questionnaire results

 We created this questionnaire to research our preferred audience for our thriller, we asked thirty different people of different genders and preferences in thrillers and this gave us these results to understand what codes and conventions our audience will prefer in our thriller opening.

 This shows the gender of our audience and shows we have a fair percentage of both male and female.

 This shows the varying age of our audience and the variety of people we have researched.

 This shows the number of movies our audience watch per week and gives and idea of their understanding of movies.

 This shows the prefered setting of our audience and what they like to see in thrillers.

 This is what sounds our audience expects to see in a thriller and we can try to include some of these in our opening.

 We have chosen to ask this question to our audience because we want to know what sub genre of thriller audiences’ prefer/like

 We have chosen to ask this question in our questionnaire, as we would like to see what type of editing audiences like in thriller films

 

We have chosen to ask this question because it will help enable us to see what kind of shots would be preferred in a thriller

We have chose to ask this particular open question in our questionnaire because we want to see what audiences expect from a main character in a thriller

 When looking at the results from this Question it is clear to see that the percentage of people would prefer the film to be set in the present tense this may be as it would be easier to follow for audiences.

We have chosen to ask this question in our questionnaire because this will give us an insight into what characteristics audiences expect from a villain

 When analyzing these results it’s clear to see that most people would prefer a thriller film to begin with a flashback or flash forward, this may be as it hints at the story line and creates an enigma.

 Looking at the question it’s obvious most people would expect to hear non-diegetic music in a thriller.

After analysing this final question most people expect non-diegetic music to create tension, which is something we will have to work on in order to get it right in our production.

blank questionnaire

What is your age? (Circle 1)

15-20            21-30              31-40               41+

Are you male or female? (Circle 1)

Male          Female

How often do you watch films in one week? (Circle 1)

Once a week                  between 1 to 3             more than 3

Where would you expect a psychological thriller to be set?

What sort of sound would you expect to hear in a psychological thriller?

What is your favourite thriller film? (E.g. Se7en or shutter island)

What do you find scarier? (Circle 1)

Fast editing         slow editing

What sort of camera shots/movement would you expect from a thriller? (Circle 2)

Close ups       long shots        birds eye view       extreme close up       zoom in & out

What characteristics would you expect from a main character in a thriller?

What characteristics do you expect from a villain in a thriller film?

What tense would you prefer the thriller that you are watching to be set in? (Circle 1)

Past          Present          Future

What time period would you expect a thriller film to be set in? (E.g. Victorian times)

Would you expect the narrative within a thriller to be linear or begin with a flash forward/back?

Do you expect non-diegetic music to be involved within the opening of a thriller? (E.g. a piano being played) (Circle 1)

Yes       No

If yes, why?

a definitive guide, powerpoint

codes and conventions mindmap (group)

codes and conventions mind map (single)

Black Hawk Down; historical thriller

i have anaylsed the first five minutes of this movie.

Mise-en-scene: the opening of this we see a number of dead bodies which are being explained to be through starvation which makes the audience automatically feel against the person who does this who is the villain of the film, we also see the helicopter which is not allowed to return fire and the man pretends to shoot at them this may be to show they have the power over them in the city and they know what they are doing, this may also reinforce the idea of supporting the soldiers as they are seen as heroes and should be supported.

Themes: the main theme in this scene is that of starvation and fear among the people who are in the country because they are so hungry and we see these dead bodies we feel sorry for them making us support whoever tries to protect them. Another is that of danger; we see shooting of innocent people which makes the audience support the Americans further. The dark clothing of the people also suggests they are dangerous so they are seen as villainess people showing another theme which is good against evil.

Camera movements and angles: we see a pan across the bodies in the opening scenes which gives an idea of how many people are starving and struggling in this place we also see a number of close ups on the dead people which creates a feel of sadness for the audience because they don’t want to see this pain, we also have close ups on the soldiers faces when the shootings take place which shows there emotions towards what is happening which makes the audience support them because they will have similar beliefs. We see a long shot from the helicopter which shows how close they are which makes you feel like they will help but they have been told not to do so which makes the audience have another opinion that of which being they should help no matter what they have been told.

Editing: there are a number of jump cuts from the helicopter to the situation on the ground which gives a sense of closeness and that they are there to help until the shots are fired, then we see more straight cuts to show the panic of these people about what is happening, we also see the straight cuts when they are trying to take the food which may show the inpatients of the people because they are so hungry and need food.

Sound: in the opening we hear slow music which gives the scene a sad feel because there are dead bodies and slow camera movements which support the sound and what it is trying to represent. Then when it cuts to the food area the music changes to be more upbeat which can show that something is about to happen which may be dangerous because we see the guns which reinforce this dangerous situation the audience may be expecting, when the gun is fired it is very loud making the audience focus on it so they understand the harm it is causing.

Narrative: the narrative is shown very clearly through the text in the opening because it gives information on what has happened in the recent months and gives an idea of the genre of this movie, the bodies used also give an idea as it follows the conventions of a thriller by keeping the audience on the edge of their seats.

The Day After Tomorrow; disaster thriller

i have analysed the opening of the movie however this is the trailer for the movie.

mise-en-scene: in this opening we see a lot of clear ice which may represent the peacefulness of the area before we see the people who are drilling, this may show that they are unaware of the dangers ahead, this opening is typical of a disaster movie as it starts with an equilibrium which is halted by a problem which has to be solved somehow.

Themes: the main film in this is clearly a disaster is going to happen in some way, this causes as sense of curiosity because of this enigma created making the audience curios of what will happen. Another possible theme is that of fear because the audience see how small the people are compared to what happens which makes them think that nature has the power over the humans.

movements and angles: we see a high angle shot of the ice and also the water which shows us where the opening setting is and also we see why they are there with a close up on the drill which may be the cause of the damage we see, we also see a long shot of the man almost falling down the ice cliff which is created from the cracking of the ice this shows how small he is compared to the cliff and also we see a bird’s eye view of the equipment falling down the cliff which shows how dangerous the position they are in is and that it could have been them which we see through the close up and expression of one person’s face.

Editing: we see a number of straight cuts throughout this clip when the danger begins because these straight cuts show the pace of what is happening and the danger that surrounds them, we also see a number of jump cuts into the people which shows there expression and fear of what is happening around them.

Sound: at the start of the extract we here calm music which suggests the nature of what is happening and that everything is under control giving a sense of relaxation to the audience before we here the emphasised sound of the ice cracking beneath them creating a very fast change is atmosphere because we see more panic in the characters and also the change in music to a more upbeat sounds intensifies this idea that they are in danger and something bad is happening.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre; horror thriller

Mise-en-scene:  in this clip we see very little as it is mainly dark with flashes of dead bodies which suggest that the movie is very mysterious and dangerous; we also see a graveyard which is commonly seen as being very scary or dangerous creating a tense atmosphere for the audience. We see different parts of decomposed bodies which reinforce this idea of danger and also creates an enigma because people want to know how and why these people are like this making them want to watch more of the movie.

Themes: the main theme throughout this extract is that of fear and confusion because the audience is fearful of what is happened to these people and also how it happened, they may also be curious of what has happened because of this fear reinforcing this idea of fear being the main theme also with some curiosity.

Camera movements and angles: we mainly see close ups of the bodies and a lot of darkness so there is little camera movement which creates a feel of danger for the audience because they can’t see what is happening. We also see the bodies from mainly high angle shots which suggest that these people were very weak when they died and didn’t have control of the situation because someone else did.

Editing: there are a lot of fade ins and fade outs on this clip because they show a slowed atmosphere and allow the audience time to see the bodies, they also create a tense atmosphere compared to straight cuts because they are slow and can be seen as more dangerous.

Sound: in the opening we have the narrative of the story and what happened up to a certain point which creates an enigma for the audience because they want to find out what actually happened and who did it. We then here branches breaking and someone breathing heavily which suggests they are running away from someone or somewhere, this creates fear in the audience because they don’t know what the person is running from and why. Then we also get non-diegetic sounds, which create tension in the audience when we see the bodies because it’s a loud screeching sound which is associated with fear or danger.

Narrative: during the opening it gives a clear idea of the storyline and what has happened but creates an enigma so the audience are interested in how this has happened and what will happen now. This follows a similar layout to ‘Black Hawk Down’ which also uses text to show what has happened which shows the linked between different thrillers.

Snatch; crime thriller

Mise-en-scene: the main area we see throughout the opening is of different jewellery shops which can give us an idea of the film, that of it being about gaining money in any way possible which is reinforced because they are wearing disguises which can show they are involved in crime and stealing jewellery. This may also be shown because they are in the back of a van, which is possibly because they are trying to get away from somewhere fast. They also show weapons in the shots, which can show the violence in the film because of the crimes.

Stock characters: we see a number of characters doing something throughout the clip which gives us an idea about their character and what they do, for example we see ‘Blue Tooth Tony’ put someone in the boot of a car which can show that he is a dangerous character and is involved in a lot of crime and violence. We also see a lot of jewellery being passed around which can show that all these characters are closely linked through money and what they do rather than being friends.

Themes: the main themes we see in the text is that of crime and money, we see a lot of crime because we see fighting, robbery and other illegal things which can give an idea of the film and what is going to happen in the film. The money theme is shown when they are playing poker and someone is taking money off the other person and also when they throw money from one person to another, which can show that money is very important to the film and the people.

Camera movement and angles: we see a lot of close ups on people and what they are doing which gives us a clear and quick idea of what they do and who they are through the use of camera shots. These close ups show the expressions of the characters and what they are focused on doing, the main focus is on money and we see this through the close ups on jewellery and their expressions when they have the money.

Editing: there are a lot of wipes throughout this clip from one character and what they are doing to the next this can show that even though they are not close to each other they are all doing very similar things and are doing something wrong or dangerous. We also see a number of freeze frames which show the character and their name which gives us an idea of who they are and they usually had an expression of joy on their face which can represent they enjoy what they are doing. We also see a lot of zooms in and out to change settings as well which can also show the closeness of these people.

Sound:  the music is very upbeat in the clip which can show that even though they may be in danger they still enjoy what they are doing. It also may show that they do not see anything wrong with the way they make money because they have to get some in any way possible. There is also emphasis on the bullets dropping on the floor, which grabs the attention of the audience as it may show that they do not trust each other even though they are doing these things together.

The Dark Knight Rises; action thriller

Mise-en-scene: a plane over mountains, this can show that the area is very quiet and these people are doing something wrong here, it also may represent the danger of the situation and what is about to happen now and throughout the film. The weapons are clearly shown throughout the opening scene, which can give an idea to what the movie will be like and what is expected.

Stock characters: Bane is clearly the villain in this opening scene as he is wearing the dark colours which are mainly part of what is expected of the villain character, another is the voice of bane which shows that he is different to the other people there as he sounds more dangerous representing that he is clearly the main character. There are also men in army uniforms, which may show how dangerous these people they are watching are because they are needed.

Themes: the main theme we see in the opening is one of danger because we see weapons and people being held out of a plane which can represent the rest of the film as it is going to be full of action. Another is that the evil characters are about to be the ones in more power; this can show that evil will take power over the hero characters at some point in the film.

Camera movement and angles: in the opening we see an establishing/extreme long shot of the plane and the mountains which can give us an idea of where they are and what is happening but may also represent how small they are compared to what is going to happen in the rest of the film. We also so a number of close ups and mid-shots of the characters giving us an idea of their emotions and also their significances for example once Bane is revealed the camera mainly focuses on him in the conversation. When we do not know it is Bane he is mainly shown from a high angle showing he has very little power and the other man has all the npower but as soon as his mask is taken off he is shown from a low angle shot showing he does actually have power.

Editing: we mainly see straight cuts throughout the scene which can represent how simple the characters are that are being involved because when Bane begins to speak we see more jump cuts which can show his intelligence and power over the people who appear to be in control of the situation.

Sound: the plane is loud over the people talking which gives a sense of realism until Bane begins to talk then he is louder than everything else which can show he is the main focus of the scene, his voice is also very different to everyone else’s which attracts attention to him as well because we are unsure of him as his voice creates a sense of danger to the audience.