Audience Profile Research

 Audience Profiling

As our opening two minutes will be centred around the crime/action/thriller genre, we have done some research into these genres in order to find out their target audiences. Knowing our target audience is an important factor when making a film as it needs to be suitable and appropriate which is why we decided to do some indepth investigation into the subject. We took inspiration from films with a similar plot to ours, such as the Taken films and Inception. From our research, we found that Inception's target audience was the younger population, ranging from 15-24. As we'd hoped, Taken had the same target audience, again ranging from 15-24, suggesting that this should be the particular age group we aim our opening two minutes towards.

 

From our research, we also were able to establish that these types of genres were slightly more popular with males, however not as much as we'd expected. The viewers of Taken 2 were 54% male and 46% female, and surprisingly, Inception was equal with the viewers consisting of 50% female and 50% male. This has taught us that we need to try and keep the balance of action, crime and thrill equal in order to attract both genders. From our research, we have found that females will still be attracted to what is stereotypically a more male dominated genre, such as action adventure or a gruesome horror due to the use of famous, attractive male actors. Although males are also attracted in the same way to attractive female actresses, we have learnt that it is easier to attract females through the use of actors then it is males.

Using the Pearl & Dean website, we have researched the different types of classes in the social structure and what effect this has on the type of genre they are interested in. From this research, our findings have not been as helpful as they were when we were looking into age groups and genders. Looking at Inception again, we have found that the most common class to watch the film was the middle to upper class. When looking into Taken 2, we were surprised to find that the most common class to watch this film was the working to middle class. I think from this we were more surprised to find that the social class of a person has an effect on the film they watch rather than that the social classes for similar types of genres were so different. It has been interesting researching the target audience for these types of genres as we have discovered that collectively as a group, none of us have ever taken into consideration the social effect that class has on the types of films and genres a person is interested in, despite it being quite obvious now. We believe that the differences in classes that have viewed these films is due to the use of both special effects and actors. Inception contains a large proportion of special effects and has the surreal/sci-fi nature to it whereas Taken 2 is much more of a thrill seeker type of film. Similarly, the budget for both films is considerably different, with Inception costing $160 million and Taken 2 $40 million, which could have an effect on the type of person that would be interested in the film. Looking at the costings, we were surprised to find such a significant difference between the two, and believe that the type of viewer is more down to personal preference rather than the cost of the film. 

Planning Targets

Planning Targets

 

Well done. Very organised. You need to upload a storyboard and an animatic and comment on your choices. Video-diaries of the filming process (edit some montages to really impress) will make your research and planning really special. I would like to see a schedule of events and key dates. A very organised blog - keep going!

Specific Genre Font Research

 

 

Specific Genre Font Research

As research for our film, we looked at a number of different style fonts, in the hope to give us inspiration for our own. After looking through hundreds of different types of typography, we came to the conclusion we wanted to narrow our searches to a more simplistic, classy but not unnoticeable type of font. We decided with our film having elements of the crime, action, thriller genre, it would be best to gage both information and inspiration from titles of these genres. Here are just a few examples of titles we have looked at.

From this, we have learnt that titles do not need to be overly showy or flamboyant to stand out and look effective. Although all of these titles are from our particular genres, there and some we like and some we don’t for certain reasons. The film GONE is only four letters, making it inevitable that the spacing is as large as it is for the title to fit, however in our opinion, we think the typography and spacing is better suited to the horror genre as it makes it look less sophisticated and slightly amateurish – a look we want to avoid. Although disliking the font and spacing, the colouring and effects used are quite successful and fit well with the background, helping to make the film suit the genre and look slightly mysterious. The film SIDE EFFECTS is effective as it stands out against the background and is very clear, however the font is slightly too harsh and plain for our film, but we think it works well for its particular plot. It gives the impression not a lot of thought has gone into it as it is so simple, and we want ours to look well thought out and fitting for our film.

As a group, we had different opinions on the titling for PRISONERS. Having seen the film myself, I really like the font and think it is well suited to the film, and I also think the emblem/symbol in the O is a very clever element, added to fit with the plot and to create enigmas for the audience before they have even seen the film. I think the font stands out effectively and catches your attention without being too showy, however the other two members of my group – Charlotte and Laura are not so keen. They think the font is a bit too much and slightly unnecessary. We all liked the font for WASTELAND and thought it was clever how it fitted with the background and faded out in certain areas, an effect we may experiment with for ours, however we do think it is slightly too thick. This could be beneficial as it certainly draws the audience’s attention to it, however we believe it would have too much attention and slightly take over the full image which is behind it.

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY was the font we all agreed we liked the most. Although it is still very plain, it is very effective and stands out against the background well, catching the audience’s attention. It gives the film a sophisticated and classy look, fitting well with both the genre and the plot, as well as attracting its target audience – the older, middle/upper class. We particularly like the way the font subtly grows in size, putting more emphasis on the last 2 words. This is certainly an effect we are going to take into consideration, however we are unsure if it would be as effectively as we haven’t yet decided on a name, and don’t know if it would be as successful with a shorter title. This title also inspired us to use more than one type of font in our title, something which we have already experimented with, and we believe it works well having different fonts and sizes in a title, as long as they are not too over the top and complement each other rather than making the film look childish and unprofessional.

INUMBER NUMBER is the first title we have come across in these genres where the lettering is in different cases. Having not seen the film and as we are unaware of the plot, we are unsure if this fits well with the film, however we all agree it gives it a more futuristic/sci-fi feel, which is something we do not want. We want our film to be as realistic and believable as possible, so from our research we have come to the conclusion that different cases are something to avoid, and think we will just stick with all upper case as lower case would make it childish and easily dismissible. Despite the different cases, we like the font style, and think the colour scheme used for the background and title has both benefits and weak points. The similar colouring used makes it slightly difficult to read as it doesn’t stand out very clearly against the background making it less eye catching, however this could be done purposely as it may fit with the genre and plot, making it more mysterious and secretive, creating enigmas for the audience. Initially, TAKEN was the film we were basing our plot around as it was such a successful film and a similar genre to ours. The titling used in TAKEN is very iconic to both the film and the action genre, which is something we are going to try and avoid as our film is not solely action so we don’t want to advertise it misleadingly. Despite not thinking the font is appropriate for us, we think it works very effectively in displaying the genre, and stands out, catching the audience’s attention which is something we aim to do.

Antagonist Costume Research

Antagonist Costume Ideas

Not much of the antagonist’s costume will be on display, due to the minimalistic shots of him, this is because we want to reduce the prevalence in order to create enigmas and display that he is the main antagonist to the audience. Even though he is an important character the less prevalence means the larger increase in tension.

These are the ideal boots we would want the antagonist to wear; this is because they are big and clumpy and conform to the stereotypes of a criminal’s mise-en-scene as they suggest some sort of dangerous activity, making the audience feel slightly uncomfortable. They will also help out with the dietetic sound because they have a large surface area so the sound would be greater against the gravel and stones when walking to the car, providing a larger depth of sound, making it more effective at building suspense. They are also practical for the type of locations we will be filming at, and they fit in with the other locations which the protagonist will be filmed at, adding more realism. The clump of the boot works well with the profile of the antagonist because we want him to walk with purpose and the action of stomping on the ground will help us achieve this.

 

Fingerless gloves will be ideal to creating a criminalistic image of the antagonist because the dirty fingernails will be shown which helps fit in with what he is about to do in the woods, it also portrays a dirty and careless attitude of a working class male which is one of the stereotypes which revolve around villains. The fingerless gloves fit in with the poor representation because stereotypically they are associated with homeless people, so it proceeds with an effective image. The fingers will be shown through close up shots, which is why the nails have to be dirty.

A black beanie hat is another part of the costume because it helps keep the disguise undercover so nothing is revealed while filming as well as producing dark tones by the colour. This helps keep the tension high because the audience don’t know who or what the man looks like. The black beanie fits in with the black clothing because it  also helps to create a concealing outfit. The reasoning behind  our lack of costume research is due to the type of camera work we intend to use. We are planning to cover the antagonist's identity as much as possible so we do not think it is necessary to research any other types of clothing as we do not plan to show them on film, helping to creates enigmas and build suspense and tension.

Different Types Of Sound Effects In Films

Types of Sound Effects

 

The main uses of sound in a film are to stimulate reality, to add or create something that is not really there (diegetic sound) or to help the director create a mood/help to introduce important elements of the plot. Sound is an important part of a film, and 90% of a motion picture exists as sound. There are many different types of sound used in film, such as dialogue, ambient or natural sound, additional dialogue recording (ADR) sound effects (SFX) score and soundtracks. The most important types of sound in a film are;

 

Hard sound effects: They are common sounds which are seen on the screen, like door slams, gunfire, and vehicles driving by.

 

Background sound effects: They are sounds which don’t completely coordinate with the picture (asynchronous sound), but denote setting to the audiences, like the sound of a fluorescent light being switched on and interiors of cars. The noise of crowd speaking (Walla) in the backdrop is considered a background sound effect, but only on the condition that the language is unrecognisable.

 

Foley sound effects: They are sounds which completely coordinate on the screen, and demand the skill of a Foley artist to record appropriately. The movement concerning hand props, like forks and knives and the rustling of cloth are commonly seen examples of Foley units. These types of sound are created on a Foley stage, which is simply a production room in which everything is a sound prop, including the floor, which can provide different kinds of footfalls. The film rolls on-screen, and the Foley artist matches the kind of sound the filmmaker wants to the image projected.

 

Design sound effects: They are sounds which don’t generally occur naturally, or are completely impossible to record in natural surroundings. These kinds of sounds are utilised to depict extravagant technology in any sci-fi film, or may be used in a musical manner to denote an emotionally heavy mood, often in the form of sound effects (SFX).

Location Research

Location Research

The choice of location is a key aspect in a film where some or all of the film is produced. Directors choose their locations specifically for their film because they believe it creates the most realism for the audience. Verisimilitude is the biggest feature a director has to take into consideration, because their role is to make sure the film is as believable and realistic as possible, and this is what the choice of location can provide. The locations can often be iconic to the actors or directors personal life which can deliver an undermining message for the audience. The location needs to be picked carefully so that it coincides with the mise-en-scene and the plot of the film. We have taken a visit to a variety of different rural locations which we may decide to shoot at, they have given us a rough idea of what to expect if we choose to film there, and have also helped us adapt to our film brief to make sure the maximum amount of realism is portrayed. Our choice of locations consist of landscape and rural areas so far, with a lack of urbanity, this links in with our plot ideas because of the expectations and realism the audience would want to experience.

House of the Protagonist:

The first location we visited was the potential house of the protagonist. We would use this house as an establishing shot in the background, with the main focus being on the characters, meaning it wouldn’t be displayed as much as other locations. However it is still important to the film, because it is where the journey begins, and gives the audience a rough interpretation into the vulnerable protagonists’ life, portraying a wider image and view of her. We chose this location as a possibility because it is a reasonably large property, conforming to the stereotypes of missing girls. It also looks like an American-style house which adds to the depiction of the film because it looks like a hierarchy house which corresponds with the main character.

The house is very picturesque due to the bright outlay and the greenery surrounding it. The way the drive splits off is effective because it displays wealth due to the larger acres of land. We also agree that the positioning of the trees neighbouring the entrance of the driveway adds to they mysteriousness and crime of the film because it shadows over the entrance, so it is very secretive. We are also hoping that the weather will be similar to the day we took these pictures because the dull and dreary weather allows the leaves and trees to add to the effectiveness of the suspension we wish to create.

This is a close up shot of the front of the house which could possibly be featured in our film, the old-fashioned style door adds to the prosperity of the house as it is surrounded by the sophisticated environment and pillars. The way the car is parked also conforms to the stereotypical conventions of a crime film because it suggests that people are in the house, creating more realism for the audience. We plan to use this shot when the protagonist leaves the house at the beginning, the stone driveway will help us make the dietetic sound effective due to the loud noises created when running or walking on them.

These are shots from both sides of the road surrounding the establishing house, the large trees continuing down the road is conventional with our film and the choice of house. The leaves on either side of the pavement adds to the winter vibe which creates mixed emotions for the audience, helping to increase the tension due to it stereotypically being a festive, family time of the year. The big house displayed on the other side of the road is also effective because it fits in with the house we have chosen and increases the scare factor of the film as it conforms to the stereotypes - there aren't many people around to help due to the large separated houses, spread down the road.

Journey for the Protagonist:

Our plot of the main character going for a run would be situated in this second location. It is a very stereotypical running location due to the narrow footpath and the greenery surrounding it. It also limits the area the focus of the audience has to be on, making the film easier to follow and the framing not being too cramped or busy. The narrow footpath connotes an ally which conforms to the stereotypical views of where crimes occur, this fits in with our plot of the protagonist being abducted. The leaves scattered on the floor also helps to add to the wintery vibes which are presented. The path is straight, so the forced direction helps increase the tension because the audience won’t know what’s round the corner and there is little room for an escape.

 
The pathway is situated off of a main road, so it helps add to the tension as the audience may not be expecting what is about to occur. However if we choose this location for one of the scenes then we could surprise the audience by not creating any enigmas and just showing our character on a peaceful run, in this situation due to the main road being nearby, making it unrealistic if anything was too happen. However filming the runner running up this pathway from the main road helps the scenes locations differentiate from one another and aids the continuity of the sequence, making it more easily understood and outlines the fact she is in a secluded location.

 

Despite this location being incredibly scenic and picturesque, I think it is too open for our plot due to the pathway being too wide; this decreases the scare factor and tension we wish to create. The gaps in between the trees disperse the light, making it a brighter and warmer place to be. Even though there are still plenty of trees covering the edges, I don’t believe it would be suitable for our film. I think it would work well in a romantic film.

 

 Large areas for the abduction:

The large green area isn’t a vital part of the film because the audience will only see green grass; however this location we found was seen as iconic and suitable due to the drooping trees and the wooden gate. The grass still fits in with confined areas, creating larger pressure. The shot over the gate would work really well when filming because it allows the audience to view what is happening in the background over the daunting but traditional gate, which could allow the audience to watch the action from a different perspective - suggesting there may be someone else involved, helping to add to the suspense. It also helps us too vary the shot types and angles, making it more interesting to watch.

Here are our other shots of locations which we took. We believe they are suitable, however we believe the other shots shown above are better for our purpose so we are more inclined to use those location, however some of these may still feature in our opening two minutes.

Protagonist Costume Research

 Protagonist Costume Ideas

The type of costume you choose for a character is very important because it can help the audience to get to know the character, for example their class, where they live, age or even gender as well as enforcing both realism and continuity, which is an important feature for us. The choice of costume we have picked I think represents our character and the conventions that go with her.

Lily, the protagonist, is the first character which the audience are introduced to; this is when she is just about to go on a run. Through the use of her appearance we aim to try and follow the stereotypical conventions of a young female victim, helping to stick to the stereotypes which seem to have been successful in the past, as well as make the film clear and easy to follow for the audience. Stereo-typically victims in these types of genres have blonde hair which connotes to the typical dumb blonde association. We hope that this will suggest to the audience that the character is unaware of the dangers that surround her, helping to build tension and create a sense of dramatic irony as the audience knows what will happen before the character does. From our research, we have decided to put Christie is well known, branded running clothes with a feminine edge. Her expensive clothing provides reasoning behind the unneeded attention she receives, again emphasising how the character  is oblivious to the dangers around her, which in this case does become a problem when she is abducted. The costume is very uniformed and smart which also helps the audience to understand that Lily is from a higher class, which could also be another reason behind the antagonist's attack due to  jealousy.

The trainers that Christie, our actress, is going to wear have clearly been used a lot this makes it more realistic and shows that she goes on runs regularly, suggesting that the crime committed has been pre-meditated. The trainers we are using are from Nike, this is an expensive sports brand which again enforces her higher class background where they can spend a lot of money on small thing like trainers.

Plot Cinematography

Cinematography of our protagonist returning home

In the scenes of our protagonist returning home:

• Extreme close up
• Close up
• Over the shoulder shot
• Mid shot

There are not many shots we will be using in this scene because it is only a brief glimpse of our protagonist returning home, however it is a vital scene because the audience will become aware that the protagonist will be returning home while the antagonist is snooping around upstairs. The close up shots are ideal because the audience have now got to know the protagonist so it would not seem so random to use extreme close ups without displaying any facial features because the audience would be able to recognise that it is the protagonist. An over the shoulder shot would help add to the suspense as the audience will be able to see where the protagonist is going, displaying a point of view shot, allowing them to engage.

Shots we will not be using:

• Long shot
• Tracking shot
• Low angle

We will not be using a high angle shot because that would result in the protagonist being displayed as the powerful and dominant character, where as our plot is the reverse of this and a high angle shot would be more relevant. A tracking shot will increase the length of the shot which, in our case, is not affordable due to a limit of time.

Plot Cinematography

 Cinematography whilst our protagonist is running

For our opening two minutes, we have a rough idea of the sort of shots and editing techniques we will be using to make the two minutes of footage as successful and effective as possible.

In the scenes of our protagonist running, we plan to use:

• Tracking shot
• Medium shot
• Long shot
• Close up
• Eye-line Match
• Pull Focus
• Point of View shot
• High Angle

These are our plans for the types of shot we wish to use, however when filming this may not materialise due to practicality and the image of the shots. We believe using a tracking shot while the protagonist is running is an ideal shot for when someone is mobile. It allows the audience to follow the route and direction, and understand where the runner is aiming to end up at. This may prove difficult thought because due to previous experiences, we do find that proceeding with a tracking shot is hard to make it successful due to our low skill level, plus the speed of which the runner is running out makes it hard to smoothly follow her. A long shot is evidently easy to use, and we are planning to use it regularly, this is because it is a simple procedure, but works effectively, producing a dynamic image, including the understanding which we aim to portray for the audience. A medium shot and close up shot are both challenging shots to carry out, however we have used these shots for a snippet of the first scene, and despite them being slightly shaky, they work effectively, meeting our aims. An eye-line match may be an unusual choice of technique to use, especially when someone is on the move, however we are planning to use it when our protagonist comes to a halt and starts measuring her pulse, we believe this will add to the tension because it gives the audience a false scare that someone may be in the woods. Pull focus is tricky to use when our camera is not a specialised hi-tech piece of equipment. However we are willing to attempt to follow through with it successfully from behind a few branches, originally concentrating on the branches and then pulling the focus to a shallow focus.

The shots we aren’t planning on using:

• Extreme close up
• Low angle
• Birds – eye view shot
• Two shot

The reasoning for not using these shots is apparent, especially for the type of action which is going to be taken place. For a girl running in the woods, a two-shot is not applicable due to their only being one character present. A birds-eye view shot is not available for our whole opening two minutes due to the cost and the availability. The low angle shot will hopefully be used later on in the film, however for our runner we want to portray her vulnerability through a high-angle shot, not a low-angle shot which would make her look powerful. An extreme-close up is an incredibly challenging shot to convey because the steadiness of the camera will not be of a decent level, and the constant movement of our protagonist would mean that the framing of the shot would not work.

Film Brief

A brief outline of our final opening two minute idea

For our opening two minutes we have decided to merge crime action and thriller into one film. This will hopefully allow us to use a wide range of techniques which we aim to execute effectively. Our opening two minutes centres around one main character with minor characters featuring in different scenes. 

 
Film Brief

Plot: Crime action thriller revolving around a case of abduction – main character is shown leaving house, saying bye to parents and informing them of what she is doing before taking her dog on a run. Camera work starts with a long shot of the main character leaving the house before zooming out to an establishing shot, determining the setting and introducing the audience to the main character and her surroundings. Editing cuts to a male hand which the audience later assume belongs to the abductor. Hand is shown picking out main character from a group and circling around her face from a newspaper. Shot then cuts to men walking into an office, stereotypically dressed in suits with briefcases – audience later learn that this is an investigating team, investigating cases of several abductions in the area. Cuts continue to switch between main character innocently and obliviously running with her dog and the investigating team at work. Team of investigators are shown again still discussing the cases and what actions should be put in pace. Cuts continue to cross between main character on her run and investigating team growing increasingly worried in order to highlight the main character’s danger, before main character is shown to be missing and dog is shown ownerless. Opening scene ends with a cut to an abandoned house – audience assume this is where the man was circling around picture, with a camera panning around a room with pictures of previously abducted girls stuck to the walls. Camera zooms into a close up shot of the man pinning the picture onto the pin board. Last shot is of main character held hostage, unconscious in centre of the room before screen goes black.

Mise-en-scene: Lighting is natural from daylight outside of house - gets noticeably darker as character begins running down footpath due to tree overhang however it is all very realistic. Main character is dressed in typical running clothes with her dog on a lead. Abductor’s hand is shown with dirty nails, clearly a male. Props consist of headphones and a dog – limited props in order to enforce realism. Different locations will be used – scene is set at main character’s house before running through footpaths, Ashtead common and ‘the Splash’. Dark room is shown with abductors hand, however audience are unaware of the setting at the time. Little dialogue is used as main character is jogging, listening to music however a few words are light half heartedly muttered to dog and character informs parents of what she is doing before she leaves.

Sound: Diegetic sound of front door closing and dialogue. Diegetic sound of headphones is emphasised making it the centre of attention as character puts them in. Footsteps are heard walking over gravel and sounds of road are played in background. Non -diegetic at first but turns to diegetic when character comes to cross road. Diegetic sound of abductor circling around main character’s face in newspaper is emphasised. Non - diegetic sound of haunting sound motif plays in background whenever abductor is in shot.

Editing: Slow pace editing in order to follow main character out of her house. Fast editing to switch to abductor – main character given more prevalence – builds tension as more you don’t see much of the abductor. Camera cuts from the scene of the main character running to the man circling the picture (cross cutting)Editing slows as he picks her out of the group and circles her face.

Camera work: Starts with a close up shot of the front door, then zooming out to display an establishing shot of the house. 180 degree rule is used at different points of the film. Match on action is used when the main character is running. Tracking shot is used when following the main character running up the footpath. Close up of the abductors hand when circling the image.

Middle

Mise-en-scene: Lighting stays natural in daylight in order to show surroundings, costume is the same in order to show continuity. Investigating team dressed in stereotypical suit and briefcases. Minimal props however dog is shown owner-less with lead dragging behind and a dirty running trainer left behind after signs of a struggle. Location for main character stays the same in outdoor environment, investigating team are shown walking into a building before cutting men in an office. Dialogue is played of men discussing recent cases of abduction in the area.

Sound: Diegetic sound of main character panting and her footsteps is played, diegetic sound of people and cars outside office before more diegetic sound of people talking and general work environment inside the office. Sound bridge crossing between office scene and owner-less dog of distressed dog barking.

Editing: Slow editing showing workers entering the office. Cross cutting is then used between the office and the main character running; this is used to highlight the danger of our character which the character doesn't know of.

Camera work: An establishing shot is used to show the workers walking into the office to set the scene and give the audience an idea of what’s going on. While main character is running we use a tracking close-up shot to show her emotions and surrounding, this is also used for the dog. Medium shot of men talking about the 7 abductions also using match on action. A close up shot is used on the abandoned shoe which then zooms out to a long shot of the owner-less dog.

End

Mise-en-scene: The lighting which is used is dark and gloomy which is very typical of an abandoned house to scare the audience- However a Spotlight may be used to highlight the photos of the 7 girls on the wall. The costume of the main character will looked distressed and dirty to give the idea of a struggle. There will also be tape over the characters mouth to give the idea that she is not supposed to be found. The prop used in this scene which is set in the abounded house is chair which the main character is strapped to.

Sound: The only sound used in this scene is a non-diegetic sound of the sound-motif we used earlier in the opening scene which will be slow and low-however this time the music will be louder to add more emphasis to what’s happened. When the title of the film comes up the music may change a little.

Editing: Slow editing of the images so its gives the audience more detail and time. Fast editing is then used to give a flash of the main character’s body language-this will be done by using a deep focus on her and a blurred background-to draw the audience’s attention away from the surroundings.

Camera work: Panning shot on abandoned house to display the outside. A panning shot is then used to show the pictures of girls. Along shot is used to show that the main character is tied to a chair in the house close-up is lastly used to show the main character facial expression.

Main Charcter Interview - Tony

Main Character Interview

This is another brief interview with another character who will be featured in the opening two minutes of our film. Tony's role of the film is to play the leading detective, although he has little prevalence in the opening two minutes, if we were to make more of the film, he would become more of a main character. We chose Tony to be our leading investigator due to his background in reality, he has previously been a high ranked police officer, experiencing real-life situations like the one our film is based upon. This would help make his character more effective because he would understand the plot, and able to give us guidance into making it as realistic as possible. Although he comes across very hesitant and relaxed in the interview, I know he will be successful because he has seen plenty of films, Taken being one of his favourites, where he knows how they work. Tony is a very serious and straight to the point man, who will be able to crack on with the filming straight away without any distractions. Despite the large age gap, it is useful having an older adult part of the crew because it gives us a wider range of ideas and he has the benefit of time. We hope Tony will be able to work effectively with us and aid us in the creation of our opening two minutes.

Main Character Interview - Christie

Main Character Interview

This is just a brief interview with Christie, our proposed main character. We have chosen Christie as our main character as she is a close friend of ours and so we think it will benefit us as we will be able to work with her until we produce work that is at a quality we think suitable. We also know she will be reliable and has willingly given consent to making the commitment, meaning we will not be pushed for time and will be able to film scenes many times until we are satisfied. Another beneficial element of using Christie as our protagonist is that she has already featured previously in an AS opening two minutes, meaning she knows what to expect. Throughout this role, Christie will have little dialogue in order to emphasise the reality of the everyday situation she will be taking place in. Luckily, Christie's appearance fits the role of the stereotypical victim, helping to add to the realism of the film.  We are hopeful that Christie will fit this role successfully and aid us in making an effective opening two minutes in which we look forward to working with her. 

Opening Two Minute Ideas

Mind map of initial opening two minute ideas

These are just a few rough ideas we had when planning our opening two minutes, however for different reasons, we have come to the conclusion that a horror, or romance alone would be too difficult to pull off successfully with what props, locations and the budget we have. Although a drama would be possible, we have decided to combine all three of action, thriller and crime in our opening two minutes.

Planning and Research - Questionnare Response

Target Audience Response

 

This questionnaire was designed as part of our research and planning in order to help us see what people like and dislike about films. We asked 5 boys and 5 girls but asked them to answer the questionnaire on 2 different pieces of paper, so we could analyse the difference between a male and female audience. We asked boys and girls between the ages of 16 and 17 as it was convenient for us, being at school. Although this age group was part of our target audience, looking back we have realised wasn’t a great idea because the age range wasn't large enough, considering the target audience was bettween the ages of 15-24. Another problem with our questionnaire is the use of ‘other’ which was given as an option. This meant that many of our responses weren't very specific, limiting the amount of knowlegde we gained from the responses.

From some of the answers we have received we can tell that the female audience is much more varied for example Question 1 and 7had rather mixed asnwers, showing that females like more of a variety of film genres compared to the male audience, which is a generic stereotype. Females are more likely to become fans of certain actors, normally men because they are attracted to them, and this is demonstrated in our answers from Question 4 were 20% of our participants said they think actors are the most important aspect of a film, whereas this didn’t occur in our answers with the male participants - they mainly thought the plot was the most important part. Again the female participants had more of mixed response in Question 3 compared to the male participants; this shows that they take less of an interest in the wider apects of films, such as the location, which also backs up my theory that women like a larger variety of film genres. This is probably due to males and females having different interests which are shown in question 6.

Planning and Research - Questionnaire

Questionnaire

 

We have created a questionnaire in order to find out what people expect from a film in order to help us with our research and planning. We decided to give choices for the questions in order to limit the number of different responses we received, so that we were able to narrow down our creative choices. From this questionnaire, we are hoping to learn more about our target audience and what they enjoy so we can take their preferences into consideration and work to incorporate them into our opening two minutes.

1.     What is your preferred genre?

a)      Action

b)      Thriller

c)       Crime

2.     How often would you say you go to the cinema?

a)      Once a week

b)      Twice a week

c)       Once a month

d)      Six times a year

e)      Other

3.     What type of location do you prefer?

a)      Iconic buildings

b)      Iconic landscapes

c)       Unique/small scale landscapes

d)      Breath taking scenery

e)      Urban areas

f)       Other

4.     What is the most important aspect to a film?

a)      Characters

b)      Location

c)       Plot

d)      Music

e)      Actors

f)       Other

5.     What do you expect to take away with you from a film?

a)      Profound moral messages

b)      Enjoyable spectacles

c)       Inspiration to achieve greatness

d)      Jealousy for the life of the protagonist

e)      Other

6.     What do you spend the majority of your money on?

a)      Food/Drink

b)      Social Outings

c)       Work/school related

d)      Holidays

e)      Hobbies

f)       Necessities

g)      Other

7.     Do you prefer realism or surrealism?

a)      Realism

b)      Surrealism