AS Media Portfolio - Research and Planning

Research and Planning

AS Media Studies Portfolio

Research into similar products

After my group and I discussed what genre our film would be centred around, we decided that it could improve our filming if we improved our knowledge of the institutions of a thriller.

Through our research we were able to find out that a standard thriller, with no sub-genre, emphasises the plot of the film rather than the characters. However thrillers that are also psychological tend to emphasise the characters either equally to the plot, or more than the plot.

After significant research into the sub-genres of a thriller, we became more and more interested in the psychological thriller genre; as rather than sticking with the usual thriller conventions, the genre reverses emphasis on to the characters. By having extra emphasis on characters rather than the plot, we may be able to create suspense by filming a conversation between two characters, where one character is preying upon another characters mind. With this my group and I thought there would be further suspense added, as the “evil character” will be separated from the victim only via some type of barrier.

Through even further research, and with the props which we could potentially have available we decided that the barrier between the characters would be a mobile phone, something which is somewhat deemed as a popular within many thrillers.

By means of getting more information about psychological thrillers I researched films that were also in that genre; these being films such as Saw and Phone Booth.

By looking at such big budget films, that have gained high accord from many people within media and from their target audiences. They are both brilliant examples of thrillers, produced in a way which appeals to a certain target audience.

Both of these films acted as a type of stimulus text for my groups film, as by looking at them we felt that they both had a basis of suspense between two or more characters, where one character is victimising another. We felt that this was very similar to the extra emphasis that is so often used in psychological thriller, although the plot did play more of a key part.
What also interested my group and I was the use of a type of barrier between the two ‘main’ characters in the films, in saw there is the recorded messages intended for the victims and in phone booth there is the phone which contacts the main character and victimises him. In addition in both films there is also an ongoing message about the character having to show whether they have a conscience or not.

Saw (2004)

Although Saw is considered to be a horror rather than a thriller, it has so many conventions and concepts that many thrillers have that it can almost be considered as both of the genres. In the first saw film a majority of the film is based in one certain place, where the characters are imprisoned and caught in a game played by a villain who is ‘off-scene’( even though that is eventually proved not to be the case). The assumption of the character not being in the room is made because the only link to the character is through his voice, which had been prerecorded; ‘Jigsaws’ voice is an aspect which adds an extra dimension to the film, as he is always calm when he is talking; an odd characteristic for a serial killer. Also, the film is constantly filmed in dark conditions, which seem to reflect the overall mood of the film.

The Saw Franchise has made a worldwide gross revenue (as of November 7, 2008) of $618,701,461.

Since the Saw movies began in 2004 the films distributor (Lionsgate) have gone through four directors. Firstly there was James Wan, who has since produced the sequels Saw 2 and Saw 3, and served as an executive producer for Saw 4, then Darren Lynn Bousman directed Saw 2,3 and 4 and lastly David Hackl produced Saw 5. Each producer had different ideas for their particular film, and all changed many aspects of the film. Since the original Saw movie Lionsgate have gained a much larger budget, which has allowed them to film a a variety of areas with many new and brutal devices used by Jigsaw against his victims.

Wan and his friend Leigh Whannell were actually the people who came up with the idea for Saw, which was brought to producers attention when they made a short version of the film to showcase the script.

Phone Booth (2002)

Unlike Saw, Phone Booth is definitely a thriller, in fact it is actually defined as a morality thriller; as the main aim of the caller is to teach the main character a lesson. In this occasion the main characters ‘crime’ is that he cheated on his wife, and the caller wants him to tell his wife this or risk being shot.

The morality aspect does however relate with Saw, as both of the reason for the killers to trap these people, whether in a phone booth or in a locked room, is because they have done something illegal or deemed wrong in the eyes of the person that is threatening them.

Phone Booth is not filmed in a area that restricts other pedestrians to pass, and by having people passing by the plot is deepened. Emphasis is placed very highly on the main character, Stu, as he is the one that has been victimised by the caller. The plot is however also emphasised and opened up as the film comes to its conclusion, bringing together Stu’s wife and mistress outside the phone booth, and with the caller threatening to shoot one or the other Stu is forced to put his own life on the line, rather than these seemingly more innocent people.

By looking at the claustrophobic factor used in this film, my group and I immediately decided that we would try and reflect a similar feeling. Along with that we also decided that we would have one character who has his morals tested, as someone innocent is also threatened by the person on the other end of the phone.

Our research into Saw helped us decide that it would be impossible to use gore or any type of horror conventions, however the idea of a killer being away from the actual murder scene apart from through voice influenced us to put that to use in our film.

A potential target audience

Before we decided on the target audience it was essential that we discussed what our genre was going to be, and as explained earlier we decided that it would be a psychological thriller. Once we agreed on this genre we began planning for what our potential target audience would be, firstly we looked at the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) website and evaluated that the classification which would best suit our thriller would be the 15, due to the implied violence and menace which is portrayed. However, before any violence or any psychological terror is shown, the clip finishes.

By classifying the film before we started to film we were able to know the limits of what we could include in our film, as to not allow the film move into the 18 classification. Then, after we completed the filming we started to add further information onto what our target audience could be.

With the main character being put under considerable psychological trauma towards the end of the clip we are able to understand which audiences would most be interested by the plot. In the clip the main character is portrayed as being young, which may attract a younger audience of a similar to feel more involved, innocent and ‘in the wrong place at the wrong time’. However, as the clip is only of the beginning of the film, the plot could further pan out and show a twist to the story; and give the audience a surprise they usually crave.

Considering that we were looking for an audience who is interested in mystery, able to understand the denotations and connotations of what is happening and being said, and also attempts to work out what is going to happen (with the hope of a twist) I think that the target audience of our film would be 15-25.

Organisation

The two actors involved in our film were both from our actual group. The actors involved were me (Nathan Lawes) and Thom Muddle. I portrayed the main character being victimised over a mobile phone by the character who was never actually shown in the film. The voice of the man on the mobile phone was voiced by Thom. The camera-man varied from being the third person in out group, Adam Brown, and Thom, as well as someone from an extra group that came to help us (Mark White).

We decided that we needed Marks help as we only had one available mobile phone, which was Thom’s, but we needed two. This led to us getting Mark to lend us his phone, so that the conversation could be completed at the same time the filming was completed.

The set of our film was located within two areas inside of the school. The first location was chosen because it was dark, with a number of closed doors relevant to the plot. The darkness of this location intended to create an atmosphere for the audience, where they aren't completely sure what the shot is leading up to; especially when emphasis is put on the main characters hand on the door knobs. The second location was chosen because it moved from darkness to a more light atmosphere, even though the plot was going to become psychological for the character. We also needed there to be somewhere ‘obscure’ to put the mobile phone, and a cupboard as that played an important part in our plot.

The costume of our main character was put together to show the innocence of a 17 year old boy, who has walked into trouble that is not relevant to him. However, this may be what we wanted our audience to assume. He wore a blue t-shirt, blue jeans and white trainers; basically a stereotypical costume which the audience would think a teenager to wear, as it isn't a complicated costume the innocence of the character is portrayed. So when this innocent character walks into a room, see's a phone in the middle of, well no-where, you would really expect his to shrug and walk past...but that would end our film quite quickly.

Our Script

Nathan is to play our main character (Pete Johnson)

Thom is going to be the voice of the guy on the end of the phone (Dylan)

Adam is going to man the camera.

And here’s the script!

Pete Johnson walks down corridor, camera focuses on footsteps. Pete checks the doors along the dark corridor to check that each one is locked. At the end of the corridor, there is a door which is slightly ajar. Pete, suspicious, enters the room slowly, checks that nobody is in there. We hear the door click shut. As Pete approaches the desk, a phone lights up and starts to vibrate on the desk. Pete picks up the phone.

Pete: Hello?
(Silence)

Pete: Who is this?
(Silence)

Pete: Umm, bye then.

Dylan: Do not hang up. Stay where you are. Stay where I can see you.
Pete stands still, and pauses.

Pete: Wh..wh..who are you?

Dylan: It doesn’t matter who I am – we’re here to find out what kind of person you are.
Pete turns head and scans the room, checking the windows and the doors.

Pete: What? What do you mean?
Pete continues to look around the room, but does not move his feet.

Dylan: You and me are here to work out whether you have a conscience, or not.
Pete looks towards the door

Pete: What are you talking about? Who is this?!

Dylan: Go over to that bin. There’s a knife. Take it.
Pete begins to move towards the bin

Pete: Why?!

Dylan: Because I told you to.

Pete: Why, who are you, what are you doing?
The door slams shut

Dylan: Go over to that cupboard, knock on it three times, and tell me what you hear.
Pete knocks. He hears three knocks back.

Pete: Wh.. What is that, what’s in there?

Dylan: Inside that cupboard there’s a kid, and inside the kid is your way out of here.

Pete: What do you mean?

Dylan: I mean that there’s a key in that kid’s stomach, and if you don’t get it out then the fire that’s quickly burning through the school will burn you too. So if I was you, I’d make your choice pretty quickly. That’s what the knife’s for. I don’t have to explain all the gory details to you do I?

Pete: No

As the music gets louder, Pete walks over to the bin, takes out a knife, and approaches the cupboard door. He puts his hand on the handle. Blackout!

Shotlists

In this section i will list what shots we used in our final media product, and where these shots were used.

• First of all, a long shot of Pete across the corridor, slowly approaching the camera and checking that the doors are locked as he comes closer.
• A close up of Pete's trainers as he walks down the corridor.
• Another long shot as it is cut back to show Pete once again walking down the corridor, to check another door.
• Then another close up, however this time of Pete's hand as he checks that the door is locked.
• Once again cuts back to a long shot of Pete walking down the corridor.
• Shot/reverse shot of Pete walking down the corridor, once again to check a door.
• Which is then followed by a close up of Pete's feet as he enters the unlocked room at the end of the corridor.
• The camera then moves to a high-angle as Pete enters the room, and then approaching the phone.
• Close up of the phone vibrating and lighting up, and Pete's hand picking it up.
• Then the camera cuts back to a high-angle as Pete answers the phone.
• Over the shoulder shot as Pete continues to talk down the phone.
• High-angle of further dialogue.
• Close up / over the shoulder shot / tracking shot as the conversation develops.
• Mid shot / close up as Pete knocks on the door.
• Cuts to another mid shot as Pete takes knife from the bin.
• And the film concludes with an over the shoulder shot of Pete approaching the door and placing his hand on the handle.