Targeting an audience- how we are going to engage our target audience

Targeting an audience-How we are going to engage our target audience.

In this video post we talk about how we as a group plan to engage our target audience with our opening sequence through our ideas as well as techniques that we will be using such as different sound devices and camerawork.

Prelim task Script and Shot list:

Prelim task Script and Shot list:

• Enter scene with a low angle shot. Reverses to a high angle shot then into an over the shoulder shot of the male character approaching the door. Then cuts to a high front shot of the door being opened, demonstrating a shot reverse shot as the character walks through the door.
• Character approaches the table and sits down.
• "I know you have the answers"
• Second character being filmed from opposite side of the main character showing a mid shot of the body downwards. Second character spins round on his chair.
• "The answers to what?" (says the second character)
• "The maths exam" (dialogue exchanged between the main and second character)
• Use of a shot reverse shot again between their conversation. 180 degree rule being demonstrated during the shot reverse shot of the characters conversation.
• "Disclose this with no one" (the second character says)
• Throws a 'top secret' file across the table from an over the shoulder shot, then cuts to a close up of the file (signifying importance of the file)
• "Thanks" (character one)
• Final shot: Two shot of the two characters for brief second. First character gets p and walks out of shot with the file. Sequence end

Exploration of Narrative Theories

Exploration of Narrative Theories

The purpose of a film production/sequence is that it needs to attract the audience and appeal to their interests.This is similar with an opening sequence of a production as it needs to engage the audience's attention and appeal to them to keep them interested as to what's going on. 

There are two structures of a narrative:

Linear structure- This means that the story of the production is being told in order or chronologically. 

Non Linear structure- This means that the story's order is mixed and isn't being told chronologically. This is often shown through the use of montage editing.

There are two devices of a narrative:

Restricted- This means that we the audience only know as much or less than the main character. Less information is presented allowing us to make assumptions. Over the shoulder, close ups and point of view shots illustrate this device really well.

Omniscient- This means that the audience know more than the character. Use of long shots and extreme long shots allows us as the audience to see everything and interpret the narrative.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cifPv4QWTH0&safe=active (Memento opening scene)

• Non linear structure the clip is played in reverse showing the characters actions backwards, e.g the gun returning to the bullet after previously being fired.
• Point of view shot is used showing us that it is restricted. We do not know what's going on and only know as much as the character knows. Gives a sense of enigma as we don't know what is going on in the scene, we can only guess or interpret. 

Vladimir Propp's character theory: (thriller example Se7en)- see full synopsis or film

• The hero- Detective Somerset (Morgan Freeman). His job in the production is to uncover why the killer is killing people and to catch him and stop him.
• The Villain-(serial killer) opposes the hero who is trying to stop him. Makes things hard for the hero through killings of victims.

Tzvetan Todorov equilibrium theory: (thriller example the strangers)- see full synopsis or film

• The male protagonist and the female protagonist start of happy with a normal life enjoying themselves. The state of normality is disrupted by the psychopaths who are tormenting them through messages and violent assaults. Leaving the equilibrium of the protagonists lives unbalanced.
• Attempted repair occurs as the protagonists try to fight off the and remove the unbalance caused by the psychopaths. They attempt to flee to stop the unbalance.
• New equilibrium- the protagonists are killed leaving them away from the violence and torment with their lives at an end. New equilibrium from the psychopaths as they disappear leaving the violence behind them. State of normality for the psychopaths with a twist of the protagonists being killed, ending the normality of their lives.

Barthes' Codes: (thriller example Shutter Island)

• Enigma codes surround the main character (Leonardo Dicaprio) he is a mysterious detective who the audience do not know much about. Therefore the audience are able to connote certain things about this character and decode certain things about him. 
• Not only with the character but the location used in the opening sequence of the clip. The audience can denote that the director has set the production somewhere isolated but creepy like an asylum making the audience feel slightly insecure. 

Influential Texts: films and clips which have inspired our group

Influential Texts: films and clips which have inspired our group

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4vn5IUYubk&safe=active (se7ven opening credits)

The opening credits of Se7en inspired our group through the diegetic sounds used of the pages turning as well as the enigma codes embeded within the sequence. Such as when the pages are being turned and certain words are crossed out. This engages us and makes us want to know why. Moreover from this clip we liked the background sound that was used. It sounded like screaming or a distorted sound. This adds tension to the clip that we want our thriller opening sequence to have. Finally the use of the italics and the font for the characters links with the genre as its as if the writing is fading when its shown. This links well with the idea of a thriller and has made us consider how we will present our credits or title.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obvksJ7-4hQ&safe=active (shutter island opening credits)

The opening credits of Shutter Island has given our group ideas for our opening sequence. The fading writing written in red signifies blood and adds a certain chill that thrillers offer. Furthermore the use of camerawork has inspired us. The way the audience follow the camera as if we are being taken on a journey, this is notably shown on the spiral staircase at the beginning of the clip. It gives us a sense of uncertainty as we are following what's going on and do not know what's going to happen next. Finally the non-diegetic background music that was used in the opening sequence was engaging as it clearly illustrated thriller elements as it gave a sense of tension and suspense.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5m_MaEy3ho (the strangers-trailer)

What inspired us from the strangers is the way the psychopaths are shown and portrayed. All of the psychopaths wear masks as to hide their identity giving a sense of enigma around them as we don't know who they are or what they're capable of. Moreover we like the idea that the psychopath can always see his victims and at some stages is only a few feet away from them without them even knowing. This gave us our idea of how our psychopath would attack his victims. He would attack them with dolls, like voodoo but always be in distance of them. To show that he can see them but they can't see him. Furthermore we have taken inspiration from the location that is used in the strangers. It is isolated from everywhere else in the middle of a forest with a big house. This has given us thought into the location that we are going to set our sequence in. We are going to use an isolated location to cut off the psychopaths victims from the rest of the world, thus making them feel isolated. 

Character analysis through Sound and Mise en Scene

Character analysis through Sound and Mise en Scene

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xcZTtlGweQ

The film trailer that I based my stereotype and sound analysis on was the pursuit of happyness starring Will Smith and his son Jaden Smith.

In the trailer the character that Will Smith is playing subverts to the stereotype that is portrayed through the Mise en Scene image. In the trailer the costume or attire that he is wearing is a suit which connotes that he is a businessman or a man in a good job with a power position. It also connotes that he is quite sophisticated and this could show that his way of talking is quite formal as the mise en scene shows him to be quite sophisticated, however in reality from watching the trailer we learn that the character he plays is the opposite from the stereotype that the mise en scene image has shown. Despite wearing a suit he doesn't have a lot of power and he isn't actually a businessman at all. He doesn't even earn money for what he is doing as he is part of an internship for a job. The lighting that is used around the character is also misleading and goes against the mise en scene. The lighting is low key which could connote that he is unimportant and without power as the low key lighting gives off sadness and depression which is reflected into the character. Also the sound stereotype that is portrayed by Will Smith's character is misleading. The attire that he is wearing suggests to us that he is well off and may be an upper class citizen.

From this I can connote that he may have a decent education and therefore would speak in a very formal and direct way however this isn't shown in the trailer when he is talking to his son. He refers to his son as "dude" or uses the words "shut up". This wording that the character uses goes against the stereotype as he isn’t shown to speak formal and direct but he speaks quite informal
to the other characters. However he does also conform to the stereotype as when he is talking to other interns and businessmen within the company he talks quite formal and direct to them so this shows that his character both subverts and conforms to the stereotypes that have been directed upon him.

The other character in the trailer is Jaden Smith who is shown to be the main character's (Will Smith) son. The stereotype of Jaden's character through the mise en scene image is also challenged in the trailer. The normal stereotype of a child of his age would be playing carefree and happy in what they are doing. They do not have to worry about the pressures of adult life however his character subverts to this stereotype as the child doesn't always seem happy and most of the time is with his dad in the adult world, not at a park or a school or at home playing. Furthermore the way Jaden's character speaks is not what the mise en scene image would show, He subverts to the stereotype as he speaks quite informal and indirect to most people however he conforms to the stereotype when with his father as he talks to his father in a formal manner. This shows a father-son relationship that keeps them going.

In conclusion from this trailer and the two characters I have mentioned the stereotype shown through the mise en scene image is challenged to a large extent however there are some aspects to the characters that conform to the stereotype shown in the mise en scene image.

Thriller opening sequence analysis 2: Skyfall

Thriller (action adventure) opening sequence analysis 2: Skyfall

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrSJP2PtAP8&safe=active 

(Skyfall opening scene:Agent Ronson found dying)

Despite primarily being an action film it also has thriller elements and is defined as a thriller as well. It offers thriller elements which will be explored. In the opening sequence of Skyfall the director uses and focuses on various techniques in order to give understanding and information to the audience as well as to convey certain things in a certain way. The director focuses on certain camera shots as well as movement and used editing as well as sound techniques and mise en scene in order to convey this information to the audience. Through these different techniques the director is able to connote information to the audience in a certain way.

One way in which the director conveys information to the audience is through the camera work used. This is by the various camera shots, movements and angles used. At the beginning of the clip a long shot is used. This is used to establish time and location of the production. The character (Bond) is blurred out so that the audience’s attention is draw to the characters surroundings. This technique of blurring the character to divert the audience’s attention is known as a shallow focus. In the clip an over the shoulder shot is also used. This is used to see what the character sees from a certain perspective. In contrast to the audience, it allows them to see what Bond is seeing as well as gain an understanding of the situation present. This shows how the director’s use of the long shot is able to signify information to the audience. A camera movement used by the director is the panning shot. The panning shot is used to show bonds surroundings/location. Also the quick pan used suggests a sense of urgency or swiftness to the audience, about what is going on in the shot. The use of the panning movement by the director shows how information is given to the audience.

A high and low angle shot are also used in the clip to give the audience information about what's going on. Bond is shown in a low angle shot as the camera looks up to him. This appears to make Bond look powerful and dominant whereas the where he is looking we see a man shown in a high angle shot. This is where the camera looks down on the character and shows them to be weak or venerable. This is evident in the scene as the man in clearly wounded and is he venerable one whilst Bond appears to be the dominant one. This shows how the director conveys information to the audience by the use of a high and low angle shot.

As well as the use various use of camera work, various editing techniques are used by the director in order to convey information to the audience. At the beginning of the clip the first shot last 27 seconds. Most shots do not last this long and the director uses this to show to the audience that the character has significant importance. Also by continuing the shot the audience’s attention is kept on the character highlighting to them the characters importance. This shows that through the continuation and length of the first shot the director is able to convey information to the audiences. Another use of editing by the director is the use of an eye line match. The eye line match shows the character to be looking at an object and then the shot cuts to the next shot and allows us to see what the character sees. This signifies to the audience what the character sees and allows them to gain understanding of what is going on. Through the use of an eye line match the director is able to signify information to the audience by showing something from the characters perspective.

The director also uses various sound techniques in order to signify information to the audience. In the first 27 second shot non-diegetic sound is played in the background. Non-diegetic sound is sound which has been added in the clip. The sound is faint and continues for this long period. The director uses this to show tension within this shot as well as make the audience feel on edge about the situation present. The tension is carried on through the use of non-diegetic sound in the next shot. This is a clear example of a sound bridge and is used to keep the sense of tension are danger to the audience. Also right at the beginning of the clip a sound motif is used by the director. The trumpet sound of ‘duh nuh’ allows the audience to identify that the clip is James Bond as that sound is symbolic to Bond. Furthermore the diegetic street sounds show how busy it is outside in contrast to how quiet and dull it was inside the building. This juxtaposition is shown because the shot of the busy outside street is opposite to the quiet building. This shows that through the use of diegetic and nondiegetic sound, how the director is able to signify information to the audience.

Through the use of mise en scene the director is able to signify further information to the audience. Chiaroscuro lighting is used at the beginning of the clip
on Bond to identify just his face whilst the rest of his body is hidden in the shadows. A bond walks into shot this lighting is used as he is how as a silhouette. This suggests that the character has a sense of enigma to them. Then when his face is visible in the light the audience’s attention is diverted to his facial features. This shows how the use of various lighting by the director is able to communicate information to the audience. The prop used of the gun and the blood gives a sense of danger as well as sense of urgency of escape. This is used to identify  that audience that the film is a Bond film as bond is associated with guns and danger. By the use of these props the director is able to make the audience understand what they are watching. The suit that Bond wears suggests that he is sophisticated but also quite professional. It also allows the audience to link and identify him as 007 agent due to his attire. Furthermore the use of the car at the end of the clip suggests a sense of urgency or need for escape to the audience. This shows how through various aspects of mise en scene the director is able to signify information to the audience.

Conclusively in the opening sequence Skyfall the uses of these various techniques used by the director such as mise en scene, sound, editing and the different aspects of camera work show how the director is able to communicate information to the audience. Whether it is by making the character feel a certain way or by putting the audience in the perspective of the character through certain camera shot. The director is able to communicate information effectively to the audience through these techniques.

Prelim Task Video

Research into target audience: interviews and questions

Questions we asked:

1. Do you enjoy Thriller films?

2. What do you like or dislike about them?

3. After watching the opening sequence from Se7en, what elements did you like about the clip?

4. What did you like about our idea for our opening sequence?

5. What would you change about our idea?

6.  Where would you film the location of the sequence?

Essay exploring the Thriller genre

Essay exploring the Thriller genre

'In a menacing world, we flee into thrillers' Thrillers are fast becoming the dominant genre and society's favourite means of escape. Discuss.

It can be argued that thrillers are the dominant genre in terms of means of escape. Through the media we are able to escape form the troubles and worries of our lives and flee into the comfort of watching somebody else’s. Thrillers can be seen as one of the most potent forms of escape as it somehow links to the harsh reality of the world around us and we as an audience are more able to engage to this.

One reason for why we as an audience are able to engage in thrillers is that they use suspense, tension and excitement as their main element. We as an audience are engaged by these thrillers and use them as a means to escape as we can identify to the characteristics of thrillers as we may in our day to day lives experience these elements for ourselves. Furthermore thrillers provide a sudden rush of emotions, excitement, and exhilaration that drive the narrative and we as humans like to get or seek out that sudden rush that we anticipate. An example of this is Hitchcock's film Rebecca, where Mrs Danvers tries to persuade Mrs De Winter to leap to her death. Thrillers leave the audience on the edge of their seat anticipating what's going to happen next and triggers a certain rush of adrenaline. This adrenaline kick is offered to us through watching thrillers as we are constantly wondering what's going to happen next. It is for this reason that it can be said why we use thrillers as a means to escape for our own menacing world.

However a counterargument to this is that an action genre does just the same and offers a means to escape for the audience. Action genres tend to have fast moving camera work and high octane action which peaks the audience’s interest and allows them to fascinate the life of the character they are watching. A good example of this is 007, James Bond, who is said to be the envy of every man as they want to be him. This shows how the action genre could be perceived to be a stronger means of escape than thriller. In addition to, in the sense that thrillers offer a certain adrenaline rush as audiences anticipate what is going to happen. Action movies do this mostly throughout the main production rather than at just certain points offering limited peaks of adrenaline. An example of a film that offers this constant adrenaline rush would be Crank, or the Expendables. These action movies have fight scenes and gun warfare which peaks the audiences interest more so and gives them a surge of adrenaline which they may not experience in the ‘real world’. Therefore this shows why the action genre may be perceived to be the dominant genre in terms of means of escape for society from the menacing world.

However a counterargument to this view would be that the action genre only tends to appeal to men as its primary target audience. Most women do not like blood, gun fighting and violence so therefore the argument that action is the most t dominant genre in means of escape for today’s society is invalid. As the other half of society, who are women, may not be interested or able to engage in the action genre and thus have no means to escape from the harsh real world. Thrillers offer a means to escape for both forms of society as thrillers are deemed popular with both genders. Most of Hitchcock’s films, that were thriller, were the pinnacle of films at their time and we viewed by many people. To reinforce this point, the film grossed $32,000,000 at its time which equates to nowadays as roughly $256,000,000. This shows that even then in Hitchcock’s time people used thrillers as a means to escape an therefore it can be justified that thrillers are fast becoming the most dominant genre in terms of escape for today’s society.

Conclusively it can be said that thrillers are one of the most dominant genres in terms of means to escape for today’s society. People are appealed to thrillers primarily because of their characteristics such as suspense and tension and because they offer certain thrills and put the audience on the edge of their seat anticipation what's going to happen. It is for these reasons that society uses thrillers as a means to escape from the menacing world we live in.

My group initial opening sequence idea: How I will engage my audience through Gratifications

My group initial opening sequence idea:

 How I will engage my audience through Gratifications

Our initial idea for our opening sequence is about a man who is a deranged psychopath who enjoys torturing victims through various ways. In the opening sequence a scrapbook will be shown with black and white images of victims he is after or that he has killed. In this scene it will be quite so that he only sound that can be heard is diegetic. The sound of him turning the pages and running his fingers along the pages. The main theme of this psychological thriller that will attract the audience is that he selects and tortures his victims through means of puppets or dolls. This will engage our audience as it is creepy and somewhat ties in an element of voodoo. The location that we have debated on for the production is in a basement or a cellar or a dark room which doesn't have any backing sound. This will add more tension to the scenes and add a sense of mystery to the character in the sequence. The main character, the torturer, will have his identity hidden throughout only showing the bottom half of his face. His mouth when he talks. This will add a sense of enigma to the character but will also engage the audience into the character and into the sequence. With the voodoo doll idea we have had a thought that there will be a scene where a woman is looking into a mirror applying make up then it cuts to a scene of the killer with a doll cutting the dolls face, then cuts back to the woman who then looks in the mirror to show a cut on her face.


We will apply the use of gratifications to appeal to our audience through various ways. Our sequence will offer elements of escapism through the shots used as well as the plot of the sequence. It will also offer elements of entertainment for those of the audience that like to observe thrillers and moments that offer tension and suspense. However our opening thriller sequence does not seek to either inform or educate as it is for the enjoyment and entertainment of those observing it. The opening sequence may offer some element of social interaction between the audience observing it as they will question each other to what's going on but will also be talking to each other about elements observed in the opening sequence.

These are the initial ideas for our opening sequence and how we intend to use the gratifications of film to appeal to our audience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEZK7mJoPLY (se7en clip) 0:00-0:06 scene with diegetic sound of fingers running along the edge of paper. Our idea for our opening sequence.

The gratifications of the medium of film (Prezzi presentation with film)

The gratifications of the medium of film (Prezzi presentation with film)

The presentation below focuses on the gratifications that people get out of media texts and primarily of those films. The presentation focuses on the diffrent gratification aspects and what genre of films tie into these gratifications. An example used in the presentation is the gratification of escapism which ties into the genre of either Sci-Fi or Fantasy. These movies are unrealistic to our normal day to day lives and so allow us to be engaged with their world and lose yourself within in it. An example of a film which illustrates escapism really well would be the Star Wars series or the Harry Potter series. Stars Wars is a Sci-Fi movie so therefore people are engaged and lose themselves within the film.

The presentation further reinforces the gratifications used in the target audience that it is aimed at through the use of images and videos to illustrate the point. An example of a video used to illustrate this is a short clip  from David Attenboroughs Planet Earth. This video both informs as well as educates it's audience. This therefore shows evidence of the gratifications that film/ a documentary can give us.


http://prezi.com/ce6zvipgkk5z/present/?auth_key=ev8r8yn&follow=ppjlmou5gkae

Thriller opening sequence analysis 1: the strangers

Thriller opening sequence analysis

Psychological Thriller: The Strangers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWp14gtZ-u0&safe=active

In the opening sequence of the strangers the audience are affected in various ways by the techniques used by the director. The techniques focused on in this opening sequence is camerawork used as well as the sound devices. Also the director focuses in what way the narrative is presented through narrative structure and narrative devices have an effect on the audience. All these things in combination are used in order to have an effect on the audience when they are engaged in the sequence.

One way in which the audience are affected is through the use of camera shots and movements. The primary movement used in this opening sequence is a sideways tracking shot. This sideways tracking shot is usually used to track or follow an object or character of significance. However in this opening sequence the tracking shot is used to show different houses from a distance. The way this affects the audience is it gives them a sense of uncertainty in why the camera is being focused at these houses. The director further adds to the tension of this shot by the transitions that are used between each shot. The director fades each shot into each other making the audience feel off edge and quite uneasy. This applies to the conventions of a thriller as thrillers often have moments of suspense and tension that put the audience on edge. The director links an extreme long shot into this tracking shot. From 1:20-1:23, the director has still used a tracking shot of a house to give a sense of tension but has shown it from a distance. This shot is used to establish the location an
d surroundings so it gives the audience a sense of relief as it allows them to see the the location. However this is inst the purpose of this shot. The director has used this to give a sense of danger. The shot is focused on the house but from a great distance as if to warn the audience that there is danger at that house. The audience are affected by this as a sense of tension comes back again but it also engages the audience further as they want to know more about the house and why it could be dangerous. This shows how the audience is affected by the camerawork techniques used by the director.

The use of different sound techniques also affect the audience in a certain way. The use of the eerie music used from the beginning of the sequence to 0:09 gives a sense if tension and engages the audience with the sequence. This is used by the director at the beginning of the sequence as it immediately engages the audience and immediately strikes tension into the sequence. This music is also a sound bridge as it crosses more than one shot. This is used by the director as the director wants to keep that sense of tension going. This affects the audience as it keeps them on edge but also keeps their attention as to what's going on. The director also uses a voiceover to set the scene of what's happened or happening. The deep voice of the voiceover in combination with his words on screen have an effect on the audience as it engages them more to the sequence as they are reading the voiceovers words. The deep voice of the voiceover also sends a certain chill down the audiences spine as it alerts them to what's happening but its as if the voiceover is talking right in their ear. Furthermore when the voiceover says "inspired by true events" this actively engages the audience and peaks their interest into what the productions about. Through the use of different sound techniques the director is able to affect the audience.

The narrative of this sequence is restricted. This means that we the audience know as much or as less as the character knows. The effect that this has on the audience is that it gives them a sense of uncertainty as they dont know whats going on and are just following the plot as it happens. Furthermore the structure of the sequence is non-linear as it isn't in chronological order. The events that are being described have already happened. The effect that this has on the audience is that they are further engaged into the sequences as its retelling a story and they want to find out what's going to happen. But it also gives a sense of excitement and tension as they are unable to predict what's going to happen as the events have already occurred. This shows how the audience is affected by the narrative structure and devices of the sequence.

Conclusively the audience is affected by this sequence in many different ways. They are affected through the uses of different techniques used by the director such as the different camerawork used as well as different sound techniques and the narrative of the sequence.These all play a part in the sequence to have an effect on the audience. They give a sense of tension and suspense as well as a rush of excitement which allows the audience to be engaged more in the sequence.