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11/12/2013
Start by having a look at this!
Try and take note of the number of shots, framing, editing and general mise-en-scene.
So much to learn!
List of recommended thrillers
Wecome to the Thriller Project blog!
To get you started, here is a list of recommended films you really ought to see in order to get a firmer grasp of the Thriller genre.
Of course you cannot see them all but you'll be expected to have seen at least 8 by the end of the first half-term, then keep watching throughout the coursework unit.
Arrange viewings between yourselves and keep a record of you what you've seen. Discuss what makes these films good thrillers or at least iconic ones. You should develop a better understanding of thriller conventions and sub-genres, and of course get much inspiration for your own project.
Some of these films can be borrowed from the Department. Some of the films from the list are 18-certificates so you will need to have that discussion with your parents / guardians; you also need to consider your own feelings.
1. Heat
2. Se7en
3. The Silence of the Lambs
4. LA Confidential
5. The Departed
6. Reservoir Dogs
7. Chinatown
8. North by Northwest
9. The Conversation
10. The 39 steps
11. Psycho
12. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
13. Charade
14. Strangers on a Train
15. The Third Man
16. Memento
17. Enemy of the State
18. The Servant
19. The Night of the Hunter
20. Rear Window
21. Rosemary’s Baby
22. The Others
23. Blue Velvet
24. The Ipcress File / Get Carter
25. The Fugitive
26. The Shining
27. The Killing
28. Blood Simple
29. The Usual Suspects
30. Cape Fear
31. No Country for Old Men
32. Double Indemnity
33. The Manchurian Candidate
34. Les Diaboliques (Clouzot)
35. The French Connection
36. Rebecca
37. Le Samourai (Melville)
38. City Of God
39. Delicatessen
40. Three Days of the Condor
41. After hours
42. Rebecca
43. Minority Report
44. What Lies Beneath
45. Copycat
46. The Bourne Identity
47. The Machinist
48. Fatal Attraction
49. Fargo
50. Schindler’s List (not a thriller but a masterclass in directing)
To get you started, here is a list of recommended films you really ought to see in order to get a firmer grasp of the Thriller genre.
Of course you cannot see them all but you'll be expected to have seen at least 8 by the end of the first half-term, then keep watching throughout the coursework unit.
Arrange viewings between yourselves and keep a record of you what you've seen. Discuss what makes these films good thrillers or at least iconic ones. You should develop a better understanding of thriller conventions and sub-genres, and of course get much inspiration for your own project.
Some of these films can be borrowed from the Department. Some of the films from the list are 18-certificates so you will need to have that discussion with your parents / guardians; you also need to consider your own feelings.
1. Heat
2. Se7en
3. The Silence of the Lambs
4. LA Confidential
5. The Departed
6. Reservoir Dogs
7. Chinatown
8. North by Northwest
9. The Conversation
10. The 39 steps
11. Psycho
12. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
13. Charade
14. Strangers on a Train
15. The Third Man
16. Memento
17. Enemy of the State
18. The Servant
19. The Night of the Hunter
20. Rear Window
21. Rosemary’s Baby
22. The Others
23. Blue Velvet
24. The Ipcress File / Get Carter
25. The Fugitive
26. The Shining
27. The Killing
28. Blood Simple
29. The Usual Suspects
30. Cape Fear
31. No Country for Old Men
32. Double Indemnity
33. The Manchurian Candidate
34. Les Diaboliques (Clouzot)
35. The French Connection
36. Rebecca
37. Le Samourai (Melville)
38. City Of God
39. Delicatessen
40. Three Days of the Condor
41. After hours
42. Rebecca
43. Minority Report
44. What Lies Beneath
45. Copycat
46. The Bourne Identity
47. The Machinist
48. Fatal Attraction
49. Fargo
50. Schindler’s List (not a thriller but a masterclass in directing)
02/04/2013
(G321) Dear moderator,
Here you can find the links to our students' individual blogs. The blogs contain Research and Planning as well as the final products and Evaluations. You can also find early research and practical tasks on their individual Induction blogs.
Please note: All students have created an individual edit of their Thriller opening though they planned and filmed in pairs.
Group 1:
Lisha Gorasia 8067 - Lisha's blog: http://gorasialisha-thriller.blogspot.co.uk/
Priyesh Mistry 8141 - Priyesh's blog: http://priyeshkumar-thriller.blogspot.com/
Group 2:
George Schena 8218 - George's blog: http://georgethriller.blogspot.com/
Leena Tulsidas 8256- Leena's blog: http://leenasthriller.blogspot.com/
Group 3:
Romina Mohammad-Nejad 8146 - Romina's blog: http://rominathrilleropening.blogspot.com/
Roshni Vaja 8324 - Roshni's blog: http://roshnithriller.blogspot.com/
Group 4:
Andrew Heush 7073 - Andrew's blog: http://andrewthrilleropening.blogspot.com/
Kelly Amdur 8009 - Kelly's blog: http://kellysthriller.blogspot.com/
Nikita Petralia 8317 - Nikita's blog: http://nikitasthrilleropening.blogspot.com/
Please note: All students have created an individual edit of their Thriller opening though they planned and filmed in pairs.
Group 1:
Lisha Gorasia 8067 - Lisha's blog: http://gorasialisha-thriller.blogspot.co.uk/
Priyesh Mistry 8141 - Priyesh's blog: http://priyeshkumar-thriller.blogspot.com/
Group 2:
George Schena 8218 - George's blog: http://georgethriller.blogspot.com/
Leena Tulsidas 8256- Leena's blog: http://leenasthriller.blogspot.com/
Group 3:
Romina Mohammad-Nejad 8146 - Romina's blog: http://rominathrilleropening.blogspot.com/
Roshni Vaja 8324 - Roshni's blog: http://roshnithriller.blogspot.com/
Group 4:
Andrew Heush 7073 - Andrew's blog: http://andrewthrilleropening.blogspot.com/
Kelly Amdur 8009 - Kelly's blog: http://kellysthriller.blogspot.com/
Nikita Petralia 8317 - Nikita's blog: http://nikitasthrilleropening.blogspot.com/
20/03/2013
COURSEWORK DEADLINE
THIS FRIDAY 22ND MARCH, YOUR COURSEWORK SHOULD BE FINISHED AND ONLINE BY 6PM.
THIS INCLUDES ALL OF THE RESEARCH AND PLANNING, YOUR FINAL CUT AND AT LEAST 3 EVALUATION QUESTIONS INCLUDING QUESTIONS 1 AND 5.
YOU CAN HAVE THE REST OF THE WEEKEND TO POST THE REST OF YOUR EVALUATION, TILL SUNDAY NIGHT, 9PM.
Nearly there! We will start assessing your work this weekend and moderate on Monday and Tuesday.
All the marks will be added up before Easter as we need to send them off.
THIS INCLUDES ALL OF THE RESEARCH AND PLANNING, YOUR FINAL CUT AND AT LEAST 3 EVALUATION QUESTIONS INCLUDING QUESTIONS 1 AND 5.
YOU CAN HAVE THE REST OF THE WEEKEND TO POST THE REST OF YOUR EVALUATION, TILL SUNDAY NIGHT, 9PM.
Nearly there! We will start assessing your work this weekend and moderate on Monday and Tuesday.
All the marks will be added up before Easter as we need to send them off.
14/03/2013
Evaluation - 20 marks Tips, advice, exemplars
Posted by your chief examiner, Pete Fraser, on his blog - an excellent blog..
http://cw-kb-mediastudies.blogspot.com/
This is a great response to Question 1 by Kamini from last year:
http://thrillerblog2011.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/in-what-ways-does-your-media-product.html
These are interesting ones from Yasmin whose evaluation also made it into Level 4 (though it's not perfect!)
http://yasminsthrillerblog.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Evaluations
This is more of a level 3 but shows you how you can annotate your film opening in YouTube for Question 5:
http://mananv94thriller.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/evaluation-part-5.html
This is an example of a director's commentary over the students' film opening (warning: it's not particularly high quality)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL0rk4F8S20&safe=active
This is a better one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H45f-zOhXo&safe=active
Example from other centre (note - your evalution must feature on your individual blog)
Also take inspiration from A2 Evaluations - Look at Hasina's tasks and Chloe's voice over for instance.
Also look at the examples linked on the left hand-side under Essential Links (towards the bottom of the list on this page)
Just to remind you again, here are the criteria for a level 4:
16–20 marks
- Excellent understanding of issues around audience, institution, technology, representation, forms and conventions in relation to production.
- Excellent ability to refer to the choices made and outcomes.
- Excellent understanding of their development from preliminary to full task.
- Excellent ability to communicate.
- Excellent skill in the use of digital technology or ICT in the evaluation
Suggested tasks:
http://cw-kb-mediastudies.blogspot.com/
This is a great response to Question 1 by Kamini from last year:
http://thrillerblog2011.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/in-what-ways-does-your-media-product.html
These are interesting ones from Yasmin whose evaluation also made it into Level 4 (though it's not perfect!)
http://yasminsthrillerblog.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Evaluations
This is more of a level 3 but shows you how you can annotate your film opening in YouTube for Question 5:
http://mananv94thriller.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/evaluation-part-5.html
This is an example of a director's commentary over the students' film opening (warning: it's not particularly high quality)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL0rk4F8S20&safe=active
This is a better one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H45f-zOhXo&safe=active
Example from other centre (note - your evalution must feature on your individual blog)
Also take inspiration from A2 Evaluations - Look at Hasina's tasks and Chloe's voice over for instance.
Also look at the examples linked on the left hand-side under Essential Links (towards the bottom of the list on this page)
Just to remind you again, here are the criteria for a level 4:
16–20 marks
- Excellent understanding of issues around audience, institution, technology, representation, forms and conventions in relation to production.
- Excellent ability to refer to the choices made and outcomes.
- Excellent understanding of their development from preliminary to full task.
- Excellent ability to communicate.
- Excellent skill in the use of digital technology or ICT in the evaluation
Suggested tasks:
06/03/2013
DEADLINE FOR YOUR FINAL CUT: FRIDAY 8TH MARCH
MAKE SURE YOU EXPORT IT AND EMBED INTO YOUR BLOG.
Reminder: The mark scheme is all around the Media Pod but just so it's clear to everyone, this is how to get a level 4 for production (and that 60 marks out of 100!):
Reminder: The mark scheme is all around the Media Pod but just so it's clear to everyone, this is how to get a level 4 for production (and that 60 marks out of 100!):
Level 4 48–60 marks
There is evidence of excellence in the creative use of most of the following technical skills:
material appropriate for the target audience and task;
using titles appropriately according to institutional conventions;
using sound with images and editing appropriately for the task set;
shooting material appropriate to the task set, including controlled use of the camera, attention to framing, variety of shot distance and close attention to mise-en-scene;
using editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer and making selective and appropriate use of shot transitions and other effects.
The Research and Planning section of your blog should be more or less complete now. This is the mark scheme (20 marks available for this):
Level 4 16–20 marks
Planning and research evidence will be complete and detailed;
There is excellent research into similar products and a potential target audience;
There is excellent organisation of actors, locations, costumes or props;
There is excellent work on shotlists, layouts, drafting, scripting or storyboarding;
There is an excellent level of care in the presentation of the research and planning;
Time management is excellent.
Finally, from next week you'll be working on your evaluation. Again, there are 20 marks available here so make sure you spend the time to complete them properly:
The questions that must be addressed in the evaluation are:
1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?
3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
4. Who would be the audience for your media product?
5. How did you attract/address your audience?
6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Level 4 16–20 marks
Excellent skill in the use of appropriate digital technology or ICT in the evaluation.
Excellent understanding of issues around audience, institution, technology, representation, forms and conventions in relation to production.
Excellent ability to refer to the choices made and outcomes.
Excellent understanding of their development from preliminary to full task.
Excellent ability to communicate.
31/01/2013
UPDATE: Next tasks, Audience Research and Evaluation Questions
Your blogs are looking good but you need to now focus on filming and editing!!!
Alongside that, you need to continue updating your blogs:
- The work you have done on your titles so far, with screengrabs and a few evaluative comments;
- Any test shoot or recce you have done, with pictures of behind-the-scenes if possible!
- Institutional information research - Who would produce your film? Who would distribute your film?
- More research into your target audience:
* Profile of your target audience member
Some of you are already quite far into your research. Remember to sum up your findings about core target audience, any secondary audience.
All magazines do it - for instance, look at NME's summary of their target audience:
You must have identified a clear target audience and you must show the
steps you've taken to identify it and the steps you've taken to test your ideas against this specified
audience. This doesn't mean just an endless series of questionnaires. Use the
range of techniques including interviews, preferably with
your target audience, and the tools available through Web 2.0.
Look at similar films and research their audiences - How was it marketed to appeal to the target audience? What are the viewing figures?
You must be able to answer these questions fully and with illustrations:
1. What is the core target audience? Is there a secondary target audience?
2. How would you describe the look and tastes of your target audience? (collage with key words)
THIS SHOULD HELP - FROM MEDIAKNOWALL WEBSITE.
* Research into the Uses and Gratifications Theory. You can start by reading this
Explain what your audience would 'get out of' watching your film, focusing on the bullet points from the article above (and copied below)
Blumler & Katz (1974) argued that audience needs have social and psychological origins which generate certain expectations about the mass media, leading to differential patterns of media exposure which result in both the gratification of needs and in other (often unintended) consequences. This does assume an active audience making motivated choices:
Finally, some of you are being really good at writing short updates which help us get a sense of your 'journey'. All of you should be doing it.
Also make sure that you use plenty of screengrabs to show evidence of what you have been doing, particularly which technologies you are learning to use.
I will now put the Evaluation Questions below as it is crucial to have them in mind as you plan.
This is the suggested Evaluation Tasks List but I am keen to experiment a bit more with different formats this year. You can use this as general guidance though.
Alongside that, you need to continue updating your blogs:
- The work you have done on your titles so far, with screengrabs and a few evaluative comments;
- Any test shoot or recce you have done, with pictures of behind-the-scenes if possible!
- Institutional information research - Who would produce your film? Who would distribute your film?
- More research into your target audience:
* Profile of your target audience member
Some of you are already quite far into your research. Remember to sum up your findings about core target audience, any secondary audience.
All magazines do it - for instance, look at NME's summary of their target audience:
You must have identified a clear target audience and you must show the
steps you've taken to identify it and the steps you've taken to test your ideas against this specified
audience. This doesn't mean just an endless series of questionnaires. Use the
range of techniques including interviews, preferably with
your target audience, and the tools available through Web 2.0.Look at similar films and research their audiences - How was it marketed to appeal to the target audience? What are the viewing figures?
You must be able to answer these questions fully and with illustrations:
1. What is the core target audience? Is there a secondary target audience?
2. How would you describe the look and tastes of your target audience? (collage with key words)
THIS SHOULD HELP - FROM MEDIAKNOWALL WEBSITE.
Explain what your audience would 'get out of' watching your film, focusing on the bullet points from the article above (and copied below)
Blumler & Katz (1974) argued that audience needs have social and psychological origins which generate certain expectations about the mass media, leading to differential patterns of media exposure which result in both the gratification of needs and in other (often unintended) consequences. This does assume an active audience making motivated choices:
- Information
- finding out about relevant events and conditions in immediate surroundings, society and the world
- seeking advice on practical matters or opinion and decision choices
- satisfying curiosity and general interest
- learning; self-education
- gaining a sense of security through knowledge
- Personal Identity
- finding reinforcement for personal values
- finding models of behaviour
- identifying with valued other (in the media)
- gaining insight into one's self
Integration and Social Interaction
- gaining insight into circumstances of others; social empathy
- identifying with others and gaining a sense of belonging
- finding a basis for conversation and social interaction
- having a substitute for real-life companionship
- helping to carry out social roles
- enabling one to connect with family, friends and society
Entertainment
- escaping, or being diverted, from problems
- relaxing
- getting intrinsic cultural or aesthetic enjoyment
- filling time
- emotional release
- sexual arousal
Finally, some of you are being really good at writing short updates which help us get a sense of your 'journey'. All of you should be doing it.
Also make sure that you use plenty of screengrabs to show evidence of what you have been doing, particularly which technologies you are learning to use.
I will now put the Evaluation Questions below as it is crucial to have them in mind as you plan.
This is the suggested Evaluation Tasks List but I am keen to experiment a bit more with different formats this year. You can use this as general guidance though.
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