shot
10) Medium close up
11) Close up
12) Medium close up
13) Establishing shot
14) Close up
15) Medium close up
16) Close up
17) Mid shot
18) Medium close up
19) Mid shot
20) Establishing shot
21) Mid shot
22) Medium close up
23) Close up
24) Medium close up
25) Long shot
26) Close up
27) Medium close up

Evaluation Plan

As we have now finished filming and editing our two minute sequence as well as having done the plannging for the production, the final step is to evaluate the entire process. The evaluation each of us will be writing will answer the 7 questions shown below. Once we have finished writing out our evaluation individually we will post it on the blog...


•In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real
media products?
• How does your media product represent particular social groups?
• What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
• Who would be the audience for your media product?
• How did you attract/address your audience?
• What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
• Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from
it to the full product?

Results of the second questionnaire - (Completed by Rizwana Jawid)

Updates

We handed out our second questionnaire which was aimed at finding out opinions on 'Justified Revenge'. Once we recieve the responses we will put the results into graphs and upload them to the blog.

Questionnaire for the two minutes opening sequence - (completed by Rizwana Jawid)

This questionnaire is aimed at finding out our targets audience’s opinions on what they think of our two minutes sequence overall.

1. What gender are you?

Male

Female

2. What age group do you fit into?
12-14

15-17

18+

3. What ethnicity are you?

White

Asian

Black

Other

4. Would you say that the opening sequence meets the needs of a good thriller movie?

Yes

No

5. Do you think the opening sequence of ‘Justified Revenge’ used or challenged forms and conventions of thriller films?

Used forms and conventions

Challenged forms and conventions

6. Was the two minute sequence clear in showing who the antagonist and the protagonist were?

Yes

No

7. What conventions are most apparent in the opening sequence of ‘Justified Revenge’?

Corrupt Authority

Realistic Locations

Normal Everyday Life

Enigmas

8. What audience would ‘Justified Revenge’ most appeal to?

12-14

15-24

25+

9. Do you feel that there were weak points to the sequence? If yes, which parts?

Two Minute Opening Sequence - Justified Revenge

Score Music Notes - (Completed by Jasmin Manjdadria)

We used non - diegetic music in the background to add to the atmosphere created by the mise-en-scene and cinematography. It created suspense which was initially what we planned to create with the acting. The sound was upbeat but slow which would puzzle the audience because we wanted to make them think that the killer was an innocent man; it emphasised this more as it is non-diegetic music heard only by the audience and not by the characters.
I also used sound effects such as 'loud banging' which is heard by the character, his response to this helps build up the enigma.

Although sound is effective for creating the atmosphere of the film, we used silence which had more effect on whether he was the antagonist or protagonist, as we wanted the audience to feel confused. The silence was also used during the phone conversation between 'Tony' and his daughter 'Angelina' to draw the audience's attention to what they were talking about. After the silence we used an sound effect for the title of the film (Justified Revenge); as the title would have an impact on the viewer.

Whilst filming we found that the diegetic ambience sound was perfect for the effect we wanted to create, such as the birds and wind in the background. Even when the actor Raj was walking on the stones on the floor we wanted to hear the noise of him walking to create the realism. It's important to create this realism as it makes the audience believe the fictional story is real and almost makes them feel like they are there observing the scene.

Originally we planned on using music all the way through but we used the silence of the shots to our advantage to create a realistic feel to the sequence.

Updates on the two minute sequence

We have now finished filming for our two minute sequence and are in the process of editing. Once the editing is completed we will post the two minute sequence on the blog.

Thriller Notes - Gothika - (Completed by Risha Jethwa)

Thriller Notes: Gothika

Gothika is a film directed about Mathieu Kassovitz. The film is about a criminal psychologist awakens to find herself a patient in the institution where she works, with no memory of the murder she's accused of committing. As she tries to regain her memory - and her freedom a vengeful spirit manipulates her.
The main character in the film is Miranda Grey, as she is portrayed as being fragile, frustrated, independent and important. In the film Miranda is introduced as she wakes up in hospital and being treated by co-worker Dr. Peter Graham. Throughout the film the characters are introduced all in different ways, this is because it is a unique narrative for the film. Many characters in the film establish to be different, this is because the audience will be aware of what is happening.

Throughout the film enigma has been created to make the audience jump as they give information and hidden clues. In the narrative the enigma shown was when Miranda turned up in the hospital and had no idea what lead up her being there. This had shows a dramatic effects as it constantly refers back to certain things. Most importantly suspense was built through the environment and surroundings, for instance when night falls and the weather turns stormy the thunder and lighting add to a strong atmosphere as it makes the audience jump. In the film information is revealed to the audience through the characters experience because this makes the narrative more understanding and appealing towards the film.

The cinematography shown in the films are a uses of close up and extreme close up shots. This is because by using a close up and extreme close up shot, it signifies to the audience the characters emotions and expression and shows how they behave towards others in the film and example shown for this is when Miranda tries to escape. The denotation shows women are fragile, this is shown through the close up shots and her appearance within the scene. The sound used in this particular sequence was incidental music, this is because it helps create a mood or a feeling within the scene.

The main theme of ‘Gothika’ was criminal psychologist, the film allows the audience to experience what danger there is in the film. The protagonist and antagonist both shows different aspects as they send out a different message to the audience.

Thriller Notes - The Shining - (Completed by Risha Jethwa)

The audience is introduced to Jack Torrance, driving up to the Overlook hotel in the mountain of Colorado, to be interviewed for a position of a caretaker in the winter. In the film the main character Jack Torrance is portrayed as being a dominant guy, this is because he is and important character in the film as his role is to look after the hotel and his family, however it also shows that the audience can identify him as being dominant through their surrounding, appearance and personality which will be discussed further down.

The main action of the movie starts when Jack become aware of things and gradually turns into a psycho. This is because it creates and suspense and enigma which will engage the audience.
In the film there are many mysteries and hidden clue given to the audience which sometimes leads to the answer, although by doing this it keeps the audience at the edge of their seats as they fear what happens next.

This happens in a scene when Jack gets an axe and chases his wife Wendy around the halls of the hotel as he tries to kill her. The narrative of this film is a single strand as it only focuses on one storyline, interestingly throughout the story the answer to the hidden mysteries is at the end of the film which makes the audience think more about the character. In one particular scene such as Jack trying to murder his wife and child, a lot of suspense and tension is created which makes the audience think someone is going to die because of the sound and the camera shots.

The types of cinematography used in the film are a variety of close up shots, extreme close up shots and medium shots. This is because you can see the characters emotions, fear and body language, for instance the denotation shows a medium shot of Wendy in the bathroom holding a knife. This represents that women are portrayed as being weak and submissive. This connotes that the knife is her protection as she does not want to be hurt or damaged. In this sequence non- diegetic sound such a soundtrack has been used to build up tension for the audience. Another sound used to ambient sound, this is because the scene is located in the bathroom and water is on and natural sound in occurred in the scene. The camera movement used mostly in this film is tracking shot, this is because it indicates that the audience is following the action in the scene.

In this film the main character Jack is suggested to be the protagonist, but instead is the antagonist, however the main theme that is recognised in this thriller film is how the Jack becomes so strong and dominant throughout the film as he tries to murder his own family. Towards the ending Wendy and Tony the son of Jack also uncover a hidden secret about Jack as he is a killer. This shows that the narrative can be complex but reveals the answer to the audience and the characters in the film.

Thriller Notes – The Eye - (Completed by Rizwana Jawid)

The Eye is a thriller movie starring Jessica Alba and was released in 2008. The film uses all the codes and conventions that a thriller movie consists of. In order for the film to be successful, the main elements are consistent in the film. These elements are themes, characters, narrative and cinematic.

The Eye follows the story of young blind violinist Sydney as she goes for a cornea replacement surgery that leaves her with some terrifying new memories that were never there before. At first she sees how her donor dies, which is followed by the death of many people in her apartment, Sydney starts to find out that her donor had a gift through her eyes which now have been passed onto her, she wonders if having the eye surgery was worth it, as she find the darkness comforting, she refuses to see anyone and isolates herself in her room. However, the loneliness takes its toll on her so she decides to get to the bottom of what her memories are showing her, which in the end results in her losing her sight once again.

The main character, Jessica Alba who is known as Sydney in the film is shown as an ordinary young woman who even though is blind is a concert violinist. We, as the audience are able to sympathise with her as she is unable to do certain things on her own. In the first few minutes of the film Sydney receives a cornea replacement surgery. During the time of surgery she is seen to be brave and bold. After her surgery has been successful, she is distraught to find that her eye donor that she received did not only show her the real world but also showed her the underworld. Jessica Alba is shown as terrified and weak however she is able to conquer her fears.

The film allows the audience to see the story through the main character’s eyes. At the beginning of the film when Sydney receives her cornea operation the enigma that is created is that ‘was her surgery successful?’, ‘did the surgery go according to plan?’ however as the film progresses we find out that she is able to see again. After this, Sydney begins to see things that are unexpected, through the donor transplant; she begins to see the underworld. As the film goes on it leads to different questions, for example ‘Is Sydney always going to be seeing the underworld through her eyes?’ ‘Is she going to stay distressed?’ Suspense is created through the characters facial expressions and body language. When the main character follows the shadows that she sees through her eyes the audience is made to think that something is going to happen to her. In a number of scenes where Sydney is shown to be seeing the dead, it makes the audience wonder if they are after her and whether she has done something for them to be after her.

Throughout the film a number of angles and shots are used to help create enigma and suspense in the film. Enigma is created by using tracking shots when Sydney follows the noise she hears, keeping the audience focused on what is going to happen next. Suspense is created through using close ups and extreme close ups focusing on the main characters facial expressions allowing the audience to feel what the character is feeling. Long shots and mid close ups are also used to show the atmosphere and create a sense of feeling that something is about to happen. In the scenes where Sydney is in the elevator, she sees a soul behind her slowly walking towards her, a juxtaposition of shots placed together at a slow pace to build up tension, so the audience feels the anxiety reflected by the actress. In this scene, slow intense non diegetic sound creates more of an effect to what the shots are showing and adds to the build up of tension.

The main theme that is recognised in this film is the changes in Sydney's life prior to her cornea replacement. She allows the audience to join her on finding out the truth behind her donor and the eyes she gave her. The theme of mystery is built up by the various encounters she has when seeing dead people and how they died, because the actress is confused about where they come from and wants to find out, it keeps the audience intrigued to find out as well.

Thriller Notes- Disturbia - (Completed by Jasmin Manjdadria)

From the name, you can get an idea of what type of film this is, it's the whole idea of 'nothing is what it seems'. Kale comes from a happy stable family until the death of his father in a tragic car accident, which he feels responsible for. He become a disruptive rebellious teen, who cares only to play on his x box, girls, friends and to lounge around in his house all day. As appealing as this lifestyle would be to many teens, he has one problem, he can't leave his house.
After losing a parent Kale is put under house arrest for three months after punching his spanish teacher who brings up his father in conversation, it immediately provokes Kale who is labelled as having psychological aftereffects because of his dads death. The results of this leads to him spending his time in his house all day while his mum works to keep the family going, however being surrounded by the same walls day after day take their toll on him as he starts to become easily irritated.
Meanwhile the secrets of his neigh-bour-hood start to unfold in front of his eyes as he spies on his neigh-bours especially the new girl who moves in next door, however Kale's paranoia of a certain neigh-bour starts to play on his mind, along with the fact that Ashley catches Kale and his friend spying on her, she increasingly takes an interest in Kale's new project and proposes a stakeout that leave the three teenagers horrified at what they witness and indecisive about whether they should confront him.

We are introduced to the main character immediately, he comes across as a typical teenager who obviously has a close bond with his parents. Throughout the film we see him change from this enthusiastic teen to a rebellious one. This change gets him in trouble, and like any rebellious teenager, he's oblivious to everyday life which he chooses to close himself off from, however when irritated and easily provoked he becomes aggressive which ends him up isolated in his house where he is forced to find things to do, which involves spying on the neigh-bours.
We see his personality in many different dimensions; which range from smart to funny to quirky to ultimately heroic; which the audience start to love about him as we join him on his stakeouts to find out whether he's just paranoid or if he really has stumbled on something real. His character creates constant enigma as he's always questioning what is happening around him.

The most obvious enigma is finding out whether Kale's neigh-bour is really a killer or not. The whole film is based around finding out whether he is or isn't; the film creates enigma by making the viewer think that sometimes he isn't when really he is. The audience is persuaded to believe Kale, even when his neigh-bour keeps up his innocent facade; the audience knows that Kale could be right, however being a teen under house arrest will not make the police believe him, the audience can tell this by the way Kale's lifestyle is presented, and how he dresses, which presents him as a young teenager who cannot be taken seriously. It is exactly this representation that Kale ends up challenging, it is suggestive that he plays the hero role simply because he wants to prove his mum, friends, and patrol officers wrong.

The main theme that is shown to the audience is how Kale is presented as a hero by overcoming all the knock downs he takes, following the tragic news of his dad's death. Another theme shown is enigma, as the audience we are constantly questioning whether the neigh-bour is a killer. The film creates enigma by allowing the viewer to get slowly closer to the truth; however when we are certain that the neigh-bour is in fact a killer, the pace of the film is faster and the chase between victim and killer is heightened; especially when Kale plays hero when trying to save his mum, best friend and girlfriend.

There is a variety of close ups and extreme close ups with zoom to show Kale's expressions and who he is spying on, to give the audience the impression that Kale is spying. This juxtaposition of shots creates the atmosphere of the film, to keep the audience thinking, and wondering what will happen next. In the beginning of the film Kale is shown in a number of high angle shots when he is getting his GPS bracelet put on his leg, and the officer talks to him, this is used to make him look vulnerable to authority; by the end of the film we see Kale growing up and becoming the hero, this is demonstrated by the number of low angle shots to show him as confident and strong.

Update for the filming of the two minutes sequence

We started filming our two minute sequence today. We used our storyborad to help us get the exact shots that we wanted. Once we have lookd over the shots that we filmed, we will edit the sequence and upload it to the blog. However if we did not get all the shots that we needed, we will re-film to get those shots sometime during the week.

Descriptive Storyboard - (Completed by Rizwana Jawid)

Location notes - (Completed by Jasmin Manjdadria)

The main part of the film will be located in the driveway. As a group we picked this location because as we felt this would help the audience get the impression that the main character was realistic and was in touch with everyday life. Another reason we had chosen the following location is because it suggests the character background, lifestyle, social class which will be represented through the mise-en-scene and cinematography.

This was the only location our two minute sequence was filmed in.

Cast Notes - (Completed by Risha Jethwa)

Character: Tony Blake played by Raj Dharma (antagonist)
Age: Middle Age 40s
Sex: Male
Role: Tony Blake, the main character of ‘A Justified Revenge’ is portrayed as the religious man who has strong beliefs and commitment towards god. He is also a well-known man in his neighborhood and respected by many members. But things go wrong as the real side slowly reveals and the true colours spill out. Tony Blake is a serial killer! We chose Raj for the main character as we thought that he was the right person for the part as he was able to show emotions that fitted the characters role like anger and was able to create suspense through his facial expressions and body language.







Character: Victim played by Risha Jethwa (protagonist)
Age: 16
Sex: Female
Role: The victim is shown as a young, innocent, naive girl who is unaware of the surroundings and the people around her. In the eyes of Tony Blake, she has sinned. This makes her Tony victim as he acts as if he has strong beliefs. A female was chosen to play the part of the victim as it goes with the stereotype of women being weak, passive and submissive. Risha was chosen, as she was able to able to play the role of someone being weak and defenseless towards the actions of the main character.


These were the two characters that were used in our two - minute sequence. At first we chose a number of people to play the parts of the antagonist and the protagonist however at the end we, as a group thought that these two characters were able to play the roles as to how we wanted.

Props - (Completed by Risha Jethwa and Rizwana Jawid)

In our two minute thriller sequence, we had used different props to describe the characters background and movement. These following props are:

• Bible
• Mobile Phone
• Car
• CD’s
• Keys
• Bin bags



Tony Blake, the main character in our two minutes sequence is shown as a religious man. To show this we used the bible. In order to emphasise the fact that he is religious, the bible helps as it symbolises religion, strength and beliefs that show guidance in how life is to be lived and the norms and values each individual shares. By suggesting the use of a bible, the audience can see that Tony believes in a certain way of being brought up and living.


The main characters role is also situated in the car. Throughout the sequence there are a number of scenes taken place in the car. To create a sense of enigma a number of different shots and angles are used. This helps the audience feel as if something is about to happen and leads them into thinking what is going to happen next. Also, by the use of different shots, the characters expressions and emotions are clearly visible.

In the sequence, when the car scenes are shot Tony inserts a CD and play religious Christianity music. This indicates that Tony is a man who has a belief that he follows. By playing the CD this conveys that Tony is in a peaceful state of mind as the music keeps him calm. Another reason implies that the religious music playing makes the audience think he is a good man in life and believes in good for everyone.

Another prop that is used by Tony in the two minute sequence his mobile phone. This prop is used so that he is able to get in contact with family and friends.


The last prop that was used in the two minute sequence was the bin bags which the victim was put in to. We chose to do this because this emphasises the fact that the victim has been kidnapped and is in danger. It also shows the audience that the victim has been treated badly.

Images for the storyboard - (Jasmin Manjdadria and Rizwana Jawid)

Genre Research - (Completed by Risha Jethwa)

Genre Research

As a group we decided to research the elements behind the thriller genre, however from this research we will identify the important features and gain more ideas for our thriller sequence when planning and producing.

Firstly as part of our research we defined what a thriller is, as it will help us identify the aspects. A thriller is a suspenseful adventure story which can either be a play or movie. A Thriller is a genre of fiction in which tough, resourceful, but essentially ordinary heroes are pitted against villains determined to destroy them, their country, or the stability of the free world, however part of thrillers comes from not only what their stories are about, but also how they are told. High stakes, non-stop action, plot twists that both surprise and excite, settings that are both vibrant and exotic, and an intense pace that never lets up until the climax. 


Most importantly a thriller can be divide up into many sub-genres such as action thriller, crime thriller, disaster thriller, horror thriller, spy thriller, political thriller, drama thriller, supernatural thriller, techno thriller, legal thriller, medical thriller and finally conspiracy thriller. Relating back to the different types of thrillers, this shows us that there is a wide range of subs genre to be chosen for the audience.

Another reason is most thrillers shows a variety of, characters, plots and codes and conventions because this help create and enigma within the film and also gain more of the audience as it will become appealing and attractive. Many characters in a thriller include criminals, stalkers, innocent victims, psycho’s, characters with a hidden secret, tragic family background and many more. This is because it makes the narrative more interesting and exciting, although it makes the audience come aware of what is happening next. The themes shown in a thriller is mostly death and violence this is originally based on the narrative and the characters of the film because it create suspense and tension which keeps the audience at the edge of their seats.

Codes and Convetions - (Completed by Risha Jethwa)

• Surprises & Twists
• Play’s With Viewers Mind
• Quick Cuts & Change Of Camera Angles
• Music To Add Tension
• Use Of Lighting To Create Shadows
• Mirrors
• Stairs
• From Killers Point Of View
• Flash Backs
• Make Audience Think

In thriller movies codes and conventions are important as they allow the audience to see what makes thriller movie. Firstly in many films, directors choose to use quick cuts and a change of camera angles. The reason for this is because it creates tension and suspense towards the audience. Another important convention is surprises and twists. This is because it keeps the audience at the edge of their seats and makes the narrative more effective. A use of lighting to create shadows can also be imaginative, because it creates and enigma towards the audience. Flash backs also intend to be creative as it grasps the audience attention because referring to a flashback is dealing with key events in the characters development.

In many thriller films and sequences people use props to match the iconography, for instance the use of mirrors, stairs, knives and guns. This shows us by using props which match the iconography it makes the film more appealing and attractive. Another reason is, in many thriller films a typical stereotype will contain knives, mirrors, guns etc. Where as breaking the stereotype it will make the film unsuccessful and less interesting.

Another major convention used in all thriller films is the sound. There are different types of sounds such as diegetic, non-diegetic, soundtrack, ambient sound, asynchronous and synchronous and many more. By using uses of sound or music, this makes the film tensed as the audience will have the reaction the director wants. Another reason is it creates tension and suspense throughout the film.

Most importantly, the next convention uses in most thriller movies is when you play with the viewers mind and make the audience think something wrong when it’s not true. The reason for this is because it also creates and enigma in the viewers head. Relating to this issue another generic convention used is a point of view from the antagonist. By having this as a key convention, this allows the film to be more mysterious as it creates tension within the scenes.
Finally the last major convention used in a thriller genre is the use of lighting to create shadows. Lighting plays and important role as it controls the atmosphere and enigma within the scene. Overall codes and conventions in a thriller shows a major importance as it allows the audience to signify what is happening in the scenes.

Audience Review - (Completed by Rizwana Jawid)

As a group we designed a questionnaire to help us understand what the audience like to see in thriller movies and what catches their attention. We thought that by getting the audience’s opinion we would be able to base our opening sequence on the results that we found. Along side the questionnaire we designed, we also handed out our script and synopsis to see what these individuals thought of our idea for the two minutes sequence that we planned to create.

The questionnaire was handed out to thirty individuals, fifteen of these being females and fifteen males. We chose to hand this out to fifteen females and fifteen males to keep a balanced response from the audience and ensure that the results were fair and unbiased.

One of the questions in the questionnaire was asking the individuals who received the questionnaire what target group they fitted into. This was done so we could see the responses of each target group as to what they liked and preferred.

The results show that all the thirty people that answered our questionnaire watched thriller movies. By asking this question we made sure that the responses that we received, would be from individuals who have a clear understanding of thriller movies as this would help us receive a clear opinionated response.

The next question was asking the audience what they would expect to see in a thriller film. The majority answered that they would prefer a thriller to have suspense, keeping them engaged to the film. This was the responses received from 31% of the target group. The second highest option that was chosen was that they would like to see a film that consists of danger; this was 17% of the reply. 15% chose that the storyline of the film was an important factor that they would expect from a thriller film. Death and action received 13% of the votes each. Finally enigma received the lowest number of votes.

We also asked the audience to tell us how they would expect a good thriller film to begin. 50% of them answered that they would expect a good thriller movie to begin with ‘normal everyday life’. 39% suggested that a good thriller movie would start with flashbacks. The other two options that were also written on the questionnaire were ‘chase’ and ‘death’, 4% of the votes were for chase and 7% were for death. As the majority of the votes were for ‘normal everyday life’ we will base our two-minute opening sequence on everyday life.

The next question that we asked the audience was which sub-genre of thriller they would prefer to watch. The majority of people chose that they would prefer psychological thriller which received 44% of the votes. This made it hard for us as the thriller opening sequence we decided to do fitted into the ‘crime thriller’ sub-genre. Psychological thrillers involve elements from the mystery genre and focus on the plot over the character. They also emphasize intense, physical action over the character’s state of mind. Whereas crime thrillers offer a sense of suspense and focus on the criminals actions. Crime thrillers emphasize action over the psychological aspects.

The target group was also asked to comment on what film classification would be appropriate based the script we produced. According to the target audience our script fitted under the 15 classification. Only 40% of the individuals said that the script fitted under an 18 rating.

Finally the last question that we asked the target group was whether the synopsis showed a clear antagonist and protagonist. 100% of the response was ‘yes’ that the synopsis clearly showed the antagonist and protagonist.

After handing out the questionnaire to thirty people and getting their response, we created pie charts so that the results were easily readable. Producing a questionnaire helped us, as a group understand what people expected from a thriller movie and their opinions. It also helped us decide what we were going to offer the target audience through our thriller sequence. As well as this, it also helped us in the planning and production of the opening sequence.

Audience Review - (Completed by Jasmin Manjdadria)

We designed a questionnaire to understand how the audience would respond to our thriller. Questionnaires are a positive way for gaining feedback on our audience perceives out film as we aim to meet their needs when it comes the two-minute sequence.

When handing out our questionnaires we gave our participants a copy of the script and synopsis to base their answers on. We gave it to thirty people; we choose to give it to an equal amount of males and females (fifteen males and fifteen females) to get an objective and unbiased response from our participants.

The first question we asked was which age group our participants fit into, this is an important question as it shows us what age our film will be appealing to. We found that majority of our group who are 18 year olds and above would find our film appealing.

Our second question was whether our participants watched thrillers at all. All our participants said they watched thriller films, which means they would be able to watch our film with a clear understanding of what to expect and to judge it subjectively.

The third question asked them what they would expect to see in a thriller movie, with the experience of watching other thriller movies it was possible for them to answer this question, we found that majority (31%) of our sample expected to see suspense, this was followed by 17% of people who expected to see danger. At 13% Death and Action was expected. The least two expected was a storyline (15%) and enigma (11%).

The next question was asking them how they would prefer a good thriller to start. 50% said that a good thriller would be good if it started with normal everyday life, 39% of our participants thought a flashback would be an interesting way to start a thriller. The least preferable ways to start a thriller was a chase (4%) and death (7%). The results give us an idea of how we should start our opening, as our audience would prefer to see it start in everyday life, a sense of realism is essential.

The following question was which sub-genre would they prefer to watch, we found that majority (44%) of our audience would prefer to watch psychological thrillers, this was followed by supernatural and action thrillers with 13% and horror thrillers at 9% our least preferred sub genres were ¬conspiracy, forensic, and crime thrillers at 6% and spy thrillers at 3%. This was important as we planned our two-minute sequence to come under this sub-genre.
After they read the script and synopsis we asked them to rate which film classification our film would come under, 60% of them classified the film at 15. And 40% classified the film as 18.

The last question was also related to our synopsis and script, we asked whether a clear antagonist and protagonist was shown, all of our participants found that it was shown clearly.
From the results we managed to create pie charts to show what we had found. I found that handing out questionnaires helped our group modify the production of our film to make it more appealing to our audience according to our findings.

Audience Review - (Completed by Risha Jethwa)

For our coursework as a group we created a questionnaire to help us decide what thriller movies the audience enjoy watching. As a result the questionnaire will help us on our two minute thriller sequence and make it become more effective and appealing. The questionnaire was a sub total of thirty and handed out fifteen males and fifteen females. We chose to hand out thirty because it will give us a balance response from the audience. The results shown show a variety of questions that will help us produce good thriller sequence.

The first question shows us what gender are you, however as you may notice the response back was both 50% male and female. This shows us that our thriller sequence will be targeted at both genders shown by the results.

As you may notice within the thirty people we questioned. A major question was what age group the audience belong to, such as 12-14, 15-17 and 18+. This results shown was nought for age 12 -14, 15-17 was 43% and finally 18+ were 57%. The implies that thriller films show a bigger impact towards young adults, shown by the results.

Most importantly, many question are divided up into different answers to help gain a better response, for instances ‘What do you expect to see in a thriller film’ and ‘what sub-genre of thriller would you prefer to watch’. By suggesting this it allows us to gain more information and opinion within the sequence and produce a better quality sequence.

Within the questionnaire and important question shown is ‘How would you prefer a good thriller movie to being’. The result shown for this was mainly 50% normal everyday life, 39% flashbacks, 7% Death and 4% chase. This indicates that the audience prefer to watch normal everyday life rather than a chase, although by having a normal everyday life as your narrative this will make the sequence more appealing and interesting to watch.

The next question we asked the audience was what they expect to see in a thriller. The response back showed a range of answer, however the most popular answer shown was suspense 31% and the least popular was enigma with 11%.

In the questionnaire, we also asked the audience whether they enjoy watching thriller film or not. As a result the response back was a 100%. This tells us that the thriller genre is a popular genre within today’s society and the mass audience. Secondly the last question asked was if the synopsis of the film ‘Justified Revenge’ showed a clear antagonise (villain) and protagonist (hero).
The audience feed back shown for this question was a 100%. This suggests that the synopsis shows a clear understanding of the protagonist and antagonise.

In conclusion to this questionnaire, the results shown show a clear response of producing a good thriller. We also presented our questionnaire into a pie chart because this will help identify the feed back shown. As a result of this the questionnaire will help us decide what to include in the thriller sequence and help us in the planning and production stages of producing a thriller sequence.

Questionnaire Results - (Completed by Rizwana Jawid)

Updates

During our media lesson today, we handed out our questionnaires to individuals in order to see what the audience expect to see in thriller films and what attracts them to watchng a thriller movie. The results to these questionnaires will help us in the production of our 2 minute sequence. The questionnaire was handed out to 30 individuals. The results that we recieved will also be blogged .

A Justified Revenge - Synopsis (Completed by Jasmin Manjdadria)

Tony Blake is a middle aged man in his 40’s; he’s the father of three reasonably attractive children and runs a homeless shelter society. Their happy functional family is what every family in Peterstown aims to be.
At first we see Tony as any everyday religious man preparing to see his daughter; however we are immediately shown his cruel fundamentalist secret as he reveals a young girl in his boot beaten and tied up.

Throughout the film we think that only Tony is the killer with no accomplices and that his three children are completely oblivious to his secret which usually takes place in their garden shed where we are made to believe the children are not allowed in.
However, slowly we start to see the children taking part in a number of murders in the town.

As the number of murders in Peterstown increases, so does the fear in Peterstown. We see the townspeople looking to the family for comfort whilst the Blake’s remove evidence from the scenes secretly. It seems the family is working systematically to make sure no one catches them and finds out their secret. Jason Blake, the eldest sibling lures the girls into the trap; Angelina Blake, the middle child tortures them; and Tony kills and disposes of the girls bodies.

The film takes a turns when a new face appears in town. Detective Cole has been looking into all the murders of girls who have gone missing, when he finds some interesting evidence the Blake’s have missed. Now that the Blake’s are at risk of being exposed how will they deal with it? Will the town’s people believe him? Is Cole’s life now at risk? Will he save the next girl before it’s too late?

Directors cut - (Completed by Rizwana Jawid)