Evaluation: Question 7

Question 7:

When comparing my preliminary task with my main task, what do you feel you have learnt?

When looking back on our media preliminary task we managed to get a feel for using the equipment and because we were working on a piece which we, from the start, wanted to be heavily stylised, had extra motivation. We were eager to create the prelim, yet our planning was flawed, and we ended up disregarding our rough storyboard and decided to do what we thought worked at the time. We managed to keep in mind the 180 degree rule throughout, yet we did have a continuity mess up with a self closing door due to pre planning. Door left open, door then closed….

 In comparison to the preliminary we seem to have organised ourselves more successfully this time around. We planned the location in advance and worked hard to get the environment we wanted. We also planned a rough storyboard and a finalised story board which helped us work quickly and effectively more so then if we had not pre planned. However, after looking at the location on the day of the shoot, some of the shots had to be adapted as we had not anticipated the shadows from the low light. We also had to adapt our original storyboard to fit in with a ditch instead of a set of trees, however the main order of events is still the same. When filming in the fish and chip shop for our VICTIM scenes, we had to take down multiple decorations and move certain menus and flowers to make sure the scene was not spoilt by mise en scene that felt very out of place.

Detective Barry Kirk in the ditch we used as it was more convenient to use and the victim in the café, without Christmas decorations or flowers in shot.

From our prelim we decided that we wanted to experiment with more unique camera angles such as the shot when we set the camera up on a table, to get a successful view of the whole room. We used a tripod on a bridge his time to get an overall view of the scene. In the prelim we made sure we abided by the 180 degree rule before we took every shot. It helped us keep the shots to be just how we envisioned them, so we continued using this idea for our main piece as it served us well.

For our prelim we also used a very stylised soundtrack, which recieved some positive feedback, so the group worked to develop an equally stylised track which complimented the piece. This recieved positive feedback as it really helped to stylise the opening as a cop thriller.

All three of us had decided right from the beginning that we wanted to stylise the opening in a way similar to our preliminary task, in a style similar to the one Quentin Tarantino uses in some of his films (in Reservoir Dogs, for example).

 In order to capture this style we had to make the main character look powerful and iconic and we did this by filming him centrally throughout most of the shots he is present in. We did however find that because of him being the main focus in much of the shots, one of the shots in which he looks into the ditch does not quite link into the sequence, so we had to edit heavily by cutting other footage out and slowing the shot down so it looked like it flowed with the rest of the sequence. Because of this some footage was unused, which was useful as some of the extra footage, such as the reaction sigh shot, were vital later in fleshing out the opening so it had more substance.

The reaction sigh shot: Unplanned but used and turned out successful in slowing down the pace. We, as a group, are extremely pleased and proud of our production yet despite this, we are still thinking of ways to improve it. I main area would be to get a full cast of adult actors so that the piece looked as realistic as possible. Another would be that we would like to film in a more gritty location, maybe an actual truckstop diner if it was available. On a personal note I would like to have refined the titles more and made them more in time with the music, which would help engage the audience into the stylised piece even more. For the majority of the piece we worked as a tight knit team who helped each other as we went along. Niall Mason (who played the victim) worked solo on all the musical aspects and then ran them by us so we could get a taste of the direction he was going in. Sam James did lots of the technical work, with the cameras and the editing software and I helped draw up the storyboards and the shot ideas.

Evaluation: Question 6

Question 6:

What have you learnt about technologies when making your opening?

In order to create our opening I had to learn how to use the camera equipment and the editing software as well as using social media in different ways in order to allow our piece to be viewed by more people.

We learnt how to use the Camera’s in different ways:

We used HD cameras to film our production with, and because of the HD quality, we had to work out different lighting and composition to get as much out of the quality of the camera as possible. We also used cameras with manual focus, which allowed us to get the atmospheric shots where the focus changes, along with getting incredible detail on the close up shots. 

We used 2  Canon 550D DSLR HD cameras to record our footage in, well, HD! The quality was impressive regarding image quality and this helped us to add a sense of depth to our piece by adding that extra detail.

With the cameras we had to get to grips with the different lenses. We had a macro lens, which we used for extreme close ups to grasp every detail, which can make some viewers feel wonderfully uncomfortable (desired effect) and we also had a zoom lens which allowed us to get some impressive long shots and establishing shots which helped to emphasise the feel of isolation. We made sure that the lighting mode was not set on night vision either, as that would have been disastrous.

When composing the shots we went with the idea that the protagonist would be central in the shots he was in, and the camera would look up to him, as this would give him an air of authority and power to show his profession. With the Victim we chose to have most shots close up and uncomfortable, and with the killer, his only shot would be out of focus and in the background, in order to disguise his identity.

EXAMPLES OF WHAT I MENTIONED ABOVE.

We also learnt about the 180 degree rule, where you draw a line down your scene and do not cross it, to avoid confusing the viewer. We asked ourselves before every single shot if this broke the rule. This made sure all of our footage flowed and made sense to the audience whilst watching it.

We learnt how the environment can effect planning:

During the filming we came across long shadows we had not planned for and we had to rework some of the camera positions to account for this. We set the tripod up to account for the uneven ground and this helped us to get some stable shots that we were after. We also worked around the environment, as we originally wanted the body to be in a treeline, but the location made it more appropriate for the bdy to be dumped in a ditch instead, which helped to work with the lighting too.
For example, the lighting in the cafe was excellent and helped to make the scene look slighty bland so we did not manipulate the exposure settings. We had to move flowers and menus to make the table look authentic and convincing.

We learnt about how to use editing software to give wanted effects to the film:

When we were editing the footage we used iMOVIE and iDVD to create it. We used the saturation changer to stylise the titles and we used the export feature to export in HD. We used garage band to create the soundtrack and because of the wide variety of sounds our group managed to get a theme tune which fitted to the piece exactly.

This is a screen of the editing software IMOVIE. In this screen we are precisely splitting a clip to make the editing look as slick and professional as possible.

We have used the software to change the colour. In this perticular shot we are making the scene look more pale and bland, as this helps to add to the theme of isolation we were looking for. We adjusted the contrast and saturation to give the feeling of isolation and loneliness. We also used fades and straight cuts to help the video flow. This makes it look more slick and professional which makes it more appealing to the audience. because of the cuts to the film being so precise, we managed to incorporate the soundtrack to make the whole thing look more professional.

Evaluation: Question 5

Question 5:

How would you attract your audience?

We used questions asked in a video interview to help gather some information about what they

would like to see included in the final video. We used this research to help add in some key elements

 that would make the thriller more appealing to the audience. We used our video interviews to find out what the audience expected.

We used some recognisable elements of thriller films in our piece. We set the “story” as being a victim being stalked but the antagonist is hidden from the audience until the moment when you realise it is too late. We used the detective genre so the story unravels as the characters find out clues, which grips the viewer and draws them  into it as they are enticed into seeing what happens next. In order to grip the audience through this  detective style we have made sure the opening is set in an isolated area with no one around for miles, to give a lonely feel to the piece. (1)

 For certain shots we used lots of out of focus shots so the audience is forced to take in details like a detective would, which helps them to experience the narrative ( for example in screen 2, the barbed wire is highlighted to show a sense of danger). 

We used the monotonous sounds in the soundtrack to give a sense of isolation as well as building up tension to draw the viewer in more. We also used authentic and realistic props and other mise en scene to draw the audience in. For example the strobe in the car window gives the impression that the car is really a police car, the dark and damp location of the body is a realistic dumping ground and the paranoid behaviour of the victim in the café mirrors a man under extreme stress. All of these factors help to give a sense of authenticity and subsequently all the viewer to immerse themselves in the plot.

We used a mixture of soundtracks to give help to appeal to the target market. The low monotonous sounds, again, give a sense of isolation and  help to engage the viewer in this gritty and dark world  that we have set up. The music helps to enforce feels of uncertainty and the disturbing atmosphere. The music that works with the titles helps to resemble the stylised feel of a film similiar to Reservoir Dogs and this helps to cement the film as a stylised cop thriller.

We used steady, high quality cameras to help capture the footage and because of this it gives a very professional air to the production. This will make them more appealing to the audience as they will find the piece much more convincing.

We then interviewed people about what they thought of our media piece and they gave very

positive feedback. They felt that the camera angles were used to a successful standard and we had

 lots of comments about the use of focus shots and how they helped to add mystery. We toned the

 piece to be rated as a 15, as we decided to use suspense and things that were suggested instead of

 intense violence and blood, as we wanted to set the film in a gritty, lonely world, but not one which

 relishes violence. An age certificate of 15 helps to open up the market a bit more, as it allows

slightly younger teens to view it but also tells people it is not graphic enough to discourage older,

 more sensitive viewers. Overall feedback was positive on our thriller opening. People seemed pleased and engaged when we showed them it in our thriller interview.  

Evaluation: Question 4

 Question 4:

Who would be the audience for your media product?

For our thriller piece we tried to aim it a people who enjoy detective thrillers, and have used our audience research to narrow down our audience. We aimed our thriller at people in their late teens to people up to their mid 50s, generally male (but not excluding females) as this is where we gathered the most positive feedback.

We wanted to aim the film at a wide audience, starting with people in our peers and going up to people in their mid 50s. This would help to maximise the money gained from the film as it can be aimed at a wider audience. This means that it can be marketed more efficiently and can therefore be a more successfully film.

We decided to go with a 15 BBFC rating for our media opening because it helps to open up the audience available. We also wanted to aim it at this certification because we felt as a group, that the strengths of the film would lie more in the tension, atmosphere and characters, then in strong violence, gore, swearing or sex. We do however need to have violent themes running throughout the opening, especially the idea of murder, but the actual event is never shown in detail and the body is only briefly seen. The suggestive imagery has been used to better effect then a brutal gory crime scene would have been.

We used audience research to find out exactly what our audience wanted to see and what they expected to see in a thriller film. We used a video interview to help gather audience expectations for a typical thriller.  This is shown in the following video interviews taken before and during the production.

We discovered from our interviews that people expected to see lots of conventions we set out to include in our media. Tension, mystery and the whole police theme were expected and seemed to be pleasing to most when we included it.

Examples of people from our decided typical audience: Aged late teens to mid 50s and typically male (but not exclusive, as society does not promote sexism).

Evaluation: Question 3

Question 3:

What Media Distribution Company could distribute your production and why?

For the Media distribution company we decided to go with LIonsgate as the distribution company and Warner bros. as the production. Warner Brothers is an American television, film and general

entertainment production company which is a section of the international Time Warner company

 which is based in Burbank, California and New York. Warner Bros. has smaller companies

underneath it such as WB Studios and WB Pictures. We decided to choose WB as our distribution company as they have lots of experience underneath them. The vast amount of resources would allow COLD COUNTRY to be backed by a big budget (meaning the film could be more extravagant and better made) and would allow the film to be advertised heavily too through lots of different media which would help the studio profit.

We chose LIONSGATE entertainment Corp, to distribute our film. Lionsgate is a North American company which has headquarters set in Sante Monica, California. It is a massively successful commercial distribution company which works with independent films and big companies too. Advantages to using this company are that it has a offices in the UK which allow for local communication and the company’s successful background help to sell the film to people, because of Lionsgate’s well regarded reputation. The company has been sold as reliable and because they are professional promoters and advertisers would help get the film the coverage it needs to get it off the ground.

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Both of these companies have highly regarded reputations and are international, it would help our

thriller sell. The 2 companies have reputations for selling well regarded films (The Dark Knight for

WB and NARC, Crash and Hostel for Lionsgate) and the majority of these films are dark, gritty

thrillers which suits our piece perfectly.

The above film The Dark Knight, is an incredibly well regarded thriller film which blends a gritty violent world with one of the best known icons in all of entertainment. The opening of TDK utilises extremely bland environments which lack any colour, as shown in the above establishing shot, and this helps to bring a feel of isolation to the piece. TDK is an example of an extremely successful thriller that has been superbly produced and marketed by Warner Brothers.

Trailer for The Dark Knight: 

Evaluation: Question 2

Question 2:

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

For our media thriller opening we used Props Narrative Theory to use for our story structure. We set the beginning up as an equilibrium and we introduced our hero. We then teased at something disrupting the piece and set threads up, including the murderer and the victim, which could be picked up on and elaborated on later in the movie. 

Wordle to show themes, props and costume ideas we wanted to use for the different characters.

We decided to go with quite a traditional protagonist and have set up Barry Kirk as him and have made him appear to be heroic using camera shots which frame him centrally as well as being angled to look up to him, which helps reinforce a sense of power. This helps to establish the protagonist as having a powerful presence which sets him up as a main character for the rest of the film. All of the main shots feature him too and the viewer seems to follow him and discover plot elements as he does. We have used these techniques to help emphasise the authority that our protagonist detective has, and we have used him exploring the crime scene to help reveal clues to the audience as they reveal themselves to the main character. This helps to emphasise that the main character is a detective further, and also helps to solidify the genre as being a detective/police thriller.

 Detective Barry Kirk is in the centre of the shot, which helps to ground him as a central character. The fact he is walking towards the centre of the camera gives him a sense of power, which is how we wanted to represent the detective, or the hero.

For our “Victim” character we wanted him to appear vulnerable and powerless, but instead of going for a female victim (as the expected norm) we chose to use a smartly dressed man who’s current affairs are shown to have taken a toll on him. We showed that by going for an unkempt look which helps to resemble this man as being “on the edge” and on the verge of a breakdown. We backed this idea up with the use of costume. We dressed him in smart clothes but made him look scruffy which helped to give a surreal and stressed feel to the character. The victim keeps glancing out the window which shows he is nervous and helps to build tension around that character as at this point you do not know that the victim is the “victim”. The use of the coin in this section helps to paint the character as paranoid, which adds to the overall feel of someone in distress.

For the victim we have purposefully lit the scene as quite white and bland, to give a sense of isolation. This helps to give the victim a pale aura which in turn helps to add to the impression of vulnerability. The use of the coin helps to emphasise the paranoia of the character.

For the “killer” we went for the recognisable killer in a Macintosh who is never seen properly. This helps to add an air of mystery to piece yet also helps to reveal who has been acting unseen throughout the opening. He is dressed in dark colours which help to cement him as a dark brooding character  The fact he is only shown briefly helps to give the sense of mystery and invisibility, which makes the final shot chilling because it allows you to tie the two narratives together. We cast Sam James as the Killer as he had a young fresh face, but is quite tall and distinguished which gives a surreal and unusual spin on the murderer. The long black coat he has been dressed in helps to give a professional appearance, which adds to the tense atmosphere.

The focus change shot helps to disguise his appearance and add to the mystery and his pose gives a menacing impression to the audience. The macintosh suggests a clean and professional background.

Evaluation: Question 1

Question 1-
In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

For our AS Media task we have been given the opportunity to create a 2 minute long thriller film opening sequence which must establish characters, tease at a plot and must include titles. We decided to go with a 15 certified film so we could focus more on atmosphere rather than violence. Our media product has been designed with thriller conventions in mind and several of the key shot and ideas have been derived from other media products. We have attempted to use a variety of shots that help to add a sense of mystery to the piece. We have used focus change shots to help disguise certain characters or features from the audience. The fact we have taken this into account helps to show that we are using conventions that are typical of thrillers.

To decide on what we had to include we looked at typical conventions of both thrillers and film openings:

-          Conventions of a thriller: Would normally establish the setting as being dangerous and/or surreal location which helps to engage the audience. The use of the camera angles e.g. extreme close ups and establishing long shots, can make the viewer feel unease and uncomfortable and isolated and scared for the characters.

-          Conventions of an Opening: Would include using titles to establish the cast and some of the key crew (director, producers etc.) A scene to establish the main character and details about them.

A wordle to show some of the key elements we wanted to include, and have included in our opening.




















 We included a mysterious male antagonist who works in the shadows, which helps to add a constant impression of danger.  We have used our audience research to help select the thriller genre we wanted to use. We wanted to establish the main characters in the opening and we did this through the use of camera shots, framing and costume. We set the hero up as having enormous power by framing him centrally a lot, and following him as he discovers clues. This helps to give a detective feel as the audience feel that they need to find out more as the story unravels. We set the victim up as being paranoid and nervous, and this made the scene tense, due to the fact it was building up to a climax. We set the murderer up as being mysterious and calculating, as you only see him briefly and he starts off as out of focus, which gives an air of professionalism.

We wanted to use the theme of isolation in our opening like No Country for Old men, or Inception, as these films both start with very isolated backdrops. No Country uses countryside, and Inception uses an isolated beach to create a sense of loneliness and isolation which helps to reinforce a sense of danger which helps to grip the audience. Inception uses a beach with rough seas and we wanted to capture the feeling of loneliness and a lack of civilisation in our thriller. These openings worked well so we wanted to use the ideas to create our own tense beginning with similar themes running through it that would help to grip the audience. We also wanted the piece to be very stylised and we looked at some of Quentin Tarantino’s work as inspiration and we ended up drawing heavily upon his style for the title sequence (with the freeze frame and the names, similar to this intro scene from his film, Inglorious Basterds:

Here is an example of how we have used inspiration from the film, No Country for Old Men in our opening. We used the idea of a massive countryside setting to create an isolated feel. The composition of the shot draws heavy attention to the long road, which helps to give the impression that it is miles from anywhere. We have used a filter to make the image blander and chilling which helps to give an isolated feel.

 We continued to use shots of the country road even when it was not the main focus to help reinforce the sense of isolation.

We kept the villain in the background and out of focus to keep his identity a secret. The use of this technique helps to give the audience a sense of looming danger.

 In our thriller we made sure all of our scenes were well lit, but we then proceeded to adjust the whiteness on the murder scene shots to give an extra sense of coldness and loneliness. Because of this the whole scene looks quite bland and isolated which is exactly the look we were going for. We also decided to film the opening as a dual narrative: The two scenes filmed interlocked but were not flashbacks, as the opening in inception, for example was two scenes set at different times. The use of the two scenes helped to tease and then draw in the audience, to be wanting to know what happens to the characters, or ask what is the significance of this?


Oh and here's our director's commentary:

COLD COUNTRY (2012)

THE THRILLER FILM YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR!!!!!!!!!!!! Or not but here is our AS piece.

Media Team... Making of

Media Team... THRILLER FEEDBACK MARATHON!

Media Team... QUESTION TIME! Audience research part 3.

Inception Opening Analysis

The film INCEPTION is an action thriller which revolves around the world of dreams and people performing actions in them like another world. The first shot it the film is a long shot of the sea with rocks behind. As the waves crash together in slow motion, low monotonous music plays. The use of the sound and the slow motion helps the audience take in the detail and the scope of the environment which helps to build the area up as somewhere new and unexplored. The fact that the waves are crashing together helps to create a sense of danger and in turn suspense, as you are not yet aware of what lies out of frame. The use of a pan helps to emphasise the scale of the area that the audience are being exposed too and the fact that the scale is being slowly revealed helps to pull the viewers into the scene, which is a key trait of a thriller.

This close up shot of the man lying on the floor helps to create an air of mystery in the scene, and the fact that his face is concealed by uncomfortably close spray, helps to discomfort the viewer and put them on edge. The fact that the light is catching the spray contrasts heavily to the darkened face which helps to emphasise a feeling of mystery which is typical for a thriller. The fact the noise is slightly distorted helps them to empathise with the man, as they are feeling some of what he is feeling.  The Character’s clothes are not really visible, yet he is wet and scruffy, which tells us he has just washed ashore, which suggests he is very strong in character, physically and mentally to survive the ordeal, even though the reason for him being washed ashore is not made clear yet. The low angle of this shot however, suggests the man is exhausted and powerless.

This next low angled, medium shot helps to establish an air of authority and power around this typical security guard figure. The fact that his head has blocked out the sun refers to how powerful the man appears in front of the man who has washed ashore. The use of the uniform and gun help to reinforce these feelings to the audience who are also looking at him from a low angle. These feelings help the audience relate to the character. The sound at this point is the waves crashing against the shore which help to establish the location further. The fact that the guard is well lit shows that the character is not afraid of secrets, or hiding his identity, which contrasts to the questions that have already been asked in the previous opening shots. The shot uses the golden mean as the man’s eyes and weapon seem to line up and catch attention.

This shot is a long shot of a dining hall which is highly decorated and clean, which suggests a powerful owner, with 3 characters present. The main one is in the centre and the other characters seem to be positioned around it. The two standing characters are looking at the central one, giving him an aura of authority and menace. The fact they are standing too gives him an air of power. The man is facing away as his identity is being concealed from the audience which further adds to the feeling of suspense. The sound is almost silent, except the person speaking, which tells the audience that the place is secure and peaceful, which contrasts to the crashing waves outside. The theme of order and chaos recurs throughout the scene and helps to foreshadow some big themes that run in the rest of the film.

This is a medium shot of the character that was concealed from view in the last analysed shot. The character is in the centre of the shot which helps to imply his importance in the scene, yet he is obviously pained with age due to his hunch position, which helps to reinstate the film as a gritty one, which shows pain and suffering, traits typical to a thriller. The man’s costume tells us that the character is quite wealthy, and hr holds himself with pride, despite his age, and the fact that his suit is the same colour as his wooden surroundings helps to set this character up as a solid, strong character, despite his hindrances.

Media Team... QUESTION TIME! Audience research part 2.

Media Team... QUESTION TIME! Audience research part 1.

Media Team... ASSEMBLE! Episode 4.

Media Team... ASSEMBLE! Episode 3.

Final Storyboard

This storyboard is a plan of our final design.
The coloured arrows mean the scene changes (red-detective, blue-diner).
The coloured circles show the character (key above).

This storyboard will be taken out with us when we are filming, so we all know clearly what needs doing and what must be filmed. This makes sure we get what we initially went out to film, but also means we can get extra footage that we think of as we do the shoot.

Shot List

-          Establishing shot of the car.

 

-          Close up of Barry in the car.

 

-          Medium shot of Barry opening and closing car door, low angle.

 

-          Long shot of Barry walking across the across the field.

 

-          Extreme close up of coin.

 

-          Medium shot of booth.

 

-          Close up of victim.

 

-          Medium match on action shot of leg coming through door.

 

-          Long shot of the field.

 

-          Long shot in the cafe.

 

-          Medium shot of café of decoy.

 

-          Over the shoulder shot of Barry and the murder scene.

 

-          Medium two shot featuring Barry and the corpse.

-          Close up reaction shot of Barry.

 

-          Close up visual match of victim.

 

-          Long shot of the scene as a whole, zooms out.

 

-          Medium shot of victim, focus changes to show killer behind.

Media Team... ASSEMBLE! Episode 2.

Media Team... ASSEMBLE! Episode 1.

The first video in our episodic commentary of the creation of our thriller piece.
MEDIA TEAM! OUT!

Rough storyboard

This rough storyboard shows our planning at an early stage. This acted as a rough layout for the camera angles and locations that are going to be used in our thriller. The titles are missing from this storyboard as they will be decided upon at a later time to make sure that the titles we use will fit with the footage as best as possible.

The following is a list of shot descriptions that describe shots 1 to 17.
1. Car heading towards camera on lonely, stretching road. Establishing shot.
2. Medium shot of main character through windscreen as the car slows down.
3. Low angle shot in slow motion as the main character steps out of the car.
4. Long shot of main character walking towards camera with strobe police light in background.
5. Coin flips down from camera into hand.
6. Medium shot of a man, sideways on, alone in a diner/cafe booth.
7. Close up of man's face, sideways on. Shows fear and apprehension.
8. Diner door swings open. Changes scene.
9. Prolonged tracking shot of Main Character walking across the field. Tree swipes the scene to the diner.
10. Side tracking shot of man walking into diner.
11. Man walks past character in the booth. Slows down when he reaches for something, but it's nothing.
12. Main character follows drag marks to scene. Over the shoulder shot.
13. Pan to show dead body but face.
14. Close up of main character's face. Portrays no emotion. Sets character up as hardened.
15. Close up of dead guy's face. Revealed to be the diner guy.
16. Long shot of whole scene, with main character in the centre.
17. Focus change shot in the diner, revealing the killer is in the booth behind the man.

A "neat" version of the story board will be created to add any changes to the scene and show more detail.

Outlines of Pitch Ideas and Final Idea in development!

Idea 1:
Pitch idea one is set up to be a detective/crime thriller opening. The general "plot" of the opening would revolve around a detective arriving at a crime scene. We would use a variety of low angled shots, and panning shots, to give a sense of authority and power to the detective on camera. The crime scene would utilise police tape to make it look authentic and the car that the detective would arrive in would be fitted with a strobe light, to give the film a feeling of authenticity. The location we would use would be a bleak spot in the countryside to really emphasise the feel of isolation, which would help to follow some typical Thriller conventions, such as isolation and tension. The titles would appear afterwards and would be colourful and stylised, which would give it the feeling of a 70s police thriller. the detective in the scene would wear a suit and long coat to give him a sense of formality whilst the victim who briefly appears at the end, will be dressed more scruffily and casually, to give a sense that nobody will miss him. For the sound, we were thinking of going with monotonous sounds to give a feel of impending danger.

Idea 2:
The second pitch idea would be a Western themed opening, set in a snowy forest. The opening would be set around a mysterious man, dressed in western attire, walking through the snow, carrying a shovel. It would be a simple idea, but the use of tense guitar music would help to generate a feel of suspense. The fact that the man is carrying a shovel raises questions about the man's motives and activities, which helps to engage the audience like a Thriller should. The sound would be tense guitar music to back the things happening on screen, whereas the location would be an big wood, covered in snow, to give the impression of a cold, unwelcoming landscape.

Idea 3:
Our third idea would be set in a busy diner and would focus around a smartly dressed man who has obviously let themselves go. The "plot" will focus around this man getting more and more agitated, and then the person hunting him is finally revealed sitting behind them. The victim would wear smart attire, possible a suit and a coat, yet would wear them scruffily indicating he is stressed and on the edge. The "Murderer" would wear a Raincoat and would be otherwise dressed smartly which would create a contrast between the hunter and the hunted, and would suggest the killer is cold, calculating and professional. The sound used in the video would be the audio from the diner, but distorted in places to give a surreal feeling of isolation in a busy and crowded place.

Reception and Final Idea development:
The pitch ideas were positively  received yet the western one was criticised for being too ambitious. The other two ideas however were received well and we have decided that we would combine them into our opening by using a dual narrative. This would help to incorporate lot's of elements we initially wanted to use (crime, detective, dual narrative etc) yet would include them all in an interesting way. For titles we were going to stick with the titles and style proposed in Idea 1.

Media Thriller Opening Pitch

Our media pitches were met with positive feedback. The people we showed our pitches too were taken in by the detective idea and the crime scene, but also liked the idea of using the diner, as it had not been mentioned previously. The western idea was laughed at a bit, and would have been very difficult to look authentic, so we have decided to go forward with the other two ideas. We wanted to use a dual narrative, and the two pitches that were received well can be combined into a finalised idea.

From this we have decided to 

Film Production and Distribution companies

Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc 
Warner Bros. are an American film, television and entertainment production company which is a subsidiary of Time Warner (based in Burbank, California and New York). Warner Bros. itself has several companies under it, such as Warner Bros. Pictures and Warner Bros. Studios etc.

Advantages of using Warner Bros.:

• Experienced production company
• Vast resources
• High success rate
• Big budgets lack restrictions.
• Advertising options available.

Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation 
Lions Gate is a North American entertainment and distribution company.Its headquarters are located in Santa Monica, California. As of 2011, it is the most commercially successful distribution company regarding independent film and a television distribution company too.


Advantages:

• UK subsidiary.
• Successful background
• Established contacts.
• Reliability Company.
• Professional promotors and advertisers..