Genre Research:Thursday, 13 October 2016
Genre Research
Genre Research:
The Sixth Sense: Opening Sequence Analysis
The Sixth Sense: Opening Sequence Analysis
The target audience for the film The Sixth Sense demographically is white, middle class men and women aged 30-40. Psychographically, as the film is hinted to be complex, the target audience would want be completely engaged with the text and intellectually challenged. Additionally, they are likely to be aspirers according to Young and Rubicam’s audience theory.
The first frame— a close up of a bare lightbulb slowly turning on in the dark— immediately creates a tension and suspense, an eerie atmosphere. This prop is already beginning to imply the presence of ghosts, hinting at the narrative. The colours are all very cool-toned throughout the scenes in the cellar, creating a sense of unease, again implying something dark and supernatural. When the woman (Anna) enters wishing the first few seconds of the film, the camera is behind the wine rack, obscuring the audience’s view. it is almost as if the camera is hiding, giving the impression that she is being watched or is not alone, further adding to the theme of ghosts. Additionally, the way that the character shivers is also indicative of another presence, setting up the film’s main plot in the first few moments. Her costume is suggestive of wealth, therefore appealing to the middle and upper classes.
In the next frame, the audience sees a close up of various cards and letters from children, connoting innocence and creating a sharp contrast between the eeriness of the cellar and the happiness and safety of the lounge. A two-shot of Anna and her husband sitting next to each other follows, the warmth of the fire contrasting the cool tones of the cellar, and perhaps suggesting the comfort that Anna feels when she is with her husband and not alone. The fact that they sit only inches apart signifies a closeness on more than a physical level— she trusts him and finds comfort in his presence, no longer feeling the unease her facial expressions led the audience to believe she felt a few moments prior to this.
The next frame is the same shot but mirrored, with the focus being on Dr Crowe’s award and their reflections in it. The use of reflection suggests an introspectiveness, as often found within the psychological thriller genre, and appeals to those looking for intellectual stimulation as the deeper meaning is implied rather than explicitly stated. It also suggests the theme of identity and an inner conflict, a convention of the psychological thriller genre. This will appeal to existing fans of the genre, as it signifies that the film may use certain stock plots to characters that the audience knows they will enjoy. Perhaps the way that Anna is shifted to the side suggests that Malcolm puts everything aside for his work and for this award, including her. It could hint at this particular award being a source of conflict between husband and wife.
There is a wide shot from the staircase to show the mise-en-scène, connoting the main characters’ wealth, but it also again giving the impression that someone else is watching that shouldn’t be. As the characters are on the far left, the door in one of the main points of focus according tot he rule of thirds, suggesting that someone has already or is going to enter. The representation of the marriage is romantic and loving, appealing to aspirers as they seek out perfection in every aspect of their lives, including their relationships. The fact that the two main characters are both middle-aged and wealthy appeals to the target audience because they can see themselves within the characters, and the use of the award for the Dr’s dedication to his work suggests high intelligence, appealing to the audience’s psychographics.
The next frame is the beginning of the action, a smashed window from a point of view shot. We see the destruction from Anna’s perspective, putting the audience in her place to generate both sympathy and fear within the viewers. The low-key lighting creates an air of mystery, while the close ups of Anna and Malcolm’s face show their emotions: fear and confusion. This helps to engage the audience as they will empathise with the characters more. The way that Malcolm shields Anna from the danger suggests their closeness, and the fact that he is willing to risk harm to keep her safe. This again appeals to aspirers because of their loving relationship. However, women are represented as weak here, as Anna’s character hides behind and depends upon her husband to protect her, suggesting that women are incapable of taking care of themselves and fitting with the dominant hegemony in society. This also pushes Malcolm’s character into the Proppian hero role, and Anna into the role of the Proppian princess. This will appeal to men, particularly aspirers, as they will look up to his bravery and possibly even attempt to imitate it as suggested by Hypodermic Syringe Theory.
In the next shot, a new character is introduced. He is almost completely naked (to suggest his vulnerability and mental instability), and his facial expression signifies fear. For a moment, the audience may feel some sympathy towards him, but his shadowed face implies that he is a ‘bad’ character, in that he will harm the protagonist. He then brings the gun up and shoots Malcolm in the stomach, before the camera pans left and we hear the diegetic sound effect of the gun going off once more, leaving the audience to assume that he has committed suicide. Death is a common theme within psychological thrillers, appealing to existing fans of this genre. Despite this violence, the opening sequence finishes on a more enigmatic note, as in the next shot, the main character is completely unharmed, which is what pushes the film away from the horror/thriller category (despite the gore).
Overall, The Sixth Sense appeals successfully to its target audience by playing on the existing conventions in the psychological thriller genre whilst introducing enough new aspects to keep the audience engaged.
The ideas used in this opening sequence will influence our final product, such as costume to suggest social status and colour to signify certain emotions/atmospheres. Similar to the Sixth Sense, we intend to focus on the psychological aspects of the film rather than the gore to make it scary. Also, the clever use of framing to signify deeper meanings is something that I found interesting and plan to include when storyboarding and filming our own opening sequence.
The target audience for the film The Sixth Sense demographically is white, middle class men and women aged 30-40. Psychographically, as the film is hinted to be complex, the target audience would want be completely engaged with the text and intellectually challenged. Additionally, they are likely to be aspirers according to Young and Rubicam’s audience theory.
The first frame— a close up of a bare lightbulb slowly turning on in the dark— immediately creates a tension and suspense, an eerie atmosphere. This prop is already beginning to imply the presence of ghosts, hinting at the narrative. The colours are all very cool-toned throughout the scenes in the cellar, creating a sense of unease, again implying something dark and supernatural. When the woman (Anna) enters wishing the first few seconds of the film, the camera is behind the wine rack, obscuring the audience’s view. it is almost as if the camera is hiding, giving the impression that she is being watched or is not alone, further adding to the theme of ghosts. Additionally, the way that the character shivers is also indicative of another presence, setting up the film’s main plot in the first few moments. Her costume is suggestive of wealth, therefore appealing to the middle and upper classes.
In the next frame, the audience sees a close up of various cards and letters from children, connoting innocence and creating a sharp contrast between the eeriness of the cellar and the happiness and safety of the lounge. A two-shot of Anna and her husband sitting next to each other follows, the warmth of the fire contrasting the cool tones of the cellar, and perhaps suggesting the comfort that Anna feels when she is with her husband and not alone. The fact that they sit only inches apart signifies a closeness on more than a physical level— she trusts him and finds comfort in his presence, no longer feeling the unease her facial expressions led the audience to believe she felt a few moments prior to this.
The next frame is the same shot but mirrored, with the focus being on Dr Crowe’s award and their reflections in it. The use of reflection suggests an introspectiveness, as often found within the psychological thriller genre, and appeals to those looking for intellectual stimulation as the deeper meaning is implied rather than explicitly stated. It also suggests the theme of identity and an inner conflict, a convention of the psychological thriller genre. This will appeal to existing fans of the genre, as it signifies that the film may use certain stock plots to characters that the audience knows they will enjoy. Perhaps the way that Anna is shifted to the side suggests that Malcolm puts everything aside for his work and for this award, including her. It could hint at this particular award being a source of conflict between husband and wife.
There is a wide shot from the staircase to show the mise-en-scène, connoting the main characters’ wealth, but it also again giving the impression that someone else is watching that shouldn’t be. As the characters are on the far left, the door in one of the main points of focus according tot he rule of thirds, suggesting that someone has already or is going to enter. The representation of the marriage is romantic and loving, appealing to aspirers as they seek out perfection in every aspect of their lives, including their relationships. The fact that the two main characters are both middle-aged and wealthy appeals to the target audience because they can see themselves within the characters, and the use of the award for the Dr’s dedication to his work suggests high intelligence, appealing to the audience’s psychographics.
The next frame is the beginning of the action, a smashed window from a point of view shot. We see the destruction from Anna’s perspective, putting the audience in her place to generate both sympathy and fear within the viewers. The low-key lighting creates an air of mystery, while the close ups of Anna and Malcolm’s face show their emotions: fear and confusion. This helps to engage the audience as they will empathise with the characters more. The way that Malcolm shields Anna from the danger suggests their closeness, and the fact that he is willing to risk harm to keep her safe. This again appeals to aspirers because of their loving relationship. However, women are represented as weak here, as Anna’s character hides behind and depends upon her husband to protect her, suggesting that women are incapable of taking care of themselves and fitting with the dominant hegemony in society. This also pushes Malcolm’s character into the Proppian hero role, and Anna into the role of the Proppian princess. This will appeal to men, particularly aspirers, as they will look up to his bravery and possibly even attempt to imitate it as suggested by Hypodermic Syringe Theory.
In the next shot, a new character is introduced. He is almost completely naked (to suggest his vulnerability and mental instability), and his facial expression signifies fear. For a moment, the audience may feel some sympathy towards him, but his shadowed face implies that he is a ‘bad’ character, in that he will harm the protagonist. He then brings the gun up and shoots Malcolm in the stomach, before the camera pans left and we hear the diegetic sound effect of the gun going off once more, leaving the audience to assume that he has committed suicide. Death is a common theme within psychological thrillers, appealing to existing fans of this genre. Despite this violence, the opening sequence finishes on a more enigmatic note, as in the next shot, the main character is completely unharmed, which is what pushes the film away from the horror/thriller category (despite the gore).
Overall, The Sixth Sense appeals successfully to its target audience by playing on the existing conventions in the psychological thriller genre whilst introducing enough new aspects to keep the audience engaged.
The ideas used in this opening sequence will influence our final product, such as costume to suggest social status and colour to signify certain emotions/atmospheres. Similar to the Sixth Sense, we intend to focus on the psychological aspects of the film rather than the gore to make it scary. Also, the clever use of framing to signify deeper meanings is something that I found interesting and plan to include when storyboarding and filming our own opening sequence.
Survey Link
Survey Link:
http://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/GGRK6PD
A link to the survey we created for audience research.
http://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/GGRK6PD
A link to the survey we created for audience research.
Film Brief Video
Film Brief Video
In this video, we discuss initial ideas for our film's plot. This will develop over time.
Thursday, 6 October 2016
Psychological Thriller Mood Board
A collection of images for inspiration when planning and filming out opening sequence.
Tuesday, 4 October 2016
Editing and Filming Practice
Editing and Filming Practice:
Together we made a short sequence about a Kit-Kat Chunky as practice. Everyone took turns filming and editing.
It helped us practice planning skills with our storyboard and experiment with different shot types and angles. It also allowed us to figure out how Final Cut Pro works in order to be more efficient with it when working on our opening sequence.
To begin we used an medium close up to set the scene, paired with a time lapse to show the progression of time, followed by a close up of the Kit-Kat. We used an over the shoulder shot followed by a P.O.V. shot, which we planned in our storyboard. Variation of shot types was an important aspect of our planning. We used a tripod to film the majority of the shots, except from the P.O.V. shot. It allowed us to have a steadier camera, and therefore an overall more professional look. In terms of continuity we made a few mistakes, for example the distance that Leah walks to the table grows between edits, however we have learnt from this, and we will continue to develop our editing skills to prevent this from happening in the future.
Together we made a short sequence about a Kit-Kat Chunky as practice. Everyone took turns filming and editing.
It helped us practice planning skills with our storyboard and experiment with different shot types and angles. It also allowed us to figure out how Final Cut Pro works in order to be more efficient with it when working on our opening sequence.
To begin we used an medium close up to set the scene, paired with a time lapse to show the progression of time, followed by a close up of the Kit-Kat. We used an over the shoulder shot followed by a P.O.V. shot, which we planned in our storyboard. Variation of shot types was an important aspect of our planning. We used a tripod to film the majority of the shots, except from the P.O.V. shot. It allowed us to have a steadier camera, and therefore an overall more professional look. In terms of continuity we made a few mistakes, for example the distance that Leah walks to the table grows between edits, however we have learnt from this, and we will continue to develop our editing skills to prevent this from happening in the future.
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