Statement of Intent

 Here is our starting point for the Film Opening Project

Statement of Intent 

Genre
Thriller – Mystery, Horror
Target Audience
Demographic	Teenagers (15-21)
Psychographic	People who enjoy watching thriller; with low lighting (dark contrast colours), High School Student; rebel students
How we will appeal to this target audience
Include modern situations and elements such as social media, technology, trends. This gives a personal and relatable sense that teenage audiences can relate. Other than that we show
Main inspirations
Get Out and Midsommar
General Synopsis
Main character fight with mom Mom mad and sad Partyyyyy  Kidnap kaki gets dragged out mom ❤️call “where r uuuu”
Characters
Teenage girl Mom Kidnapper Random background walkers
Representations
People:  Main Character (Lilith Angelica) – Will be using short dresses that most teenagers would usually use, they wear soft makeup Mother – Hair in a bun (?), Typical home clothes, reading glasses, strict expressions  Places: Tisha’s House – decorate the house with decorations that would suit a party,  Props:  Plastic cups (?) Soda’s (Sprite, Coca Cola)  Parking lot – find areas that has dim / low lighting to give an effect to the audience feeling gloomy and scary  Props:  Car Phone Room – Where the main character will be getting ready  Props:  Make up Hair straightener / curler Notebook Polaroid Camera Bag  Heels Photobooth pictures on mirror/wall
Dominant Reading
“Step on a crack, you break your moms back” – Listen to your mom, before it's too late. Your actions affect other people.
Proposed Roles
Script	Cassie
Storyboard	Cassie
Location Scout	Eileen
Risk Assessment	Eileen
Screen Test	Tisha
Filming schedule	Eileen
Audience research	Kimora
Behind-the-scenes	Kimora
Editing	Tisha

Research: Genre

 My group and I have decided to create a film opening in the genre Thriller. Here is my research into the codes and conventions that are used in the opening texts of this genre.

PLEASE GRADE THESE ONES

Typical conventions from the genre THRILLER

Films from this genre usually include characters dressed up quite roughly under low-key lighting, props that may have been damaged which can also be items displayed on a daily basis. Sounds include diegetic sounds that may trigger the audiences and non-diegetic sounds to add onto the tension and build up suspense, making scenes seem more dramatic. Thriller movies would include more long shots for audiences to see the majority of what is happening in the frame. A lot of dolly or tracking shots when running, pan and tilts to show movement of the characters' surroundings, along with Dutch angle shots for when the storyline reaches the climax and POV shots for the audiences to feel even more engaged and thrilled during the film. Showing a lot of shadows and creepy locations when filming making the audience expect the worst on what happens usually when they can think of those locations such as small alleys, or abandoned places at night. Antagonists are often expected to dress up in more darker clothing/costume and suspense is created with non diegetic sounds starting in a slower tempo and lower volume as it rises up along with the tempo to reach the audiences to the top plot or usually to reveal an important part of the movie. 

The narrative is normally about monsters, crime, plot-twists, aiming to creep out or scare the audiences throughout the film, violence is often expected in a thriller movie which enhances the conventions of having an expectedly dangerous antagonist, fighting the good guys which follows the lure of "hero versus villain". The films opening is often used to gain audiences' curiosity on how the characters will be able to get away through these challenges and plots along the movie which are typically unusual, disturbing or dangerous. Possibly even with worse and worse characters adding up along the movie. It gives an idea of what the movie would continue to be like, adding expectations and curiosity of how the movie would end by making up theories and being more engaged to the film.

Missing 2023

Production companies: Bazelevs Production

Distributed by: Sony Pictures Entertainment

Genre/Subgenre: Thriller/Mystery

This movie, Missing 2023, contains a good amount of plots and a lot of action to keep the audiences focused and curious throughout the film, answering some cases with plot twists and have conventions like sounds full of tension to create the sense of thrill which conforms to the genre conventions of thriller. it contains violence by the antagonist and also contains a hero to solve the case. This movie focuses on the characters actions during different situations with the given clues. This movie conforms to it's genre conventions as the movie thrills the characters by its realistic diegetic sounds during slower or more intense scenes, pairing it with a good non diegetic music with tensive beats to get the audiences on the edge of their seats as they find out more clues along with the character herself. Camera angles given were medium to medium long shots, showcasing the entire situation during each scene, with a blocking method to catch the audiences' attention and get's them to be more engaged and feel frightened for the character as they do not look behind, creating expectations for upcoming action scenes during the climax of the film. The kind of editing for this movie uses a lot of cuts and jumps toward the next scene by the context being written on the screen and not being filmed on set. The mise en scene being used in this movie were weapons, making the audiences terrified for the main characters and gaining a vision of violence, as well as usual home items as this movie stars a young girl unveiling a mystery from her own home, as well as it's surroundings. More serious scenes tend to show darker shades of the scene making the items on scene seem more frightening or unfocused.

The conventions this movie subverts to is that the movie displays itself more as a documentary-type movie compared to any other ordinary kidnap-thriller movies. This movie uses editing alot as the POV for the main character's laptop as well as her actions toward it (zoom in, typing, facetiming, zooming out) An ordinary thriller movie rarely uses a laptop POV as their main focus throughout the movie (and phone). This is to show the change of generation and realism this situation brings out to the current audiences. Representation used in this film were travelling across the world for vacation, being kidnapped to an unknown area, new characters being unlocked, and a lot of critical thinking, making this movie seem more engaging and attractive to the audiences rather than just being frightened about it as the audiences would want to know her every move and how she escapes this situation.

Here are some texts that I will look at a little more broadly to see how they appeal to audiences and how they can inspire me.

Unlocked 2023

Production Companies: Studio N Mizifilm

Distributed by: Netflix CJ ENM

Genre/Subgenre: Thriller/Crime

The target audience for Unlocked 2023 seems to be young adults, especially those who are interested in technology and the risks that come with it, like privacy invasion and hacking. The opening of the film grabs their attention by using tense music, quick camera shots, and hints that something bad is going to happen. This makes viewers feel anxious and curious right from the start. For my own thriller film opening, I would like to use similar techniques to build suspense, especially by focusing on how sound and lighting can create a creepy and tense atmosphere. I think this will help keep the audience engaged and on edge. However, I would avoid scenes that are too slow or have too much dialogue early on, as I want to make sure that the suspense is built quickly and that viewers stay hooked from the beginning without losing interest.

Knives Out 2019

Production Companies: T - Stress Productions MRC

Distributed by: Lionsgate Films, Netflix

The target audience for Knives Out 2019 seems to be adults and older teens who enjoy mystery stories, clever humor, and twists in the plot, particularly fans of classic detective stories. The film's opening draws in this audience by quickly introducing the wealthy Thrombey family and the mysterious death of the family patriarch, Harlan Thrombey. This setup immediately grabs viewers' attention and makes them curious about what really happened. The clever use of sharp dialogue and the quirky personalities of the characters help create a lively and engaging atmosphere that keeps the audience entertained while hinting at deeper secrets. The opening also features beautiful cinematography, showcasing the grand family mansion, which adds a layer of intrigue to the setting. For my own thriller film opening, I would like to include a strong ensemble cast with distinct personalities to make the characters memorable right from the start. I would focus on writing witty dialogue that reveals hints about their relationships and possible motives, adding to the suspense and mystery. Additionally, I want to create a unique visual style that reflects the film's mood, using color and lighting to enhance the feeling of tension and intrigue. However, I would avoid making the opening too complicated or introducing too many characters at once, as this might confuse the audience and take away from the suspense I aim to build from the very beginning. Instead, I want to keep the opening clear and engaging, encouraging viewers to stay focused and eager to solve the mystery alongside the characters.

(inget copas the rest of research from gdocs)

Here are some videos that guided me on how to begin a film

Research: Audience

Research: Industry

 Here is my Industry Research

 Our group has decided to keep our thriller film opening for a smaller, specific audience. This approach fits well since we don’t have access to high-quality equipment, making it easier to keep things simple. In real filmmaking, smaller production companies often make movies like this because they work with lower budgets and create unique stories that appeal to specific groups of people.

What other content do they produce? 

Netflix makes all kinds of content, like movies, TV shows, documentaries, and animated series. They create things in many genres, such as drama, comedy, thriller, and romance, including original shows made just for Netflix.

Who is their typical audience?

Netflix’s audience includes people of all ages, but they mainly target young adults and families. They reach a global audience and offer many shows and movies for different age groups and cultures.

How big is the company? How long has it existed? 

Netflix is a large company with over 238 million subscribers worldwide (as of 2023). It started in 1997 as a DVD rental service and switched to streaming in 2007.

What is their most successful product? 

Some of Netflix's most popular shows are Stranger Things, The Witcher, and Squid Game, which have been watched by huge numbers of people around the world and have helped Netflix grow its subscribers.

Weekly Progress + Plan

 Here is my weekly progress and plan for my project

Component 1 (Film Opening)
Week	Start Date		Task		Blogpost Title	Content	Deadline
W1	30 September	Pre Production	Research	1	Brief
				2	Team
				3	Weekly Progress
				4	Preliminary Research	Broad genre research	W3
W2	7 October		Research	5	Research: Industry	Who makes music videos?	W3
W3	14 October		Research	6	Research: Genre	Codes and Conventions of your genre	W4
W4	21 October		Plan	7	Statement of Intent	Your initial proposal	W5
W5	28 October		Plan	8	Storyboard	Shot by shot plan	W7
				9	Script / Screenplay		W7
							W7
W6	4 November		Plan	10	Screen Test	Actor auditions	W7
				11	Classwork	How to: Camera, MeS, Sound, Edit	W7
							W7
W7	11 November		Plan	12	Location scout & Risk Assessment		W7
				14	Filming Schedule	Film over the break?	W7
							W7

Week 1

This week we've set up our new blogs for our new project which is the film opening which will be ongoing for the next two terms. I'm excited and can't wait to be filming and producing more scenes again but a bit worried about the pre production steps and if i cant ace any parts of my blog perfectly like i did in my previous project. This week, we've learnt more about the film industry and about the stages of production which are Production, Distribution, and Exhibition which will help me do more research about these types of industries do to help me gain more knowledge for my following projects and company inspirations for my film opening, or even what to do in the future when working along with these industries.

Week 2

The first day of week 2, today we started our project lesson with a research into the genre me and my group have chosen which was Thriller. I have discovered that there are a lot of interesting thriller movies out there that i can research to, my brain has refresh after doing a lot more work on genre conventions which give me and idea of what to add onto my project in order to conform to the genre conventions and make the project result to an a. We have learnt that there are so much research to do and it does in fact have a huge impact on our grade which means we would have to focus alot more on that

Week 3

In this week, we did a bit more in depth research on our genres for our film opening project, we had a task to do two big researches and 6 more smaller ones so that we would be able to know more aspects of our genre conventions from different movies, and get ideas for subverting plots for our opening. We did more digging for niche thriller movies and what were realistic for  us to generate for this project. 

Week 4

In this week, we have started giving out roles for the things we have to do each as part of the pre production process of our project. We also gained more information through smaller researches about influence and have started our statement of intent. And have also learned more theory on how companies have vertical and horizontal integration to which vertical integration is when a media company owns parts of all stages of the production and horizontal integration is when a media company owns several parts from one stage of production (production, distribution or exhibition)

Week 5

The first day of this week we learned more about making a proper screenplay and storyboard for our filming project. Our teacher gave us a video on how to properly create a storyboard which has clearly developed on how we will be aiming to fix in the future as well as on how to properly construct a  screenplay along with it's margins and structures in order for us to have a clear vision for our scenes to pair with the newly detailed storyboard complete with the camera angles and more.

Week 6

We had project lessons the entire week which meant that we were on our blogs on all of our lesson time to finalize and clear up parts of our blog before the deadline just to get our pre production stages done.

Week 7

In this week, we still had project lessons where we are given time to finalize our blogposts, however we also had exam prep lessons where our teacher reviews on what we should or shouldn't do during the exams, as well as practices to do during class.

Self reflection:

I believe this blog had been useful for me as this reminds me of what we've learnt the entire term, and helps me find important data and terms that i may need to review from that specific week. I've seen signs of improvement through my weekly progress and is enjoying it so far. Hoping for the best.

Term 3

Week	Start Date		Task		Blogpost Title	Content	Deadline
W8	8 January	Production	Shoot		Editing Mini Project	A short recreation of a scene from your genre	W10
					Behind the scenes	Images of your filming shoot	W10
					Filming Schedule
W9	15 January		Shoot		File Organisation	My system of storing video files
W10	22 January	Post-Production	Editing		Editing Process	A description (including screen shots) of how you edited your post	W12
W11	29 January		Editing		Audience Feedback	A review from your target audience	W12
W12	5 February		Editing
W13	12 February		Self Reflection		Self Reflection: CCR1		W16
					Self Reflection: CCR2		W16
W14	19 February		Self Reflection		Self Reflection: CCR3		W16
					Self Reflection CCR4		W16
W15	26 February		Self Reflection
W16	4 March		Finalise
W17	11 March		Finalise		Final Film Opening		W17
					Final CCR

Week 1

This week he had a mini project on scene recreation and we got to practice more on how to do so as we gave each other roles on what to be in charge of and I was in charge of making the blogpost template. We also learned two new theories which are New Media and Technological convergence.

Week 2

This week we got to learn more about edit and started practicing on how continuous editing (simple ones), as well as learning about more new theories such as the Cultivation theory, Desensitisation Theory, Social Learning theory, as well as the Reception Theory. We also learned about dominant readings as it will be important for us when producing media content.

Week 3

This week, we were introduced to more new theories such as the Representation Theories and more theorists. These theorists we learned about were Judith Butler, Laura Mulvey, and Liesbet Van Zoonen who argued about gender rights in media. We also got a project lesson on the last class of this week where we got more time to finalize more blogposts while Tisha edits our final video. Aside school classes, our team actually got to go out and film more scenes for Tisha to be able to edit by this week. We also applied and recalled dominant reading toward our project lesson.

Week 4

This week it was a long weekend and the last day we had this class I did not attend due to my family tradition of celebrating Chinese Lunar New year. The rest of our group who had actually came to class had started figuring out the name for our Film Opening and we helped by voting and giving suggestions through our Whatsapp group in order to still keep ties of participation and communication.

Week 5:

This week we started making the forms for our audience research for us to spread out for our friends to give out feedback, hoping that it'll help us with our project.

Week 6:

Due to the extreme weather, we had our classes online and we had started doing our CCR 1 and CCR 2. As well as submitting our audience feedback that we had made in a Google forms in order to be able to start our CCR. We communicated through whatsapp through out the online classes to discuss about our shared draft for our CCR2. We also scheduled and decided to refilm some part our of film opening and added more scenes based on the suggestions of our teacher.

Week 7:

This week we reviewed on all theories we learnt in class as we also had our first mock test, then we began starting with our CCR 3 and CCR 4 as we also got templates to do it to make our tasks easier.

Week 8:

On the first lesson this week, we marked our first mock from the week before, and receive feedback we could apply to for our next mock exam which was the next day. We had our second mock test and for the last day, our teacher couldn't come to class due to a year 12 camp, therefore we had a substitute teacher to watch on us continuing our blogs.

Week 9:

This week we had our last mock exam and the rest of the lessons were project lessons where we had time to work on our project such as finishing our blogs, editing the video and continuing our CCR (critical creative reflection)

Week 10:

This week was the deadline for our big project, which includes all the blogs and our CCRs. I didnt come to school on the first lesson of this week which was our last chance to get everything done with the help of our teacher. I had to rush some things out because I procrastinated by doing all my other things that had to be done and i couldnt focus on catching up. Worst week ever!