Evaluation of Monica's Last Song

ASSESSMENT Rachael Bloomfield

Our research into thriller films helped us to create our own thriller film; through researching clips from Reservoir Dogs to Pulp Fiction, it has helped us gain a clearer understanding of what makes a generic thriller movie. Through this research, we developed everything from our characters to their costumes to unglamorous locations and violence all in the hope to help us achieve a realistic story line. We learned about everything from character types to traditional canted camera angles and eerie diagetic sound in which we all included in our own thriller film. The dark gritty suburban settings created effective mise-en –scenes so we decided to incorporate this into our own thriller.
The crates in the background of our opening sequence were inspired as a good setting from a shot from the opening of Essex Boys when a car is driving away from the first fight scene.
Essex Boys also showed the effectiveness of casual costumes that still sparked fear in the audience, in the opening shot our femme fatal is dressed in a white robe linking back to the woman in Essex Boys who is first introduced to us wearing a white robe in her house.
The soundtrack by Richard Strauss adds to the mood evoked in the mise-en-scene whilst linking to the title of our thriller ‘Monica’s Last Song’ with a track called Four Last Songs.

Our thriller film represents our femme fatale as the powerful woman in charge of her hench men showing men under her control especially the victim who gets killed under her instruction portraying a modern idea of the femme fatale that is no longer a victim unlike Marion Crane from a researched thriller film Physco yet both are alike in deviance.

Smaller film companies like Film Four could be an example of the type of producers who may produce our film as these companies direct their films at niche audiences. They also have proved to produce successful realistic gritty dramas for example This Is England.
I also believe it would be the type of film to go straight to the TV at a time like 9 o’clock as it would appeal to over 16 year olds, as violence may not be appropriate for a younger audience.
I think it would only be shown on TV, unless independently distributed but a producer that has a speciality for art house productions like Working Title two, in which distribution in a smaller cinema like cinema city could attract out directed niche audiences that rather than the audiences Hollywood names and would attract.

Our media film attracts students, this could be university students whose age range can range from 18 to 30 year olds. Due to the audience research we did we found gangster films popular along with violence amongst our highest result for what genres males between 18 and 30 prefer, students would enjoy this film due to its good entertainment but cheap distribution meaning it could go straight to DVD avoiding all cinema costs. Our film would attract audiences that view such shows as silent witness for example or such films as ‘This is England’ which was also partly produced by film four and focuses on gang culture and violence.

We attracted our audience using hooks with the opening scenes of our femme fatale getting ready with the use of sex appeal in that she is dressed in a robe applying lipstick. Our femme fatel getting ready can raise questions like ‘who is she?’ ‘what is she getting ready for?’ enticing the audience to want to watch more. The fight sequences may set the audience wondering who the victim being killed is and the consequences that will be faced by the femme fatales hench men.
Location and costume also attract a youthful audience with its unglamorous yet modern features for example the puddles and gravel with the white trainers and long fashionable coats.

In creating our thriller film I have learnt about the use of a digital camera and learned skills for example how to smoothly zoom in and out and effectively capture fast movement, camera angles and different shots were also shown to us throughout planning. these became useful ideas and made effective shots for example in the fight sequence when we showed the fight as a reflection in the puddle. We included both diagetic and non-diagetic sound and through learning to use an editing programme, Premium Edits, we learned how to delete unwanted sound and add in appropriate music to add emotional impact to our film.
We learned about effecting editing to create impact in the audience for example when Sam is spitting out blood we showed this sequence in slow motion to make the scene much more effective, we also learnt the importance of sequencing shots in the telling of the narrative throughout our thriller film. In our editing, we learned how to use effects such a cross fades, smoothly joining our shots, and fade in and fade outs to create the eeriness we needed.

Over all I think our media project was a success I think our preliminary task was good practise in establishing shots for our thriller, it helped us practise our over shoulder shots and practising the 180 degree rule. Our planning ensured we had the right location and editing techniques, which all came together when working well as a group within our team. I feel I contributed well during filming with the camera and strongly with the editing as I feel I strongly put through my artistic views on our final edit. I think strengths include our acting and locations, our planning and costumes and feel our weaknesses lie in our editing as we did not know how to work the editing programme and used it on a ‘if at first you don’t successes try and try again’ basis when trying out different editing techniques.
I have learnt that filming is harder than it looks and not something that can be rushed into lightly but something that if taken seriously needs months to arrange and organise in order to achieve the highest possible result.

Character Stereotypes

SLUTS

Mercedes and Effy share many characteristics;
They are both from ‘broken homes’ and break the blonde hair big boob mould with brunette hair.
Both are skinny and usually wearing skimpy fitted clothes, and wear a lot make up and have styled hair.
Both have been through family traumas, Mercedes loosing her sister and Effy with her brother in a coma, both have separated parents, with Mercedes not knowing who her father is.
They both have bold looks with Effy’s slightly vampy look and Mercedes chavvy jewellery.
Both are young are sleep around but have changed recently in going ‘natural’ and ‘falling in love’ showing the similarities in characterisation in very different dramas.

Kill Bill Vol.2

Kill Bill Vol.2

Director: Quentin Tarantino
Country made: USA
Year made: 2004

Buried alive scene


There is a specific scene in this film which represents generic thriller aspects when we see ‘The Bride’ drugged, captured and buried alive.
The coffin itself represents death and confined space.
Filmed from the inside of the coffin we see the last slits of light turn to darkness and the vulnerable bride is left to die.
With the noir lighting with chiaroscuro we can just see her distressed, worn out face from the light of her torch which is one of many minimalistic props in this scene, through the torch were shown limited light and with close ups creates effective mis-en-scene and emphasises the generic thriller shadows cast by the bride in her claustrophobic space. other props include rope tying the brides hands together which is cut by a knife, showing her strength as a femme fatel through her imprisonment.
.This claustrophobia and darkness build suspense in that we feel she is unable to escape in her generic unglamorous setting of a graveyard that will ironically become her own place of rest if she does not escape.
Both diagetic and non diagetic sound are used in this scene, the diagetic sound builds fear for example the nails in the coffin, as it stirs a sense of dread, and shows her vulnerability to the powerful men of the scene. It also emphasises her struggle with heavy breathing, and the struggle from escaping from the ropes that bound her limbs and her hands when trying to hammer her way out of the coffin.
With the western music, Quentin Tarentino is cross-referencing from 'The Good the Bad and the Ugly' shows the symbolism of downfalls in characters futures, as well as the graveyards location creating a sense of dread in the brides outcome of this tragedy as to those in the 'The Good The Bad And The Ugly'

The Third Man

The Thrid Man

Director: Carol Reed
Country Made: Vienna
Awards: Won 3 Nominated for 3

Generic signifiers are used frequently throughout ‘The Third Man’ from costume and lighting to being filmed in black and white.
In the opening sequence, there is a close up, canted shot of a suitcase including black shoes, (representing the black market) clothes and paint.
The odd angle shows confusion and disorientation, there is also a shot of an arm full of watches, with these shots and no faces shown the third man is instantly establishing what kind of thriller film it is with its introduction to crime and danger in unglamorous settings, also proven by the dead body in the river.
The music played introduces subtle humour into the sequence of events, which in a generic thriller would be replaced by tension building music.
We are shown in establishing shots the divided city and soldiers, filmed just after the war with a British army captain voice over showing significance to the time and setting of this film.
We are introduced to Holly Martin dressed in a generic costume to a thriller film; trilby hat, long coat, polished shoes and a briefcase which immediately creates interest surrounding his character.
Holly Martin also walks under a ladder again showing the black humour surrounding this film and possibly symbolising Holly’s bad luck.
The director uses many different camera angles creating a sense of distress in Holly’s safety.
Low angles and canted shots show the streets of Vienna as a maze in which Holly could easily be lost.
The long shadows from the streetlights and dark alleys show the mystery of this city at night and Holly’s vulnerability to his new settings.
Holly’s shadows cast on the wall of the staircase shows mystery and build tension and can make Harry look both strong and vulnerable, he seems scared yet comforted by his shadow as it would be easily detectable if he were not alone.
His footsteps also create eeriness and build tension, both the footsteps and shadows being another generic thriller aspect of ‘The Third Man’

cinematic terms

A few examples of Cinematic terms.

Blow-up
the enlargement of a photographic image or film frame


Boom shot
a continuous single shot made from a moving boom, assembled like a montage, and incorporating any number of camera levels and angles.


Character study
a film that uses strong characterizations, interactions and the personalities of its characters to tell a story, with plot and narrative almost secondary to them


Cinematographer
specifically refers to the art and technique of film photography, the capture of images, and lighting effects, or to the person expert in and responsible for capturing or recording-photographing images for a film, through the selection of visual recording devices, camera angles, film stock, lenses, framing, and arrangement of lighting; the chief cinematographer responsible for a movie is called the director of photography, or first cameraman.


180 degree rule
a screen direction rule that camera operators must follow - an imaginary line on one side of the axis of action is made (e.g., between two principal actors in a scene), and the camera must not cross over that line - otherwise, there is a distressing visual discontinuity and disorientation.


Dolly (shot)
refers to a moving shot in which the perspective of the subject and background is changed; the shot is taken from a camera that is mounted on a hydraulically-powered wheeled camera platform (sometimes referred to as a truck or dolly), pushed on rails (special tracks) and moved smoothly and noiselessly during filming while the camera is running; a pull-back shot (or dolly out) is the moving back ('tracking back') of the camera from a scene to reveal a character or object that was previously out of the frame, dolly in is when the camera moves closer ('tracking in') towards the subject, and dollying along with (or 'tracking within') refers to the camera moving beside the subject; also known as tracking shot.


Epilogue
a short, concluding scene in a film in which characters (sometimes older) reflect on the preceding events.


Segment (or seg)
a section or episode of a film; a series of sequences that comprise a major section of the plot; segmentation of a film often helps to further analysis


Superimposition
Where an image will be layered over another image. e.g film titles at the beginning of films composed as a double exposure.



Transition
one of several ways of moving from one shot or scene to the next, including such transitional effects or shots as a cut, fade, dissolve, and wipe; a transition focus between two scenes means the current scene goes out of focus and the next scene comes into focus.

MOCK EXAM analysing WANTED

audience profile

Age
We aimed our thriller at audience of 17-40 yr olds, with an age certificate of 15 due to violence and drug usage. Our storyline could appeal to an older audience due to our action and storyline yet we aimed it at 17 year olds due to our young cast of 16- 18 year olds

Gender
Our thriller is aimed at both males and females, females with our femme fatal opening our film seeking revenge on males and dealing with her own personal problems woman may be able to relate to and men with our drug use and violence introducing them to an action film as in our survey we found men preferred a male lead.

Occupation
students in sixth form, college or university are key target audiences.
However it also targets the more superior film viewers due to the suspense within the opening as well as reference to more classic thrillers such as Psycho.

Targeting the more superior film viewer is also due to the fact that our film would likely be viewed in cinemas such as cinema city due to its art house production. Therefore viewers watching the film would be interested in the use of location and mise-en-scene.
Showing our film at cinema like cinema city will appeal to an art house audience

Aspirations
Aspirations of the target audience of this film is likely to be high with the film mainly appealing to students attending sixth form, college etc therefore could gain insperation from this production and discuss the actions and messages portrayed within the film.

Simliar films to appeal to target audience
Our film is based around the more classic thriller such as Psycho as it doesn't use so many special effects and CGI. Our inspired director was Quentin Tarantino as he often uses the lead femme fatal who is strong and independent. Therefore our audience would likely to be interested in Jackie Brown and Kill Bill which isn't a thriller but follows the similar conventions.

Interests
Our film uses a soundtrack of classical music therefore our audience is likely to be interested in how it is used and contrasts with the violence which is seen. Our audience is likely to be interested in photography and film making and therefore would be interested in the use of cinematography and use of mise-en-scene. The use of costume is also very striking and stylish and therefore would appeal to a modern fashionable audience.