Evaluation Activity 1

Title of Our Thriller


The title of our thriller uses conventions of a thriller as it is a one-word title 'Retribution'. This supports thriller conventions as it is basic, straight to the point, but also shocking and gives the viewer the image in their mind of revenge. The colours used in the title are black and white which are both colours associated with thriller conventions. The black shows the darkness of the opening for example when Nathan murders Ryan, whereas the white shows the purity and innocence that Ryan has as he is attacked maliciously.

Setting


The first setting used in our thriller was James Mathews' house in Ongar. This setting challenged thriller conventions as the house was not a haunting or scary place and as it was done in the day time there was no tension created by darkness. Our second setting was a shed in James' garden and this setting did support thriller conventions for many reasons. The shed was old and appeared derelict, also almost all light was blocked out of the shed and this therefore, created a lot of tension. We were able to use a spotlight to shine in the victim's face as a result of the darkness and this worked well with the effect that we wanted to achieve in that scene. Settings used for the chase scene also supported thriller conventions as they were quiet country roads that appeared away from the public eye.

Costumes and props


Nathan's costume - Dark, hooded clothes immediately showed the audience that he was the antagonist in the thriller and this strongly supported previous thriller conventions.
Ryan's costume - Casual, everyday clothes gave the audience the impression that Ryan was the protagonist in the film and he was the innocent victim that was attacked maliciously which supported thriller conventions.
James' costume - James' costume at first appears to be innocent but after he disocvers Ryan's death he can then be seen to change as he searches for revenge. His dark jacket and trousers show how he has now become the attacker which is again supporting previous thriller conventions.

Camerawork and Editing


The main editing technique that we used effectively was rapid editing to quicken up our thriller and increase the level of tension that was present during the opening. This is a technique often used in thriller films and so therefore, strongly supports thriller conventions. Another editing technique that we used was title sequences at the beginning and end of our thriller. These included the names of the actors in the thriller and the title at the very end of the clip which came up in bold letters at the climax of the opening. This again supports thriller conventions as there are often title sequences used at the beginning of the film to set the scene of the film and build up tension. Also the title being used at the end shocks the viewers as it comes in at a very important time in the opening which is a technique that has been used in other famous thrillers. We used a lot of close-ups in our clip as it gets across the emotion of the characters and shows reaction shots. This is another technique that is commonly used in thrillers and therfore supports thriller conventions.

Story and Opening


The story of our thriller supports thriller conventions as it has a gangster theme running throughout and invloves a plot where a character is murdered, and then his friend seeks revenge. This is very similar to gangster films such as 'Goodfellas' and 'The Godfather'. The opening of our clip is engaging and immediately shock the viewers as Ryan is attacked in his house and murdered. Also at the very beginning of our thriller, shots of events that will happen throughout the clip are showed for example, the picture above. This supports thriller conventions as this is used in many thrillers to give viewers a sense of what to expect and to put an image in their mind.   




Genre and Opening


The genre of our clip is gangster-thriller and this is suggested in the opening by the way that James seeks revenge for the death of his friend by using violence. This supports other films of this genre as it shows how James is following the belief that you must fight violence with violence which is a way that a lot of gangs behave in other similar films. Another way in which the opening suggests it is gangster based, is the costumes that are used, particular Nathan’s, and the final setting in the dark shed. These are all conventions of a gangster-thriller and help suggest that to the viewer clearly.

Character Introductions

Ryan’s introduction shows him walking into his house appearing seemingly innocent and unaware of anything being wrong. This immediately gives the viewers the impression that he is the protagonist and his costume also supports this.

Nathan’s introduction immediately shows him as the antagonist in the film as he is dressed in hooded black clothes and holding a knife. Also the way he appears supports thriller conventions as he slowly comes out from hiding and walks towards Ryan without fear. 

James’ introduction is frantic and injects pace into the thriller. The audience start to wonder why he is in such a hurry and this element of surprise and question is again supporting thriller conventions.

Audience Feedback

From watching our thriller, we decided we needed some input from other people. I recorded a few people that had viewed our thriller and asked them their opinions of the thriller, what could improve it etc. Having a audience feedback was vital to our group as we felt that the input of others could help us improve our thriller; making it to the best of it's ability. Out of the five people that i had questioned about our thriller, i randomly chose two of them and have put them on here:
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHkR0KhFi5c                 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBGZMPijJCo

Character profile 'Ryan'

In our thriller Ryan is the protagonist, he is the only character that doesn't have a villain side to him, throughout the whole of the film. We are first introduced to him as he is returning home from a day at school; making a cup of tea.  His role starts by him returning home from an average day at school but is unaware that there is someone else in his house. We do not find out a lot about Ryan throughout the thriller as he is killed off by the antagonist; using ether on a cloth and leaving him dead on the floor.

Costume

After dicussing the costumes that Ryan could wear, we decided he had to wear both brigh

t clothes to represent the protagonist and slightly casual clothing to look as if he had just returned from school. If Ryan was to wear tracksuit bottoms and had no schoolbag, then he wouldnt fit his role of being at school. He is wearing light blue jeans and a navy jumper, this also proves that he is the antagonist as bright colours represent that he is not the villain. Furthermore, he is wearing sports shoes and his school bag as a prop; showing he had been to school.

Character profile 'Nathan'

Nathans character is the antagonist in our thriller, he is the most violent character as he kills the protagonist in the. Nathan's real identity is not shown throughout the thriller, there's a camera shot showing a suspect but his real identity is covered up by a cliffhanger ending; leaving the thriller a mystery to the viewer.

We are first introduced to Nathan at the protagonists house, when he appears round a corner of the door peering at the protagonist, getting ready to attack him. Instantly he provides action for the thriller by the attack and the viewer can tell he is going to be a key character through the thriller. Nathan is not involved in any communications throughout the thriller, meaning that his personality is disclosed so he could be anybody. However, his actions and body language throughout the thriller express the fact that he is a very aggressive male. Nathan is seen as a bulky character with a substantial height on him, making him very intimidating and so that he fits the role of his antagonist character perfectly.

Towards the end of the clip Nathan is seen running away from a car, showing that he has done something wrong and does not want to be caught; he has a fear of getting caught. The next scene shows Nathan tied to a chair in a mysterious room with his attacker behind him about to reveal his identity, unfortunately it is left leaving the viewer in suspense as they never find out his true identity because it cuts to the title of our thriller; 'Retribution'.

Costume

Once thinking things over, we decided what costumes would make the antagonist as believable and extremely intimidating. The fact that Nathan is the antagonist character in the thriller, he has to fit his role perfectly, wearing dark clothes and being very aggressive towards the protagonist during the attack. For his costume, we decided he has to wear black tracksuit bottoms with a black jumper, this represents the character has a very dark side to him. Furthermore, Nathan is wearing a black balaclava; covering his identity, which is a key fact in the thriller as without the balaclava it would leave our thriller with no mystery behind it.

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Editing diary

Once we gathered all the footage we needed for the thriller, I began to edit them. I started off introducing a sound track to create tension before an image was shown, the music used for the tension is a slow piano and flute piece. As the thriller goes on the music start to get quicker and I change the soundtrack to set the mood of the scene; the tempo increases as the physical elements of the thriller come into play. After the physical scene of the thriller the music then gains a slower tempo again when Nathan is tied up to a chair adding to previous tension created, leaving the viewer in suspense of what is going to happen to Nathan.

 The opening of our thriller begins what a few taster cuts of what is to come throughout the duration of the thriller. Followed by all of the names involved within the thriller and also our company name 'NJR Productions'. The reason for this being that we felt if the viewer had a little teaser of what is going to happen then it would make them intrigued on what is to come. When editing it we had recorded a part where I find Ryan on the floor murdered and I remember seeing a suspected figure walking from Ryan's house. To make the thriller look realistic I decided to do a clip making it a flash and go into slow motion making it seem like a real flashback, of the walking suspect. Furthermore, it gives the viewer an idea of what James is thinking; building tension of what is going to happen next.

Coming towards then end of the thriller, the last clip is of Nathan tied up in a chair with a balacalver over his face in a dark room with nothing but a garden light shining on him. We recorded a clip of me coming up behind Nathan and taking of his balacalver so his identity was revealed. As the name of our thriller 'Retribution' was not shown on thriller yet, I thought it would be a good idea to leave the audience in suspense. When I remove the balacalver from Nathan to leave the audience in suspense we agreed that if we cut out his identity at the end and replaced it with a flash and then 'Retribution' appearing, leaving it with a cliffhanger ending with the music is still playing with a blank screen leaving a mystery behind the thriller.

Symbol	Name	Definition/Notes
	Universal	All ages admitted, there is nothing unsuitable for children. Films under this category should not upset children over 4. Examples: FernGully: The Last Rainforest, The Incredibles
	Parental Guidance	All ages admitted, but certain scenes may be unsuitable for children under 8. Example: The Simpsons Movie, Toy Story, Tron: Legacy
	12A	Cinema only. Introduced in 2002. Films under this category are considered to be unsuitable for very young people. Those aged under 12 years are only admitted if accompanied by an adult, aged at least 18 years, at all times during the motion picture. However, it is generally not recommended that children under 12 years should watch the film. Films under this category can contain mature themes, discrimination, soft drugs, commonly used milder swear words, and moderate violence/sex references. Examples: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pirates of the Caribbean, Yes Man, Fred: The Movie
	12	Home media only since 2002. 12A-rated films are usually given a 12 certificate for the VHS/DVD version unless extra material has been added that requires a higher rating. Nobody younger than 12 can rent or buy a 12-rated VHS, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, UMD or game. Films in this category may include infrequent drugs, infrequent use of strong language, brief nudity, discreet sexual activity, and moderate violence.
	15	Only those over 15 years are admitted. Nobody younger than 15 can rent or buy a 15-rated VHS, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, UMD or game, or watch a film in the cinema with this rating. Films under this category can contain adult themes, hard drugs, strong words, moderate-strong violence/sex references, and mild non-detailed sex activity. Examples: The Uninvited, Good Luck Chuck, Love and Other Drugs
	18	Only adults are admitted. Nobody younger than 18 can rent or buy an 18-rated VHS, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, UMD or game, or watch a film in the cinema with this rating. Films under this category do not have limitation on the bad language that is used. Hard drugs are generally allowed, and strong violence/sex references along with non-detailed sex activity is also allowed. Examples: In Bruges, Saw III, Jackass 3D
	Restricted 18	Only adults are admitted, and can only be shown at licensed cinemas or sold at sex shops. Films under this category have material the BBFC does not allow for its "18" rating, thus the violence and sex activity will be stronger in R18-rated VHSs, DVDs and films than those rated "18," however, there is still a range of material that is often cut from the R18 rating. More cuts are demanded in this category than any other category.