Evaluation of "46 Horns Lane"

The completed final cut of the thriller film opening "46 Horns Lane"...

1) In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products.

Our thriller film “46 Horns Lane” uses many of the conventions associated with thriller films and the sub-genres of thriller films. Our media piece is that of a psychological, Noir thriller. The main conventions that relate to this sub-genre are characters and lighting. The location in which we had set our film is that of ‘Horns Lane’ in ‘Norwich’. The setting is a fairly rough council estate, which over time is becoming a furthermore run down area. The stills image below shows the area in which we had shot the majority of the footage, (at dusk/night). The inspiration for such a location was taken from the film “This Is England”. Details such as the chipped paintwork on the handlebar of the steps shows the state in which this location fits into society (middle-class/fairly poor). The characters is used in the film would fit into this sort of setting. The stereotypical view of hoodies/chav-like characters would be associated to a more deprived area, this is seen through the character costume of “Jerry Tanner”. Often it is perceived that people wearing tracksuit bottoms and hoodies are lower in status and in a way they are linked more often to crime within gritty, urban locations. The character “Jerry Tanner” is a character that suffers from a limp. The significance of this is that the usual convention shows disabled or crippled characters as weak and vulnerable however in our thriller film this convention is challenged, when the roles are reversed, the crippled character is more dominant. This is shown from the sequence of filming involving the murder scene where the camera shot is at a higher position showing “Tanner’s” dominance over “Clarke”, as he holds the knife. The idea of the disabled/ crippled character was inspired by the film "The usual suspects", where character "kint" double-crosses his friends and murders to achieve his goal. Of course the main effect needed for a noir thriller is that of the aspect of lighting. The shooting was done at dusk/night. The use of dull lighting from street lights where used to create shadow effects and also represents the dark ego of the characters with their murderous intents. In order to create a noir thriller, poor/dim lighting is needed which i believe is captured well in our thriller film, from the bleak and shadowy shots which are used to connote sinister going-ons. The names of the characters “Jerry Tanner” and “Curtis Clarke” were chosen from a possible selection. However we believed that these names were suitable to the character profiles. The names “Curtis” and “Jerry” sound somewhat Americanised yet rough sounding which ties in with the characters motives and personality. The soundtracks that we used in our thriller film were found on an unsigned band and artist website. On this site there were many different genres of music and a variety of artists. The two we had liked were equally fitting to a thriller film soundtrack therefore we had decided to merge them into one another create a distorted sound effect, thus creating further suspense. The first track is heard used to create tension and suspense from the unique sounds; however when the action begins the tempo increases as the transition from the first to the second track is made. The fast tempo of the drums connotes anticipation and suspense.

2) How do your media product represent social groups

In our thriller film opening social class is shown is shown. Both characters are shown to fit into a lower-class from their costume and shooting location. The run-down shooting location of "Horns Lane, Norwich, is a typical council estate with blocks of flats, all of which with a run down look. The staircases are made from poor materials and the steps are damaged and cracked, this is a feature of British socialist and realist films like "This is England", a film which explores a young working class boy's isolation and need to herity.
Within our piece we have used an all white cast, showing them to be deviant and difficult. However one of the characters suffers from a limp, this character is classified under disabled. Usually it is seen that the disabled personnel are more weak and vulnerable and somewhat unable to defend for themselves, however this convention is challenged in our media piece as the disable character is made to be more dominant. This is shown through the low angle shots and the sequence of filming showing this character holding a knife.

3) What kind of media institutions might distribute your media product
If we wanted to distribute our film online, sites like "Youtube". "Youtube" is an online video streaming site which enables users to stream, upload and view videos of any genre. If we uploaded our video onto "Youtube" then it would enable users to leave anonymous comments and opinions are our media product. Hyperlinks to the film could be sent over social networking sites such as "Facebook" and "Bebo" which like on "Youtube" users can then comment on the media piece. Handheld devices such as MP4's and Ipods could also further progress the distribution as the file can easily be downloaded on to these platforms and shown to different audiences.
Online film competitions would be a great way of distribution as the film could be accessed easily. It's also easy to transfer the file onto the site. With sites like these the film industry furthermore grows, opening opportunities to new film-makers. These sites can also be judged on footage by film critics, judges and anonymous site users.

4) Who would be the audience for your media product

We had aimed to produce the media product for aspirers aged between 15 (lowest certificate possibly for thriller film) and a maximum age of 30. Those who like either Noir or Psychological sub-genres of thriller films ("The Third Man") would also like our production piece "46 Horns Lane". The use of a disabled character would attract disabled audiences to view the film as they could possibly associate with the character because the disabled character is represented as a helpless, saintly victim however they may possess cruel intentions. Males may like the film for the suspense and action that occurs in the film surrounding the idea of murder and mystery. If Females were to view the film they would enjoy it for the young, all male cast.

5) How did you attract/address the audience

We addressed the film audience for our film through many different concepts. In the media product we were able to put forward issues affect today's streets on Britain. For instance Knife crime which has been on the increase within large cities. The idea of youth and gang crime are also put in perspective from the use of the young actors playing the roles. all of these modern day issues are contempory and many may debate this featuring in a film, for possible political reasoning. The eerie feel to the limping character is also that of being suspicious and unnerving therefore drawing in the audience wanting to know of his actions and motives. The soundtracks used may influence the audience as they may possibly like the unsigned artist and promote the artists. With that in mind the soundtracks are edited to create effects such as suspense and an eerie feel to the location. The film would also promote the location of filming and also promote issues in the city of Norwich.

6) What have you learnt about the technologies from the process of constructing your media piece

Since our work on the preliminary task we have developed our skills in media terminology and furthermore in camerawork which in turn helped our filming as we were able to incorporate new angles into the media production. Conventional shots such as the tilt-shot for instance were used to give certain effects in the film. The often use of close-ups were used to involve the audience with the action.
We used the same equipment as before with the preliminary task. A camera for shooting the footage, tri-pod which enabled us to create different shots such as the tilt shot by angling the tri-pod. When editing we used the computer software “Adobe Premiere Elements” using this software enabled us to do many things. We were able to re-order the raw footage in the narrative order using the timeline at the bottom of the screen. We could also the lengths of timeframes by stretching them as well as adding effects such as slow-motion and transitions to cut to different scenes in the film. The transitions also helped with creating disappearing effects using cross-fades, which over-lap on to different parts of the footage.

To the left it shows the titles which were edited and overlayed onto the media footage. These were chosen from the site "DaFont" and then edited in photoplus before being put onto the production piece. Like with the fotage we could edit the length they would appear on and off screen for.

We were able to post stills images and our completed film onto our blog, it was also possible to get video clips from the site “Youtube” and embed them into our blogs to then analyse for our thriller research. Also to help with our research the website “IMDB” was used to collect information on the films we had researched. The hyperlinks on the site proved useful as they also linked to information which carried further information based on the films and demographic reports based on films.

7) Looking back at your prelim task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product

Since the preliminary task I’ve learnt a fair amount. The main being the use of the editing software “Adobe Premiere Elements”. The many effects that can be added to the footage is mind-boggling, however since the preliminary, we have been able to use more difficult effects for instances the time-stretches and transitions. With the transitions the length of them had to be precise otherwise the footage would then be of poor quality However prior to our other task we had to add titles which needed to edited before being applied to the footage as they were taken from the site “DaFont”.
When filming we had a better understanding of what was expected in Noir/Psychological thrillers therefore our research was crucial. The research had enabled us to get an idea of what we wanted for the film for instance costume and action.
Below is the completed prelimary task.

In contrast to the finished media piece it is easy to see that the rule of 180 degrees rule has been displayed better than in contrast to the preliminary task.

Discuss the representational issues surrounding “Glee” and disability.

The representation of disability has become accustom to television programs in recent years showing the aspect of physical and mental disabilities has changed the perspectives on many in how we view those who for instance suffer from a condition or disability. Often the use of disabled characters feature on television channels such the; “BBC” and “Channel 4”. A show which has recently featured on the channel “E4” (a sub-channel of “Channel 4”) is that being of the U.S drama “Glee”.

In “Glee” a disabled character (‘Artie’) is shown in many different lights. The uses of many techniques represent disability in many ways through the use of camera work and lighting. For instance in the one of the clips, disability is made out to be a negative thing. The use of long shots shows the characters isolation from the real, able world, again the idea of isolation is furthermore seen by the audience when the character is shown alone in the spotlight. However the use of shining bright light, down the corridor connotes a happier aspect to disability, as the light grows brighter which could connote the characters happiness and also his hope.

Despite showing disability in different lights, “E4” has come under scrutiny from the audience of “Glee”, (mainly from the disabled personal of the audience majority). Many viewers have complained about how it represents being disabled, predominately as a bad thing rather than what it is good. Many of the audience have also complained at the irony of how a non-disabled actor is used to play the role of a person in a wheelchair. Many complained at how this actor was unable to play the role of a ‘cripple’ seeing as he had not suffered from a situation that could render him disabled. In a way it is seen as unjust for an able-bodied character to play the role a disabled person. On social websites, the show “glee” has been accused of ‘Crip-Drag’ on a numerous count of times.

Of course however the producers of shows such as “Glee” may argue the fact of it being easier to employs a non-disabled actor to play the role as they will be able to shoot scenes at certain times, which may not be the case for a disabled person. The idea of the disabled actor’s welfare may be another reason for employing an able-bodied actor in the role in case the disabled actor was to be taken ill or suffer worse from their condition. The possibility of equipment may also affect the wellbeing of the character. Stray wires pose a risk to anyone those able-bodied or not. It could also be differcult for instance if the disabled actor was in a wheelchair, navigating around the equipment would be dangerous.

46 Horns Lane (Final Cut)

This is the final cut for our production piece for As media studies. To create the opening to a thriller film
46 Horns Lane (2mins 3secs)
The link below is the link to the video from the website "Youtube", a way of distributing the film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T54ZYPbB7Mo

"Reservoir Dogs" (Independent Research)

Reservoir Dogs (15 January 1993) Director:Quentin Tarantino


The opening shot of the film is abrupt as it features all of the characters in the film gathered around a table which the camera revoles around. However the audience do not gather much of an idea of these characters as no names are mentioned. the costume worn by the characters is more associated with with those of the upper-class. But from the industrial cafe in which they are in this stereotypical view is incorrect, instead the costume connotes the dress sense of a gang. The transitions used at this early stage in the film are steady and change when a different character talks.

The opening titles/credits appear with an overlaying soundtrack. A Cross fade effect is then used to fade the soundtrack out, so that screaming can be heard. The film then restarts with two characters in the car, still their names unknown, one driving a vehicle whilst the other is drenched in blood, however the audience do not know why this has occurred.


A sudden cut then shows a change of location, that being of a unused warehouse. The dull lighting of the scenery connotes an eerie feel to the location. The emptyness of the warehouse could also connote the emotions felt by both the wounded and other character. The camera shots used in this film sequence are jittery as though filmed by a handheld camera, giving the audience a perspective in the film. the slight tilt is used to connote the feelings of the camera, whilst the use of the two shot shows the characters bond.
The colour disfiguration of the film is made to make the film look set in the 60's/70's as the saturation of the cinematography is toned a lighter shade.

A long shot through a corridor is used to distance between the newly introduced character and the previous mobile character. The emptyness of the bathroom could also connote their emotion and personalities.
The use of flashbacks show what has happen after the groups failed bank heist from different characters. This is where the characters names are established. Each character is referred to a 'Mr. (then a colour). For example the fleeing character in the flashback is that 'Mr.Pink'.
Towards the end of the flashback it is shown from the perspective of another character, showing the violence between 'Mr.Pink' and the police. The rapid interchange of shots corresponds to the gunfire. When attempting to flee from the cops the windscreen of the car which 'Mr.Pink' is in splits, connoting panic and fear.

Women in the film are seen as objects to the male characters this is shown at the start of the film and when sexual references are used constantly.
As the characters 'Mr.Pink' and 'Mr.White' draw armes the camera zooms out to reveal another character 'Mr.Blonde', again this shot is used to connote the separation within the group after the incident. The transitions fit to the dialogue in the film sequence as each time a character is cut up by another in mid-sentence the camera reverts to the speaking character.
A generic signifier in thriller films is the use of the car trunk, which connotes mystery as anything could be in it. In this film in the trunk is an officer. The low angle shot from inside the trunk is from the perspective of the officer looking up at the supreme, towering figures of the men in suits.
Blank transitions are used when the flashbacks end, the voice-over then cuts in before non-diagetic sound is heard. The use of the shot getting all of the characters into the mise-en-scene connotes a divide within the group as though nobody can be trusted, seeing as they know of one of them being a double-crosser within the group.
Close-ups are used to show the cop being beaten up by 'White' and 'Pink' before they leave the warehouse. 'Blonde' is left with the hostage cop, a soundtrack is heard an upbeat, fast tempoed track which doesn't bode with the genre of film or the mood within the mise-en-scene. 'Blonde' swaggers up to the cop, tapped to the chair and removes a blade from his pocket, the use of lighting reflects of the blade. For a split second the use of the close-up starts to show him removing the cops ear before the camera turns away making the audience feel as though they are there witnessing this for themselves. the writing on the wall reads "Mind Your Head" which relates to the removal of the ear.

'Blonde' returns to his car trunk to the then remove a cannister of petrol, a close-up of this signifies potential danger. A non-diagetic sound of children screaming/crying coonotes anxiety and fear. When pouring the petrol over the cop, specks of the liquid go onto the camera lense which again involves the audience.

"Donnie Brasco" (Independent Research)

Donnie Brasco (2 May 1997) Director:Mike Newell

The opening credits of the film start of with a white font upon a black background. It then cross fades into an extreme close-up shot of a a set of eyes. Different effects such as overlaying transitions and images are then used to paint a picture of the film and the characters. The film soundtrack then cuts in which is the sound of violins playing which create tension.


The opening shot of this film starts with a close-up of a character, the non-diagetic sound of voices. All of the main characters are established with the opening few moments. A photolense shot is then seen from a different perspective, looking through the scope of a camera. The shot taken of 'Donnie Brasco' (Jonny Depp) in the the photobooth connotes his trapped emotions or the situation he is in, at this time the non-diagetic sound of sirens can be heard in the background connoting the possibility of something bad occurring.

Noir lighting is used to great effect in the film, this shown in the opening film sequence in the moon-lit streets the characters feature on. The use of the first two-shot in the film, is used to show both main characters, 'Donnie Brasco' and 'Benjamin "Lefty" Reggiero' (Al Pacino) which connotes their closeness to one another, a growing bond between them.

Many shots are taken whilst the characters are in vehicles, the use of a close-up through the windscreen. When in the bar brawling with a member of the barstaff the low-angle shot shows the character 'Brasco's' dominance over him.


The cuts used are all simular, simple that lead into the next scene rarely they fade into one another. The shot of the bridge in the sunset connotes something good on the horizon, it could also connote hope.

It then cuts suddenly to an extreme close-up of the revolving letter print of a typewriter printing details on the character 'Lefty' onto a document, however the identity of the writer is unknown connoting mystery.

The generic signifier of wet/damp streets connotes mystery and illusion. transitions of stills images are used to show the characters being tracked, the camera movement also connotes this.
Women within the film are portrayed as 'serving wenches' doing everything such as cook and look after the kids, a house-wife role.
With each two-shot used the camera draws closer to the main characters again showing a futhermore growing bond between 'Donnie' and 'Lefty'. The costume worn by the characters is that of being a suite and suite trousers, many off them were a trilby hat, often associated with mafia gangs in America.

The use of the aerial shot sets the scene of were the film takes place (New York) a major scene for gangsters in the late 70's/ early 80's.
'Donnie' starts to become attached to the mafia group putting them before his family, when arguing and when laying together the soundtrack from the opening credits begin playing which connote a sense of passion or sympathy for the partner of 'Donnie'.
A sudden cut then shows 'Donnie' driving (close-up), on a bridge. The structure of the bridge reflects upon the car windshield which could connote the possible future of the character possibly being locked-up if he stays with the gang.
A change of scenery again as the characters of the gang find themselves at an airport, The tempo of the soundtrack increases. 'Lefty' is led into a dark, unlit hanger, connoting fear, panic and claustrophobia. At the flick of a lightswitch the lighting comes on. a close-up of a lion in cage.
In a way the lion could represent the personality of 'Lefty'.
Often the dark scenes all connote violence, tension and fear.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NewqTCakQ3Q

In the scene above it tells of

Looking at how the film "Football Factory" uses conventions and techniques of thriller films. (Independent Research)

The film " Football Factory" despite not falling into the thriller genre , the film uses many techniques and conventions that are used in a typical thriller film.

The use of bleak, dull lighting in certain settings such as the pub connote an eerie feel to the setting which at times depicts the characters personality.

The use of noir lighting in the tunnel where one of the main characters (played by Danny Dyer) gets beaten up connotes fear and vulnerability. He's vulnerability is also caused by the characters drunken state.
The characters playing the role of 'hard men' can also play the roles in thriller films. Often they are depicted as thug-like, set only on a motive to kill. That motive is in revenge or to conceal something. The characters within the film "Football Factory" are all over-reactive thugs. They all have a stereotypical depiction of them as they have a thugish look to them. The costume worn is that of what would be considered today as 'Chav' like. The characters wear tracksuit-bottoms and short-sleeved shirts/football shirts. On occasion a few characters wear suites showing their status within the group.

The violence within the film is very high in content. The use of close-ups capture the violence that occurs, making the audience feel more involved in the many brawls that feature. At one point in the film the the camera lense is splattered by blood, again involving the audience. When in the action scenes the camera tracks movement, incorporating many different shot types such as close-up, tilts and low angle shots.

Fonts used in our thriller film for titles, credits and company branding

This is the font we used for the company name for our thriller film. Of course this company isn't real otherwise it would be copy right. In order to create this company name many stages were used.

The first was that of finding a suitable font to suite the company name of "Granite Production".

Granite is a solid rock therefore to correspond with this we needed a solid, bold font.

The font was taken from the site "DaFont", a site were fonts can be created and