Thriller Opening Storyboard

This is my groups storyboard for our thriller opening called She's Back...

The storyline is set out which we will follow when it comes to filming the project and in post-production. 

Thriller Opening Ideas

This is my groups initial ideas for the opening of our Thriller film, ideas may change or develop but this is our main outline for the story we are trying to portray. 

Audience Theories

Uses and Gratification Theory - Blumler and Katz

This theory focuses on the reasons why people use to media as opposed to what affect the media has on people and how to have an impact on what people believe is socially acceptable. The uses and gratification theory decides to concentrate on what people do with the media and the reason why they use it, there are different aspects that the uses and gratifications theory identify as reasons for people to use the media.

Diversion: To escape from everyday life and enjoy the stories that are happening in the media, simply for enjoyment and relaxation.

Social Interaction: The public use the media to gain an insight to circumstances of others, help with carrying out social roles, it can identify with characters and gain a sense of belonging.

Personal Identity: Makes it so individuals are able to create their own identity from characters and can learn different behaviours and values. It can also reinforce own personal values which an individual may have forgot.

Surveillance: To seek/gain new knowledge and information. To find out about relevant events and conditions in their surroundings and society but also around the world. It can be used to satisfy curiosity and general interest.


Hypodermic Needle Theory

The hypodermic needle theory implies that the media can have a direct, immediate and powerful on the mass audience. The theory suggests that the mass media could influence a very large group of people directly and unofficially by  injecting them with appropriate messages designed to trigger a desired reaction.

The hypodermic needle theory suggest that it can put thoughts and ideas into an individual's head and encourage them to do what is not socially acceptable and will play along with these beliefs which can make them commit crimes and become a negative member of society.

Images of violence and deviance will be 'injected' into an audiences brain and through consistent promotion, it can have an influential effect on a large amount of individual who begin to believe that these acts were becoming the social norm and began to replicate the acts and practice them in society. This can result in people committing crimes and ending up in jail.

Media theorists have classified the "War of the Worlds" broadcast as the archetypal example of the Magic Bullet Theory. This is exactly how the theory worked, by injecting the message directly into the "bloodstream" of the public, attempting to create a uniform thinking. The effects of the broadcast suggested that the media could manipulate a passive and gullible public, leading theorists to believe this was one of the primary ways media authors shaped audience perception.

The cultivation theory can also link with the hypodermic needle theory as it also promotes that the media can have a powerful effect on an individual and over a long period of time it can change a persons perception of reality.


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These theories can link to our Thriller Opening because if we decide to include violent acts within our scenes then this can promote violence and can make the audience believe that committing crimes and being violent is a good thing for society and change their perception of the social norms.

British Board of Film Classification

"The British Board of Film Classification is an independent, non-government body which has classified cinema films since it was set up in 1912 and videos/DVD's since the Video Recordings Act was passed in 1984." - http://www.bbfc.co.uk/about-bbfc

To ensure that children are protected from inappropriate content within films and to give information regarding the content of a film, the BBFC examines the film and gives it an rating as to which age range is appropriate to view a particular type of film. This is to ensure the highest possible rate of protection to film viewers.

In the opening of our Thriller, we are aiming to reach the target audience of 15 year olds+ , therefore no-one under the age of 15 is allowed to view the film as its content may be inappropriate.

Any of the following are what you may view in a 15 rated film:

- strong violence
- frequent strong language (e.g. 'f***').
-  portrayals of sexual activity
-  strong verbal references to sex
-  sexual nudity
-  brief scenes of sexual violence or verbal references to sexual violence
-  discriminatory language or behaviour
-  drug taking


In our Thriller opening, there will be a scene of death and the hypodermic syringe model would argue that if younger people watch it will develop the idea that murder is normal and it puts ideas into their head. Also, the cultivation theory would argue that over time, the idea of murder is a norm and it becomes socially acceptable.

Editing - Kuleshov Effect

Kuleshov experimented with different pieces of footage which he cut up to see how it would achieve a different reaction from the audience depending on how the footage was edited and the sequence it was put in. It was used to see how the audience would react to the reaction of the male in the film that was shown to them and if the audience believed that the males expression had changed each time he was shown something different, when in a matter of fact, the same footage of the males expression was shown each time. This shows how powerful this technique is to influence the minds of the audience.
Political film makers used this technique for Propaganda purposes, to give a powerful influence on the public so it puts them at a higher advantage in the general election.





This can be an important aspect to be included in our Thriller Opening as we know how to use a cut away properly to cause an effect on the audience.

Representation of Disability

In film and television, you see many different types of characters that suffer from a disability and they can play a range of different roles, however only 2.5% of people that we see on our televisions are disabled. Disability is one of the least shown issues regarding television diversity next to things such as the role of women and age differences. In contrast, all three categories are still very under-represented. There is many differences when it comes to representing disability. For example, during the great war, newsreels were recorded of the rehabilitation of visually impaired and physically disabled servicemen on the front line that have been presented on the big screen.

 However, on the opposite hand, cinema's and film makers have failed to engage with genuine and experiences of individuals with such disabilities. Nevertheless, disability has provided us with the knowledge to positively develop our language and social attitudes towards disability. Many film and television programmes present disability in various different ways, under several stereotypes. They represent disabled individuals as pathetic or pitiable, sinister or evil, a burden, the super cripple, an object of curiosity or violence, an atmosphere, non-sexual, laughable, his or hers own worst enemy and unable to participate in daily life. These stereotypes come from a study, Paul Hunt conducted in 1991. The first disabled character was portrayed by a disabled actor on British television for the first time in 1992, in a BBC Soap. Amputee Donald Gray gained his successful acting career in the 1950's. In the 21st century, TV drama has made room for bold portraits of disabilities as diverse as motor neuron disease, obsessive-compulsive disorder and multiple personality conditions. But with most parts still played by able-bodied actors, disabled actors and film-makers continue to fight to tell their own stories.

 Unlimited features work made for and by people with disabilities to ensure that diversity is maintained throughout the film and television industry. For example, young actor Grace plays Janet Mitchell in EastEnders as Billy and Honey Mitchell daughter and she has down's syndrome. Janet's character is represented and causes different emotions between her parents. Honey cannot come to terms with her condition and finds it very difficult to cope with her down's syndrome making her as a stereotypical 'burden' to her mother. However, Billy loves his daughter and wants to care for her and is also very protective over her due to her condition. This destroys the stereotype of an individual suffering with a disability.

     - Janet Mitchell

Textual Analysis of 'Se7en'

This is my textual analysis of the opening to 'Se7en'.
I initially wanted to use a Prezi presentation to document my ideas but due to having issues using the Prezi software, I had to use PowerPoint again to note down my ideas.

Barthes' Narrative Codes

Roland Barthes' Narrative Codes

 

Action Codes
The audience recognises action codes within media texts as it is used to predict what will happen next after following a logical step. It also advances the narrative (story). For example, when a character packs a suitcase, the logical step after this would be to leave or go somewhere else. In our preliminary task, the protagonist walked up to the door and using action code, the next typical action was him walking out of the door.

Mystery Code/Enigma Code
This code is used to explain the narrative of a film by having control over what information and how much information is exposed to the audience. It grabs the audience's attention by setting up conflicts between characters, but it is then restored during the course of the narrative. In our preliminary task, if you carry on watching, you would find out what the documents meant and what mistake the antagonist made.

The Semic Code
This code is all about signs and meanings in a text that explains to us about the narratives and the characters. In our preliminary task, we unfortunately didn't use the effects of the semic code.

The Cultural Code
This code is used in order for the narrative to make sense to a culturally and socially aware audience. It makes reference to aspects from reality that the audience can relate to. It helps you understand the background of a character. In our preliminary task, the setting was based in an office/meeting room environment and made to look like a formal matter so it gives the indication that the characters could be middle class.

Codes of Oppositions
This code refers to a narrative that relies on binary opposites. For example, black v white, hot v cold, war v peace. In our preliminary, we have shown the opposites of male v female and to change the stereotypical representation of gender, the antagonist was female and she over powered the protagonist which was male.

Conventions of a Thriller Movie

Conventions of a Thriller Film

A thriller film consists, typically, of conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist characters when the stability of the film is disrupted. The story's climax progresses through a sequence of events and when the story is resolved, the balance is restored. The direct focus of the protagonist is to create peace and to settle the situation but the focus of the antagonist is to disrupt and destroy the protagonists intentions. 

-Lighting

-Camera angles/shots

-Non-diegetic music to create tension

-Black and white shots

These are just a few of the conventions that are used in mind when making a thriller film.

Thriller film makers are very good at creating a storyline to their film to something that could happen in a real life situation, to make the audience feel like it could potentially happen to them, which makes them scared but always draws their attention.

In regard to the characters within a thriller, there is stereotypically a male playing the role of the protagonist, who is very brave and desperate to restore justice. The antagonist's identity is very often kept anonymous until towards the end of the film. This draws the audience in and makes them want to watch more to see what happens. The story behind the antagonist is that they are out to seek revenge on events that have happened in the past.

Having the right music is essential when creating a thriller. It is used so the audience can understand the mood of a scene, it can build up the climax and also add in tension and suspense. 

The camera shots in a thriller are very expected and stereotypical. They famously use a large number of close up and extreme close up shots to show the emotions of both the protagonist and the antagonist. Close up shots can also encourage the narrative of the story. However, shots of the antagonist will be short, over the shoulder, or just the shadow. This is to protect their identity and cause a sense of mystery. 

Mise-en-scene is very important and it sets the whole film up. It depends on having the correct type of location to help the audience establish the genre, it uses low lighting to cause effect and the make-up and hair styles are good for representing the characters. Thrillers are famous for using black and white or grainy effects for their movies and they also use costumes to distinguish between the protagonist and the antagonist characters.

Taken is a very popular thriller movie, as well as things such as Batman.

     
           

Preliminary Task Evaluation

This is my Preliminary Task Evaluation.

Our Preliminary Task Video

This is our final cut of our Preliminary Task after it went through post-production, it is available to watch on YouTube.

Stylistic Influences and Post-Production in Utopia

Utopia is prominent for achieving its comic-book style and the requirement of sharp colours, it also has a different use of colour which is unlike any other show on TV. It is very rare that these effects are natural, so it takes a lot of editing in post production to get the scene to look the way it does when it is finalised.
The whole series of Utopia is based around a global conspiracy in a comic book, so it is very clever how the producers achieve an actual comic-book style throughout each episode.

Director of Utopia, Marc Munden, uses a Technicolour palette from 1950's Hollywood to achieve the unique style. Normally a piece of cinematography is constructed by blues, reds and greens whereas Utopia uses yellows, cyan and magentas to push a distinct element to the series.

Marc Munden and his colourist Aidan Farrell precisely colour-correct each shot in the process of post-production using a grading software called Nucoda Film Master instead of a brush or pen. This was so they could choose certain colours and then paint them into a scene afterwards. They used post-production to enhance the colours in a shot to make it look more vibrant.

It's been said that the colour palette for series two (and onwards) of Utopia is even bolder - with production now aided by sets that are pre-prepared and ready for grading in post-production. The producers and the members that work in post-production - successfully combine the vivid colours to produce a very well executed comic-book effect.

What is effective about the opening to Utopia? Series 2, Episode 6

In 'Utopia' there are a wide range of camera shot used to create dramatic effect throughout the opening scene. A close-up shot is used on the assassin when he speaks of killing the young boy, this shows the blank expression on his face which allows the audience to see his evil personality. It also makes you focus on the words he is saying closely, as everything around him is blurred out, this shows specific detail of mise-en-scene. A reverse shot is then used to show the conversation between the assassin and the mother, this shows the character's expression towards the conversation they are having. For example, the mother looked very shocked and taken back by what was being said to her about her son, whereas the assassin looked very calm yet serious about the conversation he was having. A low shot was used when the young boy was looking up at the assassin and as the assassin stood up to leave, this was used to make the male character look very dangerous and powerful.

The representation of gender is very important in identifying what type of programme 'Utopia' is. The assassin is portrayed as a very intelligent man, who dresses in all black to make his character seem more dangerous. However, the mother is portrayed as very innocent and naive, who cares greatly about the environment and her son as opposed to the male character in this scene. The representation of gender in this opening scene is very stereotypical of how males and females are presented in society. Women are viewed as a lot more insignificant to men, this is shown throughout the scene as the assassin continuously speaks over the mother but he does it in a passive aggressive way, emphasising the idea that we live in a patriarchal society.

The zeitgeist is very effective in an opening to a scene as it reflects what is problem/what is happening in the real world, at the time Utopia was aired on TV. In the scene they talk about how people are expected to look after the world by recycling to reduce the carbon foot-print, this shows how the issue of re-using products is ongoing in our own society. The idea of killing a child and speaking of it in such a way shows that it can be very brutal for the audience to hear. However, this unfortunately has become a norm in society and it is not unusual for many viewers to be shocked when talking about the death of a child.

It is an effective opening to a TV series as it uses non-diegetic music to create suspense and tension in the scene, this will entice the audience and make them want to watch more, which boosts ratings and makes the series more successful.

Preliminary Brief; Continuity Task

As our next assignment, we got set the task of creating a small clip using continuity techniques. The clip must show a character opening and closing a door, crossing the room and sitting across from another character where they will exchange a small piece of dialogue. The techniques that must be included are: 180 degree rule, examples of reverse shot and match on action.

The 180 degree rule:

This refers to a basic guideline that states two characters in the same scene should always have the same left/right relationship with each other. This rule refers to spatial awareness of the characters that are in the scene, the aim of this editing techniques is that the camera must stay on an axis in order for this shot to be successful.

Shot Reverse Shot:

This refers to a continuity technique used in conversations that are being conducted in a scene or simply characters just looking at each other or objects. This shot cuts from one person to another as the conversation keeps on progressing. This technique makes the scene look more natural.







Match on action:

This refers to film editing and video editing techniques where the editor cuts from one shot to another view that matches the first shots action. These shots will more than likely be shot separately and not at the same time but match on action gives you the impression that the characters are having a conversation in that moment. This technique is very difficult to perfect.




Story Board:

First Task

Hello! Welcome back to my blog.

Recently we got set the task of going outside of the classroom to experiment taking pictures using different shot types and photography rules.
We had to use the rule of thirds which is applied by aligning a subject with guidelines to take a good picture. Also leading lines that act as guide lines within an image that leads the eye to another point in the image.
James, Recce and I had to come up with a narrative behind our photos and we came up with the idea of a hero and a villain. (James being the hero and Recce being the villain)
I had the responsibility of taking the majority of the pictures I am going to show you, so I had to make sure I did a half decent job, and seeing as this was my first attempt I don't think they came out too bad.

This is the establishing shot of the school which sets the scene for our narrative.

 A long shot using the rule of thirds.

A long shot using using leading lines.

A low angle shot. (I must add that Reece should not be smiling on this!)

An extreme close-up. - using backgrounds.

A long shot - using backgrounds

The same shot of subject but from different angles - A low shot. 

The same shot of subject but from different angles - A long shot.

The same shot of subjects but from different angles - A high shot. (Perfect posing on behalf of the boys too!!)

These photos are just a taster of the skills all three of us have combined and as we develop more skills, hopefully the photos will become a lot higher standard.

Thank you for reading my blog! See you soon.

Introduction to my blog!

Hello, my name is Emily Bicknell and I am an AS Media student.

Before joining Sixth Form I never had the opportunity to study Media. However, I spend a lot of my spare time watching YouTuber's such as Zoella, Sprinkle of Glitter, Tanya Burr, SacconeJolys, Shaytards, Jack Howard and a ridiculous amount more. I definitely prefer to watch YouTube over anything on TV because I feel like I can relate to what is going on in their lives as well as my own (or maybe because I am really nosey like that!) However, since my boyfriend bought me the Misfits box set for Christmas I can never resist to put an episode or two on, I AM OBSESSED. I enjoy watching a wide range of different genre of films, Harry Potter and Twilight being my favourites, but I am definitely a romantic-comedy girl at heart. I also enjoy to listen to music when I'm having some down time but it mainly only consists of One Direction (don't judge me) or whatever is good in the charts at the time.

I can't say that I have developed any useful skills whilst using technology in the past couple of years apart from how to master the famous 'selfie', if you class that as a skill.

I am looking forward to studying Media this year as I spend a lot of my time being on the internet and I am excited to further the bit of knowledge, even if it is only small, that I already have of the media and social networks. I am also hoping that this year I will come out of my shell a little bit more as I can be a very self-concious and reserved person, so I'm hoping the tasks we will be made to complete will help me gain the confidence that I lack. The thought of being in front of a camera and playing a part simply terrifies me but with the help of my teachers and the group that I work in they will help me to overcome them fears and give me the boost that I need.

By the end of this year we will be expected to:

• Have made an opening to a film.
• Understand and be able to confidently use media terminology.
• Be able to use a camera and editing packages properly.
• Be able to analyse films and TV drama's.
• Have my own, detailed blog as an account of my work.
• Understand the different challenges faced by makers of blockbuster and low budget independent films.

Thank you so much for reading this first little introduction to my Media blog! 

See you in my next post!