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.