Starting your research! Initial Thriller Research

Time to get more familiar with the Thriler genre.

Find out about the generic conventions of Thrillers, the different ways in which the sub-genres are categorised, including a look at Charles Derry's classification. Look at how well thrillers do at the box office, which are the most successful of recent times, which are the classics of the genre.

Start watching too! Embed extracts, opening sequences, screen grabs. Look at gender representation and typical narratives in Thrillers.


In other words, familiarise yourself with the genre!

Some 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)

David Fincher's style - WATCH THIS!

You will learn so much about the choices that this director makes in his films, particularly the way he marries camerawork and editing.

The Preliminary Task

On Thursday you will be doing the first part of your Coursework Production.

This is the actual work to be produced:

Preliminary exercise: Continuity task involving filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom she/he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue.
This task should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180-degree rule.

Look at this example to prepare yourself!

Opening scene: The Ninth Gate

Here's is an amazing opening scene with amazing camerawork and mise-en-scene which build the narrative.
Watch it and deconstruct it!

Welcome new AS Students! Some amazing resources to get you started (Composition and Editing)

Watch this on Composition:


What Is Composition from Press Play Video Blog on Vimeo.

And this on editing:



Finally, this UNMISSABLE, ABSOLUTELY CLASSIC documentary on Editing, The Cutting Edge:

Dear Moderator,

Here are the links to our AS students' blogs. They have all completed the brief that asks them to complete a continuity task and a film opening sequence. They have produced thriller openings.

They have all worked on their own to plan and edit their own films. We hope that you'll enjoy their work.

Candidate 9124 - Steven Attwell: Link to Steven's blog
Candidate 9302 - Rhianna Biggs: Link to Rhianna's blog
Candidate 9585 - Nicole Fleming: Link to Nicole's blog
Candidate 8073 - Thomas Hallisey: Link to Tom's blog
Candidate 9424 - Roshni Mepani: Link to Roshni's blog
Candidate 9542 - Kareem Tamam: Link to Kareem's blog
(Kareem is currently rebuilding his blog after his posts got deleted over Easter.)
(UPDATE: A week after Easter, Kareem was admitted for an appendectomy and has not returned to school before the coursework deadline. He has done his best to rebuild his blog from home but has struggled with further medical complications since. We will be asking for special considerations to be given.)

Please contact me via email if there are any issues with any of the links: h.o'shea@parkhighstanmore.org.uk

Thank you.

Evaluation - The final 20 marks

THE SEVEN QUESTIONS:

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? 
   

NOW USE THE GUIDANCE BELOW!

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:

Marking Criteria and activities for the evaluation by hgaldinoshea

Here is an example of one student's research into the question.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

View more presentations from Stephanie.

AUDIENCE RESEARCH

In addition, remember that without solid audience research and a clearly defined target audience, you won't get a level 4 for Research and Planning.

On top of your BBFC research and discussion, think about the following:

You must have identified a clear target audience and you must show the steps you've taken to identify it and to test your ideas against this specified audience. This doesn't mean just an endless series of questionnaires. Use the range of techniques discussed 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 perhaps)

And later, after a little more research and teaching, you also need to answer this:

3. What functions does this kind of film genre serve to its audience? (uses and gratifications audience theory - why not start researching that?

Think of films which features similar plots / characters / settings / types of editing and screengrabs / comment / analyse.


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:




Some ideas for you:
Target Audience Profile and Target Audience Media Consumption Profile:

IMMEDIATE TO DO LIST

Use the coursework checklist you were given. Tick off as you go. 

PLANNING

Storyboards uploaded to blogs (photos will do).
Take a pic of every single shot for your animatic.
Finished script uploaded to blogs
Shot list
Shooting schedule
Planning of locations, costumes, props etc…

RESEARCH

BBFC research - link to blog - study guidance - decide on certificate rating for your film.
Gearing towards a post on more detailed audience research.

PRODUCTION

Start filming/editing.

Example of an animatic

Here is an example of the kind of storyboard you need to be aiming for (though this one is for a music video). You'll be creating the animatic next week:
http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=GB#/watch?v=XKmGn9565hA

Example of a shot list from a different centre

shot list

DO THIS - DO IT NOW! Planning and Storyboarding

You should be planning furiously as time is short. Start storyboarding your ideas - It is something that must be done well and that moderators will expect to see.

Click here to follow the link.