Lamar Fergus-Palmer Evaluation

The opening sequence of my filmThe opening sequence for my Thriller challenges the conventions of real media products by showing that the effects of a night out can be severe. Also going against the stereotypical “Good Night Out”.
By having the central character as a female, my thriller challenges the social norms of male killers and male dominance in film.
As apposed to other schizophrenia-based films, my thriller opening also starts with a dead body and the culprit realization, rather then the actual killing.
The film also varies between actual time and flashback, a common use in thrillers, this allows the film to show one persons train of thought as two different perspectives creating suspense and fear. The opening also conforms to typical thriller openings, there is a death and the culprit is know although there reasons aren’t, this opens lot of pathways in which the film could go and would make the audience want to see more.
The opening also creates the feeling as thought the culprit is innocent and is not in control of their actions, this makes the pivotal character seem like a victim although they are clearly the villain of the film. Therefore the thriller opening could be seen as split between conforming with the norm, and going completely against it.


My opening is representing the youth of London, mainly the ones who like to party and drink alcohol, coming home in the early hours of the morning. It shows them in a bad light, as the thriller shows a tragedy from the night before. It shows young people as not having a care in the world and being a little bashful (as shown in the flashbacks) not stopping until something goes wrong. It also represents young black girls as heavy partiers who dress their best to go out and are loud when they go home. The actual status of the characters is working class, but because of where they have gone, they have dressed up and look middle/upper class. They are shown as working class by crashing out on the streets with no recollection of what happened. The opening also represents these characters as dangerous, unpredictable after a few drinks, making the audience feel wary of walking past a pub or a bar at night for fear of the event happening to them. This film represents anti-social behaviour and youth who are involved in it, who, stereotypically go out to have a laugh, but often end the night with a disaster.


My thriller would be a big Hollywood Blockbuster. It would be distributed around the world by one of the “Big 6” most probably Warner Brothers as they tend to specialize in distributing good thrillers. There would be a large amount of promotion for it, as to make a large profit by attracting the largest crowd possible. It would be shown in over 2,000 screens worldwide, due to the demand for it but would be premiered in each country, thus creating an even bigger hype for the film. There would be small clips “leaked” to online sites such as you-tube and trailers shown online and on television. There would also be a DVD release and a Blue-ray Release. This is due to the nature of the storyline, following a young woman as she tries to find herself but all the while damaging the ones she loves, it is a typical thriller but with a gory twist. This is what is in demand by the public and although the producers are new to the industry, I feel one of the big 6 would want to be involved in such a project as they could see a handsome profit being made. This would help increase sales and publicity making the film a success.


The target audience for my thriller is 16+. This is due to the gory aspects of the thriller but also due to some of the nature, humour and dialogue of the film. The film is based on a typical upbeat working-class teenager who ,through experiencing adult problems, and mental medical issues, is turning into an insane adult. It follows her story how she copes with her problems. The film would appeal to teenagers, who could relate to the teenage problems. Adults who remember their childhood problems and want to see how another dealt with them, but also want to see a youngster deal with their current problems. Working class, who would know how it is to be in the low hierarchy. Middle and Upper class, as they like to see how the lower class live. Females who have always wanted to be in power and will also feel the pains of the main character. For males, the main focal point will be the gore and blood as she kills her friends and family through the film. the film is also aimed at couples as the storyline follows the characters love life and couples tend to go and watch thrillers together to share the fear. My typical target people are “A young couple from Brooklyn who live on social benefits but enjoy going cinema together, they would spend slimly but splash out on rare occasions.”


To attract my audience I would use much advertising. There would be Trailers shown on all major channels, would try to get at least one “ Star” to play a leading role. The film would have its own website, allowing fans and interested parties to view the previews before hand and have special one off offers on TV shows and radio. The film would be advertised on billboards across the globe, but money would only be spent focusing on the main areas and popular places where the adverts would be seen. The advertisement would also be shown on the side of busses. Special merchandise would be available in shops as there would be signature objects from the film. There would also be a game for the major systems (PlayStation and Xbox) which would include clips from the film. The film could also be written as a book from which is written in first person from the central character’s point of view. The advertisements would show the main character and a bleak background with the faces of her friends in the shadows. As I mentioned before, there would be some footage purposely “leaked” to the Internet, but not a finished copy. This with the intentions of getting people ready and hungry for the film.


In the making of this film, I learnt that the quality of the film can be dependent as much on the quality of the editing, as much as the quality of filming. The quality of the film has to be top class as the slightest mistake could wreck a whole day’s shooting. It has been interesting to see how the effects in films are made and how editing can be used to show flashbacks and cut from one movement to another. It has also been useful to learn of another PC music studio other than Logic Pro and how soundtracks are a vital part of film. I also have come to see how hard it is to record diegetic sound from through a camera without the correct equipment. I have learnt how to blog and even though I have had difficulties with it, I have come to see how it is useful for recording my work.


Looking back, I think I would have allocated alot more time to filming as, if you film well, editing becomes easier. There were times when there was only so much I could do without re-filming and this was fustrating. Also, plan on how to get around the natural lighting issues, since I didnt have the necessary equipment, the first days shooting in the dark was pointless and a waste of thime, I would research better and make sure I used my time wisely. I doubt i would have changed the storyboard but the editing would have been more professional and the cut credits would have been more definitive.