Thriller Demographics/Psychographics Survey

The following survey was sent out to a random sample of volunteering participants. It was designed to better determine our prospective target audiences.

Survey Summary

In one of our surveys (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DXXX9GK), so far 16 participants have answered. 11 females and 5 males have answered in total. There is quite a wide range of ages, but 10 out of the 16 were aged between 16-25. The most popular genre of film turned out to be comedy, followed by romance. However, this may be because the ratio of females who answered the survey to males was considerably higher.

The cast and plot seemed to be the main appealing factor to go see a film, followed by a friend recommending it. Inception seemed to be a popular choice when choosing a favourite thriller film. Another survey was made with questions based around the film Inception (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KQS8XYL) so that we know in detail why Inception was such a popular choice. Also, from some of the answers, many people answered with horror films that had elements of thriller, or vice versa. This suggests that part of the audience think of a typical thriller film having elements of horror included into it.

 The question that we also asked was 'Are you more likely to see a thriller film if it has elements of your favourite genre?' where 14 out of 16 answered yes. This can tell us what elements we may include in our film opening, to appeal to certain audiences.

Research - Interview

Female
Sixth Form student  
Aged between 16-25

What is your favourite genre of film?

Thriller, Horror

What type of sub-genres of thriller do you prefer?

Psychological and supernartural

What was the last film you went to go see?

Paranormal activity 4

Was there any reason you went to go see it?

Came out around halloween and cast from previous films

In the opening, what grabbed you attention?

Went back to the second film

Thriller Audience Profile (Psychographics and Demographics) - Raw Data

Source - http://industry.bfi.org.uk/exitpolls

Raw Data

Ill Manors

Number of people surveyed                   96

Male                                                       56%

Female                                                  44%
 
Over 25                                                 48%

Under 25                                               52%

Baits to audience

The story appealed to me                   44%

Written and directed by

 Ben Drew (Plan B)                              43%

The genre/type of film                          39%

It is a British film                                   28%

The music on the soundtrack              24%

I was asked to come 

along by a friend/partner                     22%

The trailer                                              21%

The advertisement I have seen          20%

The cast in general                              10%

Based on a true story                            7%

The reviews                                            7%

It stars Riz Ahmed                                  6%

The film's poster                                     3%

Other                                                       1%

 

4.3.2.1

Number of people surveyed                130

Male                                                         72

Female                                                    56

Under 25                                                 73

Over 25                                                   55
    

Baits to audience

Because it's directed by 

Noel Clarke                                          47%

The genre/type of film                          38%

The story appealed to me                   32%

Interested by advertising                     28%

Because of the 

London / New York setting                  25%

Because it features Noel Clarke        22%

I like the cast generally                        22%

My friends are talking about it            15%

Because it features Bashy                  13%

Asked to come by friend/partner        12%

It received good reviews                      10%

Because it features Adam Deacon    10%

Because it features Emma Roberts     8%

Other                                                        5%

Because it features Michelle Ryan       5%

Because it features Tamsin Egerton    4%

Se7en Opening sequence Analysis

 Se7en Opening sequence Analysis

In the opening sequence of the film Seven there is a lot of diegetic sound used, for example: when he turns on the tap and his footsteps, which is also a parallel sound. Other forms of diegetic used in the opening sequence such as speech and sound effects (SFX). Sound effects that are used are: police Siren, Megaphone and metronome.

Non diegetic sound is also used such as music. Thrillers are usually recognizable through there theme tunes. The film Seven had a distinctive theme tune, which suggested the film is a physiological-crime thriller due to its intense and creepy tune.

The metronome suggests that the main character has OCD, because he has to have everything perfect before he goes to bed and a constant beat. When the main character started the metronome,  the sound at the background of police sirens , people arguing and dog barking starts to sound louder , this could suggest that the noise of violence helps him to go sleep. 

 

Thriller Questionnaire

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8CQCBQQ

Opening 5 Minutes: Red Eye

In the opening of red eye, non-diagetic music is used as the production companies names, the director, the protagonist and the antagonist actor's names and the title of the film are shown in text over a black background. Everything but the title is shown in a white text, whereas the title 'Red Eye' is shown in large red characters for it to stand out (right). The credits also seem to be 'flying' away from the screen, and an aeroplane sound can be heard, which relates to the main plot of the film. The music also gets to it's climax when the title is shown.

As the title immediately disappears, we see a close up point of view shots of photographs of a woman who appears to be in her high school years. From this, we get the feeling of voyeurism as it appears as if someone is viewing the images. There is then a jump cut where the shot goes to the cabinet that the photographs are standing on. We see, what appears to be from his posture and items, a man dumping his keys and wallet (left). From this we get the impression that he has just got home and that this is his house. The camera then begins to zoom into the items, with non-diagetic music building the tension, implying that the wallet could relate to later on in the film. As the music comes to a climax, we see another character's hand snatch the wallet, which gives the impression that someone unknown is hidden in the house. It gives the feel of voyeurism again, as well as anxiety. 

We see the wallet again after approximately a minute, as an unknown character is going through it, we learn from when the character goes through it, the owner of the wallet and who appears to be his daughter (shown in the photographs on the cabinet). The character does not seem to be interested in money as the credit cards in the wallet are thrown out of the wallet and into the bin. The close ups of the wallets and the photos in the wallet suggest that the character is more interested in the two characters in the wallet. 
 
About 2 minutes in, men can be seen urgently trying to break open a large delivery crate full of seafood. There seems to be a sense of panic as they open the crate, and are quite aggressive about moving the crate inside. The sense of urgency suggests that a crime is being plotted. 

The close up of another unknown character going through images of what appears to be a hotel and floor plans of what may be the same hotel can be seen. The images all seem to be being sorted on a desk, and the character's hand is going through the floor plans of the hotel (right). This supports the idea that a crime is being plotted. 


The hotel is used later on in the opening. First we see a low angle shot of the hotel (left), which we can relate to the images that were being sorted. As it goes to reception, the receptionist calls the manager of the hotel, a match-cut is used to show the same female character in the wallet (Lisa), in the back of a taxi. This introduces her character a bit more, with the fact that she seems as if she is always busy with work, even though she is away from it. After the phone call, Lisa gets a call from her father, and we see that it is the same character who is also in the wallet and who owns the wallet. Therefore, we know that the hotel, Lisa and her father all play a big part in the plot.

Inception Survey

 

Film Survey 

Gender and Age Demographics

 We can conclude from both charts for the gender of the people surveyed, that because more of the male audience were surveyed, that more males went to see these particular films.

 From the information shown on the right, we can also conclude that the age of the audience from these two films were mainly under 25s. Even though there is not enough data to conclude for every audience, from these two films, we can assume that the main audience for thriller films are male under 25s.

Opening 5 Minutes: Silence of the Lambs

In the opening 5 minutes of 'Silence of the Lambs' (full movie above), we see a tracking shot of the main protagonist (Clarice) as she run through the woods. We get the impression that she is being chased through the woods. This is also supported by point of view shots through the woods. It gives the feeling of voyeurism and that Clarice is being watched, which supports the idea she is trying to get away from something. 

Sound is also used to support the theme of voyeurism when Clarice is running through the woods. The sound of her breathing heavily is exaggerated to reinforce the sense of running in panic, as if she was being chased. The sound of a bird 'squawking' can also be heard. The bird's call also sounds as if it is a bird of prey, which relates to the antagonist: 'Hannibal the Cannibal.' The location also gives a feeling of the unknown, as the woods seem quite misty and mysterious (right)

When Clarice is running, we finally see what appears to be part of an assault course (left). It then becomes apparent that she is not being chased in deserted woods, but instead, training in an assault course. We learn from this that Clarice is quite athletic and willing to push herself. 
We then learn, from another character approaching her, that she has something to do with the FBI, as the character's FBI cap automatically places him. 
 

We also learn more about Clarice's character from how other characters address her. She is referred to be her surname 'Sterling' which seems professional, but also quite masculine. We also see the contrast of the stereotypical male protagonist compared to a woman as the protagonist when Clarice steps into the lift (right), we see that she is surrounded by quite tall, lanky man, while Clarice is significantly shorter and smaller, but also seems to be the most masculine in terms of behaviour and costume.

Limitless Audience

 ‘Limitless’ is a 2011 thriller film, directed by Neil Burger. The film stars Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish and Robert De Niro. The main credited actors immediately appeal to ‘The Hangover’ fans because Bradley Cooper starring as the main protagonist, which includes a lot of the older teens. De Niro fans are also included in the target audience, and because he has acted in many films throughout his life, he is well recognised and appeals to audiences that have enjoyed his previous work.

‘Limitless’ is also based on the book ‘The Dark Fields’ by Alan Glynn, therefore, the film appeals also to the readers of the book. Even though the book was published in 2001, it was re-released with the same title: 'Limitless,' to coincide with the film adaption. 

From the theatrical release poster (Right), audiences can see that it is a modern, fast paced film, which draws in audiences that particularly enjoy thriller films that 'keep them on their toes.'

 

Establishing Narrative in the Opening to a Film

Dinner for Schmucks Opening

In the opening scene of 'Dinner for Schmucks,' we see the details of the cast and crew. The production companies are shown first with text over the sequence (right). The main two actors are shown around 30 seconds in, and then the title 'Dinner for Schmucks' 40 seconds in. After the title has been shown, other actors' names are presented.

The song used ('Fool on the Hill' by the Beatles) relates to the character they are introducing in the opening scene (the character seen dressing the mice) as he is portrayed as a 'fool' in the film.The song is alo played through the ending credits, and can be seen as the signature theme tune. the sequence also seems quite quirky and naive, much like the character we are being introduced to, the film's mood and it's tone.

Throughout the sequence, there are big close ups of the character's hands constructing 'romantic cliches' (left) We later learn that the scene constructed relates to the character;s life, and we learn that the mice are based on the character (who is making the scenes) and his ex wife, which introduces his character's background, without the character even being fully in the scene. When we first see the character (about 20 minutes into the film), he is holding similar dead mice, and is wearing the same clothes as the male mouse in the opening sequence, so the audience can automatically assume that he is the same character who is constructing these scenes, and the one that the scenes were based on. We also see the level of detail taken, for example, when the hair is being dyed (below), which suggests that this activity is important in the character's life.

These scenes may also make the viewer question what is happening in the film, as it seems competely unrelated to what the plot might be, even though the appearance of the mice has a big role in the sort. It keeps the viewer watching, because the opening scene is so unique.

At the end of the film, we also see what has happened after the events of the film, with scenes of dead mice being filmed in a much similar way, for example, the camera tilts up and down in both sequences.

We can conclude from the opening to 'Dinner for Schmucks,' in comparison to other films and genres, that almost always, the opening 5 minutes introduces the main character(s).

Establishin narrative in the opening 5 minutes

 21 Jump Street

The opening sequence of 21 Jump Street has a introduction of a typical action / comedy film . It starts of with the fast cutting rate of references to sex and drugs and violent .  It has a huge explosion of red , which could  symbolize blood since it is an action movie . The opening straight away shows us what period of time and where the film is set in by showing us the huge America's flag . There is a lot of explosions and colors in every scene and fast music , This keeps the audience alert and keeps them in a positive mood . Like any other movies ,

Establishing Narrative in the Opening to a Film: Tron Legacy

The blue neon lines and vectors at the start of the introduction indicate that the movie is going to have something of a futuristic theme; they have a distinctly "digital" and "computerised" look about them, which fits the tone of the scene and foreshadows some of the subjects that the movie will cover. The non-diegetic music that plays over the top of it is a mix of orchestral and synthesised sounds, which further introduces the theme of the relationship between humans and technology. The orchestral elements represent the real world, and the synthesised elements represent the digital world - and the fact that they overlap so much is indicative of the subject matters of the film itself. In addition to that, the blue lines are an allusion to the Light-Cycles from the first film.

The main character's speech over the top of the music is also extremely relevant; it introduces the story and basically summarises the events of the first Tron movie without having to go into too much detail, as well as setting a distinctly epic vibe for the rest of the movie to follow. The transition of the scene from a more digital landscape to a realistic-looking house is indicative of the main character's two competing lives; one in the computer world, and one with his son in the real world. His clothing, biking leather, is another allusion to the Light-Cycle sequence in the first film, and also implies that he doesn't stay in one place for any length of time. His son appears to be in complete wonder at his father's stories, on the edge of his seat constantly and asking questions about them. This suggests that the main character and his son have a good relationship, though the father is often away either at work or in the digital world, and not spending as much time with his son as he otherwise would be. The line "We're always on the same team“ further strengthens the audience's view of the strong bond between them – though the fact that he's going off during the night makes him seem somewhat distant and a little secretive.

It establishes the plot and tone of the film extremely effectively, as well as introducing the personalities of the characters and their backstories – as well as summarising the events of the first film.


- Jack

(NOTE: POST NEEDS SCREENSHOTS)

Opening 5 Minutes: The Da Vinci Code

We can learn from the first few minutes of the film ‘The Da Vinci Code,’ what a typical thriller film may include in the opening scenes. It starts off by showing the production companies involved, with slow music where low instruments are used to anticipate the opening scene. As the opening titles become more dramatic, so does the music. As it continues, a church choir can start to be heard (which relates to the film's theme). The tempo of the music begins to climax when the title of the film begins to appear and finishes when the title has disappeared.

A blue light is also used in the transaction of the company’s clips (right), and appears as if it was a UV light being shined onto the paintings, which relates to the plot of the film.

The first scene of the film seems to be the middle of a crime taking place. Because it is the middle of the crime, there is a high level of anxiety and anticipation of what the character is running from. A shot is also taken of another character’s shadow stalking him (left), which, again, increases the level of anxiety. Quick shots are used to make it quite fast paced, for the level of excitement and tension to be increased. 

Close up shots of the paintings are also shown (right), to set the scene, but to also support the theme of voyeurism, as the paintings that are focused on seem very distressed and the eyes of the portraits seem to be the main similarity between them all, to give the feeling of being watched. 

A line is also muted when the victim is telling the ‘stalker’ what he wants to know, to increase the level of uncertainty. The information is purposely withheld to increase the suspense in the plot. It also makes the viewer wants to find out what has been withheld, and therefore, makes them want to watch more of the film.

Hello, world! ^_^