Evaluation Question 6

To make my opening sequence, the hardware I had to use was; a Canon XHAI camera, a tripod and a tape. The software I had to use was Adobe Premiere to put my shots together, as well as make my titles and edit my film by using the effects and adding music to it.

To learn how to use the camera, my class and I were put into small groups and given a tripod, a camera, a battery and a tape. We were then given a demonstration of how to set up the camera properly, and attach it to the tripod. Firstly, we were taught how to hold the camera while handling it to avoid damage and also to be professional. We then had to pull the legs out of the tripod and make sure that the base was flat and the legs were kept in place by turning the knobs so that it stayed at a particular length. After this we had to take the tray off of the top of the tripod by pushing a button and twisting a lever, and screw it on to the bottom of the camera tightly to ensure that it was secure and the camera wouldn’t fall off. Holding the camera correctly we had to slide the bottom of it which was attached to the tray on to the top of the tripod, and lock it into place to make sure the camera was secure. We were told that we had to put in the battery first and switch the camera on before putting the tape inside. We were then shown the spirit level, this makes sure our shots are straight and not diagonal when we play it back, we were shown how to make it level, by using a round disk underneath the camera attached to the tripod, we had to unscrew it while holding the top of the camera and check that the silver ball was in the middle of the circle. We learned that moving the round disc under the camera would make the camera move, so when the silver ball was in the centre of the circle it meant that the camera was level. We had to adjust the spirit level every time we moved the camera as the ground was uneven, and our shots were at risk of being wonky. Plus, while moving the camera we had to detach the camera and reattach it when at the right location to ensure the camera was kept safe, this meant constantly checking the spirit level too. As well as this we were shown how to use the screen on the side of the camera, how to zoom and to use the cross to line our shots up and increase accuracy. After learning how to use the camera, we were set a task in threes to take a variety of different shots that were listed in order to test our understanding after watching videos of camera shots, we were then able to watch them and be given feedback on head space and position in the frame.

Some of the shots we had to take were: long shot, close up, extreme close up, mid shot, mid long shot, worms eye, birds eye, eye level, and over the shoulder. We learned where to place the camera, how much we needed to zoom, where to place our actors, and at which length we needed to adjust our tripod to get the perfect shots.

We were educated on the 180 degree barrier, where you can not have the camera past a certain point otherwise the audience will get confused, the camera angles will be wrong and this is unprofessional. Also, we were told to be aware of the importance of safety shots, so we took many at the beginning of our film of our environment and surroundings. We also learned the rule of thirds as well as continuity, this was demonstrated to us, we filmed a short scene and were shown how to angle our camera and what to do in order to ensure continuity.

After this we were taught how to use software (Adobe Premiere) which enabled us to put our opening sequence together. To get used to using the software we firstly had to start by editing a piece of film that wasn't our own, to become familiar with how it worked. We were then taught how to put on effects like black and white and transitions such as; fades, dissolves etc. This led to us being able to make our films look professional and fit more into our thriller genre. We were taught how to use the time line on the software, how to cut the shots we wanted, delete ripples, piece our film together, extend the length of shots that we'd cut and delete shots that we didn't need. Plus we learned how to place shots so that we could layer them and make our film look more realistic. In our film we used lots of fades to take us to the next shots for more of a gloomy effect, we faded to black to make it dark and mysterious which matched our film. Another thing we was taught was how to add text onto our shots and edit it to our preferences. When our actor was sticking the black card up to get rid of the light we overlapped our shots to make it speed up and to also make our film more interesting to watch. We faded to black fast to speed up the pace.

While making the ident for our film, we learned how to make photos zoom in, as well as using sound effects to make it more dramatic. When we made our ident 'Maiden Name' we used a sound effect of a gun shot when the gun is fired to make it different and give it a sense of realism. When we made the title of the name of our film 'An eye for an eye' we learned how to move the photo in the background around the screen, and make our music fade out. We also learned how to add music to our film, we had to use copy right music and add it onto our time line, we also had to fade it out at the end and fade it in at the beginning of our opening sequence. All of the content of our films was saved on a 'LaCie' hard drive. We chose music named 'Cellar Door' because it fit the genre and opening sequence very well. Also the footsteps coincided with the movements made by our actor in the sequence. You hear the sound of the actor writing on the photo to give a more disturbing feeling to the audience, many people dislike the noise so it would make them feel uncomfortable. It also gives an idea of our characters personality.

Overall, I feel as though I have gained very useful experience in making the film and using the equipment, I am proud of my end result, however now I have used the equipment properly I believe I could make my film a lot better if given the opportunity. I would like to do it again and maybe change my location to make it look more realistic. I would also like to use an actor who has lot's of experience to help me put forward the mental state they're in. The task has also benefited me in the sense that I can lead a group better than before and my negotiating skills have gotten a lot better.

Evaluation Question 2

How does your opening sequence represent particular social groups?

My opening sequence would appeal to people who have an interest in psychological thrillers because it creates lots of tension and confuses the audience from the beginning. The start is quite disturbing and sets up the main theme of the film which is revenge. This kind of film is not for a younger audience as it requires a more complex mind and therefore would appeal to someone who enjoys problem solving and can understand the story line. Trying to grasp a member of a younger audience’s attention from the beginning of my film would be difficult as they're more interested in comedies and romances. My opening sequence grabs the audience’s attention quickly as it is setting up the story, it leaves them in anticipation wanting to know more. However from my audience feedback I learned that "the story line could have been clearer", because of this it was hard to grab the attention of the audience as it was too confusing.

The cliff hanger at the end of our opening sequence leaves the audience on the edge of their seats waiting to find out what happens next. As I previously found out in my research, thrillers have a huge audience, ranging from teenagers to as old as 50+, this means that my opening sequence would appeal to a number of people especially those who enjoy my particular sub-genre.

The key characters in my film are; a female protagonist, who wants to avenge her parents but is psychologically disturbed from witnessing her parents death, and the group of men who murdered her parents when she was younger which she plans to kill one by one. A suggestion made after carrying out our audience feedback was to add some flash backs of Anna with her parents, and also of their death as this would make the story line more clear.

In the opening sequence one of the men from the group which killed the protagonists' parents faces will be shown in a close up shot when Anna writes 'you're next' on it.  My audience feedback suggested that we make the story line more obvious and dramatic as "a serial killer wouldn't just write you're next on the photo", so to add effect we "could rip up the picture" or burn it. Our female protagonist will be wearing all black to make her look dark and mysterious; when she is on camera she will be in the centre of the frame so that all of the attention is on her. The victim will also be in the centre of the frame as he too is relevant to the film. The victim will be wearing smart clothes to give the impression that he can deceive people into thinking he is a smart and decent man, he will have good posture and a straight face to show he means business. My main character reminds me of Cataleya from Columbiana because she was my inspiration to make the film and turn it from an action thriller to a psychological thriller. The villain reminds me of Byran Mills from taken because he looks quite scary and rough.

Evaluation Question 4

Who would be the audience for your specific thriller?

The subgenre I have chosen is a psychological thriller. The audience for my specific thriller would be from 15-40+. I think this because this kind of film is appropriate for people of these ages and people would enjoy the thrill, elder people would enjoy the thrill and would have lots of questions, plus younger people enjoy movies with their friends and scaring each other. As well as this from my research I found that thrillers cover a large age group as lot's of people enjoy them, and they appeal to elder and younger generations.

 Audience Profile:

Age: 15 – 35+

Interests: going to the cinema, spending time with friends, nights in, learning, watching television, reading books, especially thrillers.

Gender: mainly males but females too, especially because the protagonist if a female

Ethnicity: any

I didn’t specifically chose this age group because thrillers have a large audience anyway, however because the film isn’t a romance which stereotypically stands out to females or a fantasy which is more of a family film, the genre will genuinely have a large audience. It’s for people who enjoy challenging themselves and who have the time to watch a film or enjoy a film with their partner or teenage child, normally a daughter. Also this age group is independent and can pay to be able to watch the film or buy it, as well as this they’re active and enjoy going out to places like the cinema.

My target audience would expect my film to be intriguing and disturbing, with a twist or surprise ending. They would expect it to be tense and full of anticipation, maybe a little jumpy, with eerie music and very interesting. They would like to be fully focused on the film and enjoy watching it as it would entertain them, keeping them guessing right up until the end. 

The sub-genre would attract them to the film as it would make them curious, the fact that the protagonist is a female is different and makes women seem more strong and independent, so the film would appeal to women more than a different type of thriller.

If I were designing a poster for my film I would include dark colours mainly red black green grey and white to make it look dark mysterious and gloomy. I would use a jagged font to make it look slightly gothic and to fit the genre. I would possibly use a really thin font to make it look slightly odd and contrast with the dark colours which stand out. I would also use question marks and shadows, maybe some mirrors and weapons, also some disturbing pictures of mentally ill people, splatters of blood, and maybe a clock to show it’s only a matter of time, I’d also write revenge on it to show the main theme. I’d use a young good looking female to look attractive and to use encourage males to watch it.

 

To attract the audience to my film by using their prior knowledge of the genre I would make my trailer very eerie and use tension building music, I would add this into my opening sequence to make it more effective and to keep the audience entertained. The music would let the audience know that something is about to happen and tell them the mood and mind set of the character. The audience would relate this music to the character throughout the film and it would mirror their emotions.

In our audience feedback we found that editing was our strongest point which attracted the audience the most, the editing flowed well and we had a good use of shots which we blended in.

Another film that my target audience may be interested in is Columbiana, or Kill Bill. These films are similar about female main characters, which switches the roles around and has similar story lines of revenge.

The theme of revenge will relate to the audience because it would get their adrenaline pumping and make them think of themselves in the situation of the main character is in, it will create a sense of escapism and give them a topic to speak about after the film. The themes would attract the audience because it’s not your typical film about rescuing someone or falling in love, an eye for an eye it biblical and it shows the extent people will go to to avenge their families. Columbiana is a film based on the same theme which my audience may also find entertaining and relatable.

From my audience feedback I found that the idea of revenge for a theme was a good idea as many people can relate to it, but that my storyline wasn't clear because we didn't give enough away in the opening sequence and that we should have been more clear. An idea of using a flashback of Anna's parents was proposed, which was originally our idea, however we were unable to do this in time, so in the future if I were able to do my film again I would use a flashback to help the audience understand what my film is about.

Questions for audience feedback

1) What is your opinion on our title sequence? Did you enjoy it? Do you understand the storyline?

2) What would you change if you had made it and why?

3) What do you think about the music? How does it make you feel?

4) Does the film fit the psychological thriller genre and how does/doesn't it?

5) What do you think about the editing? Were the shots continuous throughout the whole sequence? How could we improve?

6) How did you find the acting? Did you think it was professional? What improvements could be made?

7) What are your opinions on the lighting? Did it fit the codes and conventions of the psychological thriller genre? Were you able to see clearly? How did it make you feel?

Revenge is sweet

Essay Question 3

My film is based around the psychological thriller genre and the main theme in this film is revenge. Some aspects of the genre that my film will have are suspense, tension, mystery. My protagonist will be proactive, she will make things happen and go into action not wait for it to happen. My protagonists' character growth will be what leads to her ability to get through the obstacles and complete her missions in the darkest of hours, and will end with a climatic ending. There will be conflict in my film between good and evil and also between male and female, also in my protagonists mind. There will also be complications making the missions more tense, as well as this the ending will tie all loose ends, and good will defeat bad. In my opening sequence the theme of revenge will be seen when she has flash backs to her family and then to the dart on the mans face, which will foreshadow the pain that's heading his way..

Target Audience Images

Who would be the audience for your specific thriller?

 

Who would be the audience for your specific thriller?

 

The subgenre I have chosen is a psychological thriller. The audience for my specific thriller would be from 15-40+. I think this because this kind of film is appropriate for these ages and people would enjoy the thrill, elder people would enjoy the thrill and would have lots of questions, plus younger people enjoy movies with their friends and scaring each other.

 

Age: 18 – 35

 

Interests: going to the movies, spending time with friends, nights in, learning, watching television, theme parks, fun days out.

 

Gender: mainly males but females

 

Ethnicity: any

 

 

I didn’t specifically chose this age group because thrillers have a large audience anyway, however because the film isn’t a romance which stereotypically stands out to females or a fantasy which is more of a family film, the genre stands out to most age groups anyway. It’s for people who enjoy challenging themselves and who have the time to watch a film or enjoy a film with their partner or teenage daughter. Also this age group is independent and can pay to be able to watch the film or buy it, as well as this they’re active and go out to the cinema etc.

 

My target audience would expect my film to be intriguing and disturbing, with a twist or surprise ending. They would expect it to be tense and full of anticipation, maybe a little jumpy, with eerie music and very interesting. They would like to be fully focused on the film and enjoy watching it as it would entertain them.

 

The sub-genre would attract them to the film as it would make them curious, the fact that the protagonist is a female is different and makes women seem more strong and independent, so the film would appeal to women more.

 

If I were designing a poster for my film I would include dark colours mainly red black green grey and white to make it look dark mysterious and gloomy. I would use a jagged font to make it look slightly gothic and to fit the genre. I would possibly use a really thin font to make it look slightly odd and contrast with the dark colours which stand out. I would also use question marks and shadows, maybe some mirrors and weapons, also some disturbing pictures of mentally ill people, splatters of blood, and maybe a clock to show it’s only a matter of time, I’d also write revenge on it to show the main theme. I’d use a sexy female to look attractive and to use as some eye candy for the males watching it.

 

To attract the audience to my film by using their prior knowledge of the genre I would make my trailer very eerie and use tension building music, I would add this into my opening sequence to make it more effective and to keep the audience entertained. The music would let the audience know that something is about to happen and tell them the mood and mind set of the character. The audience would relate this music to the character throughout the film and it would mirror their emotions.

 

Another film that my target audience may be interested in is Columbiana, or Kill Bill. These films are similar about female main characters, which switches the roles around and has similar story lines of revenge.

 

The theme of revenge will relate to the audience because it would get their adrenaline pumping and make them think of themselves in the situation of the main character is in, it will create a sense of escapism and give them a topic to speak about after the film. The themes would attract the audience because it’s not your typical film about rescuing someone or falling in love, an eye for an eye it biblical and it shows the extent people will go to to avenge their families. Columbiana is a film based on the same theme which my audience may also find entertaining and relatable.

Characters

How does your opening sequence represent particular social groups?

My opening sequence would appeal to people who have an interest in psychological thrillers because it creates lots of tension and confuses the audience from the beginning. The start is quite disturbing and sets up the main theme of the film which is revenge. This kind of film is not for a younger audience as it requires a more complex mind and someone who enjoys problem solving and can understand the story line. Trying to grasp a member of a younger audience’s attention from the beginning of my film would be difficult. My opening sequence grabs the audience’s attention quickly as it is setting up the story, it leaves them in anticipation wanting to know more. The cliff hanger at the end of our opening sequence leaves them on the edge of their seats to find out what happens next. As I previously found out in my research, thrillers have a huge audience, ranging from teenagers to 50+. This means that my opening sequence would appeal to a number of people especially those who enjoy my particular sub-genre. The key characters in my film are; a female protagonist, who wants to avenge her parents but is psychologically disturbed, and a group of men who murdered her parents when she was younger which she plans to kill one by one. As well as this we have some flashbacks of her younger days with her parents and a news reporter in the opening sequence. In the opening sequence one of the victims faces will be shown in a close up shot of a passport photo when a dart hits his face, the news reporter will either be shown in a mid-shot or mid close up while reporting the story. Our female protagonist will be wearing all black to make her look dark and mysterious; when she is on camera she will be in the centre of the frame so that all of the attention is on her. The news reporter will be wearing smart clothing i.e. a shirt and will be to the left or right of the frame and smaller than the story line as the murder will be more important to the story line. The victim will also be in the centre of the frame as he too is relevant to the film. The victim will be wearing casual clothing and have relaxed body language and a blank facial expression compared to the protagonist who will have a cold look, she will smirk and have good posture. My main character reminds me of Cataleya from Columbiana because she was my inspiration to make the film and turn it from an action thriller to a psychological thriller. The villain reminds me of Byran Mills from taken because he looks quite scary and rough.

Moodboard Analysis

Mood board analysis. from _raebrooke

Font for Titles

The reason why as a group, we chose this style of font to appear in our opening sequence because it fully met the codes & Conventions of our thriller, also it is very similar to the image on our moodboard with the tattoo of "bitter sweet revenge". The parts that make this image really effective,is that it represents a dark and horrid past for the main female character, and keeping to the colour theme of black, it is more elegant which enhances the feminine yet violent side of the woman.

Font

4 Ideas & Final Idea

1. Action Thriller: When Anna`s parents are murdered in front of her when she’s a child, she dedicates her life to avenging them, no matter what it takes. The feedback received from this idea was that;"good. Good topic relating to family and murder," "female more attractive, strong, independent as in relation to the film Columbian and covers a wide audience" The suggestion for the name would be "Grown Avenger" "Good, not the same as other typical thrillers" "It has a motive and more of a purpose" 2. Romantic Thriller:Young lovers on the run from the police, the male has been previously convicted of murder whilst serving time whereas the female, has cheated but fears what the consequences will be for her. Does she know what he is capable of? Who will be his next target? The feedback received from this idea was that; “It effectively appeals to women and teenagers that have had been cheated on" (personal experience) "The idea of prison, good idea in general, simple" "Targets only one type audience" "Interesting and a very good plot" 3. Action Thriller: Based on a true story, the clocks rewind as memories and secrets are revealed from one of the country`s worst disasters. Ex- police officer is assigned to discover the truth. some things are not to be said. The feedback received from this idea was that; "Yes, I like the plot because it sounds interesting and engages us" "It makes me want to know more and find out what actually is going to happen" "Reminds me of a typical disaster movie" "The beginning of the end" "The theme of the idea is mysterious and relates well to the plot" 4. Horror/Crime Thriller:He`s the unknown and the unseen, his targets scare young teenage girls around California. He`s dressed in black blending with the night, unasked but who is he? Will they find him on time?. Are you next? The feedback received from this idea was that; "People thought of calling it Are you Next?" "Need more detail as it wasn’t gory enough for them" "Situated in California is a good location and makes the audience seem more terrified of the character" "Liked the fact that they use rhetorical questions at the end to make people think.

4 Ideas & Final Idea

1. Action Thriller:
When Anna`s parents are murdered in front of her when she’s a child, she dedicates her life to avenging them, no matter what it takes.

The feedback received from this idea was that;"good. Good topic relating to family and murder,"
"female more attractive, strong, independent as in relation to the film Columbian and covers a wide audience"
The suggestion for the name would be "Grown Avenger"
"Good, not the same as other typical thrillers"
"It has a motive and more of a purpose"

2. Romantic Thriller:Young lovers on the run from the police, the male has been previously convicted of murder whilst serving time whereas the female, has cheated but fears what the consequences will be for her. Does she know what he is capable of? Who will be his next target?

The feedback received from this idea was that;
“It effectively appeals to women and teenagers that have had been cheated on" (personal experience)
"The idea of prison, good idea in general, simple"
"Targets only one type audience"
"Interesting and a very good plot"

3. Action Thriller:
Based on a true story, the clocks rewind as memories and secrets are revealed from one of the country`s worst disasters. Ex- police officer is assigned to discover the truth.
 some things are not to be said.
The feedback received from this idea was that;
"Yes, I like the plot because it sounds interesting and engages us"
"It makes me want to know more and find out what actually is going to happen"
"Reminds me of a typical disaster movie"
"The beginning of the end"
"The theme of the idea is mysterious and relates well to the plot"

4. Horror/Crime Thriller:He`s the unknown and the unseen, his targets scare young teenage girls around California. He`s dressed in black blending with the night, unasked but who is he? Will they find him on time?. Are you next?

The feedback received from this idea was that;
"People thought of calling it Are you Next?"
"Need more detail as it wasn’t gory enough for them"
"Situated in California is a good location and makes the audience seem more terrified of the character"
"Liked the fact that they use rhetorical questions at the end to make people think.

Skyfall opening sequence and titles

Film similar to mine

Columbiana - A young woman, after witnessing her parents' murder as a child in Bogota, grows up to be a stone-cold assassin.

This film opening is similar to ours because it has a similar storyline, and also it is an Action Thriller. This means that the films will have similar codes and conventions. In the film opening there is a chase, which is a code and convention of an action film, this kicks off the action nearly instantaneously from the beginning of the film and pulls the audience in as they're on the edge of their seats wondering if she will get away. During this scene there are a lot of fast cuts used to show all the different things happening at the same time. The fast cuts keep the audience updated on the whereabouts of the characters and build up suspense. The fast cuts imply energy and keep the audience in anticipation. The cuts bring our attention to the antagonists getting closer to the little girl, so from the beginning we want to see her get away. The chase is a code and convention of an action movie because it determines who are the good and bad characters, also it captures the audience’s attention and keeps them guessing throughout the whole scene.

Props such as weapons are usually seen in action movies. Knives and guns are codes and conventions of action films, so the use of them here will be similar to our idea. They show the danger the main character has to face in order to complete a task or quest and makes the experience more scary for the audience, making them feel fear for the protagonist. As well as this they help the protagonist defeat the enemy, however many good characters don’t use violent weapons that hurt people. This is done to distinguish the bad from the good and help the audience understand the characters and their purpose.

As well as this the setting is typical for an action movie because it provides lots of obstacles for the protagonist to overcome in order for them to get away. For example running on roofs and falling though wooden shed roof tops, they usually provide some kind of injury but the protagonist has lots of spirit and has to continue to get away. You become attached to the protagonist and want them to get away for their own safety. You feel sad if they're sad and worried when they're worried.

Final Idea

After witnessing her parents' murder as a child, Anna dedicates her life to getting revenge, no matter what it takes.

My group and I chose this idea because we got very positive responses from our audience feedback, it was useful and we recieved no critisisms. Although all of our idea's recieved positive audience feedback, we chose 'Idea 1' because we thought it would be interesting and fun to make as the idea appealed to us. We liked the idea because it stood out from other Action Thriller movies, this is because the female is the protagonist instead of a male. Also, we thought that with this idea we would be able to target females specifically as its quite emotional, and it represents strong independent women, breaking stereotypes.

Some feedback I recieved:

• "Using a family is a good storyline because it makes the film more meaningful."
• "Using revenge as a theme makes a film more interesting and grabs the audiences attention."
• "The motive will grasp the audience's attention because everyone can relate to having a family and doing anything for them."
• "It will provide a sense of escapism."
• "Using a female as the main character will make it different from other thrillers so more people would want to watch it and see if its any good."
• "You could call it Grown Avenger."
• "You could call it 'An Eye for an Eye."

While chosing our final idea, my group and I discussed all four of our ideas together. We all discussed our individual feedback. After our discussion we decided that we would use 'Idea 1'. Here is some of the reasons why we chose 'Idea 1'.

• "It will engage the audience because its different and unique."
• "It's exciting and will keep the audience entertained."
• "It will be fun to make."

Entertainment Independent Film Distributor

Entertainment is the UK's leading independent film distributor. It was founded in 1978 and has shown continuous growth and success since, distributing a wide range of products and building a significant film library. It released The Lord of The Rings Trilogy which was one of the most thrilling epic adventures in motion picture history which resulted in them receiving 17 Academy Awards. Over all it has got 38 Oscar wins and 22 BAFTA's. 

It released Traffic, Million Dollar Baby, Hairspray, 17 Again, Sex in the City, Saw, The Final Destination Franchise, Run Fat Boy Run and more.

They operate in the UK and The Republic of Ireland and distribute in theatrical, DVD rental, and retail fields as well as licensing substantial catalogue in both Free-TV and Pay-TV sectors.

What is an independent film distributor? How are they different from the major film distributors?

An independent film is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. They are sometimes distinguishable by their content, style and the way in which the film makers' personal artistic vision is realised. Usually, independent films are made with considerably lower film budgets than major studio films. They are often screened at local, national, or international film festivals before distribution. An independent film production can rival a mainstream film production if it has the necessary funding and distribution.

Scenario films is an example of an independent film distributor.

They say "Finding the right local producer to provide and manage production services can prove to be key to a successful shoot."

They have long experience of working with co-producers from around the world and can assist those who wish to shoot in London or elsewhere in the UK. They work with clients in several European languages,in German, French and Italian, easing the communication process with UK crews. They also have a trusted pool of creative colleagues and strong relationships with most of the talent agencies in London and abroad. Plus besides casting they can provide top directors, designers and composers, as well as highly skilled creative technical staff, among the best in the world.

The 3 films on their website are named; Desire, Denial and Delight. They are a trilogy & you can purchase desire on DVD.

They develop and produce film and television projects for the British and international markets, in co-production with partners at home and abroad.

They are also an award-winning team with a long track record of television and film creation: Gareth Jones (writer/director/consultant) and Fiona Howe (writer/producer/consultant/composer).

What is film distribution?

A film distributor is a company or individual responsible for the marketing of a film. 

A major film studio is a production and distribution company that releases a substantial number of film annually and consistently commands a significant share of box-office revenues in a given market. 

The "Big Six" majors, are all centred in film studios active during Hollywood's Golden Age of the 1930's and 1940's. These are 20th Century Fox,Warner Bros, Paramount, Columbia, Universal and Walt Disney Studios. Walt Disney Studios was an independent production company during the Golden Age, it was an important Hollywood entity, but not a major.

The company was founded in 1904 in New York City by William Fox, a 25 year-old Jewish Hungarian immigrant, who sold his cloth processing business and with the profits earned bought a lowly "common show." At that time, "common show" was the legal phrase for the exhibition of motion pictures in a store remodelled for that purpose and containing fewer than 299 seats. These primitive movie theatres charged five cents admission and therefore became known as "nickelodeons."

Mr. Fox, a born showman, bolstered attendance by hiring a magician to perform in front of his store to attract customers. His growing number of patrons sat closely together on folding chairs (which were rented from a neighbourhood undertaker's parlour) and enjoyed simple short films. These early movie audiences viewed films that were hand-cranked through a lighted box which caused images to be magnified and projected against a white wall at the opposite end of the store.

In June 2008, they won ‘Retail Distributor of the Year’, ‘Rental Distributor of the Year’ and ‘Overall Distributor of the Year’. Home Entertainment also won a Marketing Award for ‘Best Film Marketing (Blockbuster)’ for The Simpsons Movie.

Warner Bros Entertainment, a fully integrated, broad-based entertainment company, is a global leader in all forms of entertainment and their related businesses across all current and emerging media and platforms.

Warner Bros. Studios began when the brothers Warner (Albert, Sam, Harry and Jack L.) incorporated their fledgling movie company on April 4, 1923. In 1927, the release of the world’s first “talkie,” (synchronized-sound feature film), The Jazz Singer, set a character and tone of innovation and influence that would become synonymous with the name Warner Bros. And--as Al Jolson foretold in this milestone movie--“you ain’t heard nothin’ yet!”

In 2012, the Warner Bros. Pictures Group grossed $4.3 billion at the worldwide box office ($1.66 billion domestic, $2.67 international) with both its domestic and international divisions crossing the billion-dollar mark for a 12th consecutive year, a feat unmatched by any other studio. The Pictures Group has exceeded $4 billion globally for four consecutive years, also a milestone no other studio has ever achieved. 

Definition of film distribution

The distribution of a film (or movie) is the process through which a movie is made available to watch for an audience by a film distributor.

What is film distribution?

Below is an explanation as to how movies get from the motion picture studio to the theatre.

At first, someone will have an idea for a film, and then they create an outline and use it to promote interest in that idea. If the film appeals to a studio or independent investor they will decide whether or not to purchase the rights to the film. If they purchase it, then people are brought together in order to make the film (producer, director, cast, crew, screenwriter). After this the film is completed and sent to the studio, where the studio makes a licensing agreement with a distribution company. The distribution company will then determine how many copies (prints) of the film they will make. After this, the distribution company shows the movie (screening) to prospective buyers representing the theatres. In addition to this, the buyers negotiate with the distribution company on which movies they wish to lease and the terms of the lease agreement. The prints are sent to the theatres a few days before the opening day, and the theatre shows the movie for a specified number of weeks (engagement). The result of this is you buying a ticket to watch the movie. Finally, at the end of the engagement, the theatre sends the print back to the distribution company and makes payment on the lease agreement.

After a distributor has leased a movie, they will try to determine to best strategy for opening the movie. Opening refers to the official debut of a movie. There are several factors to consider: studio, target audience, star power, buzz and season.

The two ways for a theatre to lease a movie are bidding, percentage. 

A diagram of movie distribution flow:

Movie distribution table:

Who watches Thrillers?

Thrillers normally fall under the 15 and 18 category and these are their classifications.

Below are the box office findings from 2009.

Who watches Thrillers?

The pie chart below shows findings on what peoples favourite sub genre of thriller movies are.

The pie chart below shows findings on how many people like thriller movies.

Who watches Thrillers?

Out of the 503 films that were released in 2009, 31 of them were thrillers, taking 4% of the years box office earnings with £42,578,104. The reason why thrillers only took 4% could be because majority of them have age restrictions for example 15+ and 18+.

When the National Metro conducted a survey which showed that 18 to 24 year old's were the main age range that watched thrillers. They also discovered that mainly women watch thriller movies.

Who watches Thrillers?

After doing some research I found a pie chart showing which ages are more likely to watch thrillers.

Analysis of thriller openings 2.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (original title in Swedish: Män som hatar kvinnor – literally, Men who hate women) is a crime novel by the late Swedish author and journalist Stieg Larsson. It has been described as a frostbitten, dispassionate thriller. It's a thriller, mystery and crime fiction. Above is the opening sequence of the film. 

By looking at the opening sequence we can come to the conclusion that the film is about violent attacks and abuse, and also that it's about being held against your will. We get the idea that it's about being immoral and making people suffer. As well as this we see elements of a battle or fight between the two figures in the scene which tells us there could be some kind of chase if the submissive escapes or a plan for revenge later on in the film.

In the opening sequence you hear lot's of music and no dialogue, the music supposedly does the talking for the people-like figures in the scene. The music sounds a lot like 'Screamo' music because there is lot's of screaming, and isn't mainstream music. This suggests that the film is a little different to your typical thriller and makes it mysterious, and so this makes the audience want to know more. As well as this the voice you can hear sounds like a female screaming or moaning in pain. This could foreshadow the upcoming events in the film, for example the painful moans and screams could represent sexual pain/abuse such as rape. Also as the music is constantly very fast and loud, you could suggest that it has a purpose, and this purpose could be to prevent other people from hearing the screams. However the screams are so loud that we can still hear them above the music, this tells us the screams are not actually part of the soundtrack, but the sound is used as a device to cover up or hide a secret. This is known as synchronous sound. This affects the audience by making them feel uncomfortable, but leaving them in anticipation as they want to find out what happened. The music is the 'theme music' it introduces the film to us and gives us an insight to what we're in for. It indicates the mode of the film and the personality of the character(s), giving us the impression they may be twisted and not what we perceive as 'normal'.

At the beginning of the opening sequence there are many flashing images which fade out used to show different images at a fast pace, so the action instantly starts from the beginning and kicks off the mode of the film. It automatically makes the audience feel excited to watch it as it grasps their attention quickly and keeps throughout the opening scene by using different editing skills such as cuts. Also the fades and flashing images match the beat of the music, giving it a more dramatic effect and helping the audience keep up with the action, this also keeps them entertained. Also in the opening scene there are many fast cuts used to speed up the action making it more exhilarating to watch and preparing the audience for the upcoming action. The fast cuts confuse the audience as they show a large variety of different images in a small amount of time which keeps them guessing. They get the audience trying to piece together the story by looking at the images as soon as the film starts which lures them in to carry on watching the whole film as it challenges them. As well as this the cuts help to create and maintain the logic of the story. The whole sequence of images at the beginning of this film is called a montage. This is a series of shots that are connected together to create meaning, they intensify emotions through the collection of images. For example the close ups on the eye and the water coming out of the mouth signifies drowning and suffering.

There is a wide range of different shots used during the opening sequence. A lot of the shots that are used are close up shots, this is because there is a lot of detail to pay attention to in the images that are shown. The close ups are used to ensure that the audience pay close attention to an image and make it stand out, because it will be relevant later on in the movie and also will help them to understand the concept and story line of the film. For example, there  are many close up shots of eyes which have stuff coming out of them, this is because that is what the director wants us to see. This is done to suggest that the film is about someone who witnessed something horrible them self or had a bad experience who is scarred with the memory of it. These images help us to build an understanding of the film and help us to come up with our own interpretation of it. An aerial shot is used to show the person who is tied up and struggling in the water. This is one of few aerial shots used and so has a lot of significance to the rest of the film. The director done this to ensure that the audience notice what's going on in the scene, and also to confuse them as they don't know if the person is a man or woman. Purposely not revealing the gender adds an element of secrecy to the film which really intrigues the audience. This helps tell the plot of the story and keeps the audience involved as it shocks them, but still keeps them on the edge of their seats. The aerial shot gives the whole picture of someone who is unwillingly being tortured or hurt, this is shown by the ropes and body language of the character which the director wanted us to recognise. A reverse shot is used to show the relationship that the rose blooming and the hands ensconcing the face have. This is done to show us that they are connected and makes the rose an important part of the film. As the rose blooms freely in the open the character gets violently pulled away. This represents conflict between freedom and being trapped, the director does this using fast cuts to highlight the relevance of the rose and makes the 2 completely different images look alike to make it stand out and impress the audience leaving them wondering what he's trying to tell them. 

The whole sequence is left to be black and white which are contrasting colours, this could be done to show us the personality clash between the two character figures we see, black to symbolise being bad and the antagonist, and white to resemble being innocent, pure and maybe a protagonist. Black and white is the colour scheme until around half way through the scene when we're introduced to the orange flames, and with this we see the wings and the dragon. This matches the title and so we can use this to help figure out who 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' is. From the flames we could get the idea of there being a revolution, a burning of the past, and the light could be leading her out of the darkness, but you can tell its going to be a dangerous, but passionate battle possibly rising up to defeat the person who tied 'the girl' up, and fight for her freedom. Also the flame could represent being angry and wanting to scold someone who hurt her badly too. The flame and the water contrast, they are each others enemy which resembles the 2 characters. The woman being the flame as the water can put out the flame, showing that even though its unlikely   she still has hope regardless of how much power the water has over her or how little the chances of freedom are. The fire could also be used to symbolise a burning desire and obsession that someone has over the girl. The fire is ambiguous and so leaves the audience wondering if 'the girl' will survive.