Target Audience Results - Miss Miller

I had to carry out research to help think of an appropriate target audience, which go by what they prefer in thriller films.  We have asked a total of 40 people, ranging in age and both genders.  I will use the results which were to be the most popular, so that our opening scene will be the best that it can.  The questionnaire consists of a variety of open and closed questions which allows more freedom for people to express what they really think and help us get results in better detail to get a better understanding.  When planning a film, it is essential for people to carry out research so they can get a good generalisation of what they like therefore; producing an opening sequence which can appeal to the target audience.  The pie charts show a visual representation of the results collected by the questionnaire.

CLOSED QUESTIONS

How old are you?  

The pie chart shows that most of the people who answered this survey were aged 15 - 20 years of age.  These results are a big help as our initial idea was that our thriller would be targeted to 15+. Therefore creating a successful thriller for our target audience. Quite a few people seemed to be aged 21 to 25 years of age, this could be a possibility that our thriller could be directed to a wider audience who are much older. 


What's your gender?

Most of the people asked were female.   If a crowd of male and female where asked who like thrillers.  The majority who would say they like watching thrillers would be male.  Most females would say they don't like watching thrillers as it can scare them from the suspense.    This means that our thriller may cover themes which aren't so conventional to a thriller as it may appeal more to females than it would males.  Females may not like the idea of females being the initial victim because it may be considered to be the stereotype.

Do you like sequels?

For this question in particular, the majority said that they do not like sequels.  This may be because films will not always be as good as the first.  Whereas, some people may prefer sequels as they like long narrative to continue and be able to see the actors again.   Seeing a the first film of a sequel, some of the audience may not like the first film, therefore not wanting to see the next film which is carried on from the previous film.  These results are good because we want to make a good first impression meaning we have to cover what our target wants including the conventions of a thriller in order to keep them into the film.

What other sub-genres should be used?

These results show that most people enjoy the sub-genre of crime.  This sub-genre would include danger and and mystery.  This may be a possibility because the audience like the point of being curious and find out things which they did not know.  The crimes in thrillers mostly, include murder, this may because it may make the thriller more exciting.  This is good for our opening thriller sequence as we want our thriller to include crime.

OPEN QUESTIONS
7 out of 12 questions were open questions, therefore meaning they cannot be quantified easily but it did allow more freedom and variety to be included in our research.  One of the questions was: What interests you in a thriller?  Allot of people said the suspense that they make you feel and they also like it if there is violence which is said to make it more interesting for the audience.  Some like to be scared as they think that it is good, mostly because of the tension and suspenseful atmosphere which is built up.  This is helpful to our group as we know that we should include violence and suspense as this interests the audience.

These results have proved to be very helpful to our group as we now know could be a potentially good thriller.  Taking into consideration the public's views of thrillers, will make them want to watch more.  They don't like the thriller to be too cliché as the outcome would be too predictable.  The group has also learned that sounds are important as they basically make up what is happening and can add suspense including fast/slow music, which if it wasn't there would make a big difference and would't be as suspenseful as it would be in the first instance.

The purpose of this question was to research what the public would like to see in a thriller film.  Using these results collected, we plan to follow these results in order to produce a good thriller for our target audience, as every film director/producer would like their audience to be into the film and make it memorable.

Opening Sequence Analysis - Miss Georgiou

How does the opening sequence of 'Halloween' inform the audience of the convention of a thriller film?

The opening sequence I have chosen to analyse was in the year 1978 called 'Halloween'.

The purpose of the opening sequence is to establish the mood and visual character, to introduce the viewer all or even all of these elements:  Characters, locations, narrative, theme and give the audience an idea of what genre it is from.

The characters are the couple, who are typical teenagers.  Other characters such as the parents who look confused with they reveal the child who's holding the knife is their son Michael.  The child would be the main character as in thriller films, children would considered to be more vulnerable than a man would be.

CINEMATOGRAPHY

In the clip there are many cinematography shots which are conventional to a thriller including the POV shot, as the killer is approaching the house, this builds tension as they do not know who it is and they can see what they can see visually. The point of view shot is conventional to the thriller genre because it can make the audience relate to the character as are seeing what the character is seeing through their own vision and it also creates suspense as sometimes the audience do not know who it is.  

CONVENTIONS
Many conventions of a thriller may be used in a sequence and in this sequence in particular a range of conventions are used. 

In many thrillers, the killer normally has a hidden identity,  to make sure the killers identity was hidden, a series of POV shots were used instead of showing a man in black.  Normally, hidden identities make the audience feel anxious and suspense as they would not know who the killer is.  The POV shots of the killer help the audience have an idea of what they are doing.

Throughout this clip, low key lighting is used to hide certain details in the scene and also create those shadows.  This leaves the audience in suspense as they can't really see much of what's going on due to the lack of light source.

There are two main pieces of iconography which are significant to the thriller genre including the mask and the knife.  Knives are very conventional to the thriller genre as the antagonist always seems to have some kind of weapon on them.  The knives have connotations of danger and death indicating to the audience that a murder will take place soon, therefore creating suspense for the audience.  The mask, the second piece of iconography which is shown, signifies the hidden identity and reminds the audience that it is Halloween.

Elements of a thriller including shock, suspense and surprise are created from creating enigmas, which create questions for the audience to find out themselves later on in the film such as who is the killer etc.

The dark setting of the old detached surburban house creates a suspenseful atmosphere as it gives the impression that there wouldn't be much of a way to get out.

The blond victim is also conventional to the 



Other conventions include: suspenseful music, knife, mask, pumpkin for the iconography, hidden identity, blond victim meaning more vulnerable, she is vulnerable, shock, suspense, surprise.  The dark setting - low key lighting, creates a sense of suspense for the audience and creates a darker atmosphere, which are scary or mysterious.  Iconography such as the mask signifying the hidden identity and the knife which give the audience ideas of danger and death and indicate that somebody will get killed.  The victim who gets killed is blond and the fact the victim would be that females would suggest vulnerability compared if a man would be the victim.  The hidden identity is conventional the thriller genre as it adds mystery and suspense.

EDITING

Editing includes timing of shots, the shot is slower when the killer is walking towards the house but then it gets quicker when the killer is repeatedly stabbing the victim.  The editing technique is conventional to the thriller genre because the timing of shots create suspense for the audience.  Throughout the whole sequence, the continuity technique is used as it seems to flow and no cuts are made, which allows the narrative to be maintained.  When the victim has been killed, a shot of the house is shown and it zooms out, making the house look smaller, signifying that the murder has taken place in that location.

During the opening sequence, continuity of editing is used.  More suspense is conducted as it is made through other parts of the genre.  It helps to exaggerate the suspense from the continuity of the handheld POV shots of cinematography, sound and the actual things which happen.  It in turn gives the impression to the audience the impression that the edits are motivate by the events in the reality of the screen.

A straight cut is a change of shot from one viewpoint or location to another, this may be done to change the scene.  It is used to change the viewpoint of the killer to then show the boy with his parents and then a high angled shot of the house to indicate a death has taken place in that house.  This may have been one to create the enigma effect, so they see the boy as the supposed killer.  This particular shot helps keep the audience engaged and will let the scene have a flow to it.

SOUND Sound such as silence in the beginning is used to create suspense for the audience, as they won't know what is going to happen.   Non Diagetic sounds such as the slow to high pitched music which also creates suspense.  The clock ticking while the killer is walking through house creates tension.  The diagetic sound of the victim screaming helps the audience relate to the victims initial fear. 

NARRATIVE
The narrative of a film is a necessary part of the film as it indicates to the audience what the film in going to be mainly about.  The audience can get an idea of the narrative of certain events which take place, in this films place, a series of events happen to communicate to the audience what may happen in the film just by watching the first few minutes.

The opening shot shows an old suburban detached hose and then shows a couple kissing, through what looks like a window.  This shot would give the impression that the character is watching them through the window.  At this point, it is still the killers point of view but it seems to be handheld as the motions are not smooth but it makes it seem more realistic.  The killer walks in through the back door, into the kitchen, going into a draw and picks up a knife.  By the killers actions, the audience gets the idea that a death my take place.  The killer watches the boyfriend leave, the boyfriend seems to have looked at the killer but didn't really seem surprised leaving the audience wonder why he didn't react to seeing the killer.  The killer then makes their way upstairs and picks up a clowns mask, which he puts on.  It then shows the killing of the victim who seems to know his name and he starts to repeatedly stab the victim.  The next shot shows a young boy in a clowns costume holding the knife and his parents taking off the mask.  Children are considered to be innocent and would not expect them to do this so therefore it is a misleading part of the sequence as the audience may not believe it was him, creating an enigma.

By watching the opening sequence, the audience may get an idea of what the whole film is about.  It is set on Halloween night in a suburban  setting, this is conventional to the thriller genre as thrillers are normally set in a isolated setting and the suburban setting in the film gets a false sense of security. Near the end of the sequence the audience finds out that the killer was the victims brother, Michael as he was holding the knife when his parent take the mask off his face.  However, it creates an enigma if he did or not because children are said to be innocent or he may be mentally unstable.  This makes the audience watch on to find whats wrong with him or if he really kill.

Overall, the sequence give of certain ideas to inform the audience that the film is a thriller including all the qualities including the types of sound, editing, cinematography, character and what narrative may be.

This analysis will help me with planning my own thriller as it will help with what type of editing to use and using the point of view shots.

Research into Sound in Thrillers - Miss Miller

The use of sound is used in a variety of ways in order to create specific effects, emphasise actions and make the audience feel something, compared to when there wouldn't be sound.  The clip I will be analysing is: Halloween H20: 20 years later - Miss Whittington's End:

The music plays a big part of this scene, this would be known as non diegetic sound.  From 0:20, the music seems to be very faint which the audience may be able to pick up on.   The music makes the audience pay more attention to what is happening as it builds tension and makes the audience pay attention to what she is doing.  The music picks up the pace when she runs out of the door (from 0:30) and the music suddenly stops when she enters the house which may give the audience the impression that she is safe but really she isn't.  The music starts again when she is faced with Michael and starts fighting with, creating a sense of suspense and tension as the audience do not know if she will survive or not.  The purpose of non diegetic sound is to add dramatic effect.  Non diegetic sound is conventional to the thriller genre because it creates suspense for the audience as it makes up the atmosphere in the scene.  Non diegetic sounds are used because it has the ability to create or build suspense than if music wasn't playing for example.  

Diegetic sound is sound which belongs with a frame can be considered to be a natural part of the narrative.   The sound does not always have to be visible on-screen.  An example of this would be when the lady enters the house and their is a background sound of what sounds like a TV playing (0:47). The significance that the TV is playing can make the audience relate to what they would hear in the background sometimes on a daily basis.

The other diegetic sound would be lady's dialogue including her speech and screaming.  The screaming would indicate to the audience that she is fearful (2:00).  Therefore, making the audience relate to her situation and feel what she's feeling.  The purpose of diegetic sound is add normality to a scene,as without diegetic sound, the audience would not know what would be taking place or what would be happening in the background.   Diegetic sound is conventional to the thriller genre because without diegetic sound the audience would not know what is going on. 

When the police siren goes off (1:28), would be known as off screen sound.  At first the audience does not see the source of where the sound is coming from but then it is revealed a few seconds in after hearing it.  This would confirm to the audience that it is a police car, so that they wouldn't confuse it with maybe an ambulance siren.  Off-screen sounds are used because it adds normality to a film, as other stuff may be going on outside of the current scene and will be introducing that to the audience.  Off-screen sounds create mystery for the audience as they don't know where it's coming from.  Off screen sounds are conventional to the thriller genre as it can make the audience wonder what is happening.  

At the very end of the scene, silence was used when the lady had been killed (2:08).  This signified to the audience that she had been killed.  This is conventional to the thriller genre because it can build tension and create emotions for an important event to happen. Silence is conventional to the thriller genre as it builds tension and shock if a loud noise happens.   The purpose of having silence in a thriller is to add suspense or have silence in a particular event which happened which is important to the film.

Overall, sound is used in many ways to communicate messages and emotions to the audience.  In my own thriller, I would use music to intensify a scene making the audience feel suspense.  Silence would help build tension if they were walking through something or if a major character died, silence would be used. Diegetic sounds such as footsteps and a car radio would be used to add normality to the scene.

Research into the History of Thriller Films - Miss Georgiou

"A thriller is a genre which revolves around anticipation and suspense.  The aim for thrillers is to keep the audience alert and on the edge of their seats.  The protagonist in these films is set against a problem - an escape, mission or mystery.  No matter what sub-genre a thriller film falls into, it will emphasize the danger that protagonist faces.  The tension with the main problem is built on throughout the film and leads to a highly stressful climax." - The script lab

1920's-1930's 

An example to an 1920's thriller film was Alfred Hitchcock's first thriller "The Lodger" which was based on Jack the Ripper.

1929 - A film called black mail was known as the Hitchcock's first and Britain's first sound film.

1928 - Earliest spy film which shaped the James Bond Series

1933 - Starred a jealous and murderous zoologist.


1940's

Hitchcock produced Oscar winning films called: "Foreign correspondent and 'Rebecca' which were both very suspenseful thrillers.

1943 - 'Shadow of Doubt' was Hitchcock's personal favorite which was based on a true case of the 1920's serial killer as the Merry Widow murderer.

1944 -'gaslight' was a film about a husband who plotted to make his wife go insane in order to inherit her inheritance.  A second film was a called 'Noir' which about a thrilling murder investigation made by police.

1950's

Hitchcock still produced more classic films:

'Strangers on a train' - two train passengers got staged a battle of wits and traded  murders with each other.

1953 - starred Marilyn Munroe who plotted to kill her husband

1954 - 'Dial M for Murder' - A husband attempted to murder his wife.

1960's

Psycho was about a loner and a mother fixated motel owner.

1965 - Roman Polanski - 'Repulsion' - First film in English, it was frightening and surrealistic which featured a young women who goes insanely mad.

1967 - Terrence Young - 'Wait Until Dark' - Which was about a victimized blind women in a apartment in Manhattan and an evil con man in search for drugs. 

1970's-80's

1971 - Clint Eastwood - 'Play Misty for Me' - First film about somebody being obsessed with their idol.
1974 - The conversation
1981 - Blow Out - Assassination thriller

1990's
1991 - 'The silence of Lambs' - A young FBI agent is in a psychological war with a cannibalistic  psychiatrist named Hannibal Lector.
1992 - 'The hand that rocks the cradle' - Curtis Hanson - A nanny who was seeking revenge against her dead husband patient.
1995 - Se7en - David Fincher - In search for a serial killer who conducted the seven deadly sins.





2000's
2001 - Joy Ride - 2 people find themselves in danger when a psychotic truck driver follows them, wanting them to be dead.
2009 - The Last House on the Left.

Alfred Hitchcock was a very successful director of many films in the thriller genre. He was known as Britain's greatest film maker.  He framed shots to maximize anxiety, fear or empathy. Many of his films have twisted endings and plots featuring including violence, murder and crime.  He directed fifty feature films in the space of six decades. The Daily Telegraph said: "Hitchcock did more than any director to shape modern cinema, which be utterly different without him.  His flair for narrative cruelly withholding crucial information and engaging the emotions of the audience like no one else."

Narratives are very important as it has to be able to keep the audience engaged.  A different, original narrative would leave the audience in suspense as a similar narrative of a film would leave have an idea of what might possibly happen.  The narrative has be centered around one problem which the audience will have to be focused on and keep them concentrated on the film.  The audience would be expected to be curious/anxious to find out the solutions/problems which the character may face.  These following films, have achieved good narratives in order for them to do so well in the box office.

1. HANNIBAL 2001
The narrative of Hannibal is that Dr. Hannibal Lector is a serial killer.   People also know him as a cannibal.   The film has essential elements of the thriller genre.  Like in many thriller narratives, Hannibal consists of elements of the crime genre.  There's the police force, the killer the protagonist with special abilities who assists the police in their investigations.  Like any psychological thriller, it focuses on the psychology of the characters, rather than the investigations.  The suspense in Hannibal is different from the typical psychological thriller, as the villain of this story will engage into a mind game of the hero.  The target audience of this film is a 18 as it contains bloody horror and infrequence strong language.  This would appeal to the audience as the narrative is quite mysterious and would keep the audience engaged.

The conventions of these films would be similar, therefore meaning they are important.  The conventions played a big part on the audience making them want to see it and decide it was good film.  These films consisted of the typical conventions of a thriller which would keep the audience engaged in the films.

2. THE SILENCE OF LAMBS 1991
The narrative of the silence of lambs is that a young FBI cadet must confide in an incarcerated and manipulative killer to receive his help on catching another serial killer who skins his victims.  Clarice attempts to gain a better insight to the twisted mind of the killer by talking to another psychopath Hannibal Lector, who used to be a psychiatrist.  The characters consist of a protagonist and an antagonist which is conventional to the thriller genre.  It has themes of crime included.  

3. BASIC INSTINCT
The narrative of basic instinct is that a former rock star is brutally killed.  During the investigation, Nick meets a crime novelist who was the rock stars girlfriend when he died.   The girlfriend proves to be a strong, manipulative women, Nick is convinced that she murdered him but is not able to find evidence.  Later when Nick's rival in the police force is killed, he suspects the girlfriends involvement in it.  To find out, he plays a mind game with her, in order to nail her, but as the relationship between them both the body count rises and contradicting evidences force to start his suspicions about the girlfriends guilt.  It's target audience is 18 and over as strong violence and drug use is involved.  This appeal to the audience as the narrative would be considered to be mysterious and leave them on edge as they don't know what he will do to his girlfriend. 

4. SE7EN
This film is about two homicide detectives who hunt for a serial killer who justifies his crimes towards the seven deadly sins.  The characters consist of two detectives and the killer.  This films target audience is 18 and over as it includes views of horrific killings which would be considered to be uncomfortable and frequent strong language.  This appealed to the audience because its a quite original narrative, and it is good for the type of audience who like mystery and gore as the victims are killed in different ways which people would not normally expect.

5. RED DRAGON
The narrative of red dragon is that a retired FBI agent with psychological gifts is assigned to help track down 'the tooth fairy'.  He is assisted by Hannibal Lecter.  The target audience is 18 and over as it contains graphic images and strong language.

6. SAW II
The jigsaw (the killer) locks up victims in a trapped shelter and they have to find a way out before they inhale too much of the lethal nerve gas and die.  The victims should look out for the traps that the Jigsaw has set in the shelter to lead to death also.

7.  SAW III
Thw jigsaw kidnaps a doctor to keep him alive while he watches his new apprentice put a victim to the test.  This would appeal the audience as it's matter of life or death and would see who would come out alive or dead.

8. THE BONE COLLECTOR
A homicide detective and his female partner try to track down a serial killer.  An Ex-cop Lincoln Rhyme was looking forward to his assisted suicide when he got news that, a person was abducting people in a taxi and leaving them to die in particularly sadistic ways.  This would appeal to the audience as it is  different and the narrative suggesting the killer leaves the victims to die in particularly sadistic ways.

9. SAW IV
Jigsaw and his apprentice Amanda is now dead.  Detective Kerry's murder, two seasoned FBI profilers, Agent Strahm and Agent Perez, arrive in the terrified community to assist the veteran Detective Hoffman in sifting through Jigsaw's latest grisly remains and piecing together the puzzle. However, when SWAT Commander Rigg is abducted and thrust into a game, the last officer untouched by Jigsaw has but ninety minutes to overcome a series of demented traps and save an old friend or face the deadly consequences.   This would appeal to the audience as it would keep them in suspense as they don't know what the jigsaw would choose and see what he would have to go through in order to survive.

10. THE CELL
An FBI agent persuades a social worker, who is adept with a new experimental technology, to enter the mind of a serial killer in order to learn where he has hidden his latest kidnap victim.  The themes of this is crime and physiological.  It is aimed at 18 and over as it contains strong language and strong violence.  This would appeal to the audience, as many audience like the fact of crime and psychological thrillers as they try to look into the mind of a serial killer.

Overall, thriller films have changed since the 1920's.  This research will help me with my own thriller as it is able to give other ideas for narratives and what types of things to do.

Individual Ideas for a Narrative - Miss Georgiou

Thrillers have certain qualities, which give it that specific genre, in order to think of a thriller narrative, we take inspiration from other films to help come up with our own idea.

INSPIRATION FROM FILMS:Shutter Island - Low key lighting - It would give the atmosphere an eerie feeling and allows the audience to see shadows.  

The Strangers/Prom night/Scream - Female victim - In most thrillers, there seems to be a female victim, this is because to an audience the victim would seem more vulnerable than a man would.

Scream/Prom Night - Hidden Identity - Makes the audience question who it is.

The Strangers/The shining - Domestic Setting - audience can relate as they would live in a house.

SAW - Abandoned/isolated setting - leaves audience in suspense.

NARRATIVE IDEA:
Point of view of the victim as this makes the audience relate to what they would be able to see.

Opening sequence - unsteady movements, showing the unstableness of the victim

CHARACTERS
Teenage girl because having a female in a thriller is conventional to the thriller genre, as they are portrayed as being vulnerable and naive.

The other character would be a killer, the killer would have a hidden identity by wearing a mask.  Most thriller have a killer meaning it is conventional to the thriller genre as it adds mystery and suspense to the film. 

MISE-EN-SCENE 
I have chosen the setting to be in a house or abandoned setting, as most thriller genres have the setting in an abandoned setting or something happening in a house. As this type of setting is conventional to the thriller genre and makes the audience in suspense as they would not know what is going to happen.

Considering iconography, I have to decided to include a knife, as knives have connotations of danger, murder and death.  Knives are a big factor of thriller films, therefore being conventional the thriller genre, as in most thrillers

CONVENTIONS 
The conventions I have chosen to include the three elements of shock, suspense, low key lighting.  It is essential to include the three elements of thrillers because then it wouldn't have the qualities of a thriller, not making sure that the audience would know that it would be a thriller.  Another point about low key lighting would be that it creates a sense of mystery and an eerie atmosphere.

Plot - For months girls have been reported missing and have not been found. A female victim walks drunk but sober enough to know whats going on home from a party.  She gets followed by a man in black.

It will be for 15 year olds and over, as the things which I want to do, will not be limited.

Research into age certificate and the BBFC - Miss Georgiou

The BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) is important to film because they view the content which they have made and classify films, taking into consideration the age of the audience.  They do this to avoid any complaints from parents and negative feedback from other companies who are also contributing to the film.  They are responsible for what for what is shown in cinemas.

http://www.bbfc.co.uk/what-classification

U - Stands for universal.  The U rating is given to films and DVDs which are suitable for children, aged 4 and over.  So, they are suitable for any age group.  Disney movies are rated U because they don't contain any inappropriate scenes or bad language will be so used so that the children themselves do not catch onto the language and use it into their normal lives.  The films may include brief scenes of fights or moments when the characters are put into danger, these are normally dealt with by relieving the scene with reassuring elements like comic interludes or music.  They always have very basic stories to them, they normally have elements of happy endings as in like fairy tales in Disney movies like Cinderella. Cinderella is an example of a U film because violence wise, it includes characters being chased a few times by a cat, anger shown threw throwing items, a fall from a great height and a characters clothes get torn.  Sexual content includes a man kissing the back of a woman's hand, kisses and embraces another character kiss the top another ones head. U films, generally are about friendship, loyalty and honesty which are made to help children understand and take the knowledge they got from the film into their life which sets an example for them.  http://parentpreviews.com/movie-reviews/content-details/cinderella#primary

PG - stands for parental guidance.  This means a film is suitable for general viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for younger children.  PG films may include violence, mild language or may show sex references.  It should not disturb a child who is aged eight or over.  Their parents should consider if the content would upset younger or more sensitive children.  If characters are setting a bad example for children, the message they are trying to communicate to their audience would be that this particular activity is bad and they should not do it as this could harm them in any way. Blood is allowed, but the audience should not be able to see how the injury is in detail.   Parents should watch the film before letting their child watch it, to see if it is suitable for their child to watch.  Parents watch the film with their child just in case the child gets frightened. The film, Spy Kids end scene, has some violence but it isn't for long and it is justified, so they are able to view the film.  Examples of why it is rated PG would be that, violence wise it includes man being thrown the window, a man fighting with children, men being chained together and locked in jail cells, a man is strapped to a bed and changed a cartoon figure and there are many fighting scene between the characters and robots.  The language use is not strong as they only use name calling.
http://parentpreviews.com/movie-reviews/spy-kids

12 - People aged 12 and over see a film only only in the cinema unaccompanied without an adult.    It only exists for video works.  No one younger should buy or rent a twelve rated movie.  12 rated movies can include strong language, mild violence and some drug/sex references.  New Moon is an example of a 12A film as some violence is shown through fighting and blood is shown, when the character gets a paper cut which is a justified reason. The main character in the film gets symptoms of serious mental illness with depressive and obsessive wants.  She thinks about suicide.  Violence such as confrontations causing fights, with characters being beaten and being thrown into objects/walls/floors.  Other violence like a mans neck is broken and his head is taken off.  A character recklessly rides a motorcycle without a helmet on two different parts, which sets a bad example for the younger ages. http://parentpreviews.com/movie-reviews/twilight-saga-the-new-moon   

12A - Children aged 12 and younger who must be accompanied by adult who is aged 18+.   12A were only introduced, reason being about spider-man which showed a violent scene.  They were thinking of rating it at a 15, then had the idea of putting on a rating of 12A, so children can have someone with them if they get fearful. They consider the content from the film to suitable for children aged 12 and over.  There may be the use of strong language but this will be infrequent.  Violence is allowed with the exception of no emphasis on blood.  Blood is allowed if there is a particular reason like injuries caused by an accident. There are are certain scenes including sexual content including such as when a Nia pushes the main character in one scene, they are interrupted before they go further.  When the main character develops a relationship, he talks about his ambition to sketch her naked which may be uncomfortable for under 12's.  Violence includes Craig dreaming he's going to kill himself by jumping off a bridge, another character throws books and screams showing his anger and Craig is shown projectile vomiting at a restaurant with his family which could be  unsettling for younger children. Language includes uses "s**t" and "d**k" and some mild language which should be in an adults view.  Which shows why it would be considered to have a certificate of '12a'. 
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0804497/parentalguide?ref_=tt_stry_pg

15 - No one under the age of 15 is allowed to see a 15 at the cinema or buy/rent a DVD.  There may be frequent use of language.  Sex references and nudity may be shown  Drugs may be shown, they must not encourage or promote drug misuse.  Violence may be strong but does not cause pain or injury.  For example, 21 jump street is a comedy which has allot of strong language in it, they deal with drugs but they deal with the consequences of drugs as they are under cover police officers.  There are many references to sexual content which may not be appropriate for a younger audience including sexual nudity. There are many elements of Violence including a police officer practising rolling off the hood of a car but hits the wind shield instead.  A man pushes a middle aged woman into a pile of shoe boxes on the floor of a department store to make stop talking and more.   Profanity includes frequent uses of language - 124 uses of the F-word.  Drug use and alcohol usage is also a big factor in the film, which would show why it would have a '15' certificate.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1232829/parentalguide?ref_=tt_stry_pg

18 - Only suitable for adults, any theme is allowed.  There is no limit to the use of strong language and violence can be strong. They have  very strong references to sex, violence and language. If a younger audience were to view a film with this rating, it may give wrong impressions and effect them in a way which makes them scared.  An example of a film, is called the shining,there are disturbing and very violent parts, there are nudity references, dead bodies are shown with pools of blood and it contains very disturbing imagery.  Violence includes seeing blood coming out of an elevator that the boy sees in his mind and somebody else see later on in the film, a man smashed down doors with a axe, while a woman hides defending herself with a knife and slice the mans hand with blood visible to the audience.  A man is killed after being in the chest by an axe, where the scene is considerably graphic and intense and seen in a pool of blood.    There are allot of frightening and intense scene which would be unsettling and uncomfortable for younger audiences. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081505/parentalguide?ref_=tt_stry_pg

My thriller, will be rated the age certificate of 15, as I would be able to include more things and I won't have as much limitations as I would with a 12A.  The advantage of it being rated 15 would be that I would be able to use various techniques. Our narrative will not necessarily include much violence but it will include a knife as a weapon and a killing and including blood.

Conventions of a Thriller - Miss Miller

A thriller film has certain conventions in order for it to be classed as a thriller.  Conventions are qualities of what the audience would expect to see in a specific genre.  For example conventions of a thriller would be low key lighting, shadows, slow/fast editing, different uses of camera angles and elements of shock, suspense and surprise.

A scene in SAW 1 called the reverse bear trap conveys many conventions of a thriller:

Low key lighting is used in many thriller genre films, it is used to create an eerie atmosphere and sets the tone of the scene. Throughout the scene, the lighting seems to be quite dark which creates an suspenseful atmosphere for the audience as they do not know where the victim is.  When the victim has succeeded by managing to unlock the padlock in time, at 5:00 a black figure shows behind a sheer curtain with light behind it so a shadow was able to be formed, this creates suspense as the audience does not know who or what it is.  It is also used to show shadows which can be made visible to the audience, this creates suspense as they wonder who it could be.   Low key lighting is also used to show shadows are used to emphasise the shape of an object or character. Shadows are conventional to the thriller genre as it sets the mood of the scene and can immediately build up the tension that is needed.

Iconography are objects which give off ideas and messages into the audiences mind.  In a film, iconography could be anything, it's used to send ideas to the audience.  Behind a piece of iconography is a conventional meaning attached to an object or image. In this scene, the victim finds a knife by a body of a man, this creates suspense and tension as in thrillers, they have connotations of death, murder, pain and brutality.  It indicates to the audience that someone is going to be killed and keep the audience engaged.  

Timing of shots take place through a scene, shots are edited quicker or slower to be able to add suspense. Fast editing is when shots are put together at a faster pace than it normally would.  From the point of where the video message has stopped, it shows the camera going quickly around the victim as she tries to get free from what is restricting her from movement, this gives a sense of chaos and urgency, in order for her to survive.  Fast editing also occurs when the victim realises that a timer has been set off, as she the padlock trying to get it off. Fast editing is conventional of the thriller genre as it creates suspense for the audience making them think what will happen and keeps the audience engaged in the film.  Slow editing is done when she walks towards the body, this creates tension for the audience as they would not know what she was going to do.

A close up shot is when a certain feature or part takes up most of the shot, they are useful for showing detail in a characters emotion as they able to emphasise a character emotional state or close ups can also show certain objects which show significance the film and the character.  In this scene, there are many close up shots to show the victims facial expression, so the audience can relate to the fear that she is feeling at that time and also create suspense as they don't know how the victim ended up in that situation.  Close ups are also shown of the knife, timer and the padlock on the back of the trap, this was done to show significance of the objects.  Close ups are conventional to the thriller genre because they make the audience focus on particular things, therefore creating suspense, giving them an idea of why that is being shown.

Conclusively, conventions give messages to the audience to indicate that it is in the thriller genre.  Without the use of low key lighting, an eerie atmosphere would not be created for the audience, which creates suspense and tension.  Without the use of iconography, the audience would not be able to feel suspense without the images of certain objects like knives which are able to send ideas into the audiences mind.   Without the editing technique of timing and shots, the film would not be able to create tension or suspense for the audience.  Without the use of close ups in thrillers, the audience would not be able to relate to the character by not being able to see their expression. Without these conventions in a thriller, it wouldn't have the same impact on the audience than it normally would.