Research PowerpointCrystal Wall, Quinn Donoho, Anna McGuinness,

Chance Sturrup

Primary Research

Before we could begin the creation of our project we had to conduct surveys to better understand our target audience. Each group member surveyed different groups of people in order to achieve a wider scope of what our audience generally expected from films of the thriller genre.

Questionnaires

Younger people seemed heavily interested in the plot of a film. Most of the young people surveyed said that the plot was the most crucial part of the movie in their opinion.

Older people were attracted towards characters and the star power of actors and directors as well as the plot.

Many people see a certain movie because they like the director.

Most of the people surveyed wanted for the opening to reveal some aspects of the plot, but to keep the main points a mystery.

A predictable plot is never a good way to keep the audience intrigued.

People surveyed also desired for there to be some form of action present in the beginning.

Actors are all important to the movie, since the acting can make or break any movie, but especially an action/thriller.

Audience Analysis Action/thrillers seem to be typically targeted toward the young/middle-aged male population. Some of the women we surveyed said they did not like this genre, but all the men did. That is not to say that women do not like action-thrillers, but the target audience for the movie opening we are making is relatively young men. This said, they want action. They want to watch a movie and see “killing” or a good plot form. James Bond movies were a crowd favorite in this category, and they have quite a good reputation. Other movies such as Fight Club or Hannah were some favorites, possibly since they are not only filled with action, but have a plot that has room to develop. So action is a definite yes, but the movie cannot rely solely on killing and explosions, it needs an unpredictable plot.

Secondary ResearchOpening Credit Analysis

Opening Notes: Jack Reacher

● dramatic music● interesting bullet making

shot● nice establishing shot ● cool cuts between driving

scenes (foreshadow something big will happen)

● security camera shots● gun shot (close up to gun)● close up to face for intensity

Opening Notes: Salt

● suspenseful music sets mood

● echoing foreign voices indicate trouble

● close up shows fear● POV shot indicates

vulnerability● wide long shot from low

down gives sense of the cruelty going on

Opening Notes: Die Hard

● very slow opening allows for better introduction of character

● “dont worry im a cop” allows audience to understand some of the characters skills

● Combines the opening sequence with the beginning of the movie

● conversation with man on plane is an interesting twist to openings for thrillers

Opening Notes: Casino Royale

● Soft yet foreboding music ● Empty building creates sense of

isolation● Rapid flashback to action scene builds

suspense● Black and white color scheme adds to

gloomy setting● Limited dialogue to act as exposition.● Ends with an execution then

transitions into animated title slides

Conclusion: Film OpeningsIn all of the openings studied, with the exception of Die Hard, there is a dramatic or dark orchestral track playing. Most of them also introduce the main character but refrain from going into depth about them. In the case of Casino Royale the main character, James Bond, is revealed but details surrounding his personality aren’t disclosed. The movie leaves the opening open ended so that it can build throughout the rest of the film. There can be some dialogue included but for the most part it shouldn’t pertain to the main plot in any major way. In all of the openings there is a character either traveling alone, fighting alone, or being tortured alone, indicating that a sense of isolation should be established.

Films That Influenced Us

If any films truly influenced the ours, they would be Salt and the James Bond movies. The espionage/on the run story of Salt is what we are going for. Both our movie and Salt are propelled by deceit and action that will keep the audience on the edge of their seats. The James Bond films are the classic spy movie, so they had to have an influence. The use of back tunnels, spy gadgets, and other spy stereotypes that have sprung out of the Bond movie franchise give us an idea as of how to portray our characters.