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.