Ruairi Campbell's AS Media Blog: Research and Planning

Research and Planning

Prelim video

Conventions of the crime genre:

A blur between good and evil
Power
Sex and violence
greed

Conventions of a political thriller include:

A power struggle
Corruption
Hierarchy
Good vs evil
Characters with contrasting ideologies (Western based philosophies tend to be presented positively within mainstream film.)

The power struggle - I have chosen to focus upon the idea of power in my opening sequence as it is
a subject that, especially in politics, that occurs outside of the general public's view. Also by looking at how the rich and powerful of our society use their power to control the masses this gives my film added importance due to our countries current financial and social context.

Titles:

The crime genre's use of opening titles throughout the years, much like all film, has changed dramatically. For instance in Francis Ford Coppola's 'The Godfather' (1972, Coppola) the film starts at a slow pace building a clear idea of context, character and genre. However it is my belief that due to higher pressures being placed upon filmmakers they have begun to transform opening sequences. They have achieved this by accelerating the speed in which information is given to the audience. This "acceleration" in pace is aimed at hooking the audience quickly, it shares similarities with modern film trailers. This is perfectly showcased in 'Fast Five' (2011, Lin) the film begins with a rapid car chase, explosions and a prisoner escaping, this of course greatly contrast with 'The Godfather' as that begins with a slow conversation between two men in a dimly lit room.

Mood Board:

Media Institutions research:

A company who might distribute my film is Columbia Pictures as they distributed both 'The Ides of March' (2011, Clooney) and 'All the Kings Men' (2006, Zaillian) which both share many similarities with my own piece including genre, themes and look.

Age Certificate: I feel that my film would be a 12a as the plot contains only a small amount of violence and no sexual content however it may include bad language and the use of weapons.

Audience Research:

Results: The results show that over 50 percent of people we asked would watch a political thriller although our results were limited due to the restrictive access we had to a varied audience.

Storyboard:

Organisation of resources:
Costume Ideas:


Assassin's Costume

This costume had to be unique enough to highlight his importance to the audience but also have a sense of normality so he is able so blend in.

The Politician's Costume

                                 The politician had to be dressed formally due to his position of power
                             However I feel he had to wear a grey suit to suggest his less than clear position
                                                                within the films narrative.

                                                                              Props: