Audience Research

This is my audience research. I  have learnt that the next time I film outside I will use a background sound reducer so that the sound of the wind doesn't effect the filming.

Actors, Costume, and Props

Lauren and I have been thinking careful about the actors, costumes and props or our film opening.

Actors:
We have chosen Beth to play flora as we know she will be confident to play this character.
Neelum is going to play the part of Flora's friend and also the unknown figure in black.
We are also using siblings for the children in the playground.

Costume:
We have talked about costumes and we want Beth to wear quite dark and dull clothes to try and represent her character. They are sixth form students so we still want them to look smart. Her hair will be in a bun and she will be wearing a backpack and glasses to try and imply she is quite nerdy and unfashionable.
Neelum will be wearing a skirt and a smart top with hair down, wearing makeup and a bag.
The  black figure with have the face covered by a big hoody so he identified.
The children in the park will be wearing just normal clothes.

Props:
A back pack for Beth to carry.
A drink for when she goes into the kitchen
Soap for the shower scene
Phone for when she calls her mum
Chair for the dark figure to sit in
Park equipment for the children
Bed for Beth in the last scene
Lamp for her to turn on and off in the last scene
bedroom full of personal things

Iconic Sounds

Iconic sounds are found in thriller films to add suspense, tension and fear to some parts of the film.
I found several iconic sounds that could be perfect for our film opening. This YouTube clip shows sounds that are especially good for a thriller type film to build tension and create a sense of fear.

Typical Synopsis

The girl on the train:

Rachel, devastated by her recent divorce, spends her daily commute fantasizing about the seemingly perfect couple who live in a house that her train passes every day, until one morning she sees something shocking happen there and becomes entangled in the mystery that unfolds. Based on Paula Hawkins' bestselling novel.

The Shallows:

In the taut thriller The Shallows, when Nancy (Blake Lively) is surfing on a secluded beach, she finds herself on the feeding ground of a great white shark. Though she is stranded only 200 yards from shore, survival proves to be the ultimate test of wills, requiring all of Nancy's intend resourcefulness, and fortitude.

Nerve:
'Nerve' is about an online dare game, in which people give participants anonymous dares for money. The participants compete with each other to win the grand prize as the dares get tougher. Things get worse when the tasks get increasingly dangerous and lives are at stake.               

The Neon Demon:
The sixteen year-old aspiring model Jesse arrives in Los Angeles expecting to be a successful model. The aspirant photographer Dean takes photos for her portfolio and dates her. Jesse befriends the lesbian makeup artist Ruby and then the envious models Gigi and Sarah in a party. Meanwhile the agency considers Jesse beautiful with a "thing" that makes her different and she is sent to the professional photographer Jack. Jesse attracts he attention of the industry and has a successful beginning of career. But Ruby, Gigi and Sarah are capable to do anything to get her "thing".

Certifcate Ratings

 U Universal – Suitable for all

A U film should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over, although it is impossible to predict what might upset any particular child. U films should be set within a positive framework and should offer reassuring counterbalances to any violence, threat or horror. If a work is particularly suitable for pre-school children, this will be indicated in the BBFCinsight.

PG Parental Guidance

General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children A PG film should not unsettle a child aged around eight or older. Unaccompanied children of any age may watch, but parents are advised to consider whether the content may upset younger, or more sensitive, children.

12A/12 – Suitable for 12 years and over

Films classified 12A and video works classified 12 contain material that is not generally suitable for children aged under 12. No one younger than 12 may see a 12A film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adult. Adults planning to take a child under 12 to view a 12A film should consider whether the film is suitable for that child. To help them decide, we recommend that they check the BBFCinsight for that film in advance. No one younger than 12 may rent or buy a 12 rated video work.

15 – Suitable only for 15 years and over

No one younger than 15 may see a 15 film in a cinema. No one younger than 15 may rent or buy a 15 rated video work.

18 – Suitable only for adults

No one younger than 18 may see an 18 film in a cinema. No one younger than 18 may rent or buy an 18 rated video work. Adults should be free to choose their own entertainment.
 

Children In Need Video

This is the final outcome of our Children In Need lip sync battle video. We wanted to create a video for assembly that would be funny and would interest all ages from nursery to sixth form.  We filmed our teachers as we knew that they would be up for it and make people laugh.
From making this video I have learnt to be much more prepared from organising all the teachers,  when they can meet all at the same time, setting up the cameras and equipment before they arrive to film and leaving enough time to edit.
Overall I am very pleased with the outcome and it was very successful in the assembly!

Our Treatment

This is Lauren and my treatment on our film opening. Hope you enjoy :)

Descriptions of my character in my film opening

My target audience is going to be a 15 as my film opening is a thriller and could be unsuitable in some places. I think that teenage girls will be most drawn to my film as the main character is of a similar age.

My main character is called Flora and she is a 16 year old teenager who suffers from schizophrenia and hallucinations which makes her see things that aren't really there. Flora, doesn't have that many friends as she is considered as quite a quiet and geeky person.
Description;
Flora has blonde curly hair with big framed glasses.
She is an introvert person due to her illness but is confident within her friendship group.
Flora loves school as it gets her mind off her hallucination but once she is alone and starts feeling nervous and valuable that is when she starts hearing voices in her head and seeing things that aren't really there.

Ideas for my thriller opening

In the half term Lauren and I planned out generally how our film opening is going to look like, with camera shots, the scenery that we will be using, the cast of actors we will need and the basics of how the opening is going to look like.
We have decided what our story line is going to be from the inspiration of the  film we watched, The Black Swan.

• The  main character is: A teenage girl who suffers from a psychological disorder which occurs when she is stress or feeling nervous.
• She sees things that aren't really there.

The general idea of the film opening:

• The scene starts we a girl and her friends walking back from school one day happily chatting. Once she leaves them to go her own way home she begins to see children swinging on the swings and playing on the see-saw in the park, which aren't there. The lighting will be in black and white with Foley sound of children creepily laughing.
• She then lets herself into her home and goes to take a shower. We know that when the steam covers the mirror in a bathroom, fear of the unknown can make people on edge, so we wanted to create this in our film opening.
• When she gets out of the shower she looks into the misty mirror and suddenly sees a dark sinister figure of a man staring back at her.
• She freaks out and runs to her room to ring her mum. She calls her mum and whispers in a petrified voice " Mum I think its happening again". As she puts down the phone she turns her head to see a man dresses in black sitting close to her bed staring at her.
• The camera cuts to a close up of her face to show the fear as she lets out a scream and the shot ends with a black screen.

We haven't planned it all and we need to chose our actors and setting carefully but we think we have some ideas.