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Audience Research

Thriller Opening - Brainstorm

Certificate Rating - BBFC

The BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) is the organization responsible for the classification of film, dvd and some music/video games within the united kingdom. Under the Video recordings act 1984, all videos must be classified. All videos and games rated by the BBFC receive an official and legally binding certificate, along with "consumer advice" detailing references to sex, violence and coarse language. If a certificate specifies that a film or video game is not suitable for someone under a certain age, then only people of an appropriate age may buy it. The difference in ratings is directly relevant to the themes and content of the media.'Bad', 'strong' language and sexual content can earn a film a more restrictive certificate, though BBFC policy states that there are no constraints on language use in films awarded an 18 certificate.

Certificate 15: suitable for people ages 15 years and older. Can contain, horror, violence and strong language but only in moderation and when it can be justified by the text. Controversial issues such as child abuse and rape, are also acceptable but only when they are represented suggestively. Also nudity is acceptable for use within a sex scene but has to be limited concerning content. finally it can contain strong language and heavy violence.

Certificate 18: suitable for people aged 18 years or older. It is basically recognized that all persons of 18 years and older have the right to view any form of content in any volume. However exceptions include the promotion of dangerous acts and in some cases portrayal of sexual assault which could endorse assault. Finally all sexual scenes must be justified within the text.

Our group have decided to base our opening around the certificate 15 rating. This will enable us to appeal to a far less restricted audience. Also our group are all of the age where our primary viewing is of the certificate 15 genre. This means that we will be able to relate and recognize the codes and conventions with far more ease and accuracy that with that of an 18 certificate.

Continuity Task

For this area of the coursework i was unable to partake in the filming with the group due to illness. As a result it was unfair for me to take any credit for their work. Luckily a friend of mine had a similar situation with her group so we decided to team up for this section and film our own continuity task.

Firstly we had to write up our shot list. This had to include a number of specific shots given to us by our teacher. Once we had finalized our shots and checked that the piece flowed we had to cast our actors. For this we chose two drama/media students form the year above. This benefited us in two ways as it meant that the acting would be professional, they would know how to take direction and they would also be able to assist us if needed. After casting we then needed to clear with them their schedules to make a decision on when to film. once we had our actors and filming time in place we needed to book out the appropriate equipment and decide upon a location that would fit our shot list. Finally before filming could commence we needed to gain permission to film in our chosen location, and once we overcame that final hurdle we were able to start filming.

Filming ran relatively smoothly, with an excellent level of communication between both me and Jade and our actors. The good chemistry allowed us to film in a comfortable and relaxed environment, this feeling was reflected then in our work,thus resulting in a final set of footage that we were all happy with.

After we had wrapped up the filming we then had the exciting task of editing. This was good as we got to see our first bit of lengthy footage come together. The process of eliminating the dodgy shots and making sure we used the best footage to its full potential was satisfying, exciting, and due to the content extremely amusing. Therefore i feel that the group dynamic for this task was perfect and would be my first choice every time in any future endeavors where by i am given the option.

Practice Filming

For this area of the coursework we had to film a conversation between two people. We were given a shot list to work from and all the recording equipment needed. During class Mr. Michie gave us all a brief tutorial as to how the equipment was set up, do's and don'ts etcetera. This proved extremely helpful once we were left to our own devices.  Our group chose to film in a vacant english classroom and once we had gained permission for the use, we set up camp. We chose ryan and helen to act and myself and Sophie took charge of filming. However, due to the intent of the session being to 'practice filming', in areas where the actors were not used they each had a go at the filming. I think the dynamic of the group work well and the overall task ran smoothly. The final section of the task, editing, went OK but we did have a few recurring problems with the motion and sound being in sync. However, by working as a team and enlisting help from our subject teacher we were able to overcome those issues and also feel more prepared for next time.  

Charlotte.

Conclusion - Thriller Openings

After analysing all 5 thriller opening i noticed that they all had several common factors. They adopted a common colour scheme of black, red and white. The first two were used to connote danger with the latter implemented to add an element of innocence and purity. They also all used parallel sound to create the narrative and used a sinister tone to build tension. The most common shot used was a CU. This is to add emphasis on the key aspects of the opening. However the main variation was the amount of CGI they used. This largely depended on their time period of release. For example, Casino royal is relatively new so was predominantly CGI however Psycho was created back in the 60s so the only evidence of CGI was the titles, and those in themselves were extremely simplistic. 

In conclusion i found that the majority of thriller opening all follow the same basic formula but each have their own unique twist to make it fresh, exciting and to set it apart from the others.