Q5: How did you attract/ address your audience?

There are many shots within the thriller opening that have been used in order to attract the audience to the thriller. One of these shots is this:

This attracts the audience through the use of close-ups and bloody imagery. The reaction of one of the characters at the end of the opening allows the audience to see the climax and how it has affected the main character. Not only this but it fits the expectations of the target audience. This is due to the bloody images within the shot, and so this gives an aspect of violence and horror within the thriller, which were common conventions the target audience said they would enjoy. The shot also shows the character’s reaction as being shocked, connoting that this is out of the ordinary and will be a significant event within the thriller. This will attract the target audience as the shot is thrilling and has a clear climax at the end, which was described as a key part of a successful thriller film. Also denoted within the shot a bloodied arm grabs the wall for stability. This attracts the target audience due to the enigma that is created, the use of this adds mystery as to who it will be, this was also mentioned as a key aspect in a thriller. The sound used within the shot is very minimal, a quiet and simple orchestral track is used in the background, this adds a sense of eeriness to the shot. The use of little music means that the shot is therefore eerie, this attracts our target audience as it was stated that this is necessary for a successful thriller. The editing within the shot also attracts the target audience. The use of pace means that the bloodied character remains a mystery and also the reverse shot between the two characters shows each reaction clearly.

The second shot that attracts the audience is:

This attracts the audience due to the mystery that is created within. The use of props within the shot may attract the audience, denoted in the shot is the woman crossing out the face of another girl. This may attract the audience sue to the enigmas created, they will want to know who this girl is, why she is being crossed off. Also it will attract the target audience as from my research I know that the target audience want a mysterious thriller that will grab their attention, I believe this is created within this shot. The soundtrack used within this shot is very fast paced, this will attract the target audience as they enjoy thriller that are fast paced and quick to watch. Due to the soundtrack and the pace at which the editing has been done at, this has been achieved within this shot. Another aspect of the shot that will attract the audience is the use of mise-en-scene. Very little of the character is shown, this once again creates mystery within the narrative this is due to the framing used that allows much of the surroundings hidden. By keeping the character’s identity as hidden as possible the audience will want to watch more in order to find out the rest of the narrative.

The third shot that attracts the audience is:

This attracts the audience due to the eerie atmosphere created within. The target audience stated in the research that they enjoy thrillers will an eerie and twisted atmosphere. Denoted within the shot is hair being twisted around a finger and then a bloodied hand being brushed along a wall. The use of the hair twisting, connotes that this character has done something very wrong but is happy about it and it seems normal in a sinister way. Not only this but the bloodied hand scraping the wallpaper also created a twisted atmosphere, the attention of the hand suggests that the hands have been used in a more sinister and possibly disturbing way. Due to these the audience may be attracted to the shot as it contains conventions that were said to be thrilling in the research that was done. The editing of the shot also attracts the audience, the use of slow-motion within the shot also once again makes the shot sinister. This is due to the attention put onto the character’s body, this could suggest to the audience that she has done something out of the ordinary or something unnatural. Therefore, there are many ways in which this shot can attract the audience.

The fourth shot that attracts the audience is:

This shot will attract the audience in many ways, one way is through the use of normality. The shot denotes the character going about her normal night routine, therefore creating a creepy outlook on the shot. The normality of the shot will attract the audience due to the eeriness that this could happen to anyone, it will also intrigue them as to what she has done since she is acting so normal. The mise-en-scene is also extremely normal, a dressing gown and shower are shown, therefore once again creating a sense of normality and thus attracting the audience. The soundtrack is fast-paced and so this will attract the audience due what the research said they would like within a thriller soundtrack. The close-up of the dressing gown also creates a tense atmosphere; the focus of the hands suggests they have done something sinister previously. This attracts the audience as they will feel a sense of enigma, this is because they will not know what is going on. The shot also creates a sense of mystery throughout, something that was said to make a thriller effective in my research. Therefore, this shot will attract the audience due to the mystery created and the normality of the character’s actions.

The fifth shot that attracts the audience is:

This shot will attract the audience in many ways, one way is through the use of enigmas that are created throughout this shot. The enigmas will attract the audience as they will be enticed to discover who this person is and what they have done. Not only this but they can see that this young woman is able to drive, thus meaning the target audience may be able to relate. If they can relate it makes the thriller interesting due to the sense of normality that is created. Another thing within the shot that will attract the audience is the blood splatter on the clothing of the woman. This will attract the audience as they will want to find out where these came from and why she has them, therefore intriguing them to watch the rest of the thriller.  The soundtrack is fast paced once again as well as the editing, this allows the shot to be snappy and so more attractive for the audiences viewing.

There are many other films and TV shows that can be said to relate to my thriller opening. One of these films is ‘Mr and Miss’s Smith’ this is said to relate to my thriller opening due to the pace of the opening. They are both extremely fast paced and show a routine throughout. The use of fast paced editing and a routine allows the opening to be interesting for the audiences viewing and also does not give too much away about the thriller and the narrative. A TV show that my thriller can be compared to is ‘Dexter’ this is due to the close-ups and the slow motion used throughout. Dexter uses a series of different close-ups of everyday things but this is done in a sinister way which turns ordinary objects into a lot more disturbing actions. In my thriller opening this has also been done, the twisting of hair and pouring of the cranberry juice demonstrate this. This relies on its connotations of blood and danger due to the red colour, therefore this also adds mystery. This will attract the ordinary as it is an unusual way of making the ordinary seem unordinary, which we’ve tried to achieve within ‘Backlash’.

There are many different genre conventions, uses of music/ sound, editing, mise-en-scene, plot and plot sequence that was used in order to attract the audience. Some of the genre conventions included were the use of jump cuts and the creation of suspense. Jump cuts are used throughout, this can give the audience the audience a disorientating feeling and so the thriller attracts the audience. Another way in which the thriller attracts the audience is through the use of sound. The soundtrack used is extremely fast paced which makes the thriller more exciting for the audience to watch. The speed of the music and the beats throughout mean that the opening is snappy, thus interesting to watch. Towards the end of the opening an orchestral soundtrack is used, this attracts the audience as it creates an eerie atmosphere and so is an effective thriller. Another use of sound is a radio broadcast, this allows the audience to see the change in atmosphere from the upbeat soundtrack to silence and just a report. The report also allows the audience to learn more about the narrative and some of their questions may be answered from this. There are many natural sounds that can be heard throughout, these make the opening natural and so the audience feel more involved in what is happening throughout. The editing is done to a fast pace, this matches the soundtrack and also means that the shots are long and uninteresting for the audience. Not only this but slow-motion is also used within the editing, this means that some parts can be focused on more, suggesting their significance to the audience. Mise-en-scene used in the thriller attracts the audience as many enigmas are created throughout. The main enigma is why the clothing has blood all over it, this as well as why props such as a bloodied knife is used and so the audience are drawn to the opening as it is going to answer all their questions.  The plot of the opening sequence will also attract the audience. This is due to the mystery within the plot, the identity of the woman remains a mystery as well as what she has done. Due to the suspense being built throughout, it isn’t until the end that the narrative is completely revealed. This means that the audience have to watch all of the opening in order to have any questions answered and also they are more likely to be intrigued as to what will happen.