Researching Thriller Title Font

Now that I have decided on the name of my film I need to experiment with different fonts that will work well with the title. Font is important because it can represent different moods and themes within the film.



The font used for the Sinister title is very effective for connoting the mood or theme of death in the film. It does this by using a font that looks like blood is dripping down from the letters. This is backed up by the stale red colour that is used in the font- it almost makes it look like the word has been written in bloody which is very creepy.




The font used for this is England is a perfect example of a type of font that completely backs the title itself. The fact that the title is bold and  all the letters are in capitals implies that this film will be very nationalist based because its almost like an exclamation of the phrase too defend the country. Lastly, the red white and blue patriotic colours further shows the extremities of the national pride in the film.





The font used for the thrilling American TV drama- Breaking Bad is clever because it fills the reader in on the main content of the film. The letters 'Br' and Ba' are taken from the periodic table simply showing that this show will involve some sort of chemistry. I also noticed how the other letters were not fully filled in and some of it was rubbed out which I thought could link to a chalk board at school which of course links to the protagonist's profession as a teacher.



Experimenting with fonts for my film title:

Font One
I like this font because it is very bold and constant. I think this works well with the title because the metallic colour and use of capital letters is professional and legal which is ideal for my film based upon police interrogation and the law. However, I do fear that this font choice is slightly boring in comparison to some of the others and therefore it is not one of my favourites.


Font Two
This font is a little less structured than the first one which I really like because it adds to the sense of crime and breaking the law which is a key theme in my film. Furthermore, I believe that the font reminds me of the writing on a dog tag worn by gang members which again is another big part of my film, especially in the opening sequence.


 Font Three
This font is another personal favourite because I like the contrast of dark grey colours giving it almost a dull and deep mood which is desired in this particular thriller film. Furthermore, I think that this style of font represents a jail cell which of course is another part of my film because the criminal that gets caught is threatened to a prison sentence if he doesn't give information.


Font Four
This font is good because it contains lots of representation about the film that will be discovered by the audience after they endure it. The glimpse of light just above the letter G represents that the criminal being interrogated is shedding light onto the mystery police case which I think is very clever. The dark atmosphere could also signify the criminal being alone after being betrayed by his literal partner in crime and the only way out is to give information on his whereabouts.


After researching and considering the different font option I have chose to use the second font because I like the way that it connotes a theme of crime and a breaking of the law.

Researching Thriller Film Titles

The title of a film is definitely a very important thing to consider for any film. It is essentially the first piece of information that the audience can obtain from a film before even watching it. When creating my film opening sequence I will need to think of an effective name that will reveal some information about the film but at the same time keep it mysterious and allow the audience to make assumptions on what the film could be about. I have looked at roughly twenty different film titles from a range of thriller sub-genres and thought about why they have been used and why they are effective.

After researching a handful of thriller films I discovered that certain names have specific purposes and they all have different effects on the audience. For example, 'Paranormal Activity' is a very simple and clear film title- it tells the audience that the film is based about the paranormal. This type of film title is very revealing because the aim is simply to attract the attention of people who like to watch ghost films. However, the title 'Spectre' is the opposite. It reveals very little about the film and leaves the audience to interpret what they think it will be based upon. This type of title is often used for films that are well know by the audience such as the James Bond films. This is because it is most likely that audience already know what to expect from these types of films. Finally, the film title 'Saw' allows the audience to obtain some information without watching it but at the same time keeps a lot of the film content a mystery enforcing them to watch it and find out what happens.

Another thing I found, during my research, was that the most popular films all had very simplistic and short names. The reason for this is because using a short title consisting of only one or two words makes sure that it sticks in the audience's head and assures they remember the name of the film come the time when it is released.

The title for my film will be 'The interrogation'. I believe that this is an effective title because firstly it tells the audience what it will be based on and give them some insight on some of the hard-hitting content. The title tells the audience that there is clearly an element of crime involved in the film which intrigues them because crime is a very popular theme in thriller films. At the same time though, the name choice is good because it still keeps a lot of the content hidden from the audience, leaving them asking questions such as: What is the crime? Who is being interrogated?  

Protagonist and antagonist costume representation

I have been looking into different types of protagonist characters to find out more about their costumes and what they connote to the audience. I discovered that character's main attire depends on the type of thriller the film is based on and the themes that are within it. I then decided to focus on particular thriller sub genres and see the sort of clothing and accessories that are used.

Crime Thriller
In a lot of the crime related thrillers that I looked at, the protagonist usually dresses smart and almost sophisticated. Take James Bond for example who in every one of the films has looked 'dashing' in his famous suit and tie. This type of costume works well in these types of thriller films because in a lot of cases the crime requires the protagonist to solve a dead end mystery. The smart outfit symbolises that the character is professional, intelligent and determined to stop whatever evil provokes the innocent people's safety.

On the other hand, in crime thrillers, the antagonist is very different in terms of costume. I found that the so called 'bad guy' in most crime films usually wear a mask to hide their identity which builds mystery. This is certainly the case in the film the Dark Knight Rises with the antagonist Bane who wears a mask during the whole script. It leaves the audience wondering why he wears the mask. This links to one of the first scenes where he says "nobody cared who I was before I put on the mask," which strikes us as somebody that wants to be noticed and recognized as an evil figure. I also noticed that antagonist characters mainly wear dark clothing which maybe implies they try to stay hidden.

Opening Sequence Narrative

The scene begins with several shots of a car from varied angles creating tension and mystery as to who or what awaits inside it. Then two masked men submerge from the car and start making their way towards a large building in an isolated location. At this point the audience's denotation of the isolated area connotes vulnerability. This is backed up by the two mystery characters in masks with a large duffle bag- the audience are left on the edge of their seats unaware of what will happen next although certain signs point to a crime. This assumption is confirmed when one of the men fires the gun into the air after busting through the doors, he also exclaims, "Get on the ground" presumably to the bystander on the scene who aren't shown in the shot. The criminals throw the man behind the counter the duffle bag and demand it be filled while held at gun point. Once the bag is filled to its max with cash, they make a run for the door, swing it open and dash outside. Heading for the car the criminal with the bag is suddenly hit over the head by the other character and in what seems like one swift motion the character grabs the money, jumps over the fence and sprints across the field. As the betrayed character clambers to hi feet police sirens come closer and before not too long the character is being arrested by a police officer who has just arrived on the scene. As for the other criminal, he appears to be free from the police as he is half way across the large landscape of grass.

What is presumed to be the captured criminal is sitting at a table on what appears to be a security camera which instantly implies to the audience that this is some sort of police interrogation. The same police officer, who made the arrest, arrives in the small, box-shaped room to join the criminal. The officer starts by stating "We can either do this the easy way or the hard way," which doesn't break the criminal's silence and therefore the audience will infer that he is not going to give information like the police force want. The officer continues to smother the criminal with questions regarding the other, missing criminal but still he refuses to talk. That is until the officer bribes the character into giving information by promising him his freedom after the job was finished. The scene slowly fades out and the titles appear on screen displaying "THE INTERROGATION" and the actor's names who took part in the filming.

Storyboard

All the images in this storyboard are initial shots I took prior to the filming. I thought that doing these practice shots would make the filming a lot easier as I could simply look at the storyboard and mirror the pre shots I took by getting into the same position.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preliminary Task Evaluation

Our preliminary task was a way to demonstrate that we could use the different camera shots in a film and also to show that we can edit effectively on Final Cut Pro X, using different techniques, effects and transitions. The mini film had to be based on a character walking down a corridor, entering a room, sitting down and exchanging a few lines of conversation with another character whom is already in place in the room. Despite having to follow this, what may sound like a rather monotonous structure, we were able to make our plot really interesting, witting and amusing for the audience.

Our mini film begins with one of the characters (me) staring at a clock as if to indicate that he is waiting for something or someone. In this first section we managed to use several camera shots, including a close up of my on edge facial expression and an over the shoulder shot of the clock. After that the camera switches to the corridor outside the room of which I await, the other character (Rory) turns the corner and begins to walk towards the room. When recording I made sure that I did not capture his face as I wanted to hide his identity to build up tension and create suspense. When Rory walks through the door we agree that this is a perfect opportunity to use the match on action shot type. I record Rory opening the door from one side and then cut the clip to another clip which is shot from the other side of the door. After he sits down opposite my character and offers me a beverage, we exchange a few lines about a deal that is about to go down, just before he poisons me with the drink he provided. While recording the conversation we had, we were able to use the 180 degree rule as well as shot reverse shot to make it easier for the audience to process. Then he smugly stands from his chair, exits the room and walks back down the corridor in a similar manor to his entrance creating a cylindrical effect. I created a storyboard that shows what each shot shows and what type of shot we will be using, also it shows the type of transitions and sound I will be using to add to suspense of the film.

Filming was generally quite easy to do and we managed to get the main bits shot in the one day, unlike last time we recorded horizontally with the ipads which means when we uploaded the footage onto the macs the clip filled the whole screen and not just part.  We found it fairly easy to include all the camera angles that we needed to demonstrate in the film. One problem with the filming was the area we had to film it, on the first day we filmed some of the conversation in one of the school classrooms and when we went to record in there the next day, that room was occupied so we had no choice but to film in another room. We were able to find a similar sort of room as a replacement, however in future we should aim to try and record the clips all in one place to avoid the audience becoming confused. When following Rory walking down the corridor the camera was a bit shaky which makes the film look unprofessional, to address this we could use a type of camera trolly which will stop the camera shaking while in use.

Editing was really fun; I found it satisfying to trial the varied effects, sounds and transitions before finding the ones that suited the footage the best. For the sound we wanted a song that is fairly mysterious and builds tension to where Rory is walking down the corridor. In the end I chose the song Right Here Right Now by Fat Boy Slim as it starts off slow and gets faster as it builds up to Rory's big entrance on the corridor. We also used a ticking sound effect to emphasise the clock was the main focus of the character and that is what is important in this scene. When the characters are conversing about the deal there will be some slow, light musician the background, similar to in a James Bond thriller when he encounters his foes. Some of the shots didn't need the use of transitions so we left them without any however for some, the footage did not look smooth when played through so I decided to use the fade feature to almost blend the two clips together so it would run smoother.

Overall I thought the preliminary task went really well as we were able to use the Final Cut Pro X software and gain more editing experience as well as having some fun while recording the footage. The task has made me more confident for the opening scene I will be making in weeks to come.

Location/setting

Location is a very important aspect of film, it helps the reader understand what is going on at different times and it is very important that within a film there are different unique settings so that the audience can keep track of all the events. Having different events take place at different places can help the audience remeber what happened in scenes because they link it to the location they have in their memory.

Location can also represent differents moods and emotions within films. For example, in the 2003 film Gerry, where the two charracters are looking to escape a desert the charracters' emotions are represented by the surrounding scenery. In one scene, where the two charracters become very lost and confused the setting looks more complex with the addition of jagged rocks and high mountains of land. Then similarly, when the the charracters have a fight and become angry with one another, the environment almost becomes angry because there is dark lighting, strong winds, tumbleweed blowing across the ground and uneven footing that the charracters have to walk on. Finally when the two charracter become exaughsted and mentally fatigued with being stuck in this deserted place, the surrounding reflects this by becoming vey flat and showing an endless horizon of dessert of which they cant escape. Its almost as if the environment itself has gone easy on the charracters because it knows how difficult its been for them and how tired they are.

Thriller Locations
In thriller films, the locations are ussually quite similar, in most cases the film takes place in deserted, enclosed environments where they are disturbed some sort of force of evil. Often the setting is dark which creates suspence and also adds an element of mystery to the scenes. Some settings in thriller films can be set at places at which crime often occurs for example prison or banks. For example The dark Knight Rises opening scene is the Joker and his gang robbing a bank which is effective because as soon as the audience see a bank or another vulnerable place for crime they know that something big will happen which builds tension.

My Opening Sequence
For my opening sequence we will start filming at my local pub- Bowden Rugny Club (where I am employed.)  This will be a good location for the robery scene to take place because there is a lot of space for the two robbers to move about and mirror the actions of robbers and criminals in other thrillers ive looked at. After we 'rob the pub' and make one of the charracters 'empty the till' the two criminals will break away at a fast pace. The get away scene will take place in the countryside as it is issolated and alone which is a key thriller convention and it add the element of the unknown. The next part of my opening sequence will be the interrogation scene which will take place in a small, dim lit room containing a table. I think that the small room will connote a sense of beiong trapped and will also resemble a prison cell which can remind the audience of the situation at hand. The room will remain fairly low lit throughout the whole scene to build up mystery and keep the criminals face hidden to show that he almost doesnt deserve to have his face shown in the light.

Analysing interogation scenes

Nightcrawler

In my opening film sequence, there will be an interrogation occurring in the present day after the flash forward from the bank robbery/police chase scene. To get an idea on how to make a thrilling interrogation scene I will be analyzing a couple of film scenes where an interrogation of a criminal occurs. From this I will be able to expand my understanding of the important conventions needed to make a good interrogation scene so I can apply the knowledge to my own film. The first film scene I will be analysing is taken from Nightcrawler- a crime based, action-packed thriller of which a man takes up a new career in filming crimes and accidents that take place in Los Angeles.



Firstly, the camera angles used are important because they help the audience to understand the scene and not get confused, for example the 180 degree rule is used through out this scene which is effective because it keeps the characters on the same sides of the screen which stops the audience thinking they've switched places. Also, the director uses the over the shoulder shot so the audience is essentially looking in the same position as the character creating the illusion that the reader is in that situation making it more exciting for them. While doing this shot, the director furthermore, uses shot reverse shot to make the audience immerse in the dialogue between characters and thus the story itself as apose to the visuals of the scene. This is often used if there is important information being discussed and the director wants the audience to listen and understand it specifically.

The digetic sound in the scene mainly includes speech between the police officer and the suspect, and often the volume of the speech and the tone changes for different parts of the interrogation for example, when the woman says, ''You left your dead partner," she sounds a lot more louder and certainly more aggressive towards the man. Another key thing about sound for this scene is the non-digetic sound, or should I say the lack of non-digetic sound. While the two characters are speaking, there is no soundtrack playing which can only imply that the director wanted the dead silence in the room to emphasis the dialogue so the reader will listen.

 The Dark Knight Rises

Another interrogation scene that I analysed was from the film The dark Knight Rises. The scene involves the great and powerful Batman interrogating the Joker and is filled with action, violence and harsh language. This scene is different to the first one I looked at because it is very much more physical in the way that the Batman treats the Joker in order to get him to confess his criminal acts.

Firstly the scene builds suspense and creates mystery at the start of the scene where the joker is talking in the darkness. The low-key lighting connotes a sense of the unknown which the audience finds intriguing and suddenly cant take their eyes off the screen because of the suspense being built up. The sudden change in lighting when the batman appears literally sheds light on the situation so the audience can understand more about the scene and what is taking place. 

The variety of camera angles and shot types used in this scene are really effective for making the audience get more into a film because it makes it seem more real. For example, when the Joker and the Batman are talking, shot reverse shot is used which essentially gives the illusion that the audience is there in the eyes of the characters. This effect makes the audience feel as though they are a part of the film which is exciting for them. Furthermore, high and low angle shots are used in this scene when Batman has the Joker griped up by his collar. The low angle shot looking up at Batman connotes power and control over the Joker which links to the whole scene of Batman physical attacking the Joker as part of the interrogation.

Media studies short film- The Deal

 

Thriller film conventions Collage

Focus group

A focus group is a small group of about six to ten people who take part in an open discussion led by a moderator who wishes to obtain information about a certain topic. The group needs to be large enough to generate fluent discussion but not so large that some participants are left out. The aim of the focus group is to generate a large number of different ideas and opinions from as many different people as possible. I conducted a focus group specifically aimed on the topic Thriller Films to find out what my target audience wants in my film in order for them to want to watch it.

Thriller film Focus Group Questions

1)        What is your favourite thriller sub-genre? (For example: Action thriller, psychological thriller, crime thriller, horror thriller.)                                           

2)        What makes you watch a thriller film? What conventions do you mainly enjoy in a thriller film? (dark lighting, sounds, tension building)

3)        In thriller films what features and characteristics do you look for in a protagonist character?

4)        In thriller films, do you support a stereotypical ending, where the main character defeats the evil? Or do you prefer a scenario where there are plot twists?

5)         How do you feel about tension building within a film?

6)        Is there anything that you particularly dislike in films, particularly thrillers?

7)        What costume do you like to see in Thriller films? (basic clothing, lots of costume)

8)         Is there anything else you would like to add about thriller films?