RESEARCH: QUESTIONNAIRE- MISS BEGUM

What is a questionnaire? Why is it important?

 

A questionnaire is a set of question that focuses on particular topic in order to gain a primary evidence on a subject. Primary evidence refers to data that is the most exact and accurate as it has been collected directly from the public. In my questionnaire I have focused on questions that had linked to the thriller genre as I am creating an opening. Moreover form creating a questionnaire I now know if the production should even begin as I have established my target audience and know that my thriller will be appealing because I have an idea of what the public expects. There are 3 types of questions. These include:

• Closed questions- only require a 'yes' or 'no' answer.
• Multiple Choice Questions- these question have many boxes to tick
• Open Question- these require a written answer

In my questionnaire I have used all of these types in order to enhance and make it interesting for the participator. Questionnaires are important because they allow direct feedback which can be applied when creating a product. This is because if I follow the audience answers I will know exactly what will appeal to them and what will not.

Advantages and Disadvantages of a Questionnaire.

Advantages:

• Practicality

• It is quick and information can be gathered instantly

• Allows easy access to responses

• It is relatively easy to complete and create

•  Can be repeated in order to compare results
• Allows interaction with the intended audience.
• You can chose your own focus of the questionnaire, either receiving broad answers or very specific ones
• Knowing your audience, you can manipulate the questions to get the best responses

Disadvantages:

·         Some participators might not want to answer the questionnaire

·         The participators can be lying in their response

·         There is no prove that the questioned has placed any effort in their answers

·         Unsuitable to ask for a more detailed answers

·         The respondents might not take it seriously

Who did I ask and Why?

I have given out the survey to 20 people who were over 10. This is because anyone under 10 wouldn’t be able to understand the importance of this questionnaire and there would be no point asking a child as they tend to watch other genres, not thrillers. My sample consisted of both sexes which will give me a range of views and preferences. Having a wider type of participants allows more diverse response which will help me to make my thriller mainstream. This was important as I was able to have different perspectives and opinions which will benefit and widen my understanding of what the audience expects from my opening.

 My questionnaire:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion:

Overall, I think that creating a questionnaire was highly proficient for my understanding. This is because not only it will help me decide on my conventions but it was a way to communicate with the public and allowed to gain direct feedback. The primary evidence which I collected will be used to examine what will be suitable for my opening. From doing this task I know that my production should be successful because I know what the audience expects from my sequence and therefore I am able to fit their tastes. The questions that I asked were direct and therefore I will clearly know exactly what is expected of me. For example form asking what kind of typography will appeal to the viewer I know can infer what will be the most effective and draw a lot of emotions which will have an intense effect on the spectator.

RESEARCH: FILM CENSORSHIP- MISS BEGUM

Who are the BBFC and what is their role?

British Board of Film Classification are the regulators of the age certificates for film materials as well as take charge of censoring films before they get published. The examiners look at the movie and decide the rating, however if the product is too controversial the BBFC will ask the director to re-edit, cut or completely ban the film from viewing. The team takes a role of protecting the vulnerable viewers from being disposed to inappropriate imagery and harmful context that could psychologically and physiologically effect the spectator.

What is Censorship? Why is it so important in the film industry?

Censorship means to examine a product and deciding whether it’s appropriate for public disposal. It is the prevention of exposing unsuitable materials that could be found upsetting or too explicit for others. Often the regulators ask the film makers to re-edit the controversial sequences. However in extreme cases the film will be completely banned. Censorship is important in the film industry because not only it helps to protect the public but also tries to prevent copycat behaviour which could be provoked by seeing unsuitable material. Also if there was no censorship the industry would be allowed to display anything which could be very upsetting for different viewers.

What gets censored? Why?

·         True Events- for example the 9/11 can be shown and the idea can be explored as long as the ideas and themes are not too controversial and made to confuse the audiences’ belief or implying different conspiracies. - an example of a film would be Shindler's List which showed the harsh reality after the World War 2. 

·         Violence- graphic violence without context is not permitted. Moreover human and animal torture/ cruelty for own pleasure will not be tolerated.- an example of a thriller would be Texas Chainsaw Massacre because of its graphic violence and human torture.

·         Graphic Representation and Realism- anything that portrays harsh and controversial reality will not be displayed to public in order to avoid upsetting or worrying the viewer- an example would be the mystery thriller the Shock Corridor which was banned due to the displayed of electric- shock therapy and bad representation of mental asylums which was in fact the harsh reality.

·         Corrupting the young- any ideas, actions or themes that are upsetting and can be hard to handle for younger audience will not be permitted. This is because their vulnerable minds will get easily effected by the inappropriate context.- an example of a film would be Mickey which displayed a young kid who kills adults. This is banned for the belief that the young audience could copy this behaviour and gain bad morals from it.

·         Controversy and the Press- any particular event that has caused a wave of controversy will not be passed for disposal. For example a film about recent political/world arguments will not be published.- an example of a film would be Battleship Potemkin which cause controversy about historical events and was only released after the death of Joseph Stalin.

·         Sex and Nudity- sexual activity can be only displayed if it has a relevant context and fits with the narrative. Similarly with nudity. However it will not be tolerated if shown for no particular reason.- and example would be Grotesque which was banned due to its nudity and sex without context.

·         Sexual Violence- extreme graphic rape will not be passed through especially if accompanied with gore and blood.- An example of a thriller would the The Serbian Film which was banned due to extremely high sexual violence including rape and paedophilia.

·         Religion- offence towards different religions will not be tolerated. Moreover extreme racism will also be censored in order to prevent upsetting the public.- an example of a thriller would be the Exorcist which has offended the Christian religion by some controversial acts.

·         Politics- any material that creates an overly negative image of the law and politics will not be tolerated. Offensive behaviour towards law will also be banned.- For example the film Departed was banned in China for suggesting that the government intends to use nuclear weapons on Taiwan which was and still is a sensitive political issue.

·         Class- controversial representation of social classes will not be permitted. Also trying to put down lower classes to glamorize upper ones will also be censored. Often thrillers do not get banned for just bad explosion of social classes but will if accompanied by other controversial materials.

·         Language- moderate and frequent use of bad language with no context/purpose will be censored. This is because younger viewers will think it’s tolerable and acceptable.- often language itself will not be banned however if accompanied by other controversial materials it will be. An example of a thriller would be I Spit on Your Grave where moderate language is accompanied by sexual violence. the British suspense film called Victim was banned for language, which referred to homosexuality, in 1961.

·         Shock- sudden actions that cause strong emotions will not be displayed. For example an instant unexpected turn of action such as killing will have a massive impact on the viewer leaving them in shock after the viewing which could affect their health. - an example of a thriller would be A Clockwork Orange which was banned in Ireland for its extreme depictions of violence are rape which would shock the audience.

·         Drug Abuse- under no circumstances should the material glamorize drugs. This especially applies to Class A substances such as Heroin. Any drug intake should not be exposed in a positive manner, in order to stop the audience think that it is acceptable and healthy.

·         Culture- different cultures should not be used as a centre of jokes as well as represented in a bad manner; trying to discourage others towards this particular culture.- a thriller example would be Hate Crime which was banned due to the terrorisation and brutality toward a Jewish family.

·         Race- any offence towards different ethnicity will not be tolerated. Racism and/or bad representation of different races for own pleasure/ignorance will be banned.- an example of a film would be District 9 which was banned in Nigeria for showing racism towards Nigerians.

The difference between a Banned and a Cutted film.

BAN:

By definition, ban, means to legally prohibit something from someone else, which is what a banned film essentially means. A film ban refers to forbidding the material for public disposal and anyone who decides to disobey that will go against the law and will have to face the consequences. These are some of the films that were banned by the BBFC:

·         The Trip (1968) - Roger Corman’s film was banned due to its glorification of LSD. The film was rejected by the BBFC four times between 1968 and 1988 only to be released in Britain in 2002.

·         Hate Crime (2015) – Banned for its terrorization, physical and sexual abuse and murder of the members of a Jewish family. It is still banned.

CUT:

The process of cutting a film refers to editing it to a point where the controversial parts are being hidden well enough to be displayed. In addition it can also mean to completely remove the sequence from the movie in order to fit the appropriate criteria. When the BBFC asks the director to cut the film they check the context again until they are satisfied. These are some of the films that were requested to be cut in order to get published:

·         Bloody Mama (1971) - initially banned but passed for general cinema release in 1971 and allowed uncut in 2009.

·         Cannibal Holocaust (1984) - the director Ruggero Deodato was arrested for obscenity charges and was forced to prove that nobody had died during production. In 2001 the film received 5 minutes and 44 seconds worth of cuts. In 2011, the film was re-released and all but 15 seconds of cuts have been restored.

Mark Kermode and Aminatta Forna Debate.

Mark Kermode is a well-known film critic who states that censorship shouldn’t exist as it takes away the society a freedom of choice. On the other side, Aminatta Forna, a well-known author and writer, has put a case for censorship arguing that it is in favour for the public.

Aminatta has started with a statement of how the strong is the power of words and images and how it easily affects the public. In addition the freedom of self-expression that the public receives allows the public to provoke racial hatred towards one another. Forna has given the example of the film Romper Stomper which follows a story of a gang who promotes racism. This argument leads on to how the TV creates an impact on the public who desperately try to associate themselves with the displayed characters and how often these behaviours are imitated in order to feel fulfilled in life. This is because as a society we long for the idyllic life which doesn’t exist but because we are exposed to it in the moving image we believe that it is reachable and start to behave in similar manner not recognizing whether it is right or wrong as we are blinded by the fake outcome/ realism displayed on screen. Further on Forna stated that too many illegal acts such as rape or crime are glamorized or let off in films; claiming that it encourages the audience to carry these acts themselves, believing that it is acceptable and exciting rather than damaging. Lastly, Aminatta has expressed how as a society we have become inert and less effected by the acts that should feel disturbing. Therefore she suggests that if there was no censorship at all everyone would become unsympathetic and will not feel anything at all.

In contrast, Mark has emerged the subject with the statement that the public is free to their own choice and being told what they can or cannot watch will be depriving them of this right. He also added how the society should not feel pressured or in fear of expressing themselves because we have the freedom of speech. Furthermore, Kermode has touched upon the subject by saying how the sexual activities displayed on the screen do not truly occur during the filming sessions and how it is faked, therefore he doesn’t understand why there is a need of censoring something that did not take place in real life. Mark then stated how the society should be able to distinguish fiction from non-fiction, implying that viewers are mature enough to know the difference between reality and fantasy. Moreover, Kermode says that the society is very diverse and therefore there is no way that anyone can infer what things will have an impact on what person; implying that everyone has a personal response to what they are exposed to. This suggests that we shouldn’t predict that certain materials can be upsetting as we do not know everyone’s tastes. Lastly Mark questioned if the films encourage the people and provoke copycat behaviour or is it just displaying the reality and society in which we live in, but we decide to stay oblivious to the harsh truth and blame the film industry for human actions which everyone has control over for themselves.

Overall, after looking at the statements for and against censorship I have come to the conclusion that censorship is essential in the film industry, therefore supporting Aminatta Forna and her statements. This is because I believe that as much as we are entitled to make our choices there are limits and sometimes others should help to guide us in choice making especially when it comes to the vulnerable viewers. Moreover I also believe that the film industry is one of the most influential sources that impact how the society functions. Therefore it is important that there are good meanings and morals passed across in order to improve how the public functions. However going back to Kermode, I think the statement that Mark has made about the film industry is interesting. He explains that rather than encouraging the public, the industry shows the reality, but if it is truly the reality why glamorize it and reinforce these ideas on screen rather than leave the authorities to deal with it?

Conclusion.

To conclude, I think that this research about censorship was highly beneficial. This is because not only I have learned what censorship is and what gets banned but also realized that this is a controversial and very arguable topic. After looking at the intense debate I realized that censorship is essential but still can be questioned because of the different aspects that has to be taken into consideration.

In addition, from looking at the different materials that get censored I now have an accurate idea of what not to include in my thriller so it will be published. When filming I will have to make sure that all my materials are suitable and if I decide to explore something controversial I now know that it will have to fit the narrative and have the right context and purpose in order to avoid upsetting my viewers. Considering that I intend to make a 15+ thriller I need to make sure that amongst many restrictions I do not show glorification of drugs and extremely graphic violence. Also I mustn't show any material that could corrupt the young. This is significant because making a 15+ rated opening I have to bare in mind that fifteen year olds are still young and can get effected by the propaganda displayed on the big screen. Taking into the account all the materials that get banned I also have to take on board the rules that apply for age certificates in order to make an appropriate film that will suit my viewers. 

RESEARCH: TYPOGRAPHY- MRS. QUINLAN

What is typography? Why is it important?

Typography is the style of the writing, otherwise known as font. It can be used to make something look more appealing if it’s applied effectively. Different typography holds various connotations which helps the viewer to assume what the product is. In the film industry typography helps to portray different information such as the opening credits. It is important because it can help to convey the genre and allow the audience to form their assumptions about the film.

 

Typography and Connotations from Different Genres.

Comedy Genre:

In comedy genre the typography tends to be very ‘free-spirited’ usually looks playful or handwritten in a sense that doesn’t scare anyone because of its childlike nature and often humorous additions such as images or colour. Moreover it tends to be bright to convey the humor and happiness that is usually evident in a comedy film. The typography is often easy to read and will look silly yet there will be an aspect that establishes the genre. An example of such typography would be the ‘Silver Lining Playbook’ which is a comedy film. The typography looks like it was painted with a brush or doodled on with a yellow crayon/ paint, therefore looks less professional and the yellow is a happy color which will attract kids as well as adults. This establishes the comedy genre because the style has a mainstream audience and seems family-friendly; which is conventional to the comedy genre.

 

Action Genre:

The action genre tends to have bold and simple use of typography usually accompanied by a minimalistic use of color such as white, black or red. The letters sometimes have a thick outline. This typography style shows the sophisticated and mature audience that the film is aimed at because a younger viewer would not be interested by the casual writing. It also helps to establish the genre because action films tend to have serious narratives; which the typography reflects. The typography from the action film ‘Die Hard’ has simple block writing which conveys the genre. It is easy to read and uses the throbbing red colour which proposes that there will be fighting sequences as red connotes blood and tension. This would attract older audience because the typography is too simple and serious to attract younger audience.

Superhero Genre:

The superhero genre often glamourizes the font which conveys that the films’ narrative or characters are indeed heroic. This is usually shown by the use of colour, such as silver or gold to promote wealth or ‘golden heart’ of the hero who will stand up for anyone no matter what. The use of dark red has also connotations of royalty and courage. These colours would attract someone like teenagers and older who will get fascinated by the use of rich and fancy shading. The typography itself is normally casual and easy to read which will attract older audience who will be able to read the simplistic style of writing. In this example from ‘Iron Man’ the font is brick but what makes it stand out is the use of golden outline, proposing wealth and money, and the dark red tint that makes the typography look 3D and does in fact glamourize the title.

 

Typography and Connotations from the Thriller Genre:

In the thriller genre typography is often used to create a certain atmosphere as well as works together with other micro-elements to draw a response from the viewers. These are some of the typography examples from the thriller genre:

 

The typography in the opening credits from the thriller Seven are used interestingly and effectively; showing clear links to the genre. This is because the writing style looks messy and therefore mysterious as the audience feels like it has been rushed and the writer tried to give some important information but had to do it in a hurry. This creates suspense and intrigues the viewer who is eager to find out more. Moreover the white on black writing doesn’t reveal too much because these are very common and casual colors and it’s hard to infer anything from them; reinforcing the theme of mystery. Additionally the typography is small, this is because it is accompanied by images in the background and the audience should place their attention to what is happening there which is only possible if the typography has a smaller and less distracting size. Lastly the low key lighting compliments this typography and helps to create a sense of insecurity amongst the viewer because there are only minor highlights on the frame, not allowing the spectator to see everything, making them scared and fearful of the unknown.

 

The typography in the opening credits from Sin City is another interesting example. The effective use of colors clearly state the genre that the film belongs to. The bright red connotes blood and death which implies that the narrative will include murders and action filled with bloodshed. The use of black and white can reflect the idea of ‘good vs evil’ which foreshadows that the plot could resolve around an argument between two sides. Simultaneously, what makes this interesting is that this film was made in noir style, therefore the throbbing red allows to be highlighted even more, helping to place importance and significance on this colour as well as reinforce the black and white background. Lastly the brick and casual typography has also a sense of mystery to it as it doesn’t give away too much because of its simplicity; making the viewer curious to find out more. 

 

In the opening from the thriller The Number 23 the typography is uniquely used. It has clear links to the theme of the opening as well as the title which helps to reinforce and put emphasis on the film theme and title. The writing style looks like it has been written by a typewriter which helps the audience to infer when the film is set. Moreover its simplicity intrigues the viewer because it is not too obvious what it actually means. In addition the use of bloody red shows that the narrative will involve some murders which is conventional of the thriller genre. The symbols that surround the title look like they have been crossed and worked on multiple times which shows precision as well as frustration. This makes the spectator question what has happened which is typical of these types of films

Typography examples that I would consider.

After looking at the different typography from different thrillers I think the most effective were the ones from Seven and The Number 23. This is because although they are simple I still found them intriguing and interesting because they connoted many things which enhanced the opening and made it look effective. I liked how the casual colours were portrayed in effective way and had reinforced the genre clearly. Both has connoted death and mystery which is what I should try to consider in making my own thriller in order to provoke the best reaction from my spectators. I also liked how the typography wasn’t too glamourized and had a good balance as it hadn’t taken all my attention but was still noticeable whereas in Sin City I think it was overdone.

 

Conclusion

In conclusion, I found this research very interesting to see how the thriller genre differentiates to other genres in terms of typography. It was also intriguing how the thrillers use typography differently but still manage to make it conventional and effective. From this, I now have a rough idea of how to use typography in my own opening sequence. I decided that I would like my writing style to look like they have been cut out from a newspaper and organized into the credits. I believe that this untypical and uncommon typography would still make my scene mysterious and effective because the audience would not expect that which would provoke their minds. When it comes to my typography, I would like my audience to feel uneasy and threatened,because often this kind of writing is associated with blackmail which would make them feel scared.

 

RESEARCH: OPENING CREDITS - MRS. QUINLAN

What are Opening Credits? Why are they important?

The opening credits are the very first set of information displayed on the screen. They show the most significant members that took part in the production making. Often opening credits follow some themes that will support the film genre in order to establish the movie type. Opening credits introduce the film and can be a significant aspect because they help the audience to make an opinion about the movie by seeing the credits. For example if the production company is famous or the director is credible the viewer is more likely to watch the movie.

What information do the Opening Credits provide?

The opening credits usually follow a similar order, which is as:

 

·         Studio Name ( e.g.: Universal, Paramount)
·         Name of the Production Company (e.g.: HBO)
·         Producers Name (e.g.: Joel Silver for Matrix)
·         Director’s Name – usually displayed as ‘a film by…. Or a…. film’. (e.g.: ‘a Steven Spielberg film’)
·         Starring – only main parts
·         Film Title
·         Edited By
·         Music or Music Composed by…
·         Storyboarded by…..

 

 Examples of Opening Credits (in order of appearances) from a chosen Thriller opening:

 

SEVEN:

 

 

·         Studio Name – ‘New Line Cinema presents’

·         Producer- ‘An Arnold Kopelson production’

·         Director – ‘a film by David Fincher’

·         Main Cast- ‘Brad Pitt’, ‘Morgan Freeman’

·         Film Title- ‘Seven’

·         Co- stars- ‘Gwyneth Paltrow’, ‘Richard Roundtree’, ’R. Lee Ermey’, ‘John C.McGinley’……

·         Casting by- ‘Billy Hopkins, Suzanne Smith, Kerry Borden’

·         Music- ‘Howard Shore’

·         Costumes- ‘Michael Kaplan’

·         Editing- ‘Richard Francis- Bruce’

·         Different producer names and Co- producers.

·         Director- ‘David Fincher’  

From looking at this opening credits I can tell that the information displayed was in an accurate and common order starting with the Studio and Producer which are the most important aspects of the production. What I found interesting was that the Director was mentioned twice. Giving him credit at the beginning and at the end of the credits to reinforce his status and importance as well as promote him. I think that these credits did not lack in anything and had a good composition and pace in which they were shown in with a great balance between narrative and information. These opening credits would make the audience feel informed at first because they display enough for the audience to know about the cast, director and other crew members which can give them an idea of what the film will be about, basing it off their background knowledge. At the same time they will feel quite scared because of the sinister typography which will allow them to infer the genre but at the same time feel fearful of what could happen.

 

 

BOURNE IDENTITY

·         Studio Name- Universal

·         Film Title- ‘The Bourne Identity’

 

I think this opening is interesting because it doesn’t follow the conventional way of presenting the opening credits. This is because the sequence displays only two information, the Studio which is important so it has to be included and then the title of the film in order to introduce the movie. As much as these two credits are very relevant and significant I was surprised that we did not see any other credits such as the director or actors. However I think this unconventional way has its benefits because it does make the viewer curious and oblivious as they’re unaware what could happen. I think this is an intriguing idea because for my opening I could use this minimalism to provide more narrative. I think that from this, the audience is likely to feel confused and question why wasn't anything revealed, but at the same time they can be thrilled that they are left with no information and will be able to play a role of a 'detective' and try to solve everything for themselves, thus engaging them more into the narrative. 

 

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

·         Studio name- ‘Columbia Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer Pictures present’

·         Producer name- ‘A Scott Rudin, Yellow Bird Production’

·         Director- ‘A David Fincher Film’

·         Main Cast- ‘Daniel Craig’, ‘Rooney Mara’

·         Film Title- ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’

·         Co- Stars- ‘Christopher Plummer’, ‘Stellan Skarsgard’, ‘Steven Berkoff’...

·         Casting- ‘by Laray Mayfield’

·         Costume Designer- ‘Trish Summerville’

·         Co-producers- ‘Berna Levin, Eli Bush’

·         Sound Designer- ‘Ren Klyce’

·         Music- ‘Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’

·         Editors-‘Kirk Baxter a.c.e, Agnus Wall a.c.e’

·         Production Designer, Director of Photography, Executive Producers, Produced by,

·         Screenplay- ‘Steven Zaillian’

·         Director- ‘David Fincher’

 

 After watching these opening credits I have realized how they are differently presented in each movie. This one focused purely on giving the credit to the production members including many people that took a part in the creation. If compared to the Bourne Identity there was much more information placed. I think it was also significant that most members have received their own frame with their name which emphasized their significance and shows that the film had a large budget in order to spend the time promoting these people. From this opening credits, I think the audience would pay much more attention and value the movie because they realise that this is a high budget movie and will be expecting more from it. At the same time they can predict the possible genre or narrative from the rich typography and abstract background which proposes the mystery genre.

Audience response to Opening Credits:

Although the audience don’t usually put much importance on the credits they have a big influence on how we view the film. As the spectators, we unconsciously use these openings to form our opinions on the movie. For example if the opening credits are well presented we can infer that the film had a big budget and therefore was able to make a good first impression. In addition if the credits show famous and familiar names the audience will want to see it because of the associations they have with the popular members. Moreover the credits can help to establish the nature of the film by using specific codes. For example for the thriller genre the opening usually has low key lighting to show darkness and evilness. In addition the sound in a thriller opening credits should be low and have a dark and haunting theme.

 

Conclusion:

Overall, from looking at the opening credits in the thriller genre I am now able to plan what I should include as well as how to present them in an appropriate way that will reflect the thriller genre. I need to take in consideration my order of displaying the information and how much of it I want to include which is important because I have to avoid overloading the sequence and bore my audience but still need to have a fair amount of credits. I think that my sequence shouldn’t use empty frames to display the members as I do not have enough time. Therefore my opening will need to run well with the narrative and will have to be balanced in order to help the audience focus on both credits and plot. Lastly I learned that the director is often mentioned twice to show his status and importance which is what I intend to use because it was effective. From this post I decided that I want my opening credits to be in a following order:

• Producer/ production company
• Director
• Main Cast
• Editor
• Sound
• Film Title

I decided on this order because it is quite conventional, however I want my title to be placed at the end to have a bigger importance and emphasis. I have decided not to place every crew member in my opening credits because it will leave a sense of mystery to it and engage the audience in much more depth.