Audience Research

Questionnaire

As part of my research for my own opening sequence film, I conducted a questionnaire in London to 10 people with various questions in order to help me get ideas of what type of Thriller film people enjoy.

Question 1: What's your favourite Sub-Genre of Thriller? 
1. Action 2. Crime 3. Religious 4. Mystery 5. Psychological
Results: 

Question 2: What Thriller actor is your favourite out of this choice?
1. Leonardo DiCaprio 2. Sylvester Stallone 3. Al Pacino 4. Samuel L. Jackson 5. Christian Bale
Results:



















Question 3: What Thriller film is your favourite out of this choice?
1. Se7en 2. Rocky 3. The Dark Night Rises 4. The Silence of the Lambs 5. Saw 

Results:

Question 4: What is your favourite Thriller director out of this choice?
1. Alfred Hitchcock 2. Christopher Nolan 3. Joel Coen 4. David Lynch 5. Sidney Lumet
Results:

















Question 5: What film rating is your favourite? 
1. U 2. PG 3. 12A 4. 15 5. 18
Results:

Question 6: What do you expect to see in Thriller films?
1. Chase 2. Killer 3. Flashbacks 4. Cliffhanger 5. Mystery
Results:

Question 7: What would make you not want to watch a Thriller film?
1. Slow opening 2. Bad acting 3. Long duration 4. Cliffhanger 5. Humour
Results:

















Question 8: What do you find most effective in a Thriller movie trailer?
1. Setting 2. Sound 3. Costume 4. Opening Credits 5. Lighting
Results: 

Question 9: What platform do you usually watch movies on? 
1. Cinema 2. Netflix 3. Stream 4. TV 5. Other
Results: 

Question 10: How important do you think a opening sequence is?
1. Very important 2. Important 3. Neutral 4. Marginal 5. Not important
Results: 

Art Of The Title - The Incredible Hulk

Opening sequence - The Incredible Hulk

The first scene shown before the film starts is showing what company produced the film, and this film was produced by Marvel Studios. Marvel Studios is an American motion picture studio based at the Walt Disney Studios. Marvel Studios' films are distributed by Walt Disney Studios motion pictures, Universal pictures for this film 

The next scene shows that Universal Pictures and Marvel Entertainment. Marvel Entertainment is an American entertainment. Marvel Entertainment is controlled by The Walt Disney Company and it's mainly known for producing Marvel comic films. 

     

This is the first name of an actor in this film, which is significant because this makes it seem that this actor is significant and the main actor. Edward Norton is an American actor and film maker. Edward Norton was nominated for three academy awards for starring in Primal Fear, American History X, and Birdman. 

Here Edward Norton is shown playing the role of Bruce Banner sitting in a hospital chair getting experiments done to him. A Low Angle is used here to show the experiment that is going on, this is also shot from a long shot which shows the whole location and the surrounding around.

Here an extreme close up is shown to signify detailed feature of the eyes, and how the green laser beam striking against his eye and him turning into Hulk.














This shows a point of view shot that has a big significance because it puts you in the Hulk's position and shows you the emphasise of how important Hulk is in this scene, and shows how strong he is and the impact he has on the other people.













This shows that the director of this film is by Louis Leterrier. Louis Leterrier is a French film director whose films he has directed in include Transporter, Unleashed, and Clash of the Titans.

Art Of The Title - Goodfellas

Opening sequence - Goodfellas

This screenshot shows the opening credit before the movie starts that shows that Warner Bros produced this film, and it being the first credit shows that they are very important. Warner Bros is an American entertainment company that produces film, music and television. 

This is the second credit shown before the film, that shows that Irwin Winkler produced the film. Irwin Winkler is an American producer and director of 50 major motion pictures. In 1976, Winkler won an Oscar for Best Picture for Rocky. As a producer, he has been nominated for best picture for three other films: Raging Bull, The Right Stuff and this film Goodfellas. 

This is the third credit shown before the film starts, that shows that Martin Scorsese directed the film. Martin Scorsese is an American director, producer, screenwriter, actor and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema foundation. Martin Scorsese is best known for directing in films such as Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas and Casino. He won the academy award for best director for The Departed. 

This is the next credit shown that shows that Robert De Niro is the main actor in this and the most important. Robert De Niro is an American actor and producer, that has featured in over 90 films. In 1980 Robert De Niro won an academy award for best actor in the film Raging Bull. In Goodfellas as Jimmy Conway Robert De Niro was nominated for academy award best actor. 

This sentence shows that this film is realistic, and actually occurred in real life that makes the audience surprised and makes them reiterate the event that actually occurred that this film is based on.  

This is the first actual scene we see in this film, this scene sets the scene for the rest of the film. The surroundings show that it is dark, and a car that is driving quickly in an attempt to bury a man that they have kidnapped quickly that is in the boot. 

After a short scene of a car driving fast, this location and date is shown. This puts the Location and the date in the audiences' mind and this gives them the opportunity to think back at what 1970's New York was like, the type of car shown also links to the time period, this also gives the audience a chance to know what society was like in those times. 

This is the scene shown after the location and date are shown. As seen in this screenshot it shows Ray Liotta on the right playing the role of Henry Hill and he is the one driving and the facial expression of him shows nervousness and a serious nature. Robert De Niro on the left playing the role as Jimmy Conway, he is shown in this scene asleep, this shows that the time period they are driving at is late at night. They are driving somewhere to bury a body in their boot, they do this operation at night so no one sees and no one is awake at the time. 

This scene shows them three digging a hole where they can bury the body that is nearly dead in the boot that they have kidnapped and tortured. They look very nervous in this because they really are trying their hardest to not let anyone see what they are doing, and thats why they are huddled close together to stop if anyone is seeing. Long shot is used here to show the whole location and where they are at the time.














This scene shows proof of the man that they had trapped and tortured in the car boot, however in this scene he is still moving and isn't fully dead. but this has a big impact on what the film is like from just the opening scene which is very dramatic. This also shows a high angle which shoots down on the character that is used to make the character inferior, and as shown in this scene the character is dead and insignificant.

Robert De Niro playing the role as Jimmy Conway is shown in this shooting the victim that happened because of a revenge attack on him. This opening scene has a big impact on the rest of the film because it makes you want to know why they have done this horrible thing towards the man. A mid shot is used here to show from waist up and show upper body movement and in this it shows Robert De Niro pointing a gun.













The colour of the title used here is very interesting because it's red. A connotation is used here to associate with the movie. We usually associate the colour red with blood, and the background colour being black also links in with death, which outlines the main theme of the whole movie and this shows it perfectly with the title and the two colours connecting together. 

Camera Angles and Shots - Skyfall

Establishing shot                                         

An establishing shot sets up or establishes a scene or setting, designed to show the audience where the action is taking place. It is usually a very wide shot or extreme wide shot. As shown in this screenshot of a scene in the film Skyfall, the landscape is shown very countryside like. The clouds and mist could be a start of danger, and the big house in the back is shown as being targeted and the clouds and hovering over the house. If you look closely you can see men making their way towards the house, and this is why this shot is taken to see where they are before they attack on Skyfall Lodge.  

Mid Shot

A Mid Shot contains characters or a character from the waist up. From this shot, viewers can see the characters' faces more clearly as well as their interaction with other characters. This is similar to how you would see a person in real life if you were having a casual conversation, you wouldn't be paying any attention to their lower body, so that part of the picture is unnecessary. This mid shot shows James Bond from the waist up holding a gun, this shows his intention and what he is possessing, this also shows movement of the upper body and mainly hand movement and facial expressions between different characters. 

Long Shot

A Long Shot usually shows the entire object or human figure and is usually intended to place it in some relation to its surroundings. There will be very little detail visible in the shot, as it is meant to give a general impression rather than specific information. As shown in this long shot it shows a woman strapped to a rock, and the woman is clearly distressed and in agony. The surroundings here have a big emphasise on the scene and the character, it shows that the woman is stuck and trapped, most likely to die soon.

Two Shot

A Two Shot shows emotional reactions between the characters and the action taking place. As shown in this both characters look serious and are looking into the distance, which could mean that they are worried about something in that direction because they're both looking together. The location behind them shows a misty cloudy surrounding which could indicate that something bad is brewing and their facial expressions seem serious that this could be the case. 

Over Shoulder Shot

A Over Shoulder shot shows the characters point of view, but is also showing a shoulder to show which characters point of view it is in. It's common to show these shots during a conversation, alternating the view between the different speakers. In this over shoulder shot it shows two characters having a serious deep conversation and that can be conveyed by their facial expressions. This shot alternates between both characters, which indicates their different facial reactions and what they are saying. 

Point Of View Shot

A Point Of View shot shows what the character would see, and it has a big effect on the audience because it makes it seem like you are in the situation and in this shot that you are James Bond. This shot shows James Bond holding a small technological remote, and it shows the audience the size, and using this type of shot i really think that it makes the remote very significant because it's like it's in your hands.  

Tracking Shot

A Tracking Shot follows character and the movement. The term also shows any shot in which the camera follows a subject within the frame, such as moving vehicle. In this shot it shows the camera following James Bond's car, this has a big effect because it tells the audience that they are driving to somewhere important, and they want you to see the location around where they are driving too, so this is very important because it shows everything like in real life, and doesn't skip the drive to the next scene. 

Close Up Shot

A Close Up Shot concentrates on a certain feature or part of the subject taking up most of the frame. A Close Up of a person usually means a close up of their face, which is showing detail of facial expression. In this shot it shows a close up of M's face which shows her looking worried, and in pain. This shot is taken before she dies, so this is why they concentrate on the detail of her face because the colour doesn't look like an alive and well human, it shows the darkness and the fading away of life. 

High Angle

A High Angle is shot from above pointing down on the action. This makes the character seem small and insignificant. This could also show the character threatened and close to death. In this shot it shows M and James Bond, it shows Bond holding M on the ground as her life is fading away and she is about to die. That's the main reason why they use this angle in this scene is because they know M is dying so they want the audience to sympathise with her as she looks small and insignificant. 

Low Angle 

A Low Angle shot is taken from below pointing up at the action. Psychologically, the effect of the low angle shot is that it makes the subject look strong and powerful. As shown in this picture it shows James Bond escaping away from an enemy, this low angle shot has a big impact on the viewer because it really does show superiority in the situation by James Bond, and makes him look bigger and the hero. This can make the audience feel small by looking up at the character, but in this shot it makes the audience feel happy that James Bond is escaping and isn't in danger by the enemy.

        

Favourite Actor? - Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio

DiCaprio is a an American actor and film producer. He has been nominated for ten Golden Globe awards, winning two, and five Academy Awards. DiCaprio began his career by appearing in television commercials, after which he had many roles in TV series such as the soap opera Santa Barbara and the sitcom Growing Pains in the early 1990s. He began his film career by starring as Josh in Critters 3, whilst his first major film release was in the film This Boy's Life (1993) alongside Robert De Niro. The one film that really did make Leonardo hit the public view was Titanic (1997), which earned him his first ever Drama Golden Globe Award. Titanic also became the highest grossing film to that point. Unfortunately, he doesn't yet have a "Best Actor" Oscar under his belt. Being nominated for 3 Oscars for his performance in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" "The Aviator" and "Blood Diamond.''

List of films Leonardo DiCaprio has performed in: 

Critters 3 (1991)
Poison Ivy (1992)
This Boy's Life (1993)
What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
The Foot Shooting Party (1994)
The Quick and the Dead (1995)
The Basketball Diaries (1995)
Total Eclipse (1995)
Romeo + Juliet (1996)
Marvin's Room (1996)
Titanic (1997)
The Man in the Iron Mask (1998)
Celebrity (1998)
The Beach (2000)
Don's Plum (2001)
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Gangs of New York (2002)
The Aviator (2004)
The Departed (2006)
Blood Diamond (2006)
The 11th Hour (2007)
Body of Lies (2008)
Revolutionary Road (2008)
Shutter Island (2010)
Hubble 3D (2010)
Inception (2010)
J. Edgar (2011)
Django Unchained (2012)
The Great Gatsby (2013)
Runner Runner (2013)
Out of the Furnace (2013)
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Virunga (2014)
Cowspiracy (2015)
The Renevant (2015)


Here below is Leonardo DiCaprio in a famous fight scene in Gangs Of New York (2002):

Here below is Leonardo DiCaprio in a famous scene in Shutter Island - "Live as a Monster or Die as a Good Man.": 








Favourite?
Leonardo DiCaprio is one of my favourite actors for many reasons. DiCaprio has been involved in some amazing movies which cover so many variations of different aspects. With all the variety of these parts he has played there is never a movie I have seen with him that I haven't been completely amazed by his performance. One of my favourite movies ever is Catch Me If You Can (2002), and DiCaprio's role in this really was amazing, he showed a mix of comedy alongside some serious intense drama.

His role in Shutter Island impressed me so much because he even admitted that working with Martin Scorsese as the character Teddy Daniels was his most difficult film to date. "This is the most challenging one to date for me. Physically yes, but emotionally more so," he said. "It was the nature of the material. It was obviously a complex jigsaw puzzle and it was surprising for both of us at times, and it really shocked us" His role in Shutter Island was incredible because he had to make the audience think of more than one outcome of what was going to happen next, and his ability and composure when he was on the boat heading to Shutter Island just increased your fear for him as a character.

Inception probably had the most complex plot I've ever seen, and this was a true say of how incredible Leonardo acted as a dream in most of this film. Leonardo was perfect for this role because of his combination of strong acting talent particularly in heavily emotional roles that require the audience to sympathise strongly with the character, and that significant emotional journey and change for the character plus strong star appeal and big international fanbase, which helped with Inception and Shutter Island being such global hits, because of Leonardo's massive name.

I really did enjoy his role in Wolf of Wall Street for many reasons. Playing as Jordan Belfort in the film, a monster of a stockbroker and a fraudster obsessed with money. Leonardo plays this role so well that it really does make the audience think that that there's no better route to happiness than getting rich. "In the late 1980s and early 1990s I knew people close to me that actually had the life of Jordan Belfort," says DiCaprio, "an unregulated time period in the world of finance, when this guy could live the life of a Roman emperor. He was also a sex and drug addict and, in the face of the FBI cracking down on him on a consistent basis, that pushed him even further." DiCaprio knew people that actually had the life of Belfort and he used that to make his character more realistic.

Favourite Actor? - Sylvester Stallone

Sylvester Stallone


Sylvester Stallone is an actor, screenwriter, and film director. Stallone is well known for his Hollywood action roles, particularly boxer Rocky Balboa, the title character of the Rocky series from 1976 to 2008, and soldier John Rambo from the Rambo saga, which ran from 1982 to 2008. Stallone was born on July 6th, 1946 in New York, USA. Stallone had a difficult childhood after his parents divorce, Stallone spent some time of his childhood in a foster home in result of this. His parents divorce had a massive effect on him, as he got expelled from many schools, and ended up moving to Philadelphia where he attended a special high school for troubled youth. After this Stallone moved to Switzerland he attended an American college there. Then Stallone decided to leave and go to the University of Miami to concentrate on dramatic arts, in an attempt to complete a degree in New York and pursue an acting career, and this is what he did. My love for Sylvester Stallone stimulated from the Rocky series, growing up and watching a tall muscular, action man type actor which always showed the hero and big man in most films.

List of films Sylvester Stallone has featured in:

No Place to Hide (1972)
The Lords of Flatbush (1974)
Capone (1975)
Death Race 2000 (1975)
Rocky (1976)
F.I.S.T. (1978)
Paradise Alley (1978)
Rocky II (1979)
Nighthawks (1981)
Escape To Victory (1981)
Rocky III (1982)
Rambo: First Blood (1982)
Staying Alive (1983)
Rhinestone (1984)
Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)
Rocky IV (1985)
Cobra (1986)
Over the Top (1987)
Rambo III (1988)
Lock Up (1989)
Tango & Cash (1989)
Rocky V (1990)
Oscar (1991)
Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992)
Cliffhanger (1993)
Demolition Man (1993)
The Specialist (1994)
Judge Dredd (1995)
Assassins (1995)
Daylight (1996)
Cop Land (1997)
Antz (1998)
D-Tox (1999)
Get Carter (2000)
Driven (2001)
Avenging Angelo (2002)
Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003)
Shade (2004)
Rocky Balboa (2006)
Rambo (2008)
Kambakkht Ishq (2009)
The Expendables (2010)
Zookeeper (2011)
The Expendables 2 (2012)
Bullet to the Head (2012)
Escape Plan (2013)
Grudge Match (2013)
The Expendables 3 (2014)
Reach Me (2014)
Creed (2015)


Here Sylvester Stallone is shown in a famous scene of Rocky III:

Here Sylvester Stallone is shown in a final scene of Rambo 4:

Favourite?:

Sylvester Stallone has been involved in some brilliant movies. One movie which I particularly enjoyed his role in First Blood. It was incredible to see great action in this film and Stallone playing the part as John Rambo in this film seeing him kill soldier after soldier in increasingly brutal ways. I really love how quickly things escalated and that's the main reason why I loved this film, the pure action just kept me on the edge of my seat and that's the best action films. 

Stallone's role in Rocky as Rocky Balboa was fantastic. This film isn't just for boxing fans, it's much more than that because it's all about everyday life, and if you have a goal you want to reach you can get there with hard work, and I think Stallone's courage was shown in this, and how many gave up on him as a boxer, however he proved them wrong and got a crack at Apollo Creed for a world title fight, yes he lost, but this showed pure respect for him and his ability to go and get revenge in the Rocky series. Stallone fought for this incredible movie that made me want to go the distance and made me strive to work harder and not give up, this film also got me for the first time into boxing a few years ago, it was superb. 

Sub-Genres of a Thriller? - Mystery Thriller

Sub Genres of a Thriller? - Mystery Thriller

Mystery Thriller includes suspense that is usually built up by atmosphere and environment. The reader should be able to, using their mind, solve the mystery alongside the main character. The main character usually is occupied in tracking down the truth about an event, usually a murder. Mystery Thriller's and Psychological Thriller's are very similar in the way that the movie gives you an opportunity to think and find out about who has done a certain thing. A mystery is a who done it?, where the reader is taken on a journey full of carefully laid clues that leads to an ultimate reveal. A thriller employs a 'ticking clock' or 'time bomb' method where there is an imminent danger explained right up front that must be dealt with and found out by, which makes things more intense. So if you combine both aspects, serial killer stories are very often mystery thrillers because there is a definite ' factor of how can you stop the killer combined with the threat of danger to everybody, and the 'mystery' is for the audience to find out 'who is this person and why is he doing this?'.

Here below shows some well known Mystery Thriller films:

Sub-Genres of a Thriller? - Religious Thriller

 Sub Genres of a Thriller? - Religious Thriller

Religious Thriller film provides religious themes, including religious questions, ceremonies, and objects, an example of a religious thriller film could include The Da Vinci code. Usually a sacred artifact or historical secret builds up the plot. Another way in which a religious movie is described is that of a film that seeks to boost a particular religion, usually with the intent to convince the viewer into joining that religion. Supernatural-Religious films are usually just connected with religion and the unknown in connection to God. These films are very similar to Religious Thrillers, this sub-genre often questions the state of current church practices and beliefs.

Here below are some well known Religious Thriller films:

Sub-Genres of a Thriller? - Science Fiction Thriller

Sub Genres of a Thriller? - Science Fiction Thriller



Science Fiction thriller includes a science based plot. This could include heroes, villains etc., in an attempt to create anticipation and suspense. Science Fiction Films are usually scientific, imaginative and visionary which could include advanced technology gadgets (Robots, Spaceships). Science Fiction often expresses the potential of technology to destroy humankind. The first Science Fiction films were produced in the 1920's. The Lost World (1925) was widely known for being the first dinosaur oriented Science Fiction film. This film started a new era of dinosaur oriented Science Fiction films like for example Gojira (1954) and world famous Jurassic Park (1993). Metropolis (1927) as shown on the picture below was directed by Fritz Lang. Fritz Lang and his wife Thea von Harbou wrote the silent film which starred Brigitte Helm, Gustav Frohlich, Alfred Abel and Rudolf Klein-Rogge and it was made in the Weimar period of Germany. Filming took place in 1925 at a cost of around 5 million Reichmarks, meaning this was the most expensive ever released up to that point. Metropolis was funded by Paramount pictures that have funded and produced many world famous modern films such as Paranormal Activity, Interstellar, Iron Man etc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer also helped with funding part of Metropolis.    

Here below are some examples of well known Sci-fi films:

Below is a famous scene in I Robot of a car attack: