Evaluation - extended

When we were given the task the first thing we started to do was research as much as we could about thrillers. Because we decided we wanted our thriller to have a subgenre of horror, we also had to research horror films as well. I started by finding out out what the codes and conventions are of horrors and thrillers. I stared analysing the first 10 or so minutes of films such as Seven, and begun to pick out where the producer had used the codes and conventions of this particular genre of film. This then gave us more of an idea of what we had to include in our own film opening. Other members of my group begun researching other films and also by producing a questionnaire which was then gradually filled out by a range of different audiences. When we got the results back from the questionnaire, we could then start planing our thriller/horror film opening. For the planning stage, we had to think about characters, setting, camera shots, content and mise en scene. Once we had come up with the ideas for our film opening, we put everything into a story board so when we began too film we could look at it to know what scene we need to be filming next. I think that the storyboard helped in the sense that we knew what order the scenes were going to be in, however, we did change our minds about some shots on it but initially we did stick to it. I think planning overall was our weakest point as I don't feel enough was done. Even though we didn't do very much I think we did a good job with our media product and am pleased with how it turned out and our audience feedback results.

Evaluation

Post Production Realisation

When our group started to take all the shots we have and go through all of them sorting which ones are good and bad to use. After this we put the ones we deem best and place them onto our Premiere Pro timeline. However when we started to cut the shots and place them in order as well as after being edited to fit with each other in time consecutively one after the other we begun to realise that some shots were jumpy and we needed some more shots in between the current ones we have to create more tension instead of there being constant action. For example one of the first shots is a shot of the protagonist sleeping next to the fire on the sofa and then a shot of the baby's room, which then cuts to another shot of her sleeping and then the monitor starts to make noise and it then zooms in on this, but the babysitter is asleep and cannot hear this. We then wanted her to wake up shortly after by the control falling off the sofa by some supernatural or paranormal force. However we put these shots together of the monitor making noise and then the controller falling off the sofa, but we realised that this didn't look right as it cut to quickly between the two pieces of action and we needed some more mysterious shots of something else happening before the controller falls as we all thought it was too soon. However we do not quite know what to put in between these two sections of action. Therefore we now realise that everything isn't as easy as it is planned. Furthermore that when in post-production you can come across shots that don't directly fit into one another. Moreover this happens when the babysitter goes to drink the water but the arm jumps too much as she raises it up to drink. making it look unnatural. Therefore we know we have to shoot more shots and maybe shoot a variety of other things that could be used as fillers to also create mysteriousness within the opening as it is a horror/thriller which tend just to imply themes rather than actual show and consequently fit into our genre as well as making the opening more natural and flow better overall.

My Conclusion:

The House - Opening Thriller/Horror