Evaluation

Our Movie uses the traditional conventions of the thriller genre, keeping to the brief that we set out before hand. Unlike most modern thriller films, we shot ours in black and white, which meant that the atmosphere surrounding the movie is darker than most other films. Quick elliptical cuts is the conventional editing method associated with thrillers, and we tried to include this. At one point in the movie, quick edits cut from one to another within seconds of each other, keeping the pace up, which was lacking at the start of the film. Slow titles suggest the genre of the film, which we included, with titles showing the director, cast and production company's slowly crossing the screen, then fading out into a clip. Its this head on title sequence that introduces all the companies surrounding the film, which is vital in order to give credit, but also to indicate to the audience how good the film will actually be, because if they see a good director or a good production company, they can make the assumption that this film will be like the others they've produced. Atmospheric music creates the uneasy tension surrounding the genre, creating a sense of edge in the film, making the audience feel slightly uneasy and uncomfortable. The music is non diegetic, solely for background sound, which means it has hardly any personal connection with the actor on screen. This is common for this type of film as it creates the emotion the audiences feel when watching.

Social groups as such arn't really represented in the film, as a vast mix of characters are introduced, however it does show an insight into the crime circle, highlighting the gruesomeness of that world, and the terrors and horrors that go with it, so this could relate to the generation who are forced into organized crime, a tale told too often in lower class countries; but also the people who aren't born into it, but who are attracted to the glamorous life style it beholds, teenagers who are tranced by the money and power people in this film hold.. When trying to create characters like this, its hard to stray away from certain stereotypes. If you haven't actually been in that circle then its hard to get an idea of what its like, and you start making decisions and judgements that are influenced by other films and the preconceived ideas you have about certain characters. This is why I wanted to show an ordinary guy get trapped in it. It brings the whole film back down to reality, as there are consiquences to the crimes that they commit, and the ordinary character recognises this; instead of blacking it out like the criminals he is surrounded by.

Our film is produced and disributed by Universal Pictures, who are well known for their gritty crime thrillers, films like The Adjustment Bureau depicting a character caught in the wrong moment and forced to go on the run. The reason we chose this is because they are extremely well known, one of the biggest in the world, which automatically means that people are more likely to come and see the film because they know it will have the certain levels of standards that surround the companys name and reputation, and thats before mentioning the extensive experience they have in this particular field.

The key demographic for our film would be males, between the youngish age of 16 up to the middle ages of 40 to 45. The reason the age range is so wide is becaude the mentality of a 16 year old is similar to that of a 45 year old when it comes to films. They both have the same interests, and because of the maturity of the younger generation of today, they are emotianly ready to relate to the characters in the film, maybe not because of their personal life experiences, but because of the language and characterisation used in the film. In this day and age, the language of a 16 year old is often more crude and offensive than that a 40 year old. This could be an international film, as the story could relate to people out side of the UK, and because of the fact that it is filmed in more than one country. Which means that it would have a wider audience, grossing more profit at the box office as a result. Fans of Spike Lee who follow his every film will become attracted to it, making more people come and see it because of the fact he directed it, somewhat giving it a cult following.

Because my film doesnt have any well know stars casting in it, it was obvious that the main way of attracting attention would be through advertisment and airtime. Bill boards where cast up along the main motorways, and in key stratigic points in the main citys, making it hard not to miss the posters. Because we were distribtuted by Universal, it meant that we had a bigger budget that we normally would, allowing us to have airtime on TV at primetime moments, widening our audience base. Another factor related to TV would be the interviews and talk shows that our stars took part in, descussing the film, but also creating a name for them selves. Something which would be crucial in order to get the maximum amount of hype and buzz around the film. Memrobilia such as posters and collectables would be available prior to the films release date.

I have learnt, during the process of contructing this film, about new ways of colour grading and tonal range. I new how to make a good film before, and all the shots that needed to be included when shooting, but before I was unsure about how to adjust the opacity and contrast grades in order to affect the over all mood and atmosphere of the film. This is something I picked up on as I started to edit the film, playing around with the colour and tone. I then decided that I would change the film all together to black and white, emphasising the contrast between blacks and whites and the tonal range in between. This is something that strays away from the stereotypical conventions normally associated with the crime and thriller genres. Something which I new how to do before, only in photoshop with still photographs, was to add a gradual fade at the outer edges of the frame, darkening the mood of the shot. I wanted to do this with my film as I thought it would add an edge not normally seen in films, and create that depth that the film lacked before hand.

Looking back at my preliminary task, I notice an obvious change in the composition of the shots, and the post proscess editing that took place. I can notice an obvious improvement in the confidence I have in my work as, compared to the preliminary task, I used a wider range of complex shots and editing techniques, enhancing the quality of the film dramatically.