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| In order to decide which one of our potential openings would be the best opening for our specific target audience we had to conduct a survey in order to see which was the most preferred opening. Research into the target audience is very important as it will have a large impact upon release. If a distributor does not research into the target audience then the film might not be as successful as it won't satisfy the audience. Audience research is very helpful as it can also supply you with more ideas which will only help your media production. During this task we created a simple survey which asked which of our three potential openings our target audience and our findings are shown above. We found this very useful as it provided us with an insight as to what the target audience would like to see in our horror opening. However, in order to gain a more accurate representation of what the audience would like to see we could have used a larger sample size to gain more opinions and more improvements. |
Target Audience Feedback
3 Potential Openings
Update in Group Changes
Due to a change in my timetable it has caused me to change my film production group. I have now changed from being part of Broadmoor Films, to now being a part of EdgySnail Films.
Research Into Target Audience: Pen Portrait
This task would help our group in regards of what we would need to insert into the opening to make appropriate for the target audience and make it the most exciting for the audience. If we don't conduct this process then we would be making our film opening blindly and not having guidelines for the end product. By completing this task we ensure that we maximise the possibility of it being the best for the target audience. Completing the task also made us realise that some of our existing ideas may not be suitable as they would not be likely to entertain the target audience we have identified.
Film Opening Analysis
Analyse the codes and conventions of horror films as shown in the openings of 'Dead Wood', 'Dead Mary' and 'Wrong Turn'.
All Horror movies have specific codes and conventions which make people know that it is a horror movie, you're not looking for them you have just sub consciously learnt how to decrypt them. You do it with everything that you watch you can identify the genre by the codes and conventions that they feature. The codes you decrypt are symbolic codes, technical codes and the conventions.
Technical codes are:
The technical codes are things to do with the general making of the film, the editing and filming are the main things involved in technical codes. Things included in this are music, sound FX, camera angles, camera shots, lighting, movement. Also there are two types of sound there is diegetic sound and non-diegetic sound. non-diegetic sound is sound that he's been adding in during the post-production stage. This includes music, narrators speech and some sound effects. Diegetic sound is sound that is visible or implied to come from objects or people at the scene.
Symbolic codes are:
Symbolic codes are anything that is in the scene, also known as mise en scene. This includes things such as make up, clothing,props such as a phone or a car. Symbolic codes also covers the setting of the scene, such as a house or a field perhaps. The symbolic codes give the audience there first impressions of the character. If they are wearing black and are always in dark lighting with dark make-up you assume that they're most likely the villain of the film or a mysterious character.
Conventions:
Conventions are things that happen in almost every film of in different genres. Conventions allow people to identify what genre of film they're watching. For example in a horror movie there is always a false/jump scare.
To begin with I'm going to comment on a technical code, the music used in the openings of the films. The music increases in tempo as the intensity of the action increase. An example of this is in the beginning of 'Dead Wood' when the male character is running through the woods when he is being chased by the secret identity. The intensity of the music increases as he is put into a position of danger. The music also increases with the fear of the audience and the character in the film, The music cleverly increases tempo along with the heart rate of the male character as he is sprinting through the woods. This music also allows you to identify that it is a horror movie as it is similar to music in other horror movies. Also in 'Wrong Turn' there is minimal evidence of this when she is running away from the threat and towards safety the music gradually gains intensity as she runs through the woods. The music is not as much the focus in the opening to Wrong Turn as it is in Dead Wood, the focus is on the editing . Also in Dead Mary there is almost no evidence of music which gains tempo and intensity, this is mainly due to the little action that features in the opening to the film. There is slight evidence however when you are shown the first person view there is music which gains tempo. However it is minimal.
In all three film openings they all have a similar symbolic code which is the setting, they are all set in a secluded woods. This could also be seen as a convention as well. The reason why this setting has been used is because there is not going to be any help available to the victim if they are in a location miles away from anybody who could help them. The location shows an immediate threat towards the characters that are shown as they have nowhere within a reasonable distance for a spot of safety so they're definitely endangered immediately. The secluded location means that they also won't be able to get a phone signal to call for help.
My next point is closely related to that as I'm going to talk about conventions in the film openings. In Dead Mary the female character is vulnerable as supported by the technical code of the high angle camera shot shows her as being inferior to the villain. The next convention occurs when the phone doesn't have a signal which is always shown in a horror movie, this shows again that she is vulnerable and another way ruled off of how she could call for help when she is put in danger. Also when the male arrives with the fuel for the car another convention is introduced. Most common in horror movies the male is the character who has to take responsibility and take care of the female character. Also the character is shown as wearing very little clothing and showing a lot of the flesh this is both a symbolic code and a convention. This again shows that she is vulnerable but is also a part of her costume. The convention of the women being vulnerable is also portrayed in Wrong Turn, the woman is shown as not being able to climb the wall and the male is. Again in this opening the woman is shown as wearing little clothing and showing a lot of flesh. Another convention in the film opening is that the female character is almost at the point of safety which is the car and then she trips over the trip wire and gets dragged away. The almost to safety scene is often used in horror movies and is also used in Dead Wood. When the male character is running through the woods he has a situation where he can jump over a drop and reach a tent which symbolises the characters safety. Also in Dead Wood the convention of the female character being isolated and vulnerable is presented again.
In Wrong Turn there is use of fast-pace editing. There are frequent and fast cut shots in the opening scene in wrong turn when she is attempting to release herself from the harness. The shots are there to show that the scene is gaining intensity and that the threat of danger is becoming larger and that the characters are in danger.The cut shots are all from different camera angles and shots, such as a close up and a high angle shot. The high angle shot also shows that the villain has the control and that the female character is weak and helpless. This has the effect on the audience that they sense it is becoming more frantic and they begin to feel it as well. Also when the close up is shown of the female characters face it makes it slightly more intimate and personal as you get a sense of the characters emotion. Also this fast paced editing is evidenced in Dead Wood as well. When he is running through the woods there are a lot of cut shots from his point of view to hand held camera work. The hand held camera work makes it more personal and feel more realistic for the audience as well. The fast paced editing is used to correspond with the mood and the intensity of the scene. However, in Dead Mary due to the little action that occurs the editing is very slow paced, to match the mood of the female character as she is bored and waiting. There is a birds eye view shot of the female character which again shows that she is inferior to the villain and she is helpless.
Also focusing on the costumes of the female characters they're all dressed similarly which is inappropriate for going out into the woods, this immediately shows that the characters aren't the brightest and that they are under threat almost instantly. The females show a lot of skin which is supposed to show that they are vulnerable and likely to be killed. The type of clothing could also present the idea of intimacy which is a reoccurring theme within horror movies.
All Horror movies have specific codes and conventions which make people know that it is a horror movie, you're not looking for them you have just sub consciously learnt how to decrypt them. You do it with everything that you watch you can identify the genre by the codes and conventions that they feature. The codes you decrypt are symbolic codes, technical codes and the conventions.
Technical codes are:
The technical codes are things to do with the general making of the film, the editing and filming are the main things involved in technical codes. Things included in this are music, sound FX, camera angles, camera shots, lighting, movement. Also there are two types of sound there is diegetic sound and non-diegetic sound. non-diegetic sound is sound that he's been adding in during the post-production stage. This includes music, narrators speech and some sound effects. Diegetic sound is sound that is visible or implied to come from objects or people at the scene.
Symbolic codes are:
Symbolic codes are anything that is in the scene, also known as mise en scene. This includes things such as make up, clothing,props such as a phone or a car. Symbolic codes also covers the setting of the scene, such as a house or a field perhaps. The symbolic codes give the audience there first impressions of the character. If they are wearing black and are always in dark lighting with dark make-up you assume that they're most likely the villain of the film or a mysterious character.
Conventions:
Conventions are things that happen in almost every film of in different genres. Conventions allow people to identify what genre of film they're watching. For example in a horror movie there is always a false/jump scare.
To begin with I'm going to comment on a technical code, the music used in the openings of the films. The music increases in tempo as the intensity of the action increase. An example of this is in the beginning of 'Dead Wood' when the male character is running through the woods when he is being chased by the secret identity. The intensity of the music increases as he is put into a position of danger. The music also increases with the fear of the audience and the character in the film, The music cleverly increases tempo along with the heart rate of the male character as he is sprinting through the woods. This music also allows you to identify that it is a horror movie as it is similar to music in other horror movies. Also in 'Wrong Turn' there is minimal evidence of this when she is running away from the threat and towards safety the music gradually gains intensity as she runs through the woods. The music is not as much the focus in the opening to Wrong Turn as it is in Dead Wood, the focus is on the editing . Also in Dead Mary there is almost no evidence of music which gains tempo and intensity, this is mainly due to the little action that features in the opening to the film. There is slight evidence however when you are shown the first person view there is music which gains tempo. However it is minimal.
In all three film openings they all have a similar symbolic code which is the setting, they are all set in a secluded woods. This could also be seen as a convention as well. The reason why this setting has been used is because there is not going to be any help available to the victim if they are in a location miles away from anybody who could help them. The location shows an immediate threat towards the characters that are shown as they have nowhere within a reasonable distance for a spot of safety so they're definitely endangered immediately. The secluded location means that they also won't be able to get a phone signal to call for help.
My next point is closely related to that as I'm going to talk about conventions in the film openings. In Dead Mary the female character is vulnerable as supported by the technical code of the high angle camera shot shows her as being inferior to the villain. The next convention occurs when the phone doesn't have a signal which is always shown in a horror movie, this shows again that she is vulnerable and another way ruled off of how she could call for help when she is put in danger. Also when the male arrives with the fuel for the car another convention is introduced. Most common in horror movies the male is the character who has to take responsibility and take care of the female character. Also the character is shown as wearing very little clothing and showing a lot of the flesh this is both a symbolic code and a convention. This again shows that she is vulnerable but is also a part of her costume. The convention of the women being vulnerable is also portrayed in Wrong Turn, the woman is shown as not being able to climb the wall and the male is. Again in this opening the woman is shown as wearing little clothing and showing a lot of flesh. Another convention in the film opening is that the female character is almost at the point of safety which is the car and then she trips over the trip wire and gets dragged away. The almost to safety scene is often used in horror movies and is also used in Dead Wood. When the male character is running through the woods he has a situation where he can jump over a drop and reach a tent which symbolises the characters safety. Also in Dead Wood the convention of the female character being isolated and vulnerable is presented again.
In Wrong Turn there is use of fast-pace editing. There are frequent and fast cut shots in the opening scene in wrong turn when she is attempting to release herself from the harness. The shots are there to show that the scene is gaining intensity and that the threat of danger is becoming larger and that the characters are in danger.The cut shots are all from different camera angles and shots, such as a close up and a high angle shot. The high angle shot also shows that the villain has the control and that the female character is weak and helpless. This has the effect on the audience that they sense it is becoming more frantic and they begin to feel it as well. Also when the close up is shown of the female characters face it makes it slightly more intimate and personal as you get a sense of the characters emotion. Also this fast paced editing is evidenced in Dead Wood as well. When he is running through the woods there are a lot of cut shots from his point of view to hand held camera work. The hand held camera work makes it more personal and feel more realistic for the audience as well. The fast paced editing is used to correspond with the mood and the intensity of the scene. However, in Dead Mary due to the little action that occurs the editing is very slow paced, to match the mood of the female character as she is bored and waiting. There is a birds eye view shot of the female character which again shows that she is inferior to the villain and she is helpless.
Also focusing on the costumes of the female characters they're all dressed similarly which is inappropriate for going out into the woods, this immediately shows that the characters aren't the brightest and that they are under threat almost instantly. The females show a lot of skin which is supposed to show that they are vulnerable and likely to be killed. The type of clothing could also present the idea of intimacy which is a reoccurring theme within horror movies.
Research: Codes and Conventions
What are codes?
Codes are elements that can be decoded by the audience to provide meaning. These can be divided most easily into 2 groups; technical codes and symbolic codes.
Technical codes include the 'technical' aspects of creating a piece of moving image media. This includes things such as camera shots, angles and movements, editing, sound, titles and lighting.
Symbolic codes include the main elements of mise-en-scene within a film. Mise-en-scene is a French term that means 'put in the scene'. This covers things such as costume, make-up, setting and props. If we see a girl in a short dress with bright red lipstick we may, as an audience, make an assumption about her. We do this because of the symbolic value attached to these items.
What are conventions?
Conventions are the expected rules that, as an audience, we expect in a specific genre. For example, in a horror film we expect to see conventions such as a killer stalking a victim, a character being placed in a position of peril, a mobile phone running out of battery or losing signal at a crucial moment.
Research: What Makes People Scared
Our Groups Fears Included:
- Spiders
- Drowning
- Slugs
- Zombies
- Clowns
- Heights
- Anything that could kill me
- Being in a house fire
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