Audience Research Results

Do you like the 'end' of a film at the beginning of the film?

The results from this question show that half of the people surveyed do not mind if the opening is at the beginning which suggests that as long as their interest is maintained during the opening which is essential for the enjoyment of any film.

What time of day do you like the thriller opening to be set?

Most of the people surveyed said that they want the opening to be set during the night time as it is a very eerie atmosphere which is essential for the start of the thriller to get the atmosphere correct for the rest of the film.

Do you prefer 'fast' or 'slow' paced music in the opening?

Our results from the survey show that people prefer slow paced music. This could be because slow paced music aids in the setting of an atmosphere which is needed throughout the film as it helps to entice the audience in the world in which we are creating for them.

Questionnaire

Thriller, Hot or Not?

In this questionnaire we will be researching information about the opening of our thriller.

We are gathering the information about our thriller opening so that we can establish a unique and interesting idea that will appeal to our target audience.

Instructions:

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  circle appropriate answer.



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  Answer questions truthfully with your own opinion.

Question 1

Do you like the end of the film to be shown at the start?

Yes Sometimes No

Question 2

'I like a cliffhanger ending.'

Strongly Agree Agree Don't know Disagree Strongly Disagree

Question 3

Describe you ideal thriller location.

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Question 4

Do you prefer fast paced or slow paced music at the beggining of a film?

Fast paced Slow paced

Question 5

List 3 features you expect from the following characters:

Killer:

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Victim:

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Question

Do you like lots of titles at the start of the film?

Yes No

Question 7

What time of day do you expect a Thriller opening to be set?

Day time (Early Morning) Mid Day Nighttime

Question 8

Do you think the opening is an important part of the film?

Yes No

Why?

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Are you male or female?

Male Female

What is your age?

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My Thriller Images

I think hat this is a good image because the fire looks very menacing and ominous, also you can not see what is being burnt. I think this would be a good shot in a thriller as it is a well composed shot and it is very mysterious which is good for the opening of a thriller when you are trying to create suspense.



I feel that this is a good shot as it follows the rule of thirds and it looks as though the trees/bushes on either side of the path are trying to cover the path. The shot is also good for the opening of a thriller because it is hard to tell what is at the end of the path and also, i feel that a thriller film is journey just like walking down this path.

I feel that this is a good shot because in the foreground you can see trees which makes it feel as though the camera is 'snooping' around just like in the opening to the sixth sense. In the background you can also see a building which raises questions such as 'What is in the building?' and 'Why is it hidden in the woods?'. This is a good thing because a thriller opening often leaves the audience asking questions which get answered later on in the film.


This shot also shows the rule of thirds with the trees on either side of the building and again rises questions to the audience. I think this is a good shot as it shows the building has been vandalised and in a slow opening to a thriller this shot would be used to set the scene to the audience.

I feel that this shot would be good for a thriller as the foreground is blurred which suggests movement to the prospective audience whilst the twigs and branches of the tree appear to be 'hiding' something which would raise questions to the audience engaging them deeper into the film.

Opening Sequence Analysis

'Analysing Kill Your Friends' and 'Two Eyes Staring' from http://www.watchthetitles.com/

Kill your friends uses a pan shot to show the opening titles. This is effective as it shows the audience aspects of the night before slowly, but it also has the names of the people who worked on the film hidden in the shots. This gives the viewer something to look for in every frame of the opening titles. A focus pull is used to draw the viewers attention onto the NME magazine which is showing the actors who are in the sequence. We can tell this is an opening sequence because it establishes the setting during the pan shot and is slow paced due to the editing.
The editing in kill your friends consists of mainly cuts bet there are a few transitions such as white flash which shows the audience that it has gone back in time and explained the previous shot by a flash back. This happens several times in the opening sequence but it also correlates with the party the night before, because as we begin we see the alcohol everywhere but as the pan shot continues we see drugs showing the audience how the night progressed.
In this opening sequence there was a lot of props, a few of which i have already mentioned but there a few clever techniques involved in prop selection. The credit card for example, has the name of the executive producer but the credit card is also there because of the drugs. All the props used fit in with the setting and the story that we have been shown through the flashbacks. the mise en scene of this piece relates to a student party or a high class sophisticated party because of the champagne. This tells the audience that the characters that haven't been introduced yet, are successful and maybe upper class as they are all in suits.
The sound in this piece is mostly non-diegetic as it is mood music to set the mood for the rest of the film.This shows that the morning after the previous night is very chilled out as nothing is moving but it also shows that only a fraction of the night before is remembered such as the flashbacks.
This is a very effective opening sequence as it doesn't give away the plot but it only provides the audience with snapshots of the night before which gives them the freedom to make up the rest of the night and also to let their imagination run wild with the possibilities of what could happen next.



Two Eyes Staring is a very different style of opening sequence to Kill Your Friends. The starting frames use an effect that looks as thought they are symmetrical and it also gives organic properties to the shots, such as one looks as though it is being filmed from the waters reflection on the surface. This property adds an eeriness to the shots making the audience feel on edge before the film has properly started. The opening images remind me of pictures that would be shown to psychopaths in older films to see what their interpretation of the images is, this could communicate to the viewer that what you see is not always correct creating an air of mystery.
In this opening sequence the only sound is non-diegetic where as in Kill Your Friends there was also diegetic sound. This aids in creating an eerie feeling as the music is very slow and mystical bridging between the shots. This opening would grab the audiences attention and prepare them for the film which is essential for a successful opening sequence.
This sequence is very low key and dull which also helps to calm the audience down before they start the film and to communicate to the viewer that what follows the sequence is very dark and ominous, it gives nothing away just like a good opening sequence should but it it would be hard for the audience to understand the reasoning for this selection of edits, shots and music until the film has begun or ended.