Rough Cut

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NWTiw5BU7A

Audience feedback is important to any group/director about their sequence for a number of reasons. It allows the directors of the sequence to see peoples real opinions of the production, it is useful for knowing what went well, what the audience didn't like about it, and also what to change for next time if you were to make a sequel or second production. Feedback from various members of the audience allows you to gather an insight of what people thought in general about your production.

We recieved various feedback from our potential/actual audiences before and after the film in a number of ways, using questionnaires, vox pops, and also actual youtube comment reviews about our thriller sequence. The questionnaires towards our intended target audience allowed us to see what they prefer in a thriller film, such as weapon used, villains identity and sub-genre of thriller e.g crime, psychological. Our vox pops were used to show visual evidence of this and real-life interviews, which were also posted to youtube. After hearing and taking the comments into account, we then set about making our own thriller sequences in groups, looking to make them as effective as possible and also appeal to the needs of our target audiences after hearing their opinions.

Here we have four youtube comments that are reviews from people who watched our sequence, and these comments were left under the post of our uploaded thriller production.

Looking at the top comment from Kerry Boyne, we can see that she was generally pleased with what she saw and liked our production, giving us credit for our narrative, which in her opinion made the sequence "interesting and engaging" which meant we succesfully were able to draw her into the plot and the sequence itself. Another positive to take from this comment that our low-key lighting used throughout was pretty effective as it built tension. Kerry believed that we could have maybe left the titles up longer so that they were easier to read and that also a darker filter should've been used during the suicide scene to further set the tone. I believe overall this was a very positive comment, Kerry clearly enjoyed our sequence, and if out of two constructive comments she could only find the timing of titles to be a bad point, then our sequence was effective at drawing her into the plot and at the same time entertaining her.

From Amy's comment, we noticed that she pointed out slightly different positives about our sequence compared to Kerry, instead praising our use of Cinematography and camera angles, as well as the acting in the scenes. She thought we could use more sound at the final point of the sequence to build more tension and suspense. This could also add shock to audience, as they would not expect it, which is a good point to take from Amy as she could be right and maybe this would've made the ending more effective, however adding suspenseful and shocking sound to a character appearing from no where would almost pretty much be a jump scare, which is very typical and common in the thriller genre and we have stated from the start that we didn't want to be so one dimensional and sterotypical and also seperate ourselves to have our own style, plus it was revealed in our questionnaire that most people nowadays would actually prefer if a thriller film did not contain jump scares.

From Malu's comment, we can gather that like Kerry, she also liked our narrative, which means it was clearly effective if others were agreeing with this statement, however Malu also shared constructive comments with Kerry and Amy about the sounds behind used when morgan is in the frame, which shows this was a clear negative in our sequence, as it was a common constructive comment and that we could have clearly done better to make the end of our sequence more effective.

From Bettie's comment, we can see again our audience liked our transition of shots and use of them, but also another common negative as she also felt our credits did not appear long enough, but it is evident that she enjoyed our sequence as this was the only negative that she could point out, meaning overall, apart from the sound used when Cameron appears in shots, our thriller sequence was effective, the audience were drawn in and engaged into our narrative, and we displayed our scenes and shots well with good camera shots.

In conclusion, the audience in general liked our narrative, and were very impressed with our shots, meaning Claire did a very good job in her role as filming the scenes. We could however have done better towards the end of the sequence to build even more of an atmosphere and create shock and more tension for the audience, but overall we were clearly effective in doing this otherwise, and our sequence recieved generally positive reviews and it's clear to see our audience were staisfied.

.

Production Roles - Miss Miller

Production Roles

When creating a film, many roles are included as well as actors that take place behind the scenes. All people involved in the film are assigned their own role and credited in the film.  It is essential to have directors, actors, producers and people behind the scene to contribute towards the film.

In our group, the following roles are as follows

Producers- Go Butson
Director - Molly, Claire
Actors - Morgan, Jake, Molly, Grace
Director of photography- Claire
Music producers- All
Screenplay writer- Jake
MES co-ordinator- Jake
Editors- Molly

We all played a part in producing and worked together as a group to create things such as the storyboards and posts, molly and claire were the directors as they previously filmed a production at GCSE, whilst I opted to create a magazine instead.

Morgan is the main character and antagonist and while my group had to re-film I had to cover for him, molly features as his girlfriend while grace plays the mother. Claire was made director of photography as she previously took this as a GCSE subject. We all helped in chosing and producing the music relevant to the scene as we used molly's computer to open editing to edit and compare the sounds. I was made screenplay writer as I was able to showcast my talents in this as I take A-level english langauge and achieved an A in GCSE. I was made MES co-ordinator for my previous work in media studies at GCSE. Molly is the main editor as the film and memory card is on her computer.

From working with claire, mainly in molly's absense, we were able to make very effective editing with sound and also some shots in the sequence. We agreed on most ideas together and it was fun working with her as we got a lot done when on a task alone together, and hopefully I can continue working with her more in the future.

I believe Molly voiced her opinion well with most topics and took a good stand on things, especially improvements to make and the overall editing and also she performed well in her acting role, however I tried to involve myself as best as I could within the group and felt I was often shut out, and from the beginning they did not need me to act nor change the plot, and although I enjoyed my roles as MES Co-ordinator, screenplay writer and sound editor, I wished she would've let me take part in more things in the group, that I hope will happen during the next group task we are given.

Overall I believe everyone contributed well in their role, they were chosen well and all for a reason, which is why everything has worked out effectively so far in our group and I enjoyed participating in the roles that I was given. I don't believe anything could've been done differently as everything has been effective and has played out well.

Opening Sequence Narrative

Opening Scene Narrative

Introduction

The first frame of our opening sequence is of a longshot  of the main character and antagonist, Cameron, shot in the school corridor, dragging a chair along the hallway creating an eery sound, and preparing for his own suicide. The sound used here is very basic in this scene, as the focus is mainly on the squeaking sound of the chair, which is an eery and adds suspense, keeping the audience on edge and unsettled. The scene continues and goes onto a medium shot and the sound and frame remain similar, now focusing on just building up the tension in the scene. This scene then shows Cameron opening the door which follows the scene with the stair case. This shot here is another medium one and all the audience can hear now is the door creaking slowly behind him, which then this changes into a close up of the door, which then shuts firmly and suddenly to show how trapped Cameron actually is. The scene then fades to black, by using low key lighting to set the mood and is reunited with a close up of him tying the rope around the metal staircase. 

The next shot is filmed in the same location, which is still shown as damp and dusty to the audience. The use of iconography is now present in this frame as the chair and scarf are now seen, which is used as a suicide rope for Cameron. As the main character Cameron steps onto the chair, eery sounds can be heard non-digetetically as they are not on seen on the screen. A close up of Cameron's lifeless and emotionless face is then shown to the camera and also the audience. We used makeup under his eyes to show his exhaustion. His facial expressions continue to appear as if he has given up, now on life itself as suspense and tension is created as it is clear his intentions are suicide. 

The cinematography in this scene changes as it zooms out into a medium shot. The editing is very slow in this part, as we planned to use slow motion to prolong his death and drag out the scene, creating tension and suspense. The final frame in this scene is filmed with a medium shot. The audience can see his legs continuously struggling. The iconography remains the same and all the audience see now is the chair being kicked over by him. The soundtrack remains dark and depressing to create the effect and realisation that his life has come to an end. The positioning of the character Cameron remains very unsettled as we see his struggle after killing himself. The editing then comes in from a big fade/flash transition to show we have actually gone back in time to where Camerons struggles began. 

The first frame in the next scene could suggest that Cameron had a 'normal' family life growing up. The sound of eating is present and digetic and the long shot is used to show the positioning of the characters which is Mother and Son placed awkwardly at different ends of the table, creating suspense. The iconography in this scene is the cutlery and food that is left out for the pair of them to eat. The constant sound of eating and knives against the plate is can be heard and the lighting remains quite natural considering this is shot during the evening. The shot that follows is a P.O.V shot form Cameron's eyes as he is looking at his mother as she begins to nag him, talking about a doctors appointment. 

Her facial expression remains concerned and the only digetic sound we hear is the mother raising her voice about how she believes Cameron has behaved. 

A close up is then shot of Cameron stabbing his knife into the his toast here. The audience see the anger in the way he uses this iconography which builds up the audiences perspective of what type of character Cameron is. We then see Cameron's whole body language after this, his position stays very stiff and his facial expression remains very tense. The lighting then becomes darker as the scenes atmosphere fades away. The sound of his mothers dialogue and speech is faded as Cameron's intentions and thoughts turns dark. The next shot shows an extreme close up of Cameron's dark eyes. Eery sounds begin then appear as we see the frustration in his facial expression. A sudden fade then comes in which lasts roughly 3 seconds. Cameron then shuts his eyes. 

After a flash transition the frame is led from Cameron's point of view and side of things and the use of iconography is used and repetition is used showing of the knife is constant and carries on. The short and violent scene are brought to the audiences attention in quick editing. The character Grace is shown being stabbed and falls off her chair while she then looks confused and dazed after being wounded. Cameron then remains in power as we see him struggle to maintain purity as he murders his mother. We hear nothing but the soundtrack being played, which is a cover of Tiny Tims - Tip Toe Through The Tulips. This parallel sound is played as Grace snuggles to get her son off of her. Although this diagetic sound is muffled, We are able to here Cameron's muffled breathing. The lighting is still dark at this point to show that his 'dark' side is present. The title of our film "disturbia" is then displayed on scene in white font in front of a black background, whilst tiny tim "tip toe through the tulips" plays in the background.

The final scene is then played out, with a medium shot that shows Harmony, his girlfriend walking. The audience are then able to see an empty looking street and a bush to the right. The following shot remains quite low and only shows half of her body. Her phone then begins to ring and a medium shot is used so the audience can see her answering the phone. 

When the phone remains fuzzy and threatening she panics and a P.O.V shot is shown as she frantically looks around to see if anyone is watching her. Cameron replies with 'Cameron's Not Here Anymore' - As Harmony walks off we see her in a black coat. She wears all black to connotate that danger is near for her. We got Cameron to remain in a suit almost to show the contrast in characters. When he is innocent he wears white. When he is in black he is evil and the fact he is in a suit at the end shows that this is only the beginning for Cameron. His 'protagonist side' wants to trick the audience into thinking his in charge.

Conclusion

If this was an entire film the storyline would continue to show how Cameron's innocent side deals with the guilt which leads him to his suicide and how does the film actually end does Cameron really die. The fact that Cameron appears to kill himself at the start how does this differ to sterotypical thrillers.

Risk Assesment

It is important to consider risks before filming, as we do not want anyone getting injured during our production and also make sure it is completely safe to film in order to ensure there is no distractions and we are wary of hazards so everything can run smoothly. If a group member or actor is hurt from a hazard, not only may they not only be able to take part in the production, serious injury or even death may occur, which is very bad for obvious reasons.

The risk assessment will assist us with filming as it will make sure we are in a safe environment and remove all possible dangers that we may encounter before filming. It also ensures no one is hurt and that we have covered all possible dangers we may encounter when filming, meaning that our group members and actors will be perfectly safe and aware of all hazards.

Filming Schedule- Miss Georgiou

A filming schedule is important to have, as it keeps everything organised in your group to do with your filming, such as when and where we will meet too film and also what we will need in each scene. Withput a filming schedule, scene filming would be un-organised and it would be hard to check and remember everything you need, by following the schedule, you know when and where to meet and also what you will need and what shots you will be filming, which is helpful as everything is organised so filming can run smoothly.

Group Storyboard- Miss Miller

Group Storyboard

It is important to have a group storyboard, because it allows you and your group members to see and know the overall narrative of your scene and also the order you are filming in and your order of shots, which gives you an organised plan and is vital in planning the production. In our group, Me, Molly and Claire all compared eachothers ideas from our own individual storyboards, and decided that Molly's drawings were best, which was why we let her illustrate the storyboard and also Molly took ideas from mine and claire's features of editing and sound such as silence and slow editing to include in our group storyboard.

We included silence in the beginning of the sequence to create tension, the audience are unaware of what's going to happen next and are made uneasy by the silence and also unsettled by the eery squeek of a dragging chair and a closing door. Low key lighting was also important to include, which was featured in all of our individual storyboards as it sets the tone for the audience and is conventional to a thriller as it dimmens the mood, creating tension.

 From Molly's storyboard, we also included a lot of the camera angles from the end scene, such as over the shoulder shots and a P.O.V which are conventional to the thriller genre and also allows the audience to connect with the character as the see things from their perspective. 

I believe our storyboard is well organised and effective, as we clearly include everything in our narrative and also the key elements in each shot such as sound, editing, characters and lighting. We did well to incorporate all 3 of our ideas into our joint group storyboard, making sure all of our ideas were considered but also making sure we used the most appropriate to the scenes and shots to make the most effective it could possibly be.

Individual Storyboard - Miss Miller

Storyboard

The purpose of a storyboard is to help better plan a scene and to also plan each part of the scene and what happens inside of it. It paints a picture for the scenery in a shot and also the overall imagery. It also allows you to plan the sounds, editing and camera angles of what you plan to film and also the order you plan to film it in.

In our groups, we created individual storyboards to share ideas with eachother about our opening sequence and also show each other what we think the scene should plan out like. It also allows us to compare our ideas and what we think is best for the group as a whole for our production, which is why we are creating a group storyboard afterwards.

My individual post will help will help when we are group planning as it will allow us to compare ideas and use the best possible ideas for our group, which means I could possibly have a better idea than the other two people in my group. I have included the general outline of the plot in my storyboard, but also included the sound and editing featured in each shot and also the narrative of what's happening in the scene, which is vital to planning as our group need to understand what is going on. For example, I included low key lighting in some shots, such as the suicide scene at the beginning to create an enigma and also suspense as the audience are awaiting to see what will happen to the character and fear for him, which is how I made this conventional to a thriller and also set the tone for the audience. I expect the audience to be drawn in to my sequence, as suspense is created by slow timing and also various points of silence throughout some shots, such as the dinner scene to create tension and an eery atmosphere for the audience, making them feel uneasy and on edge and also low key lighting dimming in the mood and the overall plot of the sequence, creating suspense and tension throughout.

I have taken inspirations for my sequence from the Alfred Hitchcock classic, Psycho, which is set in low key lighting but also creates suspense for the audience very well for the audience such as the shower scene, which I incorporate into my beginning shots. In conclusion, I believe my storyboard is well laid out and clearly shows what's needed in each scene such as editing, sound and costumes. From my storyboard, I hope my group incorporate my ideas about sound in the first few shots and also the camera angles during the dinner scene as I believe it is best for the scene and creates suspense and tension for the audience well. Doing this individually and sharing back to our group allows us to compare ideas and also decide what frames and overall storyboard slots are best for the group and our final storyboard.