Saturday 6 December 2014

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. 

Friday 5 December 2014

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. 

Monday 1 December 2014

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.


-
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.