Questionnaire results

These results were what inspired to further improve our product. We took on board every positive and negative and focused on enhancing the positives, whilst working on the negative aspects. The results were as followed:

Production Diary 2

The second detailed acccount of the work into the production of 'Broken Developments':

Shooting Schedule

7) Looking back at your prelim task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

Looking back on our Preliminary task, and other rough cut videos you can see clear progression from each video with variation shots more apparent, more advanced, effective effects, titles and also a better sequence of events.  All of these improvements have came from learning from the mistakes previously added in our preliminary task and rough cut videos.  

Screenshots of our prelim task

Firstly, I have learnt how my ideas for our product should be kept simple and not trying to do too much. Our preliminary task was a relatively simplistic idea, however the inexperience of our group and failure to make simple shots such as shot-reverse-shot very effective meant our preliminary task was in fact made quite complicated as the audience (classmates) were unable to identify what exactly was going on. We struggled with continuity in particular as simple shots, such as the shot-reverse-shot of me walking through the door, as I appeared more than three times in the film. Although when it came to making our first rough cut, we had mastered how to execute shot types well, yet I felt we got carried away by the chance of making a thriller film that we wanted to fit in as much footage as possible. Consequently, it was made into a very short story rather than an opening sequence which should give hints to what the film is about rather than telling the whole story. After analysing it as a group and then our target audience (classmates and other media students) they also felt that although our idea was good, we were trying to do far too much in 2 minutes and should try and keep it more simplistic. We also tried to add in more characters with Sarah and I having characters, however we felt although these characters could have a role in the latter of the film it didn’t fit the opening sequence as it came across far too confusing. This led to us as a group sitting down as a group and deciding what clips we liked, wanted to use and didn’t want need. This left us with clips of just Charlie (Antagonist) and Laura (Protagonist), reflecting what we set out to: create a conventional thriller opening sequence. I really liked the use of Charlie’s messed bedroom and the creepy stalking of Laura and wanted them to be used as our main clips.  The progression of our preliminary task to our product now to me is really highlighted in the fact that we have learnt how to make the product, by going back to basics and making the opening sequence simplistic, rather than trying to create a story which happened in previous rough cuts and the prelim task.

close-up of Charlie, still a key feature of our product

Secondly, the progression of our soundtrack using Soundtrack Pro has improved greatly since the prelim task and rough cut videos. In our Prelim task, we were not too strong on how to use Soundtrack pro which is evident in the product as the soundtrack is just one continuous drone, missing any non-diegetic effects to emphasise actions such as a punch, or a door shutting. Subsequently, there was no real extra effect or emphasis which would thrill the audience, which a soundtrack should do. We wanted our soundtrack to build tension and act as an enigma code, however our prelim task didn’t portray this at all. Nevertheless, as we become more confident with soundtrack pro we began to use a wider use of sounds using a ‘drone’ as our base track as it’s eerie noise created tension, and the idea that something was not right. This then evolved as the product evolved to the use of impact noises to show danger and pain, as well as spooky screams to possibly reflect Laura’s pain as she was murdered. I also began to experiment more with different samples by trying piano noises alongside futuristic noises, shortening and lengthening samples and changing the volume of certain tracks to emphasise certain moments in the film. I used the use of fade to great effect, as the quietening of noise implied something dangerous was about to happen, or a change of scene to suit the change in sound.  I also found more non-dietetic sounds that could be used such as a slash of sword noise to indicate danger as well as Charlie stabbing a needle into a voodoo doll, and the impact sounds made the audience react in shock to close-ups of Laura’s face.

Character from 'Ripper Street' 

Thirdly, the progression of our product has also been mirrored since getting to grips with Final Cut Pro. In our Preliminary task we were unaware of effects available, and unsure of how to add them in into appropriate places. However, since we began to familiarise ourselves and learn more and more about the software as well as what effects would give what, it was apparent that as a group we all had a good idea of effects and how they should be used. We were inspired by effects in ‘Ripper Street’, and ‘Se7en’, however after adding in similar effects we didn’t always feel they suited our product. Therefore we learnt what sort of effects we should stick to, thus improving our thriller piece. Our preliminary task included no effects at all, yet now effects play a vital role into the success of our product as they help to build tension, make the work seem more professional and create eerie suspense. In particular the use of colour correction which enhanced the colour red to imply danger, whilst the darkening of Laura’s face to a murky grey creates a very realistic of a dead, Protagonist. Furthermore, the gruesome wound on her neck was made more effective thus making the audience feel shocked by the fatal injury.

Overall, we have learnt greatly since the making of our very ordinary and unprofessional preliminary task which didn’t carry a soundtrack, any effects, or a real plot. However, as we gained more experience in production field, we really began to progress from a very basic prelim task to something far more effective with a specifically designed soundtrack, which had a variation of Argentinian pianos and painful screams. Whilst a list of effects, especially the use of colour correction which created a sinister image, as colours of negative connotations were highlighted to indicate the future. Subsequently, I believe this highlights what we have learnt a great deal of experience and technique in the progression from our prelim task to our full product.

6) What have you learnt about technologies in the process of constructing your film sequence?

Technology has been pivotal into the process of constructing our product, from filming to editing; the technology has been a key element of our film sequence. 

An example of the tripod we used - vital for tilt and especially pan used when filming the Antagonist's bedroom

Example of the HD HandyCam we used

Firstly, I have had to get to grips with the video camera which we have recorded all of our filming on across the duration of the filming process. Although the video camera is quite simple to use, I have had to familiarise myself with what button does what, for example the record button on the back of the camera, the replay button on the side of the camera to replay our footage, and using the touch screen to flick through previous footage deleting unnecessary footage or checking all footage we need is there on our checklist. Whilst filming, we did sometimes encounter problems with our Sony HD camera, yet there were often problems due to our inexperience with the video camera. However, as we continued to record more and more we began to become more confident and aware of what we had to do to create the best quality film. This meant practicing movements such as a ‘pan’, (without having to record), with a steady hand to ensure shots were only needed to be taken once. I had to get to grips with the tripod, using the level measure on the top to get the perfect angle to film with, as well as ensuring it’s stability whilst filming. I also had to enforce that the camera was tightly screwed onto the tripod so it remained on the tripod when panning/tilting, keeping the camera safe, as well as clean footage.

The second piece of technology we mainly used was Final Cut Pro on the Apple Mac, which enabled us to move our footage from our video camera (using a USB hard drive being plugged into our Mac) into Final Cut Pro; a movie making application. We had to import our clips into final cut pro where we could select certain clips to put into the project. This was excellent as it enabled us to review clips before placing them in, so we could be efficient in what clips were put in. When placing clips into a project it was a case of drag into the appropriate area which was very easy to do, saving time rather than having to re-import the clips onto the project. We could also adjust the size of the clip by clicking on the clip and shortening it until the length we want, therefore making it easier to edit our work.

Here is a screenshot of our work with Final Cut Pro

Final Cut Pro was also excellent when editing with special effect as the application boasted a wide range effects from ‘blur’ to ‘fade’ all of which could be used in our thriller. In our product, colour correct was the most common effect as we felt that this emphasis on certain colours such as the red on the voodoo doll, emphasised the colour which has connotations of death and blood. Subsequently, this enabled us to reveal certain enigma codes to the audience, but it also made some footage seem realistic, for example the close-up of Laura’s (dead) face, required colour correction to make her appear more cold, pale and dead in essence, which was done by pulling the colour cursor over a colour which would have the effect that Laura really was dead. After applying an effect by a double click, and trialling it, the project needed to be ‘rendered’. This was done using control+R. Other effects used were overlays so the audience could establish links between Charlie and Laura, whilst Vignette was also experimented with. 

Motion

Motion+ is another software we used alongside Final Cut Pro. It enabled us to put in different templates of different titles for different characters. Actors were just given their name in the font (American Typewriter) with the effect which made it look like it was moving. This was done by selecting an effect to use. We felt this also reflected our genre as it seemed mysterious. Often in film, directors and other important roles e.g. Lighting, is given their department prior to their name, to highlight their importance. The Motion was trial and error initially before getting to grips with how it works and what meant what. We knew that all titles had to be kept within the inside blue square pictured in the below screenshot. This meant all titles were well within the frame and looking professional. 

Soundtrack Pro

The last piece of technology used was Soundtrack Pro; another application used on the Apple Mac. Soundtrack pro is an application full of music samples from guitars to people to electronic sounds, all of which are excellent when trying to make a soundtrack for a thriller product. Soundtrack Pro enables us to make a soundtrack without the hassle of an orchestra used in blockbusters such as the James Bond films. Soundtrack Pro is an application I haven’t previously used, however it’s very easy to get to grips with the software. Each sound sample is found under a header of ‘acoustic’ or ‘drums’, which means that if you know what you want, e.g. a piano playing, you can look under the category of which piano would fall under, and search through the category until you find something suitable. To preview a sample, a simple click of the sample is needed then to press the play button (in form of a triangle on its side) below to hear it. Then, if you like it, a drag is needed into your project and it is then part of your soundtrack. Similarly to Final Cut Pro, you can adjust the size of the sample by dragging one end of the sample to shorten or lengthen it. Another part of Soundtrack Pro which is also key, is how you can play two samples at the same time, this can be done by dragging one sample over another sample (so they are merged), or to create another effect you can put the sample into a bar below which will act as an underlying sound giving a different effect. Each line/bar which the samples are put into has an electronic dial where you can edit the sample e.g. changing the loudness or frequency to suit your specific needs.

This is a screenshot of our soundtrack on Final Cut Pro to see if the soundtrack fitted perfectly

Here are some screenshots of the outstanding effects we used:

Before 'colour correct'

After 'colour correct'

This clearly shows the excellent effect of colour correct. The red of the voodoo doll appears brighter, thus conveying connotations of evil and death, whilst the darkening on Charlie's face makes him see mysterious and unusual. These improvements shown in the colour correction indicates how I have learnt about technology in the construction of our film sequence.

5) Who would be the audience for your media product?

Prior to the creation of our media product, we as a group, discussed what target audience our product would be. This was done using demographics and the British Board of Film Certificate (BBFC) to decide what certificate our production should be rewarded to help us to finalise our target audience.

Our product is a thriller, thus it is to be expected to carry a certain amount of suspense filled scenes and especially in our product scenes which some viewers may see as disturbing due to the element of crime. Consequently, it came to our attention that a BBFC certificate of 15 would be suitable as the sinister elements in our product match the criteria of a 15 certificate, which is:

15 BBFC logo

-strong violence,  frequent strong language, portrayals of sexual activity, strong verbal references to sex, sexual nudity, brief scenes of sexual violence or verbal references,  discriminatory language/behaviour, drug taking.

The criteria above was from the official BBFC site. From this criteria we aimed our audience to be of 16-25 years old as we feel that our product which carries a large proportion of the above elements for it to be rewarded a 15 BBFC certificate. But we decided our main target audience to be of 16-25 (students and young adults) as the composition of disturbing scenes and a modern day setting would be ideal for the target audience of 16-25 year olds.

Our audience was also chosen by the choosing parts of society (demographics) who we feel would enjoy and wish to watch our product the most, which we felt was students (hence the age from 16+) and casual workers, who may consist of graduated students who now have gone on to a first full-time job which could make them included as a ‘casual worker’. Subsequently, we chose the demographics of  D, C1, C2, B and a making it enjoyable for people of all backgrounds. Another way of selecting our target audience was by choosing what sort of individuals we would like our product to attract from a shortlist of different types of thrill-seekers.  From the list we choose ‘Strugglers’ who escape from reality, and ‘Explorers’ who seek discovery and predict the course of the events in the film. These two types of thrill-seekers were chosen using Physco-graphics as ‘Strugglers’ would represent Laura and ‘Explorers’ would enjoy the product as the various enigma codes employed means it implies what is to come in the film, which of course Explorers seek.

4) What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

Film 4 logo

First of all, our media product is a thriller film therefore the media institution to distribute our product would need to be a film institution. Film institutions are vital into the making of a successful product as the institution supply the money to make the film/product, attract actors/actresses to the product, advertise, and distribute the film across the country and on some occasions with blockbuster films, worldwide.

Our product is a relatively cheap (£10 spent on props) , British film which doesn’t require too many expensive scenes using special effects, as the majority of our product is filmed in already built and ready to use. This perfectly fits the mould of ‘Film 4’, a British institution, owned by Channel Four Television Corporation. Film 4 was made in 1982 and has now gone on to become a major part of the majority of UK films, or smaller budget worldwide films. This small budget and focus on British films would be perfectly suited for our film which is set in Britain and relatively cheap in expense with the majority of scenes set in already made scenes.  Although Film 4 tends to focus on mainly British audience we feel that our product has such classic conventions it has the potential to go multinational.

Why would Film 4 be a suitable choice for our media product?

Film 4 tends to base itself on less expensive and more low key (often British) films which perhaps doesn't require such expensive effects and scenes to make the film effective. I believe that our film would be more likely to suit the criteria of Film 4 as our film too does not use many hi-tech effects. Also our film is set in Britain, in generally public places, thus no money is needed to hire out expensive scenes and no travelling is needed. Overall, I believe our film tends to suit the criteria of a Film 4 film, therefore I feel that if we were to adopt Film 4 as our institute it would advertise our film well. Subsequently, we took a recording from the Film 4 introduction to films and placed it in ours to give our product a very professional look.







Film 4's British blockbuster 'Attack The Block': 

3) How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Voldemort (Antagonist) is a male and also wearing black 

Our media product does represent particular social groups in the form of stereotypes in males and females especially, similar to that of TV show, ‘Skins’.  Stereotypically men are foreseen as more aggressive, more capable of sinister activity, therefore more likely to be the criminal, Antagonist, hence our decision for Charlie to be the Antagonist. Throughout TV, and film men are often stereotyped as being the Antagonist due to their stereotyped aggression, physically stronger and more intimidating. An example is Voldermort (although not a thriller); a male is still depicted as the most evil, aggressive, wicked, bloodthirsty character than any other. By Charlie being used as our Antagonist, it will match the classic convention of a male Antagonist as well as stereotypical view of men. Charlie is 17 also, therefore a teenager, a social group which falls under great scrutiny and stereotypical views. In costume, Charlie is depicted often wearing black; this carries negative connotations of death, and evil, as often in film we see the ‘dark side vs the good side’, with the evil as black and good as a heaven-like white. An example would be the evil force in 'Harry Potter', that is Voldemort. The stereotypical teenager is moody, aggressive, and rebellious, therefore this creates an effective Antagonist as a male teenager creates a conventional violent, Antagonist.

 On the other hand, Laura is our Protagonist. Protagonists stereotypically are females who are often seen as weaker, vulnerable, and dependent on others which makes the perfect base for an Protagonist who are of course are put into frightening situations due to their 

'Chrissie' (Protagonist) has blonde hair and is depicted as vulnerable and in danger

vulnerability. Thus, Laura fits the mould perfectly as soon as the audience see an isolated female (acting as an enigma code) they can see what could possibly happen, as the stereotypical view of women being vulnerable and being a victim implies this. Consequently, Laura represents the stereotype of the social group of women. Furthermore, Laura being 17 she also represents how teenagers (especially women) are thought to be easily caught in trouble, which Laura is, thus indicating how teenage girls are possibly unaware and also vulnerable to dangers of the world which is heard in the news. Laura also has blonde hair, which also carries a stereotype. ‘Blonde girls’ are stereotyped to be stupid, and foolish, therefore Laura’s jeopardy could be representative of the stereotypical blonde girl foolish behaviour. Examples of this would be ‘Chrissie’ in the first scene of ‘Jaws’ who is famously attacked and killed by the shark.  Laura dresses in a very innocent manner of  a light coloured, wool clothing, conveying the idea of her innocence and naivety for something that could happen to her. The light colour is also part of the ‘dark side vs the good side’, reflecting the good side as white indicates a heaven-like quality, showing the nature of Laura. Thus, this portrays females as vulnerable by their clothing. 

'Skins' (right) is a fantastic representation of teenagers: 

The video depicts them as aggressive due to the constant swearing of each character, but also disrespectful.

2) How did you attract your audience?

Johnny Depp as the eccentric, 'Madhatter', in the contemporary Alice in Wonderland

Thriller lovers often like to know what they are going to see before watching the thriller product. Therefore prior to the making of our film we knew we would have to adopt certain thriller conventions which would then draw in those dedicated fans to watch and then enjoy our product. Often film fans enjoy to watch specific films with similar actors which has a repetition of genre codes, as they know if their favourite actor was in the film, the genre would be what they also enjoy. An example of a repetition in genre and actors would be Johnny Depp who is often depicted as a mad-character in films.

We decided to attract the proportion of thriller lovers to our film by providing the classic conventions of a thriller films: male Antagonist (Charlie), vulnerable, female Protagonist (Laura), props (voodoo doll), lighting on only one side of Charlie’s face showed is evil nature.  We felt that all this in total would reflect our bid to create a crime-thriller, similar to ‘Se7en’. ‘Se7en’ uses quite ‘real’ footage, as there is a more realistic approach (less effects). From research, there is a quite large market of crime-thriller hybrids, thus we needed to use something for our product to stand out. Thus we wanted to enhance the sinister element of our product by using colour correction. The colour correction enhanced/altered the original colours, creating Laura’s face (when dead) seem more grey and cold as if she was really dead, whilst it further emphasised the colour red on the voodoo doll to depict and convey the image of danger.  We decided to combine both an urban atmosphere of a messy bedroom, showing signs of madness, but also natural settings to show this evil activity could happen anywhere. The messy bedroom was constructed in a fake bedroom at college whilst the footage of Laura walking was filmed at the ‘Belstead Brook’, Suffolk, which looked very isolated in footage. This was effective as it implied something pessimistic was in the offing. Our audience may like this as it offers something different to the modern crime-thrillers, but also creates the tension of ‘this could happen anywhere!’. Our use of characters was also carefully selected to mirror classic conventions of a thriller. Charlie (male) was the Antagonist, often depicted as men in film, and Laura (female), a young, slightly vulnerable and naive 17 year old as the Protagonist. Laura’s blonde hair made her seem fair and innocent; an easy target for a mad-man played by Charlie who has strong facial features, and dark hair. Charlie’s movement during the sequence is peculiar and his movement conveys thoughts of someone who looked up to no good.  Charlie throughout the product is depicted wearing black, which has connotation of death and evil. Whilst Laura’s fair hair, and light cotton jumpers show innocence and vulnerability.

'Belstead Brook' on Google Maps

Initially, there is a stage of equilibrium as Laura’s seen as walking her dog in the peaceful setting of ‘The Brook’ (Belstead Brook), the music is fairly natural and medium paced, implying everything is fine. However, close-ups of Charlie begin to emerge, alongside a change in pace, tone and type of music thus suggesting Charlie is a potential Antagonist. Next time we see Laura, she is depicte d as dead, with a cold, grey face, done by using the effective colour correction on Final Cut Pro.  Here, the equilibrium is broken, and tension is created. After, Charlie is seen stroking a voodoo doll, the equilibrium to a certain extent, is restored. Yet, there is still a very spooky soundtrack which implies something evil could happen, as screams and cries (from the soundtrack) offer a aural flashback to the murder of Laura.  Subsequently, it can be argued the equilibrium is not restored. This was purposely done as it acts as a cliff hanger, so the audience want to carry on watching our product.

Results of our question regarding equilibrium 

In the creation of our product, we used the questionnaire filled out by our fellow media studies class mates as inspiration to improve our film. We asked 10 students in our class a few questions on our initial rough cut product. From the results, it becomes apparent that equilibrium was restored, however not too convincingly as only 50% said it was restored, the main theme of the thriller was also guessed at 50%. The location of local (England) was identified very well with 80% acknowledging it would be assumed the footage was in England, and most importantly 80% believed we had followed classic thriller conventions - a key target before we set out. Therefore we knew that to make our product into one of excellence we knew we had to focus on the restoration of equilibrium and making it  very clear the genre of our thriller film.  It was also apparent that our titles were excellent as 90% believed it was effective.  Whilst it was very clear our filters and effects were not at the top level which we aspired to reach, thus that’s why as a group we employed the use of colour correction and overlay to create confusion and emphasise danger.

The results of the questionnaire and research meant we were able to attract the exact audience we wanted to get.

1) In what way does your media product use, develop and challenge forms and conventions of real media products, e.g. existing films, hybrid?

The media product we have created is in the ‘thriller’ genre which is ’Thriller Film is a genre that revolves around anticipation and suspense. The aim for Thrillers is to keep the audience alert and on the edge of their seats. The protagonist in these films is set against a problem – an escape, a mission, or a mystery.’ (source: http://thescriptlab.com/screenplay/genre/thriller) .Our media product revolves around classic conventions inspired by real media products such as ‘Se7en’, a thriller starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman. We were inspired by Se7en due to its very original opening sequence with a long line of close-ups of the anonymous Antagonist, and detailed close-ups of props including books, papers etc. Before filming, we composed a list of conventions and props in which we would like to include as the centrepiece to our product. This included:

Colleague of Se7en- shows some key props

-          Cameras – makes audience think ‘what is on the camera?’ and ‘why is he taking photos?’

-          Laptop – raises the question of ‘what is on the laptop?’

-          Messy room – suggests the Antagonist is losing the plot

-          Antagonist close ups- reveals the identity of the mad-man, makes the audience now when this face appears, danger is in the offing

-          Prop close-ups – to highlight the importance of the props to the product

-          Voodoo doll- shows the ambition and want of the antagonist (bloodlust), as well as creating suspense and a sense of intimidation.

However, since the progression of our media product from the rough cut to the final piece, there has been a slow change in the choice of conventions. Originally, we had used the Protagonist (Laura) scarf as a main enigma code by placing it upon a barbed wire- which has a connotation of imprisonment and danger, due to the sharp aesthetics of the wire. Nevertheless, after reanalysing the rough cut and getting feedback from our class and other media students we felt that there was a great deal of work needed to develop and improve our product. First of all, prior to the making of our product we as a group concluded that our conventions needed developing, and decided to also implement more props and enigma codes, whilst footage of Laura walking was slowly eliminated as it seemed irrelevant and didn’t suit the purpose of our product: to thrill. Consequently, we decided to compile a new list of conventions. We decided to keep the camera as a prop as it made the audience query what the Antagonist may be using it for/have on it, the messy room was to be used more as it created an element of madness, however we decided that the main convention of our product should be close-ups of the Antagonist and Protagonist. We believed that the convention of the close-ups (similar to Se7en), possibly overlaying for the audience to establish the link of danger, would be very effective.

We feel that our development of props, enigma codes in the form of conventions has made our production far more effective and successful, as we feel it has achieved its main purposes: to thrill and produce clear, precise titles. Each and every convention employed has a purpose behind it from props to the titles used, which reflect the type of product our film is…a crime/thriller.  A crime/thriller is a thriller hybrid which combines an element of crime such as murder, theft as a centrepiece of it but an element of thrill is added in to create suspense and make the film seem much more dramatic. Our product revolves around the criminal activity of the Antagonist and death of the Protagonist Laura (with more to follow in the rest of the film), therefore our film easily fits into the category of the crime thriller hybrid.  With the murder of Laura depicted within the opening sequence it is clear that our product is a crime thriller hybrid. Furthermore, the merge of two genres into one means that we can broaden our audience as some people may prefer crime to thriller (vice versa), but our product enables to compliment both genres. Each prop, title and camera shot reflects the crime thriller hybrid of our product. The conventions we have assembled have reflected the crime element in our thriller.

Broken Developments - Final Cut

 

 

This is the Final Cut of our thriller product: 'Broken Developments' 

Change in Name and Change of Product

It became apparent to us as a group that the name of our thriller, 'Mr Grevor', wasn't very suitable to our thriller product.

 Originally, we thought 'Mr Grevor' would be a good name for our product as the name is somewhat, very unfamiliar, unusual, that would mirror the Antagonist character's  (Charlie) behavior. Subsequently, enhancing Charlie's character as very peculiar, odd and strange to imply the work he is going to do is odd and sinister, indicating his work is something not right. However, after discussion we felt this was a bit too far fetched as the audience may not have understood the meaning and infer what we had. 

Consequently, we decided to rename the product 'Broken Developments'. Firstly, we felt the name had more of a ring to it and sounds more professional as the name sounds more custom made . Secondly, a regular theme and prop in our product is the footage of cameras,  throughout the opening sequence we see numerous close-ups of the camera. Of course, cameras produce negatives which are then developed into photographs, thus the link can be made between the title and the 'developments' from the pictures taken by the camera. Furthermore, in one of the pan shots you can see the many negatives needing to be developed. Whilst 'broken' indicates something is not right with the photos being developed, maybe the developments are broken or the photos are evil and twisted.

The plan of our product has changed on plenty of occasions. Previously, we decided to introduce two new characters: Sarah as another Protagonist and myself as a confused detective. However, we felt that this was going to end up resulting in the previous results of our previous attempts, and that was the telling of a story...which an opening sequence should not do. The definition of an opening sequence is: 

"A title sequence is the method by which cinematic films or television programs present their title, key production and cast members, or both, utilizing conceptual visuals and sound"

It was felt by us, as a group, and a class as a whole that our product did match the criteria of announcing cast members, and excelled in visuals and sound. However, this definition clearly shows how an opening sequence should not tell a story, but simply introduce the film and give the audience an idea of the genre, actors etc. Consequently, the introduction of the 2 new characters went against this outline of an opening sequence. Therefore, we went back to the drawing board. 

The type of thriller was kept the same: crime-thriller hybrid. We decided to keep it to two characters: Charlie (Antagonist) and Laura (Protagonist), to stop telling a story and build up of confusion. We filtered through good footage, and  footage which was and wasn't needed was deleted, giving us the core of our sequence. From this, we focused on the footage of Charlie - predominately close-ups of his face, and bedroom, whilst close-ups of Laura dead and innocently walking the dog.

Effects also changed as we decided to place more emphasis on colour correction which highlighted specific colours e.g. red which has connotations of evil and blood. Whilst layover was also used some more as it created a clear link between Charlie and the deceased Laura.

Previously, our titles were effective and were in fantastic proximity of the frame, yet we wanted the effects to stand off the screen more, thus the software 'Motion' was employed. It enabled us to create some effective and professional looking titles, which is a vital part of the definition quoted above. 

Our Soundtrack was also changed to enhance the effect.  Previously we used a futuristic, quite alien-like drone noise, but we discovered that an Argentinean Piano noise was extremely effective.  We agreed that all of our soundtrack should be non-diegetic as we felt it would effect the impact of the titles. This Piano was used alongside fade to bring in a drone-like noise, to imply when Charlie is present, this tension building non-diegetic noise would imply something was going to occur. Whilst an 'impact' sound was used alongside impact to make the audience feel shocked and be on-the-edge of their seats. Non-diegetic screams further enhanced tension and element of worry within the audience. 

Institution Research

Film 4

Film 4 is a British film institution, owned by Channel Four Television Corporation. Film 4 began in 1982 and since has gone onto be a major part of the majority of films made in the UK, or smaller budget worldwide films. Film 4 had previously tried to break into Hollywood territory by widening their budget to improve the quality of films and propose potential 'blockbusters'. However, Channel 4 had to cut their budget from the £30m, which they wanted to use to break into Hollywood, had to be cut to £10m following a failure to do so. 

Film 4 tends to base itself on less expensive and more low key (often British) films which perhaps doesn't require such expensive effects and scenes to make the film effective. I believe that our film would be more likely to suit the criteria of Film 4 as our film too does not use many hi-tec effects and therefore would suit Film 4. Also our film is set in Britain, in generally public places, thus no money is needed to hire out expensive scenes and no travelling is needed. Overall, I believe our film tends to suit the criteria of a Film 4 film, therefore I feel that if we were to adopt Film 4 as our institute it would advertise our film well. 

UK film council 

UK film council was set up in 2000 by the Labour government in the hope of the development and promotion of the film industry in the UK. It is a private company limited by guarantee governed by a15 directors and was funded through the National Lottery. Since it's formation there has been than £160m of lottery to over 900 films.The Development Fund aimed to broaden the quality, range and ambition of film projects being developed in the UK. With £12 million of Lottery funding to invest over three years, the fund aimed to build a talent-driven home for writers, directors and producers. It helped filmmakers of all experience levels develop their ideas and screenplays into viable feature films, be they fiction, documentary or animation, up until the moment they were ready to get production finance.