Finished Thriller

Preliminary Task

Evaluation Question 7: "Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learned from the progression from it to your product?"

Evaluation Question 6: "What have you learned about the technologies from the process of constructing your product?"

Evaluation Question 5: "How did you address/attract your audience?"

Created with Padlet

Evaluation Question 4: "Who would be the audience for your media product?"

Evaluation Question 3: "What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?"

Evaluation Question 2: "How does your media product represent particular social groups?"

Evaluation Question 1: "In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?"

Audience Feedback

I asked four friends, two boys and two girls (17-18), their opinions of my final outcome by asking them to answer the following questions:

1- Discuss any positives and/or negatives of The Hypnotist. i.e. cinematography (any particular interesting shots), sound (diegetic i.e. on-screen, any speech etc or non-diegetic i.e. off-screen, sfx), mise-en-scene (i.e. costumes, acting, lighting etc)...

2- Did it resemble the opening of a film? If not, why?

3- Did The Hypnotist grasp your interest? If so, how? If not, why?

4- Did you want to carry on watching after the opening ended? If yes, explain why and how/if not, explain why.

5- Who would be the target audience of the film and why do you think this? Age, gender and class

Overall they said they enjoyed watching it and positive comments were mainly about the non-linear narrative and the frequent action which was achieved through editing. Sharon, who also commented on the rough cut, noticed improvements in the realism of the acting which was solved by re-filming scenes and precise editing. There were positive comments on some shots including the point of view shots of Angela Smith running away from Rupert which apparently added to the action. However some disagreed and said all of the erratic action made it look more like a trailer of a film instead. Some also picked up on a sound issue caused by the microphone in one of the shots of the hypnotist which does ruin it slightly. They didn't notice another fault which is during the actual hypnotism. Our first take on voice overs was through the use of the camera and a boom pole microphone- during the editing process we simply removed the film's track and kept the audio. But after we agreed that the quality wasn't so good because of the room we were in; it had caused some unwanted echoing. Therefore we decided to do the voice overs on the Mac which improved the sound quality however we had forgotten to remove one of the previous voice over tracks which caused a clash between that and a new voice over. It is noticeable for me because I know that it isn't supposed to be there but the viewers didn't seem to pick up on this. Chloe commented on how she had to concentrate, although this wasn't a negative comment I think it would have helped to have included a shot of the photo frame in a POV shot of the doctor at his desk perhaps rearranging or neatening things up. This would establish the 'key symbol' of the photograph before the action unfolds in order to make it clearer to the audience that the hypnotist is the villain.

Final week of editing

The plan is to complete the film by Friday 28th February and in order to remain organised we have created a list of any editing that needs to be perfected.

- Remove the clip of Rebecca being hit on the head by George amongst flashbacks of visions during the office conversation. It is too short and is better placed later with the other action shots instead. This clip should be replaced with the corner shot of him approaching her into the alleyway to remain some sort of chronological order that makes sense to the audience.

- Eradicate any gaps between unfinished titles etc.

- Complete the titles and ensure that each title is of equal pace

- Include a white haze underlying all clips which will be hightened and reduced in opacity during the visions to create a "dream-like" effect. Beforehand I used a white "dip-to-colour" before and after clips to create the hazy effect however here is an easier alternative:

1-  'Text'

2- Shapes > Square

3- Once the square has been placed onto the screen, extend it out to cover the black on the canvas screen.

4- Drag this clip down and extend it across all clips- reduce the opacity until the visions clips appear.

- Find a clip of George tossing about erractically in his trance-like state amongst the clips of the visions to show his distress. Possibly slow action down to make it more dramatic and detached. 

- Use "http://www.freesfx.co.uk/" to find the following tracks:

• After Dark: high-pitched screeching which increases in intensity, crop this from the beginning of the track and layer it over the final title ("The Hypnotist")
• Dark Tension - Eerie Dark etc.: use this track as George is walking up the stairs
• Spooky Film Theme: use this during the action scene?
• Footsteps gravel: we should layer more sound effects over the film to avoid unintended silences; this could be used as George is approaching Rebecca into the alleyway when either the both are walking or when Rebecca reaches the alleyway. 

Location Sheet

Production Schedule Location Visit Sheet Programme Title: The Hypnotist

Rough Sketch/Explanation of location and key points to note Car park, located in Robert Clack Lower School  Access to location via: Buses: 175/173 from Heathway, 5 from Barking, 128 from Ilford  Name and number of location contact: Robert Clack Lower School 0208 8270 4222

Health and Safety Issues to note: ·         Filming in a car park, can be dangerous as cars enter and exit the car park

Potential Filming Problems : ·         Weather problems i.e. rain on the windows which would disrupt inside filming ·         Filming before the bell to avoid excess noise from outside the classroom ·         As we are filming from inside, if the light in the room is too bright there may be unwanted reflections on screen

Additional Notes:  (map of area/weather forecast etc) Robert Clack Lower School, Car Park Weather- mild, cloudy, with a chance of rain

Location Sheet

Production Schedule Location Visit Sheet Programme Title: The Hypnotist

Rough Sketch/Explanation of location and key points to note Central Park, Dagenham We will use this location to film one of the flashbacks of Rebecca walking in the park with a friend. Access to location via: Buses, 175/173 from Heathway and 5 from Barking, 128 from Ilford  Name and number of location contact: Robert Clack Lower School 0208 8270 4222

Health and Safety Issues to note: ·         Slipping over in rain (puddles/wet grass)

Potential Filming Problems : ·  We should take care with heavy winds and the equipment, storyboards and props ·  Rain will cause an issue with the equipment particularly

Additional Notes:  (map of area/weather forecast etc) Central Park, Dagenham Weather: the ground may still be wet from previous rain however it should not rain again before 4pm. It is expected to be cold so we should dress in warm clothes to avoid getting too cold while waiting around during filming.

Film Classification

(BBFC age ratings)

My film would most probably be classed as a '15' for the following reasons:

• It will involve violence with blood and weapons shown in detail which may be too intense for younger audiences
• The context of the film is quite dark and so younger audience wouldn't understand some issues raised throughout
• It would not be rated any higher because there is no swearing, extensive violence/discrimination/sexuality

Target Audience Research

From the group, I discovered that, overall, staying at home using film websites like Netflix was the preferred method of watching films. I think the reason behind this is because Netflix is quick and easy to set up, new members have one months worth of free and full access to any film or TV series, from then on it is only £5.99 a month. I assume that it is more comfortable to stay at home because they're able to pause, rewind and select the film as they please. Whereas going to the cinema proves to be an inconvenience for some because of the price- a film ticket for students at Vue cinema costs £7.10. Despite this, Kirstie explains how she has been attending cinema more recently. This shows that cinema audience numbers can vary from time to time due to factors including what films are out, the ease of the cost of the cinema experience and the season. Some people prefer to attend cinema during the winter months.

Further research into gender and film genres:

Target Audience Research Copy | Piktochart Infographic Editor

Fischoff (1994) (http://web.calstatela.edu/faculty/sfischo/media3.html)

The results shown are similar to what I found in my own research. Both results show that males typically prefer more intense action based films whereas females tend to show interest in romance, musicals and fantasy.








These results show the trends in age and genre- my research lacked a broader range of ages due to the availability of those willing to answer. Young adults (13-25) show the most interest into action adventure and murder more than the other two ages groups. All of the research enables me to establish my target audience: males aged 15-25. Although the Fischoff study choose to categorize 'young' as 13-25 I think my film's plot would contain too much violence and gore for someone under 15 to watch/understand.

Finding Music

www.freesfx.co.uk

'Freesfx' allows us to download free music without problems with licensing. At first, I signed up to “www.mobygratis.com” but then realised that it would take up to two weeks to request a track. After finding 'freesfx' I decided that it would be more convenient to download tracks and short sound effects from there instead. In my opinion, ‘freesfx’ also provides more variety than ‘mobygratis’.

Calm Mysterious Droning Texture

We want to ensure that most of the film is accompanied with music or speech. This audio track will be played during shots 1-4 and during most of the conversation between the doctor and patient. These scenes will use this track because it has an eerie sound to it which reflects the doctor’s mysterious, slightly distant behaviour.

Monster Attack

This will be used for the ident's jingle- we wanted something upbeat and rhythmic. This was found on JewelBeat which allows people to download free tracks without problems with licensing. 

Focus Group

After taking in the feedback it is evident that there is still a lot of work to do before the editing process begins. The main issues were mainly about the sense of realism of the acting and how they reflect certain characters. To solve this there should be more diegetic discussion between the doctor and his patient to increase our sympathy for the patient as a result of the doctor's suspicious persistence. More conversation between the two would also make the storyline clearer- it was suggested that parts of the conversation should refer to the visions as they play on screen.

Choosing Title Font

After the final shot, the title, "The Hypnotist", will appear in typewriter text.

Final shot:

Typewriter text in Final Cut Express:

(Screen grab)

Purpose: 

For the font we used "Lucky Typewriter" from "www.dafont.com". The typewriter font complements the clinical/office setting of the main character, Dr. J. Smith. We wanted to achieve a more filmic quality to our thriller instead of using basic fonts available on Final Cut Express.

Resolving Issues

After the group meeting we went out to film scenes one and four again in order to resolve some of the issues that were discussed in the group meeting on Wednesday. During editing we removed the second checklist shot. We were able to resolve the framing in shot 7 by varying the shots as each person spoke and filming directly in front of the two for some shots. This filming will enable us to include office shots amongst Rupert's visions in order to sustain the continuity. We also incorporated more dialogue in the office scenes in order to emphasise moments of confusion on Rupert's part and strange instigation from the doctor. However I think this could have been done to a better standard by including even more discussion. We could also of filmed a shot of the photo being rearranged on Dr. J. Smith's desk so the audience clearly understand that he is corrupt and is in fact manipulating his patients to murder people. The only hint of this is through the checklist shot and his conversation with Rupert. 

Group Meeting

Today we sat down and discussed possible issues with our film. We watched the film over several times and found that we need to include:

1) Titles: "Productions presents" etc. before film with titles on black screen as opposed to superimposing because of fragmented story-line.

2) The narrative is non-linear which made ordering the clips in a coherent order slightly challenging. We found that including office shots amongst Rupert's visions would sustain the continuity.

3) Substitute the zoom of the name tag outside the office with a still shot (shot 3/4).

4) The framing in shot 7 is awkward- we need to film this scene again with the camera placed centrally during shots of Rupert and Dr. J. Smith in the same frame. 

5) Remove the second checklist shot, one is enough for the audience to understand the doctor's hidden agenda.

6) We should incorporate more dialogue in the office scenes to emphasise moments of disorientation from Rupert and instigation from the doctor. For example, Rupert should ask more questions like "why me?", "who is she?", "what's going on?" etc. meanwhile Dr. J. Smith should urge him to approach her: "why don't you approach her and see if she knows you?".

7) Perhaps include the photo briefly in the scene. We could include this in a close up shot of Dr. J. Smith placing a pen on the desk next to the photo frame.

The Hypnotist (Rough Cut)

Studio Ident

We initially discussed combining our initials for our company name but we couldn't find any suitable combinations. In order to work efficiently, George and Conor took the role as studio ident creators. The intention was to make our studio ident look and sound grand so they researched Greek gods for a creative name. "Helios" was the final choice because in Greek mythology, he was the personification of the Sun- this meant we could use an image of a bright, glowing sun alongside a bold font to suit the desired grand appearance.

Studio ident:

Editing process commences

Today within the group we assigned each other with the following roles: George created the studio ident "Helios Studios", Conor found the jingle to play as our ident is presented and Rebecca created the film title "The Hypnotist" to appear at the end of our film opening. Meanwhile, I continued with the film's editing by selecting the necessary clips. I also began to place the clips in a relatively chronological order; in some places completing the match-on-action shots.

Fade to white effect:

1- Click at the start/end of a clip

2- Effects > Video Transitions > Dissolve > Dip to Colour Dissolve

3- Right-click the "Dip to Colour Dissolve" item in the track below

4- Select "Open" to display the editing screen

5- From here change the colour to white

Opening Titles Analysis

Location Sheet

Production Schedule Location Visit Sheet Programme Title: The Hypnotist

Rough Sketch/Explanation of location and key points to note The alley way near Robert Clack and Crowlands Golf course, this location was chosen for the final scene/violent visions because of the general worried/concerned reaction to a male approaching a vulnerable woman in an alleyway. Access to location via: Buses, 175/173 from Heathway and 5 from Barking, 128 from Ilford  Name and number of location contact: Robert Clack Lower School 0208 8270 4222

Health and Safety Issues to note: ·         Dangerous objects in alley way  ·         Rain may cause filming problems

Potential Filming Problems : ·         Weather problems, rain could cause filming problems  ·         Although it would be best to film this scene in the dark to increase anticipation and fear, it is not practical for seeing the action on screen. There are no lights in the alleyway. ·         Restricted space to film; we want to maintain a slight distance from the actors unless a close-up shot is necessary.

Additional Notes:  (map of area/weather forecast etc) Crowlands Heath Golf Club

Storyboard

Scene 1-2 

Scene 3

Scene 3 continued

Scene 4

Day 4: Filming

We had to film day 4 on January 12th as opposed to the 11th because not every member of the group was able to attend. The meet-up was set for 2pm and we began filming just before 3pm after setting up, discussing the plan and other general organisation of props. The filming itself took an hour and a half which was quicker than expected despite the cold temperature.

Filming shots 33-35 proved to be difficult with a breeze and an almost empty lighter which meant that the initial idea of shooting until the face vanished into ashes was not possible.

Treatment

Treatment

Group Roles

Cinematography: Saana, Conor

Mise-en-scene: Rebecca

Sound: Rebecca, George

Editing: Conor, Saana

Title: 

The Hypnotist 

Synopsis:

Dr J. Smith specialises in hypnotism and provides treatment for patients who have previously suffered trauma. Rupert Jones is one of his patients who attends a session after suffering from increasingly violent and obsessive visions of an unknown girl. In attempt to unravel his issues the doctor heavily influences his patient to confront the issue by finding this girl. Rupert, who remains disorientated, is offered hypnotism and without consent, a strange injection to follow. Rupert’s visions repeatedly reveal him carrying a torn photograph of his victim which matches the complete photograph on his doctor’s desk. The complete copy shows that Dr. J. Smith is in the previously missing half of the photograph. Is the hypnotist really who he appears to be?

Key Genre Conventions:

“Fast-paced and frequent action”:

The frequent visions of Rupert’s to create a non-linear narrative that jumps from the visions back to the session in the doctor’s office.

“Resourceful heroes who must thwart the actions of more powerful and better equipped villains”

The remainder of the film would follow up on more individual cases of the “serial killings” that have been occurring. The audience will discover that the doctor is behind each and every murder that will result in his victims (the patients) fighting back for justice. 

“Ordinary citizens accidentally drawn to danger”

Each of Dr. J. Smith’s patients are ordinary and helpless who believe they are in safe hands however by chance, by being advised to choose his services, they fall victim to become murderers through mental influence.

“Primary mood: ‘fearful excitement’”

“There is one thing that I get to offer you, and that is hypnotherapy” is the line that will commence the following action. This intends to leave the viewer anticipating what is to follow while feeling slightly on edge as a result of previous shots.

“The conflict between the main characters is mental and emotional as

opposed to physical”

We are attempting to lean more to the ‘psychological’ thriller genre. “Mental” conflict is displayed

through the patient’s visions and the influential hypnotherapy of the doctor. Although one incident of 

“physical” conflict occurs during the film’s opening (the injection), it’s purpose is to affect Rupert 

mentally to cause him to continue having visions until he carries out the murder.

“Characters who switch sides or who cannot be trusted”

This applies to the doctor’s character and at the same time, his patient, Rupert. Although it isn’t made explicit, there are hints that alert the audience that Dr. J. Smith is not genuine and may be the cause of Rupert’s aggressive visions. Equally so, Rupert’s character is split; while he is victimised we cannot trust him entirely because his visions suggest that he is capable of murder.

“The use of a staircase as a motif for impending danger or suspense”

The Hitchcockian convention of a staircase is used at the beginning to create suspense as the character’s identity is not given away.  

Thriller devices:

Cliffhangers: increase audience's anticipation and are used throughout with Rupert’s visions. They are 

often cut short to retain information and to add to the disorientated feel to the opening that is used to 

reflect Rupert’s state of mind.

Red herrings: misleads or distracts the audience from the central issue. In one or two shots there will be more than one person in the shot, particularly in the early visions. This will be included to distract and confuse the audience from the central character.