Friday, 29 September 2017

Survey Monkey Results and analysis

 For our first question, we asked for a title name. The answer with the most votes was 'Malefaction'. This is another word from crime.
 The second question was to find out the name of the serial killer. The name that won was King of Hearts. However, we had gave the option of other names. Someone recommended 'Knaves of Hearts'. After discussion, Katie and I went for that as it suited the film really well.
 Question three was about the story line and what they wanted it to be. The story line that got the most votes was ' Non-linear narrative following death of a girl by a notorious serial killer, building up to a reveal '


                               For this question, we wanted to know the colours that people would most associate with a crime drama. The two most popular colours were red and black. We will try use all the popular colours throughout the film.
                                                                                                                   
For the last question, we asked for the desired location of the killing. The winning option was a multi story carpark. However due to difficulties getting to a multi story, we are going to use a local car park we have.

Thursday, 28 September 2017

Classify and Profile Audiences

Target Audience Profile: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/YMDG9KT

Primary:
The target audience for the genre crime drama is very open. The most popular ages watching them are between the ages 15-40. The age gap is so large because there are lots of aspects in crimes in attract different people. For example, the younger aged people would find the murder and crime fascinating while the older people like the detective work in a crime movie. The social grade would be B to E, white and have an interest in crime.

UPDATE: After discussion with my partner, we have concluded the main specific target audience would be 27 year old females.

Thursday, 7 September 2017

Genre Conventions

Crime Drama
Narrative and Representation:
https://prezi.com/ebgls0vo-rnw/short-film-codes-and-conventions/


In short films with the genre drama, there is usually a theme which the story is based around. They are popular if they are serious life situations.
Here is a list of situations which are popular ;





  • Alcoholism
  • Drug addiction
  • Racial Prejudice
  • Religion
  • Sexuality
  • Poverty
  • Domestic violence
  • Gender
  • Revenge
  • Crime





  • Character features normally in crime;

    Gangsters
    Criminals
    Detective
    Victim
    Millionaires
    Friends and family of the victim

    A lot of crime genre films have a Plot twist which leaves the audience working it out for themselves. Crimes are normally performed on a wet rainy day which connotes danger.

    The music used in drama is normally sinister or suspicious.

    Camera Shots: https://prezi.com/ebgls0vo-rnw/short-film-codes-and-conventions/

    Low angle and high angle shots are used a lot in crime drama's to show the importance of certain characters. Close ups are used to show facial expressions. I have also researched and found out that POV shots are used to show weapons or the intentions of the POV character















    Analysis - Black Swell

    Black Swell-
    'A man (Richard Kind) tries to kill himself in a motel room- a thought provoking short drama with an emotive kicker. '

    A Yacht Club Production

    The opening scene shows a low angle long shot of some waves. They use a really dark blue filter to make it appear dark. This is to foreshadow something dark is going to happen. The next shot is a high angle medium shot looking pretty miserable in a hotel room. It then swaps to a low angle medium shot of a man opening a wash bag to then grabbing a gun out of it. This straight away acts as an action code that the actor is going to kill himself. It then goes to a over the shoulder high angle shot of him loading the gun with one bullet. He then lies down on the bed with the gun. We then become the guy with a worms eye view POV of the ceiling. It then shows a birds eye view whilst panning and zooming in which is confusing giving the viewer an uncomfortable feeling about the situation. Loud diegetic music interrupts the man. The eye line match shows where he is looking showing us where the music is coming from.

    A low angle medium shot shows the guy banging on the door to see what the disruption is. A 1-2 over the shoulder shots shows diegetic conversation between the characters then showing that the characters recognise each other. Both characters go back to the same room. 1-2 shots show that the older guy doesn't want the guy there as he doesn't want him there. The room is recognisably dark which adds to the atmosphere. This scene goes on to show the younger character wanting to talk. Us finding out that the younger character has broken up with his wife and has no friends.

    This scene concludes with the older guy shouting 'GET THE FUCK OUT!' at the younger guy. This leads to him leaving back to his room. He continues to play the loud music. We then hear a very loud diegetic gun shot. The older character looks shocked and concerned and a close up shows him looking outside his door to see what the sound was. A tracking shot which zooms out then shows the man looking forlorn at the sight of a dead body. We dont see the dead body but this leaves the viewer with a imagination and also saving money.

    In conclusion, the film has a dark lighting situation with an orange glow. The orange glow is connoted with a drama. It is also in some way working with a religious connotation with death as the orange glow is connected with the idea that you follow the light at the end of the tunnel.

    Analysis - Unremarkable


    'Unremarkable starts as a mystery which is first shown through non diegetic mysterious sound with a sad tone which is foreshadowing something. It then goes to a close up of a middle aged woman, clearly in distress. Exits her car and a long shot of her promptly collapsing in a parking lot. There is diegetic sound of her in pain which is basically telly us she is hurt. She is dead. The long shot becomes a long take which continues for 40 sec. In the long take a stranger approaches asking if she is okay. What is the cause? Was she involved in criminal conspiracy of some sort? Is she patient zero for some new pandemic? The answer, slowly revealed, is much more mundane'

    Unremarkable has the genre of a crime drama. This is what our film genre is going to be. When watching this short film, the sense of unknowing is what i like. She's collapses but why ? 

    The next shot has a dark lighting, low angle shot of the back of the ambulance. I really like the use of all props like the flashing lights, the paramedic and the van. I will try as producer to recreate a real looking scene like this in my film. It follows with a tracking shot that ends with a crime scene tent in the background. I definitely want this in my film as it will make the scene more tense as a crime scene tent connotes with death. In the same shot, they appear to use steady cam to create real like movement from the crime scene. Almost as if we as an audience member are a detective looking at the scene from a point of view. Also in terms of mise-en-scene, i really like the busy atmosphere created by having lots of people there. For example the crime scene photographers, medics, policeman and spectators. A shot I really like is the worms eye, close up view of the medics lifting the body as if the audience member is the victim. Still from the point of view from the victim, the sheet is pulled over the victim to the victim being in the autopsy room which shows really good continuity which i hope to include in my film. The diegetic sound of the beeping of machines and the blue gloves of the doctors continues the theme of crime and medical drama even though we as the audience cannot see anything. This is a good budgeting scheme as you feel like your in a busy hospital and you don't have to show one. 

    A series of shots (high angle, low angle, close ups) show us the morgue scene and the victim. This creates a tense scene. The mise-en-scene in the morgue scene 

    The funeral parlour scene creates more sympathy for the character as you realise the victim has a family with children. 

    A tilt down from a high angle of the top of a hotel shows the victim looking at a hotel with a couple bags. Realising it is in reverse chronicle order, we understand we are going to learn how she dies. The dialogue helps us to realise it is an accident as she mentions she has to leave.  She alone goes back to the car, this is a mistake as there happens to be an argument brewing in the car park. This is shown from dialogue from the close up of the victim again. The close up is the same as the starting shot which makes us believe its near the end. To avoid CGI, they smashed the window whilst adding a dietetic gun shot sound so we know the bullet has entered the car. Our victim just to dives down to avoid the bullet. Then we are back to the start , learning that she was shot in the process. 

    Why is she having an autopsy?

    The main character is the women and she is dead for most of the film. We see her alive near the end though as we are reliving her last moments, maybe discovering the cause of her death.

    At the very start, we hear diegetic sounds like the car door opening and her moaning. This gives a sense of suspense as we dont know why she looks and sounds so worried.
    During the autopsy , a high pitched non-diegetic beat comes on. Its quite a quick beat which creates a sense of mystery. The music moves the story along as the scenes changes from room to room by pulling back the white sheet.

    The dialogue in this is very clear. For the most part is very simple, for example the doctor talking to her about skiing. Even though she is dead.

    The narrative to this piece is non-linear as it uses rewinds and it isn't in a chronological order. We see her death, autopsy and then how she dies.


    Due to the nudity and the violence, id say the target audience is 16+.

    Analysis - Over


    'Join Threlfall's unusual film 'Over' uses reverse chronological storytelling to reveal the incidents that caused a crime scene in a quiet neighbourhood. A leisurely-paced short with an overwhelming powerful and surprising resolution.'

    Created in 2015, 'Over' is a winner of the Grand Jury Prize at Palm Springs.

    The genre of this film is listed as an experimental film.
    These are the conventions of an experimental film;
    They are set out to be nonconformist
    To challenge the orthodox ideas
    Various Styles
    Minimum Language

    CAMERA 
    Personally I found the film a bit slow paced for the first six minutes all you see are a range of; long shots, medium shots of a quite suburban street full of middle class cars and homes. The occasional low angle cutaway close up of objects that act as action codes (Bathes) foreshadowing what may have happened breaks these shots up and adds some intrigue. 

    After the film reaches the 6 minute mark something actually starts to happen, CGI and SFX is used to show a male body fall out of the sky, hit a car making the alarm go off before hitting the road. The 
    the director plays around with time to show what happened before the body fell. 


    Its shown in a reverse chronological order which i find interesting as it depicts the crime scene before the murder has happened making the audience intrigued. In our group film today, we will try use this in our film. I don't think we will put it all in reverse chronicle order but i like the idea of it not in complete order. 


    In this short film, there is very minimal speech. There is however a lot of dietetic natural sounds like the wind blowing and the birds chirping. There isn't any non-diegetic music or anything which gives it the tense feeling. It also brings suspense.

    The editing was very simple. It would jump cut back in time to the same scene. I like this as the simplicity is very powerful and effective. In this film, there aren't any main characters.


    Initial Ideas


    With the crime genre, my initial thought is that it will be challenging yet exciting. As editor of the group, I'm expecting to make the film fast paced. I thought this after a great amount of research. The fast jump cuts will create a sense of tension. I also think that our plot of a murder is exciting in some ways as they keep people on the edge of there seats.