Target Audience Target Audience Emily Welfare and Hannah KnightEmily Welfare and Hannah Knight

This mood board shows that our target audience are teens from the age of fifteen and up. Our target audience would have to be into horror movies and such to like our film, and would have to be mature enough to see the content that it holds such as blood etc. Most supernatural thrillers are certified as 15.

In the visual profile for our target audience, we chose to have an audience that has similar interests to us. For example, we are interested in most technological things such as iPods, laptops and xbox’s. They also must have an interest in thriller and horror movies, since our film is within that genre and therefore is relevant.

The films that we have compared with our films are ‘The Ring’ and ‘Shutter Island’. The posters for these films are slightly different from each other. ‘The Ring’ has a very boldly coloured poster, in order to highlight the ring around the woman’s face. If our film had a specific item in it, we would do that very same thing for our poster. ‘Shutter Island’ has a very dark and gloomy colour scheme, which is the one we would most probably use due to it being a horror-thriller. For a teenage horror-thriller, the poster would have to look like both of these posters in order to interest a teenager.

Feedback - StrengthsFeedback - Strengths

“Camera Work” – People commented on how we used a range of camera work throughout the film e.g. high angle, hand-held and that we kept the camera steady.“Editing” – Throughout the people asked, they liked how the hand-held camera shot was established into the film and the use of the filter to create the effect of CCTV. This also included the use of match on action and shot-reverse shot that was included throughout the opening.“Credit Sequence”- The font and style of the credits, the audience thought, were well placed and professional.

Feedback - WeaknessesFeedback - Weaknesses

“Unclear at the end” – The ending of the film opening was unclear to some people, however, I think that is a strength since it leaves questions about the rest of the film, which is the job of a film opening.Lighting – Comments such as “Bad lighting at times” and “It was too dark” were made. To justify this, I think that this was caused by the limited camera quality and it was partially intentional since it was the theme that we wanted to set. “Beginning scene wasn’t so good however later it grew better, so beginning should’ve been improved”- The scene, which included the shot reverse shots and establishing shot, I think, didn’t include enough range of shots during that time e.g. distance of shots. I would improve this by including a few more shots of a different range into the shot-reverse shot.

Genre ConventionsGenre Conventions

Themes

For our opening, we would tie in the paranormal and paranoia themes, the reason for this is because no one knows what happened to the three characters, and one of the characters seems inexplicably afraid. Paranoia is a common theme within thriller movies, since it builds tension and suspense. Paranormal and horror types of thrillers are common for teens.

Narrative

In order to link this movie with thriller, we had to include some of the typical narratives. For example, we assume that the three characters were killed in the beginning, because of the blood that is seen at the end of the opening. Murder is a common aspect to a thriller film. There is also the aspect of ‘investigation’, which is also a common narrative in thriller movies.

Iconography

A typical aspect to a thriller film would be abandoned places. We used this aspect in our opening, using a factory in which we called ‘abandoned’ in order to tie in the thriller requirements. Abandoned places and urban settings such as cities, common streets and such are common in thriller films, which is why we used the urban setting of a school and street at the beginning of the opening. School’s are more in touch with teenagers, and therefore will make it more personal to them.

Iconography (continued)

In thriller films, props such as gadgets are often used. We applied this to our opening, making one of the characters carry around a camera in order for the hand held shots to make sense. Teenagers tend to use these types of technology often, so it would interest them.

Characters

The characters are four teenagers, and therefore already puts the target audience in touch with the film opening. The reason for this is that they are teenagers themselves, so the overall outcome of the characters fates will feel much more personal to them.

Media LanguageMedia Language

This appealed to the target audience because they liked the range in editing and camera techniques which was the high angle shot and the filter that was used to create the effect of a CCTV camera watching them.

The Target audience liked the fact that we used a hand-held shot in the movie because they thought that they could relate to the characters more that way and that they could be in their point of view, where the action is.

I think that the camera angle of this shot was effective because it looks like it took the place of the hand-held camera that fell to the floor before. Also, I think that by using this angle, the audience doesn’t see what the character saw so therefore, the situation causes questions as to what may happen in the film.

MusicMusic

At approximately 1:20 into the opening I edited the soundtrack so that it would create a more dramatic film to increase the tension into the opening. The music was to also create a more creepy horror effect, or a paranormal effect, applying to the popular genre in which teenagers are most interested in. The reason we used this music was to create a more suspenseful feel to what will happen to the characters later on in the opening.

Similarities With Other FilmsSimilarities With Other Films

Our film opening is quite similar to the ‘Blaire Witch Project’, since the characters use a hand held camera in order to shoot the action from a more personal point. Teenagers tend to watch films like Blaire Witch Project in order to feel more personal with the movie, since it’s basically the point of view of the person the whole way through. We wanted to use this in our movie so that the target audience can feel more involved with the movie.

We also wanted to use Blaire Witch Project since the hand held shots do not seem all that thrilling at first, until things are noticed when they are ‘accidentally’ filmed.

What Makes Our Film Different?What Makes Our Film Different?

We wanted the film to be a more personalized version of We wanted the film to be a more personalized version of the typical thriller, adding in horror, psychological the typical thriller, adding in horror, psychological aspects, and mystery at the same time. We went a bit aspects, and mystery at the same time. We went a bit out of thriller with the choice of characters, since the out of thriller with the choice of characters, since the characters don’t tend to be teenagers or school students. characters don’t tend to be teenagers or school students. We wanted to challenge ourselves and make a change We wanted to challenge ourselves and make a change within our thriller film.within our thriller film.

Also, our film would be what one would call an indie film, Also, our film would be what one would call an indie film, which is greatly welcomed in the modern world, since which is greatly welcomed in the modern world, since indie films have turned out to be some of the best films indie films have turned out to be some of the best films so far!so far!