Q5. How did you attract/address your audience?

Throughout our thriller opening sequence we did many things to help attract and address the audience. This would help to make ‘Alter-Ego’ appeal to the audience and make the opening interesting for them. 

I think that the posters on the wall in the girls bedroom and the magazines at the start will help to make the opening appeal to the audience. The opening is targeted at teenage girls ages 15-18 and these props are typical items which you may see in a girls bedroom. These props would help to attract the audience as it would mean that it would help them to relate to the storyline.  This is something which we wanted to achieve with our thriller because from our research people find this helps them to make the thriller more interesting and thriller if they can see themselves in the situation.

In our opening thriller cutaway shots are used frequently throughout. I think this would help to get and keep the audiences attention. This is because cutaway shots tend to break up a longer shot where the audiences attention may be lost as the shot is focusing on the same thing. Therefore cutaway shots help to interest the audience by breaking up the longer shots where the same thing is happening throughout.  The blood on the magazine will help to intrigue the audience as it is at the start of our opening and will make them want to continue watching as it will make them wonder as to why the blood has come from, why it is there and what has happened.

I think that the sound in our thriller production helps to attract/address the audience. There are two types of sound which are featured in our thriller - diegetic sound and non-diegetic sound. Diegetic sound is the noise which comes from the scene and is not added or edited in after such as actors voices. Non-diegetic is sound which has been added after in the editing process. For example music may be added into a thriller to help create suspense. In this shot of our opening there is a loud bang, which is the start of the build up of the revelation of the ‘Alter-Ego’ character. This loud noise gives a sense of mystery and anticipation as the audience is wondering what has caused the noise. At this point the music which is playing in the background begins to crescendo. This is intended to get the audiences hearts racing as the music gets louder and become more dramatic and tense.

Before we filmed our opening thriller we asked the audience what shot types they think are commonly used in thrillers and what they think one of the most effective shot types is. The feedback we got from this was close-ups. We took the feedback and put it to use in our opening. I think that these shots are effective for the audience as it is creating anticipation right before the revelation of the ‘Alter-Ego.’ By keeping the ‘Alter-Ego’ hidden from the audience and making the shots of the ‘normal girl’ opening the door longer we create that suspense and anticipation which according to our research from our Vox Pop is one of the most important factors in the audience. 

One way which I feel we fulfilled our audiences expectations is by creating a psychological thriller. We asked the audience what their favourite thriller sub-genre is and which they find the most interesting. The most common response we got was psychological. They said this is because they are the most “intriguing” thrillers and also the most “thrilling” thrillers. They also said it is “like a mind game for the audience.” From this feedback we made our thriller opening a psychological thriller. We also asked “what makes a thriller thrilling” and the response was “good use of music” and “twist and turns and being unique” in the storyline. As we got the response of good music we spent time searching for the right music to fit into our opening but as a group we could not find it therefore we created our own. We used Garage Band on a MacBook to create the music. This way we could make sure it crescendoed and got more dramatic and the correct parts. The response of “twists and turns” in the storyline meant the we spent a long time thinking of a narrative. We first thought of an idea but found it was too cliche and had been done many times. Then we though of the unique narrative of “Alter-Ego” which has the main “twist” in as the antagonist and protagonist are the same person. The storyline is “unique” as something like this has never been done before. Overall I feel that from the feedback from the audience and producing and watching ‘Alter-Ego” we have fulfilled their expectations and what they wanted from a thriller. 

Overall our audiences responded well to our opening and better than expected. We got a lot over positive points saying that our opening “is unique and not similar to anything I’ve seen before.” This is good it shows we have taken on board the feedback from the research and put it into our thriller opening. Another piece of positive feedback we got was “it was really really relatable.” This was a good piece of feedback to receive as a main point we set out to achieve was to make it relatable for the audience as they may have experience  pressure from the media as they portray the idea of “perfection.” Despite the positive feedback we did receive some improvements from our target audience which was that “some bits are too dark, add more light.” The group completely agree with this feedback as at some points in the opening there is not enough lighting and it is too dark. This makes the shots look grainy and unprofessional. 

Q4. Who would be the audience for your media product?

Our audience for our thriller “alter-ego” would been teenagers based around 15-19 years old. I believe this is the case as it would interests many people of this age range due to the storyline and setting that the character is in such as a typical teenagers bedroom with posters. The main gender I think that would watch our thriller is girls. This is because I think that they would relate to the character well as she is effected by the media and how the media portrays ‘perfection’ which is something that teenagers girls will be able to relate to, more so than teenage boys. The age is 15-19. This is because people who are under the age of 15 may not fully understand the storyline and what is happening as they may not be able to relate to the character as much which is important as it does help the audience to understand the storyline. According to the BBFC there should not be too much detail on ‘pain’ or ‘injury’ which blood is classified under and therefore the classification for the film should be a 15. No one older than 19 would be interested in our thriller as it is something that they may not find interesting as there a lot of ‘teen’ posters around the room and therefore it is not aimed at their age group. We have made our thriller so that it is not aimed at any specific race or nationality and therefore not limiting the audience that can watch our thriller. The socio-economic group for our film would be group E. This is because this group has students in and most people watching ‘Alter-Ego’ would be students. 

 The age of this teenager girl is 17 whom is someone who would watch, and also who our thriller film is aimed at. Their race and nationality is white British. Similarly to most teenager girls they use a lot of social media, either on laptops, tablets or smart phone. Some of the social media websites they use are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr. Facebook is used to talk to friends and see what friends are doing e.g statuses. Twitter is also used to talk to friends but also to look what her favourite celebrities are doing, such as one direction. Instagram is used to look at pictures and also to upload pictures as well. Tumblr is used as a blogging website where you can also look and upload pictures. Some of the films they would watch would be The Hunger Games, The Notebook, 500 Days of Summer and Dear John. These are mostly films of the romantic genre, apart from The Hunger Games which is a mix between adventure and sci-fi. Some other film genres they would watch would be romantic comedy’s.  Some of the TV shows which she watches are the typical teen dramas such as Waterloo Road, Skins, Gossip Girl. Detective/crime programmes are also a favourite such as Sherlock, Silent Witness, Broadchurch and Law and Order. She is also keen on soaps such as Eastenders and Hollyoaks. Their music preferences are pop music such as One Direction, Ed Sheeran, Ariana Grande and Jessie J. These music preferences would lead to a hobby of going to concerts and seeing her favourite artists live.

The magazines which they like are ‘gossip’ magazines such as Heat magazine, but also fashion magazines such Vogue and Elle. They would shop at places such as Topshop, Primark and New Look which are all aimed at around the teenager age also.

 We researched are audience by using many different research methods. We filmed a Vox Pop at the start of our research. Vox Pop or in Latin ‘Vox Populi’ also means "the voice of the people" or "man on the street.” A Vox Pop involves an interviewer asking the same few people more than one question and go back to them throughout the Vox Pop. In our Vox Pop we asked two different questions two find out what people’s opinions on thrillers are. These questions were “What makes a thriller thriller thrilling?” and “What is your favourite thriller sub-genre?” From the response from the first question, people  said that music can make a thriller thrilling as it creates suspense and tension. Also atmosphere and suspense are important as they make the thriller. The story line line also helps to make a thriller thrilling by having "twist and turns" and unexpected part of the story happen to create suspense and keep the audience hooked. For the second question, people said their favourite genre of thriller was psychological as it is like a "mind game for the audience." Action was also said because it is exciting, as was sci-fi as they are also exciting and interesting.

Our second research method was using a website called  “PollEverywhere.” For our pitch we created a poll so that our peers who were watching could vote for the typography they prefer and which they feel would be most effective as we needed to gain opinions from our target audience. This poll revealed that the most popular typography choice was the fourth style. I feel that this is a good choice as it reflects the story behind our opening titles sequence. At the beginning of our opening, we plan to have the normal teenage girl reading magazines, when she then hears unusual sounds coming from upstairs. She investigates the sound to find the "alter-ego" character on the floor in her bedroom surrounded by ripped paper and magazines. Typography four suits this because the white shadow behind the lettering correlates with the ripped up magazines which will be used. As this typography has a "type-writer" feel to it, it is typical of the thriller genre as it is used in many crime and mystery thrillers. 

BBFC stands for British Board of Film Classification, or as it used to be known British Board of Film Censors. They are responsible for the censorship and classification of films in the United Kingdom. This censorship is so that people of a certain age, such as children do not watch films that are unsuitable for them and which they may find upsetting or disturbing in some way. To decide on the decision of which age rating a film should be given, two people who work for BBFC called examiners will watch a film and take into consideration the different content within the film.

U stands for Universal which means that it should be suitable for almost everyone, however

 they may not be suitable for children under the age of four. A film which is rated U contains occasional mild bad language e.g "Damn!." It does not allow any sexual behaviour, however "kissing and cuddling" is allowed. If there is violence at all in a film, it will be very mild. In a U film there will be no reference to drugs which are illegal unless however it is for educational purposes.

PG stands for Parental Guidance. Films with this certificate should general suit all children, however similarly to Universal, aged 8 and above is the suggested age. Mild bad language can be used but it  may depend on how it is delivered by the actor (if it's aggressive or not.) If bad language is used frequently in the film then it may be considered for a higher rating. Sexual references may be allowed in a PG film if they are not very detailed and not used often in the film. The violence in a PG film would be similarly again to Universal mild, however blood may be allowed as long as it is not very graphic. There should not be a direct focus on illegal drugs in a PG film unless it is educational and will be able to be understood by a younger audience.

12A means that a child is required to have an adult with them if they go to the cinema to

watch the film which has this classification as is under the age of 12. 12 is a less complicated 12A which is put on DVD's and is easier for people in shops to understand. Strong language can be passed for a 12A/12 film depending on the way it is said and who in the film says it. The may be sexual references and nudity in a 12A/12 film but it has to be brief. There should be "moderate" violence in the film but should not be in lots of detail. There may be some drug use in a 12A/12 but it should not instruct someone how to do/use drugs or be portrayed as “glamorous."

15 films are designed for people ages 15 and over. No one under the age of 15 should go and watch a film of this classification at the cinema. There can be strong language used frequently in 15 films however it again depends on how it is portrayed by the actor and therefor could be classified a higher.Sexual references, activity  and nudity can be in an 15 film as long as it does no go into detail. In a 15 film the violence can be strong, as long as there is not much detail on pain or injury. "Gory images" and "strong sadistic violence" would most probably not be accepted. Drug taking can be included in a film rated 15 however it should not encourage drug use.

Films rated 18 are designed to be for adults and not for children. No one under the age of

18 will be allowed to watch a film classified as an 18 at the cinema. Strong language can be used throughout without and limit and how often it can be used.Sexual referenced and nudity can be in detail, and strong violence can also be used. Drug use can be used however it still cannot promote drug misuse. 

I think that our film will be classified at 15. 15 films are designed for people ages 15 and over. No one under the age of 15 should go and watch a film of this classification at the cinema. There can be strong language used frequently in 15 films however it again depends on how it is portrayed by the actor and therefor could be classified a higher.Sexual references, activity  and nudity can be in an 15 film as long as it does no go into detail. In a 15 film the violence can be strong, as long as there is not much detail on pain or injury. "Gory images" and "strong sadistic violence" would most probably not be accepted. Drug taking can be included in a film rated 15 however it should not encourage drug use. Our thriller does not involve drugs, gory images or strong sadistic view. It however does have blood featured in it which is ‘not much detail on pain or injury’ and is why it is a 15. This impacts our target audience as people under the age of 15 cannot watch this thriller. This effects the amount of people who will watch the thriller and it slims down the audience who can watch this. This however is good as people under the age of 15 may not enjoy or understand the thriller. 

Q3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

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Our production company name is AMOA productions. The “AMOA” in the name is the first initials of the four group members last names. We thought this would be a good idea for the name as we all contributed greatly to the research, planning and creating of our opening thriller sequence “Alter-Ego.” The production company name shows this as it is a part of all of our names and we were all part of the products of this film.

Most production companies have an ident which is a moving image, played before the film starts. This is to inform the audience of who the production company for that film is. These idents tend to be quite recognisable for the audience and they become quite famous. For example, Dreamworks with the boy on the moon or Metro Goldwyn Mayer with the roaring lion. This is our company ident for AMOA productions. It is hand drawn by one of the members of the group and will be used at the beginning of our thriller opening title sequence. This ident does not move like the other big production companies idents do as we though it would look better and more effective if it doesn't. The ident features the name AMOA which is our company name made up of the initials of our last name. It also reflects the thriller genre as the tree connotes a creepy and mysterious idea and the image is unique and nothing like any other production company's ident as it is hand drawn and features our also unique production company name. For this logo we drew inspiration from the Lionsgate ident as the sky in the background of it also connotes a similar creepy and mysterious idea as our own logo does. 

A production company provides the funding, and helps to make and distribute films or television programmes. They provide the money and therefore set the budget, which will influence the director and actors for the production. Production company helps all types of work such as performing arts, television, radio and video. The most common film company who regularly distribute thrillers are Lionsgate. The have a reputation for this which means that they could have an inherited audience. This is where a production company who already have fans of the thriller film which they make, will most likely want to watch a film which a producer creates if it is distributed by Lionsgate. Some thriller films which Lionsgate have distributed is The Hunger Games films and Saw. Some distribution companies attract certain audiences because of the genre of the typical films they release. This is called inherited audience which is where the audience who are a fans of "indie" films may watch many releases from Film 4 as this company have films which are predominantly of an "indie" genre. Due to an audiences interest in this film genre they would be fans of films released from this production company. 

Out of all of the multiple production companies out there, we have chosen Film 4 to produce our film. Film 4 is a British production company which is owned by Chanel 4 Television Corporation. It is mainly produces films which are based in the UK. They produce quite "indie" films and tend to have up and coming actors in the films which they have put into production. Originally the institution was named Chanel Four Films or FilmFour International. The whole company was re-branded to become Film4 as we know it today . This tied in with the start of the television chanel which is also called Film4.  Then in 2002 the company had a huge budget cut which meant losing a large amount of their staff and having to become part of channel 4's drama department. In 2006 the new name of "FilmFour Productions" was brought in to coincide with the re-release of the tv channel Film4. The company is based in the United Kingdom, but more specifically in London. It is owned by Chanel Four Television Corporation, the chairman of this is Lord Burns and the CEO is David Abraham. The type of films which Film4 are involved in our indie films which tend to be thrillers or drama's. 

Some of the high earning films that Film4 have produced are "12 Years A Slave," "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Nowhere Boy." The most well known film being Slumdog Millionaire which was released in 2008. This film had a budget of $15 million and from the box office made $377.9 million. It was nominated for ten Academy Awards and ended up winning eight. It also won seven BAFTA Awards, five Critics Choice Awards and four Golden Globes. These helped to put Film4 on the map as one of the biggest and most popular production companies.

We have chosen Film4 as the suitable institute to produce our thriller as we are going for quite an individual and edgy feel, which is something that the films that Film4 produce do have in one way or another. Although the company does not have as high budget or as much money available as the other bigger and more popular production companies, from the previous films that have been produced by Film4 it is clear that the financial aspects is not as issue as the films that have been released under film4 have been of high quality and gone on to make high amounts of revenue.

Some films are funded by the companies borrowing money from banks e.g. a loan. Some people may get funding by approaching banks or investors and asking if they would like to either fund completely or contribute to the funding of the film. If there is big actors involved then they are more likely to invest. Films that don't have a budget as big as the large production companies are financed by either the direction and/or the producer. To fund out film, as it is being distributed by Film4 which is quite a popular product company, they will loan money from the bank, or get people to invest and fund the film. 

There are various jobs involved in creating a film which are all featured in the opening titles. Normally in most films, the production company comes first, then after that presents…, a film by…etc. The actors and main cast then come up following by the music, make-up and customer designer. Then the very last titles are who the film is produced, written, edited, and directed by. In our opening title thriller we have followed this structure by having the production company first, make-up etc in the middle and the who the director is, who edited it and the end.

 A film which is similar to ‘Alter-Ego’ is ‘Submarine.’ This film was distributed by Film4 and although a comedy-drama the main character Oliver Tate played by Craig Roberts is similar to the main character in our film as they are both troubled teenagers. The film would be marketed in a similar way as they our both “indie” films although ‘Alter-Ego’ is a thriller film, and would have a similar audience and people who are fans of ‘Submarine’ may be fans of ‘Alter-Ego.’ 

Q2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?

For a similar character to the ‘normal’ girl in Alter-Ego I have picked Jill Roberts from Scream 4. She is the main antagonist in Scream  4, similarly to our character in Alter-Ego who is also the main antagonist in the thriller. The character of Jill Roberts appears to be a strong character in the film, whereas a difference is our antagonist in ‘Alter-Ego’ is not a strong character as she is heavily effected by the media and what they portray. Jill Roberts is also portrayed as a character who is quite aware of danger. This is another similarity because as soon as our ‘normal’ girl in the opening hears a noise, she automatically senses danger and that something is wrong. This then leads to her investigating the noise and putting herself in danger, similarly to Jill Roberts in Scream 4. 

 We wanted to create a antagonist character who is also a victim, and a character who is the protagonist and a villain . The character of the antagonist features the most throughout our thriller but I think that the protagonist - the “Alter-Ego’ is the most important. She is the key character to understanding the storyline in the thriller. We used a teenager ages 16 to play the role of both characters as that is who ‘Alter-Ego’ is aimed at. We felt that if we have a character which is the same age as the target audience they would be able to relate to the thriller as they maybe have also been affected in a similar way as they could have felt pressurised by the media’s portrayal of ‘perfection.’ It also may help them to understand the storyline more and like the film.

 For the "Alter Ego" character they wore all black clothing, which was a hoodie, leggings, strappy top and black shoes. These clothes will be worn towards the end of our opening however there will be quick shots of the character wearing them at the beginning. Through this all black costume we are wanting to connote and create a girl who is an "Alter Ego" and is not in control of herself. Our only actor in our opening wore this, whom of which is a girl and who portrayed the darker and more evil side of herself, hence why we only see this character in her bedroom as no one else get's to see her "alter ego" outside of an area which is her personal room and surroundings, showing that everyone including her has a darker side which they show to no one else. The darker clothing is representing the darker side of the character which has not been seen before to anyone else, and that the character herself is still unsure about her "alter ego" and what it will make her do. The black made the character stand out in the surroundings where we filmed as the walls were covered with paper and writing on and contrast the clothing. Wearing darker clothing is typical for a  "bad" character in thrillers as the black colour connotes darkness and negativity which is what  normally is wanted to be portrayed by antagonist in the thriller genre. For our regular girl character, she wore a white dress, white shoes and a flower crown around her head. She appeared throughout the sequence in this different settings wearing the same outfit. With this all white costume we wished to connote an "innocent" girl who is "pure" and happy, which is a contrast to the clothing and the character of the "alter ego." The flower crown can relate back to something you could have worn when you were younger, which is when you are typically at your happiest. When the actor is wearing this she is portraying the  normal side to her which everyone gets to see, which is why she is not locked away in her bedroom like the "alter ego" character is. Once the girl stepped into the bedroom wearing these clothes she will instantly stand out from the other character although they are the same girl, showing the contrast in personalities and how they are perceived by other people. Wearing white is typical to the thriller genre as it is common that it connotes innocence and tends to be worn by the "damsel in distress.” 

We have used different camera shots and movements to convey different meanings in the thriller. We use a tilt regularly which conveys the idea of insanity and how the ‘Alter-Ego’ character has been heavily effected and influenced by the media and how it is controlling her. Close-ups are also used regularly throughout to show details which are important and help to create an atmosphere in the thriller, such as the blood, the match on action where the hand opens the door and the smudging of the make up. 

In our opening thriller we had two different make-up looks, one where the girl is normal and the other where the girl is in the "Alter-Ego." We wanted there to be a clear contrast between the two characters with no only their clothing but their facial appearance e.g. their make-up. The normal girl.s make-up is very minimal and light connoting innocence and purity whereas the alter-ego's make-up is darker and messy which suggests evilness and how she is not in control, hence the messiness of the make-up.

In our opening thriller we used magazines which are typical aimed at teenager girls, such as company magazine. This is because it is a usual item which you would see in a teenage girl's bedroom and it did not look out of place. On the day we then ripped these magazines to make them look like the Alter-Ego character had done it as it shows a sense if instability and craziness. We added blood onto some of these magazines for when we filmed a shot of them altogether to add suspense and mystery. We also filmed dripping blood onto the magazines which we used as a cutaway shot. I think that it is an effective shot and it makes the audience appear uncomfortable. Another proper we used as well as the magazines and blood is posters which we printed of ourselves. These posters are typical of teenage girls and were perfect for the setting. We also used the fake blood on these to show that the alter-ego has attacked them as they were also ripped and hand a handprint on in blood. These were used to cover up the title of the film, and at the end the Alter-Ego character rips them down to reveal the typography and the title.    

 The house which we filmed at is a Victorian style. As it is such an old house the lighting is not perfect and helps to add some eeriness to the setting. As the house is a family home which a member of our group lives in it means the set for a normal family home is already present. The location was chosen because it is relates to the storyline and fits in perfectly. 

On the day of filming we checked the lighting because if the weather was cloudy and dark we  needed to make arrangements for it, such as making sure all of the lights in the house are turned on to make sure it is not dark and the shots come across good and effective on the camera. However if the weather did turn out sunny and bright, which it didn’t, the lights were not needed. The weather on the day was dark and how it came across on camera. We did not turn the lights on as we want the opening to feature natural light to make it look more realistic to the audience and make it look more mysterious.

Q1. In what ways does your media products use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

A thriller is a film which uses suspense and tension to hook the audience and get their attention. There are many different sub-genres such as crime, mystery,  film noir and psychological which is the sub-genre for our thriller opening. The thriller genre story line is mainly based around action and crime. If the thriller is based around crime then a murder is a typical event which takes place.We have chosen this because using the information from our research and vox pops this is the thriller which people find the most interesting. Psychological is unusual for our thriller as the main character is a teenager. The audiences expectations for a psychological thriller are suspense, action and it leaves the viewer on the edge. 

Only three thriller films on the IMBD data base have teenagers in. This shows that with our thriller is unique and we are reaching out to a wider audience whilst challenging the conventions of a typical thriller film and the thriller genre. Another way in which we challenged the the thriller genre is by having a female antagonist, which is unusual as in thriller films the antagonist characters are usually male. We used a person a mentally ill person which features in a lot of thrillers such as Shutter Island. We then developed this idea by using a teenager who is mentally ill. This is from the way which the media has portrayed an image of “perfection” and how girls should look like. 

There are many different shots such as long shots, midshots, close ups, over the shoulder shots and point of view shots. These are the common shots which are used frequently films of all genres. However there are typical shots and camera movements such as a tilt, close up, mid shot and long shot/extreme long shot which are frequently used in thriller films. A tilt is a camera movement which is where the camera tilts vertically up and down which gives a sense of size and height. It is used in many thriller, including out thriller opening to show the insanity of a person in our case the “alter-ego” character. Close-ups are camera shots where a certain feature or part of a subject takes up most of the frame and is often used to show detail. In thriller films close-ups are used to show hints to the storyline or often blood is shown as a close-up in thriller films. By showing a close up of blood it intrigues the audience, making  them wonder what has happened for the blood to appear and want to continue watching the film. A midshot is also used in thriller films. It shows part of the subject in detail, usually from the waist up. This is used in thriller films when a character is speaking and often providing a crucial bit of information. A long shot is a shot where the subject takes up most of the full frame. It used in thrillers to show the environment the character is in. An extreme long shot is where the subject is not clearly visible to the audience. The purpose of this shot is to show the subjects surroundings and is often known as an “establishing shot.” In thrillers using a long shot can be good as the subject is not clearly visible, creating a sense of tension and mystery around the character. The typical editing in thriller films is fast paced and shots move from one to the next quickly. 

Editing in thrillers can be used to help create tension and suspense. This can be done by adding different effects and changing how the scene and shot looks in general. A way in which they could do this is by changing the pace of the camera movement to show a dramatic scene. In our opening the editing is faced paced with intertwining shots. These shots flash forward to the blood on the magazines or the tilt of the alter-ego character herself. This gives the opening a more dramatic effect, building up the tension and suspense for the audience. We placed the shots of the blood at the beginning of the opening as it will make the audience want to continue watching and give a sense of suspicion and mystery.

 Mise-en-scene is a term which is used to describe all visual elements in a single frame or shot. This includes actors, costume, make up, lighting/background, setting, camera work and VFX (visual effects. These are all key in any film, not just thrillers, to define the genre and help to create the scene. A common part of mise-en-scene which occurs in thrillers in props such as guns and knives. These stereotypically signify danger and are related to crime. In our opening thriller we used blood which is also a prop used regularly in thriller films. It helps to also create tension and suspense as the audience wonders where the blood is from. 

Sound is also used in thrillers to make it thriller and create suspense. We asked in our vox pop “what helps to create suspense in thriller films?” and some of the answer which we got back was the sound. In films there is either non-diegetic sound or diegetic sound. Non-diegetic sound is sound which has been added in after the editing process. An example of this would be music which would be added in after. This is used to create suspense and tension and helps to get the audiences heart racing.  Diegetic sound is the noise which comes from the scene and is not added in or edited after. An example of this would be actors voices. Synchronous sound is also used which is where the sound is synchronised with the object emitting the sound. This is helps to create tension during an important scene. In our thriller film we used both diegetic and non-diegetic sound. The non-diegetic sound is the music which we have added over the top of the opening. We created this music ourselves using garage band. The music starts of quite but then crescendo’s towards the end when they opening becomes more dramatic and when there is the revelation. We also have diegetic sound in our opening which is when the kitchen doors opens and makes a creaking noise. This is sound which we have not added in. 

There are many conventions which are used to make an effective thriller opening. The shot types and movements which are the most effective are a mid shot, long/extreme long shot, close up and a tilt. A mid shot is effective as it shows when a character is speaking to another character so the audiences focus is purely on the person who is speaking. This is good if a character is delivering a crucial part of speech which gives the audiences hints/clues to the storyline. A longshot and also extreme longshot are important in thrillers as it shows the characters environment. This is important as the settings in the characters environment may be more important than the actual character in some shots. An extreme long shot is good for this as the subject clearly is not visible. In thrillers the narrative is constructed in many different ways.

For a thriller opening I think that narratives is one of the most important conventions. Having a unique and different story line from the start is important as you need to interest and capture the audiences attention from the start. If this does not happen then the audience may get bored. Also if they narrative is stereotypical to the thriller genre is may loose people’s interest. To make the narrative effective you need to think about your target audience and who you are targeting your opening/film at. At the start we found it difficult to find a narrative which was unique and like no other thriller film out there. After brainstorming we thought of using a teenager as only three popular thriller films have teenagers in.

How the shots are edited together are important to get an effective thriller opening. The shots in thriller films are edited together often intertwining. When shots intertwine it is normally because they are showing flashbacks. These flashbacks help the audience to either understand an event which is currently taking place. We have done this in our thriller film as it looks more effective. This makes it more interesting for the viewer to watch instead of having continuous straight cuts. 

Sound is very important in thriller films. The use of non-diegetic and diegetic sound is key into creating a thriller films. Music, which is non-diegetic sounds, is important as it gets the audiences hearts racing. The music normally crescendo’s when it is getting closer to a dramatic scene or a key event is going to take place. Also sounds such as gun shots are commonly used which are a non-diegetic sound. Diegetic sound used in thriller films may be a slamming of a door, creaking of floorboards and the sounds of the actors voices. The slamming of a door and creaking of floorboards is a typical convention for thriller films as it takes the audience by surprise and connotes danger and fear. 

The use of mise-en-scene is important for thriller films as it involves many important features in a film such as the actors, make-up, lighting, background. Some actors have star persona which means that the actor is renowned for acting in a certain genre. For example Leonardo Di Caprio who has featured in Shutter Island and Inception. For thrillers the lighting tends to be dark and gloomy, like it is in Se7en. This sets up the mood and atmosphere for the film and is a typical convention of the thriller film. In our opening thriller we were inspired by Se7en and had the lighting as dark as possible without making our thriller appear to grainy.

Some of the real thriller films and programmes which have inspired our thriller opening “Alter-Ego” is Dexter. Dexter is a television drama series in America about a man who works in forensics for the Miami Police Department. However the twist is although he works for the police, he himself is a serial killer. The storyline is very different to our thriller’s but the opening title sequence has inspired and influenced our work. 

 The use of blood in the opening sequence of Dexter is used a lot throughout the opening sequence. It has inspired and influenced us to make blood a main feature in our opening sequence for ‘Alter-Ego.” In Dexter the close up helps to focus in on blood and keep the audience watching as the main focus is the brutal killing of people, which the blood  represents. The blood dripping into the skink leaves the audience thinking about what may have happened. This is similarly to our opening as the blood dripping onto the magazines leaves the audience intrigued as to what has happened and what is going to happening. This anticipation makes the audience continue watching as they want to know what happened. 

 The editing in Dexter where there is shots of blood is fast paced, similarly to Alter-Ego where the shots of the blood dripping onto the magazine are fast paced and cut short to give it a ‘choppy’ quick effect. In our opening the shots also intertwine with other shots helping it to create more tension and suspense and adding to the audiences anticipation. In Dexter there is also a close up of the mans face, as there is also in our thriller. This shot excludes the background and you cannot see anything of the surroundings. This helps to make the audience wonder and think about what may be going on as you cannot see the background to tell. The close-up of a face in Dexter and also Alter-Ego is quite unsettling as it is not normal to see a face so close up. I think that this makes a shot and opening sequence rememberable and it will stick into the audience’s mind. This is good as it means that people will not only watch your thriller once but twice.

 In Se7en the title of the film is quite unusual and stands out, it is also presented with the ‘V’ as a ‘7’ which makes it unique. We were inspired by this and as a group thought of a name which fits in well with out storyline also as we found that that was important as most thriller genres have titles which is something to do with the plot or storyline. We thought of ‘Alter-Ego’ which is also unique similarly to ‘Se7en.’ The typography in ‘Se7en’ and our thriller ‘Alter-Ego’ are very similar. The typography is ‘Se7en’ I think is very typical of the thriller genre as it is like a typewriter font and as is ours. This is because it is typical of the thriller genre to use a ‘typewriter’ font as it is used in many crime and mystery thrillers which is typical for the genre.

The first setting you see in ‘Se7en’ is an urban city setting which is typical for the thriller genre. We have not used this convention and have challenged conventions as there are not many thrillers that are based around teenagers and the setting where they live. We have set our thriller in a house in the countryside. This is because for our thriller’s storyline we thought it would be better suited inside a house in a typical teenage girls environment instead of filming it in a city. However in ‘Se7en’ the setting is quite dark and the natural lighting is minimal as there is no sun out in the shots. We have used this convention of the shots being as dark as possible without it being to grainy. This is because it gives a mysterious feel to them and sets up the storyline and what is going to happen. The setting of our thriller opening is not typical for thriller films, but the lighting in the shots is.

 In the opening of ‘Se7en’ props are used throughout, and especially books. In the opening they are used to help set up what the film is about, and giving away hints to the storyline. This intrigues the audience to continue watching. It also helps to create suspense and tension. Similarly to our opening for ‘Alter-Ego’ we have used magazines instead of books as magazines are better suited for our target audience. magazines feature throughout the opening of our thriller and help to create tension, when the blood drips onto the magazine, and also gives and hints as to what the storyline is. We have used this convention as we thought it was a good idea to attract the audience to watch  the thriller. 

In the opening of ‘Se7en’ close-ups are used regularly throughout. This is to show you details which are important and the director wants you to see and take in as they may be important part of understanding the film. They are a popular shot to use in thrillers as they help to create suspense and tension as they do normally show a prop and detail which is important, as in our opening we use close-ups to show blood. The blood helps to create suspense and tension and it intrigues the audience and catches their attention making the wondering what has happened for the blood to appear. In our opening we have used the convention of using close-ups regularly throughout as they are a good shot to use to show detail and interest the audience and they are typical of the thriller genre. 

The editing in the opening title sequence of ‘Se7en’ there is fast shots which are intertwining with each other. These are cutaway shots. We also were inspired by this and did it in our own opening title sequence. Fast shots help to give the feel of tension and suspense whilst also giving the idea that the opening is building up to a climax. Fast-shots are normally edited quickly which makes the audience struggle to picture what is going on which creates a sense of confusion. The intertwining shots help with these fast shots and to make them look effective. It also makes the opening look more interesting instead of just having a shot go on for a long time. The fast shots are typical of thriller films and the genre on a whole and we have used this convention. 

Alter-Ego Thriller Opening Titles

BBFC

BBFC stands for British Board of Film Classification, or as it used to be known British Board of Film Censors. They are responsible for the censorship and classification of films in the United Kingdom. 

This censorship is so that people of a certain age, such as children do not watch films that are unsuitable for them and which they may find upsetting or disturbing in some way. To decide on the decision of which age rating a film should be given, two people who work for BBFC called examiners will watch a film and take into consideration the different content within the film, for example drugs, horror, language used, nudity, sexual references and violence. Based on this content, the film can the be certificated a certain age range: 

U stands for Universal which means that it should be suitable for almost everyone, however  they may not be suitable for children under the age of four. A film which is rated U contains occasional mild bad language e.g "Damn!." It does not allow any sexual behavior, however "kissing and cuddling" is allowed. If there is violence at all in a film, it will be very mild. In a U film there will be no reference to drugs which are illegal unless however it is for educational purposes.

PG stands for Parental Guidance. Films with this certificate should general suit all children, however similarly to Universal, aged 8 and above is the suggested age. Mild bad language can be used but it  may depend on how it is delivered by the actor (if it's aggressive or not.) If bad language is used frequently in the film then it may be considered for a higher rating. Sexual references may be allowed in a PG film if they are not very detailed and not used often in the film. The violence in a PG film would be similarly again to Universal mild, however blood may be allowed as long as it is not very graphic. There should not be a direct focus on illegal drugs in a PG film unless it is educational and will be able to be understood by a younger audience. 

12A means that a child is required to have an adult with them if they go to the cinema to watch the film which has this classification as is under the age of 12. 12 is a less complicated 12A which is put on DVD's and is easier for people in shops to understand. Strong language can be passed for a 12A/12 film depending on the way it is said and who in the film says it. The may be sexual references and nudity in a 12A/12 film but it has to be brief. There should be "moderate" violence in the film but should not be in lots of detail. There may be some drug use in a 12A/12 but it should not instruct someone how to do/use drugs or be portrayed as "glamorous."

15 films are designed for people ages 15 and over. No one under the age of 15 should go and watch a film of this classification at the cinema. There can be strong language used frequently in 15 films however it again depends on how it is portrayed by the actor and therefor could be classified a higher.Sexual references, activity  and nudity can be in an 15 film as long as it does no go into detail. In a 15 film the violence can be strong, as long as there is not much detail on pain or injury. "Gory images" and "strong sadistic violence" would most probably not be accepted. Drug taking can be included in a film rated 15 however it should not encourage drug use.

Films rated 18 are designed to be for adults and not for children. No one under the age of 18 will be allowed to watch a film classified as an 18 at the cinema. Strong language can be used throughout without and limit and how often it can be used.Sexual referenced and nudity can be in detail, and strong violence can also be used. Drug use can be used however it still cannot promote drug misuse. 

For our thriller I would give it a age rating of 15. There is no bad language used, violence or sexual references however there is blood used frequently and I think the topic and story line would be hard for someone younger than this age to understand and follow.