Caller Unknown is our independently made thriller film, in which we have used our research and analysis into the thriller genre to back up different choices, such as locations and props, in our opening. The film that we have mostly based our opening sequence on is The Third Man. The main idea we have taken from this film is the use of a churchyard as a location. Another film that was of great influence when we planning our thriller was Once Upon a Time in America; it gave us the idea for the phone ringing throughout the flashback scenes which creates a sound bridge. As well as using analysis and research of other films we also surveyed our target market of 16-20 year olds to find out what they believe is important when watching a thriller film. They told us that they like films which create lots of suspense and tension, which are characteristics of a thriller film, but also films that ask questions and get them thinking about what might happen.
I think that the film we have made is a mainstream film rather than an independent film as the characters in the film are relatable for the audience as well as the different everyday locations used through the opening. As we made it independently there are no A list actors of CGI but it was influenced by mostly mainstream thriller films. Rear Window, a film that was mentioned in our target market survey and a film I have watched in full since filming our thriller, inspired us to give the opening a sense of mystery. The phone calls don’t give any clues to the audience as to what might happen to Jessie as in Rear Window the audience are left asking questions throughout the film and don’t find out what has happened until the end of the film.
Caller Unknown is a psychological thriller which uses flashbacks to interest and inform the audience. If flashbacks weren’t used in the opening two minutes it would be difficult for the audience to understand what was happening.
The locations used throughout the opening sequence are everyday locations, such as the stairs, the park and the lift and these will be what the audience will be able to relate to. The use of the graveyard at the beginning, much like in The Third Man, is a location that gets thoughts going about why is she there, whose grave is she visiting, etc. This appeals to an audience who like thriller films that get them thinking and involved with the story of the film.
The main social identity represented in out thriller film opening is gender. Jessie, the female is the victim and Logan, the male, is the stalker. Our target market will be able to identify with this situation as it has recently been in the news (Sian O'Callaghan, from Swindon) making it very mood of the moment. Also, the age of the characters is very relatable for the audience as they are from the same age group as Jessie and Logan.
They way in which we have constructed the narrative is so that the audience are constantly intrigued as to what might happen next. We have done this by using a circular narrative which runs throughout the film, as the last opening scene is similar to that of the first opening scene, much like the narrative used in the film Memento.
The information we have put on our poster is very simple. The way in which it is laid out is similar to that of Inception’s movie poster. The main actor’s name is spread across the top of the page, the name of the film is in the centre at the bottom and there is also information about one of the directors other films. The film mentioned is The Fifth Man, which is in recognition of the influence of The Third Man on our film. Another similarity between the two film posters is the composition of the shot used, with only one person in shot. The only difference is that our film poster has a star rating and a caption from the British Independent Film Awards which we would hope would help draw an audience. This information would appeal to our target market as it is very direct, to the point and nothing is too hard to understand. The rating and caption is from a recognised organisation so this should intrigue audiences so they find out more about the film and hopefully go and see it in cinemas or buy it on DVD.
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| Caller Unknown Film Poster |
1 comments:
You have constructed this profile thoughtfully though at times you spend a little too much time discussing the film's planning rather than the profile of the audience.
You make some good points about the genre and how a mainstream audience preferences suspense and genre recognition.
You have also discussed how the film appeals to certain audiences who can identify with the representations in the film.
I agree it is difficult to categorise the film as independent or mainstream because of the limitations of being a student film nevertheless seeking to adopt the conventions of mainstream thriller. Although this makes the profile a little confusing you have justified your comments and referred to other texts to back up your points. Having established that you are creating a mainstream poster, should you have used a different award?
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