Final opening sequence

      

CCR 4: How did you intergrate technologies - software, hardware, online - in this project?

To address this question, I created a website using Wix. on this website, I created sections for pre-production, production and post-production, in which I detailed how I integrated the harware, software and online into these stages. You can find the link to my website below: 

https://lilasturgeon.wixsite.com/my-site-3

CCR task 3: How did your production skills develop through this project?

For this task, I created a Prezi to display the development of my production skills both at the stages of learning practical skills and how my skills developed during research and planning. 

CCR task 2: How does your project engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text?

Our primary target audience is a male audience between the ages of 21 and 25 with age restriction of 15. We established a target audience by looking into similar products which can be found here: https://lilaa1media.blogspot.com/2022/03/similar-products-and-conventions.html

I then confirmed this in a blog post in which I confirmed my target audience, which suggested that the audience we should focus on targeting would consist mostly of young adults as these seemed to be the demographic who engaged most with the similar products: https://lilaa1media.blogspot.com/2022/03/target-audience.html

Engaging our audience through key moments

In this first key moment, the man's scientific set up is introduced which consists of a strange range of objects including a conical flask, a jar of berries, a pestle and mortar, and a few beakers, as well as a chopping board and scalpel. This engages the audience as they wonder why this strange range of objects are all on the same table together, creating a sense of tension and intrigue. Furthermore, the character's lack of face creates a feeling of suspense as the audience anticipates the reveal of the face behind these mysterious actions.

Here, the audience gets their first insight into the protagonist. Through shots that feature glasses and a syringe, a very precise measuring tool, the audience learns that this character strives to be highly accurate in the task that he's doing. This gives the audience the sense that the there might be something abnormal about the character's psychological state as one is would not typically be so precise in making a juice out of berries, which is what the audience might guess the character is doing at this point in the opening sequence. Therefore, by creating a sense that there is something odd about the character, this helps to build tension in the sequence, keeping the audience focussed. As the target audience for the film is male, the fact that the character is a man might help to keep them intrigued through the principle of identification, one of the key aspects of Blumler and Katz' Uses and Gratification theory. Blumler and Katz proposed that one of the criteria that aids consumers in what media they choose to consume is identification. Therefore, by having a man as the central character to the film we have fulfilled this criteria, helping to satisfy our target audience.

Then, there are two significant shots that conjure up sinister images hinting subtly at suffering that will occur later on, creating a sense of foreshadowing. The image of the red berry juice being released into the beaker has connotations of blood and pain, hinting to the audience that the character might have cruel intentions. Additionally, the image and intense sound effect of fizzing foreshadows the fizzing of the berry mixture as it is poured into the victim's throat and this highlights violence and suffering as two of the major themes in the film.

At this point the classical soundtrack has shifted to a sinister tone and a door is revealed, suggesting that there is something else going on that has not yet been revealed. For the first time, we can see that there is something more to the location as there is clearly another room in the unknown setting. Therefore, this buildup is key to building up drama in the opening sequence and this creates a sense of suspense, keeping the audience engaged and on the edge of their seats.

The reveal of the woman is highly significant to the opening as it provides an answer to the  questions that the audiences have as to what the character was hiding. However, this moment simultaneously ensures that the audience remains engaged by creating more unanswered questions that capture the interest of the audience once again. The audience might wonder who the woman is and why she has been selected as the man's victim. Additionally, the shocking image of the funnel taped to the woman's mouth instils horror in the audience. Furthermore, the image of a serial killer, particularly male, dominating over a helpless female victim is a typical narrative convention of the thriller genre, thus ensuring that the young adult male audience who typically consume psychological thrillers remain engaged with the content of the film.

This last key moment of the film is important because it communicates even more about the protagonist, as it suggests that he enjoys the act of torturing others. This opens up the narrative as one that will explore murder.  Furthermore, the horrible image of the woman struggling through the violence is important in attracting a young adult audience in their twenties as they tend to enjoy the shock factor of violence, creating a sense of gratification, adhering to the concept of diversion as a key factor in Blumler and Katz' theory. This allows the audience to experience feelings of escapism as they wouldn't typically witness such high-drama events in their mundane, day-to-day lives.

I believe that we have been successful in reaching our target audience as we have included many of the typical conventions of the genre including low-key lighting, the use of "enigma codes" to create tension (a term coined by Barthe), as well as protagonist with malevolent intentions who is very often a serial killer. However, I believe that the method the serial killer in The Will uses to market the film is quite unique, which helps our film to stand out from the multitude of psychological thrillers that are released every year. Therefore, I believe that by following many of these key conventions which are used in many of the similar products I looked at previously, such as Knives Out. Furthermore, although we could've chosen to subvert and challenge the traditional stereotype of an evil man dominating over a helpless woman, I believe that the choice not to do so was the correct one as it ensures that our target audience have the impression that they are getting what they expect out of the film and continue watching because of this. This means that we can engage this audience later on if we wanted to, but establishing traditional tropes in the first few minutes ensures the target audience is initially engaged.

Film poster design

Below is my film poster design that would be used to spread awareness about the film prior to and during its release:

The slides below highlight how the film poster will engage the audience with the story and help to sell the film:

  

How would The Will be distributed as a real media text?

Established in 1989, Strong Heart Productions is the distributor of a few films including Silence of the Lambs, which appeared in my research into similar products, and was directed by Jonathan Demme. The film explores the story of a young female FBI trainee, Clarice Starling, who is set the task of interviewing the notorious serial killer Hannibal Lecter in prison, with the hope that he might solicit some information that might help them catch another serial killer who skins his victims alive. The film was originally based off the novel by Thomas Harris and its book cover was later changed to the same design as the film poster, helping to spread a memorable visual representation of the film, as well as encouraging its readers to watch the film. Additionally, Jodie Foster, who played Clarice Starling appeared on several talk shows helping to market the film. These included Jim Ferguson and Entertainment tonight which helped to spread awareness about the film across the United States. Furthermore, critical reviews were another key factor that helped to market Silence of the Lambs. For example, the film was reviewed in the New York Times who claimed it "could well be the first big hit of the year", along with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 95%. Additionally, it became one of the only three films to win five of the most sought after Oscars: Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. Therfore, to market The Will, I believe the best method would be to attend film festivals in order to ensure the film gains critical acclaim, as well as display movie posters and billboards worldwide in order to make the audience aware of a recognisable image, ensuring that the audience remember to watch the film and spread the word about it. 

The Rotten Tomatoes Review can be found here: 

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/silence_of_the_lambs

The film was released on 14th February 1991 and the film's gross was $272.7 million, $14 million of which was generated through the box office over the president's weekend in the United States. The film's premiere took place at the 41st Berlin International Film Festival. Then, in June 1991, the film premiered in the UK at the Odeon, where within its opening week, the film the film managed to generate £290, 936. A week later, the film was distributed to a total of 281 screens. It became the fifth highest-grossing film of 1991. Following its success in the box office, the film was then released on VHS in October 1991 by Orion Home Video and in 2001, it was released on DVD by MGM Home Entertainment, as well as by the Criterion Collection. In 2018, a BluRay edition of the film was released. Like Silence of the Lambs, I believe The Will would enjoy a similar cinema release, but this would be limited to the UK, given that our film does not feature any A-list stars or high-end technology, such as CGI that help a film to be distributed to a worldwide audience. Furthermore, due to the fact that The Will would be released in 2022, and unlike in 1991, watching VHS tapes is no longer a common practice I believe that after a cinema release lasting around four weeks, the typical length of time that films play for in UK cinemas. Roughly six months after its release, DVD and BluRay editions of the film would also be released. 

Additionally, I believe that the film would enjoy high success and therefore given the emergence of streaming as one of the main forms of viewing a film in 2021, the film would be released on a streaming platform to ensure that it generates revenue long after its initial release. Shudder is a streaming platform that for films of the thriller and horror genres. Shudder allows its customers access to a whole range of content, including classic favourites as well its own original content, at the cost of £4.99 a month. Many psychological thrillers are available for streaming on Shudder and therefore I believe that by releasing The Will on Shudder the distribution chain could be distributed, allowing Strong Heart Productions to continue generating revenue from the film to fund future releases. 

CCR task 1: How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?

To answer this question, I created a Google slides presentation detailing how I used and challenged Psychological thriller conventions and how my opening sequence represents both social groups and issues.

Post Production: Part 2

 After taking a day to consider the music choice, we settled on Bach's "Cello Suite No.5 in C Minor, BWV 1011: V. Gavottes I & II". We felt that this fitted the mood of our opening sequence quite well as it was neither too dark or cheerful which we think has a nice effect as it keeps the audience guessing as to what will happen next. Initially, we decided to keep the music running throughout the whole sequence, and with the help of Matthew's music software we added bass drones to shift to a more sinister tone from the point where the man picks up the beaker and takes it into the room with the woman. However, we decided that it this point in the music it became a bit too melodic and so the soundtrack didn't fit quite as well with this part of this part of the sequence. Therefore, we decided to take a different approach. We decided to cut the music once the fizzing shot started and then shift to a new soundtrack made by Matthew using his software. To do this, Matthew first added an EQ to the soundtrack in order to boost bass frequencies. This helped to give it a more ominous tone. Since we decided to stop Bach's music when the fizzing started, we replaced it with a horror soundscape and added sub kick booms on  some key parts where the shot changes towards the end of the sequence, in which the man is poisoning the woman. At first the shift from fizzing to the new part of the soundtrack seemed a bit sudden and so we decided to fade out Bach's piece during the fizzing to resolve this issue. We are quite happy with how the soundtrack as we feel that the different elements it contains has enabled us to develop tension gradually throughout the sequence. 

Once the soundtrack was complete, we revisited the titles with fresh eyes. We decided to change the font as we thought that it made some of the letters slightly too curly. For example, the "y"s had curly ends that jutted into the letters below, which we didn't like the appearance of. Therefore, we changed the font to Bodoni 72 Oldstyle which avoided the things we disliked about the last font but still maintained a similar style. We chose to include only some of the titles that are typically displayed in an opening sequence. We wanted to have titles appearing until the end of the fizzing shot, as this is when the mood changes, which meant that we had to limit our titles and time them so that they would fit into this time. We included titles for the funding, production company, and director's film at the start of the sequence, using my name for the director's film given that my role on the shoot day had been director. We followed this with two actors' names which we came up with as a group, as well as Ezra Hjalmarsson and Susannah Robertson, the two actors who appeared in our opening sequence. We then included the editor, which we used Matthew's name for, followed by production designer, whom we gave the fictional name Vanessa Huld, Meadow as Director of Photography, another name of our own creation for the executive producer, followed by my name which appeared again for the director's title. We confirmed our choice for the name of the film, which we decided to name "The Will", encapsulating the link between the two characters which the audience would later find out during the rest of the film. We put the title of the film on a black screen after the lost shot with the sound of the coughing and choking continuing over the top of it as we felt that it created the effect of a lengthy torture, leaving the opening sequence on quite a dark and sinister note urging the audience to continue watching the film.

I feel that our target audience, which is both male and female and aged fifteen or older who enjoy films of the crime thriller would enjoy our film. We feel that we have edited the sequence in a way which makes the audience seem close to the antagonist which makes the audience feel uncomfortable once his dark intentions are brought to light. We also feel that the way in which the dark soundtrack complements the opening sequence fits in with the audience's expectations of dark subject matter. This makes the opening sequence quite dark, meaning it is suitable for a more mature audience. 

Lastly, today we worked on the colour grading. We made only a few minor techniques as most of the colours appeared as we hoped they would. We turned the exposure up to about 0.7 on the shot of the berries being laid out on the table and the man's face as he looks down on the chopping board. Overall, I am very pleased with how the opening sequence turned out. I feel that our opening sequence displays our camera work skills quite well. In particular, I am happy with how some of my pans turned out. I feel that our opening sequence is effective as it creates establishes characters and a plot, whilst also leaving a sense of mystery which leaves the audience wondering what might happen next. In terms of continuity, we did not face any issues which made it much easier for us to create seamless transitions from one shot to the next. I think we have worked well with the footage that we filmed on the day to create an opening sequence of the appropriate length. Personally, my favourite part of the sequence is the intense fizzing sound which is followed by the change in soundtrack as I think it has a very chilling effect, in-keeping with the theme of our genre. 

Post production: Part 1

Last Monday we began editing our opening sequence on Adobe premier pro using the skills we had learnt in the editing workshops we did a few weeks ago. We started by watching through all the footage in the rushes folder. This allowed us to select which shots we liked the best and we named them so that we remembered which was which. For example, we named selected two versions of our opening shots that we liked. There were some shots where we had made some errors. For instance, in some shots the pans up and down were either too fast or too slow.  Additionally, we had to crop some of our shots. These included one shoot where wanted to give the illusion that the belt was tied around the woman's neck but her arm could be see holding it. Additionally, in some of the shots with the woman with the funnel inside her mouth you could see a fire exit at the top of the door which we cropped out as we wanted the set to appear as if it was part of the man's house, and not a boarding house. After doing this, we went through our shots again and narrowed our choices down even further. With all of our shots chosen. We started dragging them into the timeline and cutting them down to our desired length. We had to choose which shots we were happy not to include given that the opening sequence had to be under two minutes.

On the first day of editing, we had already made many important choices in regards to visual aspects of our opening sequence. Firstly, we decided not to include some shots that we had filmed in order to keep to the time limit of the opening sequence, which needed to be between approximately two minutes and two minutes and thirty seconds. One of the shots we chose not to include was a shot of multiple berries chopped up as we felt that it wasn't necessary in advancing the narrative. Furthermore, we wanted the title sequence to be in a wide screen format and so we added cinematic bars in order to do this. We did this by adding an adjustment layer and then going through each shot and cropping it accordingly. We filmed one wide shot at the end of the day when the lighting was much dimmer from the perspective of the man's desk looking towards the man at the table making the poisonous berry mixture. However, we were unable to adjust the colour in a way that meant the shot would fit seamlessly into the sequence and so we decided not to include it, which also helped with making the opening sequence shorter. We also made the choice to keep the fizzing shot at its full length as we felt that this shot was visually pleasing, and that it was crucial in indicating a mood change.

Once we had finished the picture cut and we began looking at potential music for our soundtrack. We decided that we we wanted a classical cello piece. However, we didn't want this to have too much of a sinister tone or upbeat tone in order to maintain a sense of mystery at the start. We looked through pieces by Bach on Spotify and created a playlist consisting of a few that we liked.We finished the day by creating a list of titles following the traditional format, in the font Didot. We inserted our own names for the roles we took on for the shoot and then made up other names for the rest of the titles and began experimenting with different positioning. When adding the titles, guidelines appeared on the screen which helped us with positioning. We made sure to keep all the titles in the inner box in order to ensure they wouldn't be cut off when watching the sequence on a screen with different formatting.  We weren't completely set on the timing and positioning and font of the titles and so we decided to revisit the titles in a few days after we had finishes with the soundtrack.

Mise-en-scene video

 I created video on iMovie in which I discussed the reasons behind our mise-en-scene choices for our opening sequence:

Saul and Elaine Bass research

Saul Bass was a title designer and filmmaker who gained popularity in the 1950s and 1960s. He became particularly well-known over his career for his title sequences and poster designs, and even created some Oscar-winning films. Bass worked with a number of highly-esteemed filmmakers including Alfred Hitchcock, Martin Scorsese and Stanley Kubrick, and even worked with his own wife, Elaine Bass who joined Saul Bass and Associates in 1955. In 1960, Saul worked with Elaine on the opening title sequence for the film 'Spartacus' which Elaine produced and co-directed. That same year, Saul and Elaine Bass got married, and worked largely in collaboration. In 1964 and 1967, the couple welcomed two children and continued working together on opening on short films and opening title sequences. After creating short films for several years, Saul and Elaine Bass won an Oscar for their short film 'Why Man Creates'. However, between the mid 60s and the 80s, Saul and Elaine Bass started working primarily on filmmaking, stepping away from title sequences. Then towards the end of his career, the pair worked on the main titles for a variety of Martin Scorsese films such as Goodfellas (1990) and The Age of Innocence (1993). Saul Bass passed away in 1996 in Los Angeles.

One of Saul Bass' first and most notable works was his design of the title sequence for The Man with The Golden Arm (1955). Despite its simplicity, the sequence was perceived as very effective. This is the title sequence for which he became most known.

Below are several screenshots from the film 'Spartacus' which was released from Bryna Productions in 1960. The film, which was a historical drama was directed by Stanley Kubrick.

The Age of Innocence - analysis

Released in 1993 from the studio Cappa Productions, The Age of Innocence was directed by Martin Scorsese. The film was adapted from the novel by Edith Wharton. Set in the 1870s in high-society New York, the story follows a lawyer named Newland Archer who is engaged to socialite May Welland. However, his life takes an unexpected turn when he falls in love with his fiancé's cousin, Ellen Olenska.

Below is the opening title sequence for the film, which Saul and Elaine Bass worked in collaboration on:

The first titles appear on the screen on background of what appears to be handwriting which transitions to a rose unfurling its petals, overlapping with lace. The use of lace and roses which have connotations of femininity and wealth help to introduce the theme of high society. Furthermore, these symbols are also very fitting with the film's genre, which is romance. The handwriting could also indicate the high social status of the characters as they are educated, particularly given that it is set in the 1870s. In addition, flowers are traditionally used as a metaphor for women's sexuality, and this could therefore point towards the theme of sexual repression and conservatism. Saul Bass himself described the film as one about "love, yearning, and suppressed desire" which seems to be reflected in this opening title sequence. The dramatic, classical soundtrack could possibly suggest that the film explores a society ruled by traditional values, a world where etiquette and keeping up appearances is of the utmost importance. It also creates a darker mood, possibly hinting at suspense throughout the film. Above all, the soundtrack also helps to hint the at the time period in which the film is set.

The sequence does seem to hint at the storyline of the film in some ways, although Saul Bass did state that it is "deliberately ambiguous and metaphorical". For example, the appearance of roses hints that love will be a significant plot point. Additionally, the lace that appears on screen could be pointing towards marriage, reminding one of a wedding dress. The red roses overlapping with the lace, causing it to become red might indicate a loss of innocence, subverting the audience's experience of the ritual of marriage being associated with purity. Additionally, the font seems to me to be reminiscent of the victorian period in which the film is set. Gradually the non-diegetic soundtrack picks up tempo and the rosebuds begin to unfurl at a a much faster, possibly indicating an unexpected turn of events that will occur in the film. Perhaps mirroring the protagonist's plan to be married to May Welland being turned on it ahead, disrupting the predictable path he had set out on. Despite this, the titles continue to appear on the screen at the same speed, which possibly reflects the characters' desire to keep up appearances, covering up their private thoughts that lie beneath. The font size is quite small and the font remains white throughout which might also mirror the need for individuals in this society to blend in with the crowd and to follow the expectations of those around them. After this, a yellow flower appears on screen, which might also mirror an unexpected turn in the storyline.

Overall, I think that this opening title sequence works particularly well as it hints at certain themes that the audience might expect to see, along with the time period of the film. This causes the audience to have expectations of what might happen in the film before it has even begun. However, the sequence also doesn't feature any overt details, creating a sense of deception which is necessary for the audience to want to continue watching the film. 

Although I cannot find an opening title sequence that seems to be directly influenced by the opening title sequence for The Age of Innocence, it does seem to have some similarities to the opening sequence for The Crown. The Netflix series was first released in 2016. I believe that this opening title sequence mirrors the opening sequence for the crown due to the way that it a black backdrop on which luxury items such as gold appear, which reminds me of the lace in the opening sequence for The Age of Innocence. The opening sequence also has quite a dramatic tone and the titles themselves are quite understated which also mirrors Saul and Elaine Bass' opening title sequence. All of these elements work together to reflect that the TV show will follow members of high society. 

Behind the scenes

 Meadow created a video of all the behind the scenes footage from our opening sequence shoot day which can be seen below:

Matthew and I created a slideshow of all the photos we took on the day, describing what we did to set up, as well as the filming process: 

Shoot day reflection

We began setting up for our shoot on Monday during activities when Meadow and I went to Beatrice Webb taking all of the props that Meadow had sourced with us. This included books, fake skulls, a map, pots of pens, paints, a pestle and mortar, scalpel and plastic bags as well as the record player I borrowed from my sister. When we got there, we moved the desk into the middle of the room and arranged all the props on the table. However, we realised that the space was quite empty so we decided to go to the props storage cupboard which was a short two minute walk from Beatrice Webb. In the props cupboard we found a table, so that the male protagonist could have a separate area to make the poisonous berry mixture. This would fit in with our narrative, as the man would most likely want to make sure that his other belongings wouldn't be contaminated. We also found a coat stand which we used to fill the corner of the room. Setting up our props two days before the shoot helped us to save time on the day. Additionally, it allowed us to look around the storage room where the woman would be sitting which was filled with suitcases. This meant that we made a note that we would need to make time to clear out the suitcases on the day of the shoot.

On the day of the shoot, Meadow, Matthew and I met in the media classroom at 8:30 and waited for Mike and Luke to arrive. We then began packing up the mini van with camera equipment as well as our costumes for the actors and some beakers and test tubes that we had been lent by the biology department. It was about a ten minute journey to Beatrice Webb. Once we got there, we spent roughly an hour doing all our final preparation. This involved clearing out all the suitcases which we put in the entry of the house. We also brought some sheet green material with us which we cut into strips. We tied it around the coat hanger and connected it to the top of the wall at different angles to create dimension to the background of our shots and to create hints in the man's surroundings that there is something strange about his character. Our actors arrived at between around ten and half past ten, at which point we began shooting Ezra's section of the sequence, starting with the shot of him putting on the record player which we plan to make the first shot of the sequence. After shooting the majority of Ezra's section we headed back to school for a brief lunch break. After lunch, we went back to Beatrice Webb and started shooting all parts of the sequence which involved both Ezra and Susannah. We filmed a shoot in which Ezra holds up a fizzing beaker to the camera (the poisonous mixture) and then walks towards the door which he pushes open to reveal Susannah who is tied up. We created the fizzing in the beaker using vinegar and bicarbonate of soda but we had to test this out a few times to work out which quantities created the desired level of fizzing. In addition we encountered some difficulties tying Susannah to the chair using zip ties. as they wouldn't stay on. However, we solved this by duct taping the zip ties. so that they would stay on.

Having the funnel attached to her mouth and being tied to a chair meant that Susannah was quite uncomfortable so we couldn't spend too long on her shots. We allowed her to take regular breaks and ensured that she kept her energy levels up with tea and biscuits. When it was time to film more shots with her, we tied her to the chair again using zip ties and duct tape again. We filmed two shots that made it seem as if a belt was tied around her neck. In the first shot, Susannah held the belt around her neck herself, to make it seem as if it was tied around her neck without hurting her. Then in another shot, the belt was looped around her wrists and I held the belt at an angle out of the shot to make it seem as if it was tied to her neck. Although we are yet to watch the footage back, but it seemed as if it created quite an effective illusion. At this point, it was already around quarter to five and we had to start packing away so that we would have cleared everything away and returned the room to normal and left before the boarders returned after dinner. We started by removing the chair, funnel and zip ties from the storage cupboard and moving all the suitcases from the entry of the house back into the storage cupboard. Meadow cleared the props in the garden room and packed them into boxes whilst Matthew and I washed up the beakers and test tubes we had used. We then began loading all of the camera equipment, props, costumes and cardboard that we had used to board up the windows back into the mini van. This took around twenty minutes and we then took the journey back to school which took roughly ten minutes. We stopped by the bins and threw away all of the cardboard we had used to save us walking back and forth between the car park and the bins.

We used a Black Magic 4K mini URSA/USRA and used a variety of lenses to capture each shot. We also held up cardboard at different angles to create more light in some of our shots where necessary. Towards the end of the day, it got very dark so we used blue light to help create more light in our shots. Given that I missed the first two camera workshops, I had to observe quite a bit on the day of the shoot as I still didn't feel particularly confident using the cameras. However, since my primary role was director, I wasn't handling the camera as much as Meadow, whose role was Camera Operator. On the day, I learnt a number of techniques. For example, on Monday when we went to set up I learnt how to board up the windows. Then on the day, Luke gave me tips on how to tilt the camera which I put to use to film the shot of the man holding up the beaker to the camera before turning around and walking towards the door at which point the camera begins tilting. This is so that when the door is opened, Susannah's head is near the top of the shot. I also learnt the importance of the 180 degree rule when we shot dialogue sequences in groups a few weeks earlier. We also made sure to follow on-set protocol such as not watching any footage back, helping us to focus on filming. As the director, I also made sure to use the correct terminology on set. This included declaring "roll camera" and "action".

If we were to shoot again, I would film a wider variety of shots. I think there were times when we spent too long filming shots many times to make them perfect which meant that we were unable to film any stills of the table with all the man's belonging on it including paints, books, skulls, a map, pots full of pens and the record player. These were shots we had planned to take to help build the character of the man and to add some variety to her sequence. Additionally, we also didn't have time to film the close up shot of the liquid pouring into the funnel which is crucial to our opening sequence. However, Mike has assured us that if we edit the sequence together and think we still need these shots, he will allow us to spend a bit of time in the studio filming these. The location won't matter for these shots as they will all be close ups and will therefore blend into the sequence quite nicely. When it comes to editing, I'm excited to watch back the footage that we recorded, and see how we can edit it together in different ways to create an intriguing and suspenseful opening. Although it meant we struggled with time a bit, I think that taking our time on each shot allowed us to really focus on the composition of each shot, meaning that the quality of our footage should be up to the standard we had hoped for.

Target audience

Target audience is the term used to refer to the age and gender that makes up the audience that a film is aimed at. Target audience is helpful to film institutions is it makes them aware of what conventions need to be followed so that the film receives attention from the target audience. This also helps with making choices for the film in terms of narrative, mise-en-scene, character and casting. Not only does this help with the making of the film, knowing your target audience can also help with deciding how a film should be marketed. 

What is our target audience?

We have rated our opening sequence a 15. This is because when we found other crime thrillers and TV shows which were similar to our opening sequence, all of them were given the age rating fifteen. These included the TV shows line of Duty and And Then There Were None, as well as the films The Silence of the Lambs and Deadly Inheritance. Pictures of their ratings by each gender on IMDB can be seen in the pictures below. In addition, we had a look at how many people from each age group rated the film on IMDB and we found that for almost age groups, there were more male ratings for each film and TV show, suggesting that there was a mainly male audience. However, the content of the film isn't made specifically for a certain gender to enjoy, nor does it empower one of the genders. Therefore, I believe our opening sequence is aimed at a male and female audience. 

Line of Duty 

And Then There Were None

Silence of the Lambs

Deadly Inheritance

Similar products and conventions research

 Our opening sequence will be a thriller. This is because it follows a variety of conventions of the thriller genre. For example, our opening sequence will establish an antagonist and the crime they have committed. Additionally, throughout the sequence, a dark atmosphere of tension and suspense would be created. An ominous non-diegetic soundtrack will also adhere to the genre. However, more specifically, in terms of sub genre we are creating a crime thriller. This is because our opening explores a crime and the rest of our movie plot would involve similar occurrences of this crime, and investigations into them. 

Our opening sequence parallels with other Crime Thriller films and TV shows in a variety of different ways. These include the tv shows Line of Duty and and And Then There Were None, as well as the films Silence of the Lambs and Deadly Inheritance. 

Line of Duty

Produced by World Productions, six series of Line of Duty have been released between 2012 and 2021. The series is directed by David Caffrey. However, this comparison is focussed on the first season of the TV show.

The series follows DS Steve Arnott after he is transferred to the anti-corruption unit following his refusal to cover up an unlawful shooting that took place on his previous team. 

Each series follows a new criminal meaning that some of the characters do bear similarity to the male protagonist as he is a criminal. For example, the first series follows a character named Jackie Laverty who becomes part of an investigation after she commits a murder. Furthermore, the main theme of the TV show is crime which is also the theme that our opening sequence and the rest of our film centres around. Another theme of the TV show is investigation which would be a major theme of the rest of our film. Despite the fact that both our film and Line of Duty follow crimes and crime investigation, the setting and location are quite different as Line of Duty largely takes place in the anti-corruption unit of a police station and our's is set in the greenhouse of the male protagonist's home. In terms of costume, most of the main characters' costumes don't bear any resemblance to the costumes that our two characters wear as they mostly wear police uniform. However, at times some of the characters do wear everyday clothing, particularly some of the guest characters who aren't part of the police force. However, the items of clothing aren't very similar to the costumes that our characters wear. The lighting is often quite bright in Line of Duty which contrasts with our opening sequence which makes use of often quite little lighting except when it is needed to illuminate certain significant objects. In terms of props, the crime the method that our character uses to commit the crime is quite unique and specific meaning that many of the props we are using don't appear in Line of Duty. In spite of this, our sequence makes use of zip ties and a belt which are used to tie the victim to the chair. Similarly, the series features several arrests which also involve restraining the criminals via handcuffs.

There is quite a bit of camera movement as the series makes use of "shaky cam" and thus creates something quite fast-paced. On the other hand, in our series we are hoping to create a suspenseful more slow paced effect through slower, lingering shots. The same applies for editing as we are attempting to create a long and drawn-out effect instead of editing the shots in quick succession.

And Then There Were None 

"And Then There Were None" is a three-part series directed by Craig Vivieros and produced by Mammoth Screen Agatha Christie Productions and Acorn Productions A&E Networks

Based off the novel by Agatha Christie, the series follows the story of ten people stranded on an island. These consist of two servants, a personal secretary and seven guests, before they each begin being killed, being accused of past murders. At the centre of the TV show are characters who are murderers, which in turn makes it one of the major themes of the TV show. This makes it similar to our opening sequence which is centred around murder and features a murderer protagonist. The narrative is similar in the sense that the rest of our film would follow several other murders followed by an investigation as to who the murderer is. However, given that the TV show is set on an island, the location and setting are vastly different from our opening sequence. Likewise, And Then There Were None is set in 1939, featuring costumes that resemble clothing of that time. Therefore, there aren't similarities in terms of the costumes we will be using. The lighting in the opening scene is quite dim which mirrors the same dim lighting we are using. Additionally, the overall cinematic aesthetic also mirrors our opening closely. The props include vintage briefcases and hats which contrast with our opening.

As seen in this video clip below, the shot duration is usually quite drawn out with a variety of close-ups, for example when the food id being prepared. This is similar to our opening sequence which focusses on the preparation of the poison and again is edited in a way that means the shots are quite drawn out and suspenseful.

The Silence of the Lambs 

Released from the studio Strong Heart Productions in May 1991,  The film The Silence of the Lambs was directed by Jonathan Demme. 

The film follows the story of a young female FBI trainee named Clarice Starling who is set the task of interviewing the Dr. Hannibal Lecter by Jack Crawford. Hannibal Lecter is both a psychiatrist and a psychopath who has been imprisoned on several counts of murder and cannibalism. Clarice Starling has been given this job as Jack Crawford believes Hannibal Lecter has knowledge of an important case. As an attractive young woman, Clarice Starling is believed to be the best person for the job.

One major similarity between The Silence of the Lambs and our opening sequence is the similarities between our unnamed male protagonist and Hannibal Lecter. This is because both characters are serial killers. In addition, the main theme of the film is murder which is also the major theme of our opening sequence. In terms of narrative, our opening sequence is similar to The Silence of the Lambs in that both follow serial killers who commit crimes. Additionally, although the opening to our film doesn't feature an investigation into a crime, the rest of our plot would follow an investigation into this murder and other murders committed by the unnamed male protagonist. Therefore, its plot does have some links with The Silence of Lambs which also follows an investigation. However, in The Silence of the Lambs this investigation is performed by interviewing a man who has already been convicted of various murders. Additionally, the psychopath in out opening is not a cannibal. The locations are completely different as the Silence of the Lambs is set in a prison whilst out sequence is set in the greenhouse of a man's home. However, the storage room where the woman is held captive will be dark and dusty, resembling a prison cell. 

In The Silence of the Lambs Hannibal Lecter wears a prisoners jumpsuit and a mask, whilst Clarice Starling wears smart clothing consisting of a long skirt and a blazer with white shirt underneath, along with an FBI badge. Both of these costumes vastly differ from the costumes for our characters who will be wearing everyday clothing to show that these characters are from ordinary backgrounds. Throughout the silence of the lambs, not much lighting is used to create a sinister and mysterious mood, we are hoping to achieve the same atmosphere in our sequence. However, at times Clarice Starling is shown in more bright lighting. Similarly, we will be using more lighting to show the intricacies of the preparation and for close ups of the female victim. There are almost no similarities in the props used. This is because The Silence of the Lambs is centred around an investigation after the crime has taken place. A similarity between the props in the Silence of the Lambs and the props in our opening sequence is that in both there are props involved that are used as a means to restrain the characters. For example, in The Silence of the Lambs Hannibal Lecter is restrained using a mask. The film also makes lots of use of eye close ups, which can be an effective way of revealing the characters' emotions. We are hoping to employ this technique in our opening to show the glee that the killer feels through killing his victim, and the intense fear the victim is experiencing. In our opening sequence, the female victim is restrained using zip ties and a belt. The Silence of the Lambs is edited so that the scenes involving any killer characters are drawn out to create tension. We are also hoping to edit our sequence in this way.

(Since I haven't watched the entire film, I based my comparison of the film with our opening sequence largely on this scene):

Knives Out 

Produced by T-Street and directed by Rian Johnson, the film Knives Out was released in 2019. 

The film follows the investigation into the death of the crime novelist and patriarch of a dysfunctional and wealthy family. 

One similarity between my opening sequence and the film is that both feature a character who is a criminal with malicious and murderous intent named Ransom Drydale. Additonally, there is also a scene in the film in which he kidnaps a cleaner and kills her. This mirrors our opening sequence because the male protagonist kidnaps the female character and kills her. One of the major themes of Knives Out is inheritance and family wealth which is what drives the chracters' cruel intentions. Similiarly, receieving his sister's inheritance in our opening sequence is what drives the protagonist to murder. The film is mostly set in a family home. This is similar to our sequence which is set in the murderer's own home. The costumes are very brightly coloured and extravegant in Knives Out, which contrasts with our neutral palette. However, one interesting parallel is that Marta, the housekeeper in knives out wears a wool cardigan right before she is murdered, meanwhile our female character is also wearing a wool cardigan right before someone attempts to murder her. 

The patriarch who is murdered, Harlan Thromby dies from taking a medicine that ends up killing him. This is slightly similar to the method of killing the victim in our opening sequence, which is via the administering of a poisonous berry mixture. 

Throughout the film, there is a stark contrast between very bright lighting during the day and low lighting in the scenes set at night. On the other hand, our opening scene makes use of mostly lowkey lighting throughout. 

Conclusion

Above all, the main thing these films and TV shows have in common is that they are all centred around the theme of murder and they all involve an element of investigation. The same goes for our film which opens with a murder which is subsequently unfolded over the course of the rest of the film. Conventions of the thriller and crime thriller genres are that they feature an antagonist, a crime and a dark atmosphere which is often embellished through the use of low-key lighting and suspenseful sound. All of these conventions feature in our film and other media products of this genre to instil fear in the audience. However, media products don't always follow the same conventions. For example, Knives Out makes use of a vibrant colour scheme which is atypical of this genre. Additionally, in And Then There Were None, the costumes and props vastly differ from those in our opening sequence due to the fact that it is set in 1939 whilst ours is set in the present day. The use of low-key lighting and long shot durations are a key inspiration for our opening sequence as they seem to be a highly effective technique in creating tension and suspense which will be a pivotal factor in the success of our opening sequence.