The code and conventions of thrillers

Codes and Conventions of Thrillers:

• Has a very fast pace
• Uses straight and jump cuts to keep up the pace
• Music that adds to the tension
• Low key lighting

The codes and conventions of a theatrical trailer and a teaser trailer

Theatrical trailer:

• Longer than a teaser trailer
• More of the storyline is revealed
• Shows the dates the film will be released

Teaser trailer:

• Usually up to 90 seconds long
• Shows a small amount of the storyline
• Won't show the exact date of the film, it would say something along the lines of "coming soon"
• It is released before the Theatrical trailer

Location

We chose this area to be one of our locations as it is a wooded, secluded area.

a perfect place or a muder to occur.










we also chose it becuase it is next to this open field, which was perfect for our chase scene:

Certification

We found it was best suitable for our teaser trailer to have a certificate of 15, due to the following BBFC certification guidelines:

Suitable only for 15 years and over

No one younger than 15 may see a ‘15’ film in a cinema. No one younger than 15 may rent or buy a ‘15’ rated video work.

Discrimination

The work as a whole must not endorse discriminatory language or behaviour.

Drugs

Drug taking may be shown but the film as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse. The misuse of easily accessible and highly dangerous substances (for example, aerosols or solvents) is unlikely to be acceptable.

Horror

Strong threat and menace are permitted unless sadistic or sexualised.

Imitable behaviour

Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on detail which could be copied. Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised.

Language

There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’). The strongest terms (for example, ‘cunt’) may be acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be acceptable.

Nudity

Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context.

Sex

Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour, but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.

Theme

No theme is prohibited, provided the treatment is appropriate for 15 year olds.

Violence

Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and have a strong contextual justification.

Thanks to the BBFC, we were able to make sure our teaser trailer was suitable for a 15 certificate.

Music choices

For our final trailer we had to change music because of copyright issues on our previous choices. We decided to choose two songs from artists we had discovered were unsigned. We chose to crop these songs and then merge them into one for our trailer separated by a sound effect.
Our first song was stigma-

Our second song was... -

The songs we had previously chosen but were unable to use because of copyright issues were
Chase and Status- Fire in your eyes backing track - from 10 seconds in.

Pendulum- The tempest instrumental- from 1.53 seconds in.

We merged these songs together to give the audience a change in music because we felt this would keep their attention better.

Media Aggression

Some people believe that behaviors like aggression may be partially learned by watching and imitating the behavior of others (social learning theory) . Some scholars have concluded that media may have some small effects on aggression. However there is evidence against this idea, for instance, a recent long-term study of youth found no long-term relationship between playing violent video game and youth violence or bullying. One study suggested there is a smaller effect of violent video games on aggression than has been found with television violence on aggression. This effect is positively associated with type of game violence and negatively associated to time spent playing the games. The conclusion was that there was insufficient evidence to show a link between video game violence and aggression. However, another study suggested links to aggressive behavior. One study suggested that adults (i.e. parents) suffering from dissociative symptoms related to post-traumatic stress disorder may be more likely to expose their children to violent programs and video games. There were also links between poverty and how much a child would be exposed to more violent media sources.

Obsessive gaming

Video game addiction is the overuse of computer and video games so that it interferes with daily life. Users usually play compulsively, isolating themselves for the outside world as much as possible. They avoid social contact so their complete focus can remain on the game. Achievements in a game are more important to the person that real life achievements, they lack imagination and often will be moody.

Inclusion of video game addiction as a psychological disorder has been proposed and rejected by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
Some symptoms of video game addiction may include:
Preoccupation

Someone who is addicted to computer, video, or Internet gaming often exhibits an unusual preoccupation with the game or computer when he is away from it. The teen could seem distracted, irritable, or disinterested and may talk about the game almost constantly.

Downplaying Computer Use

It's common for someone with addictive, computer-related behaviors to downplay the amount of time she spends in front of the TV or computer. The person may make excuses, saying she "needs" to be online, or may outright lie.

Lack of Control

A person who is addicted, or at risk of becoming addicted to gaming, is unable to control the amount of time she spends on the computer. She may go online with the intent to spend 15 or 20 minutes, but will keep extending the time until several hours have passed.

Loss of Time

Along the same lines, a person may sit down at his computer, again with the intent to spend only a few minutes, but completely lose track of time and suddenly find that several hours have passed. It is not unusual for someone with a gaming addiction to play through the night and only realize how much time has passed when the sun begins to rise.

Negative Impact on Other Areas of Life

Because the person spends so much time on the computer or video game console, other areas of life are neglected. He may grow distant from friends and family who had previously been close. Homework may go unfinished, causing grades to slip. In more extreme cases, the teen may even neglect personal hygiene, choosing to play video games rather than taking a shower.

Hiding From Negative or Uncomfortable Feelings or Situations

Some people become addicted to gaming because they use it to self-medicate. When confronted with situations or feelings that are uncomfortable (feeling sad, arguing with a friend, or getting a bad grade), the person may "hide" in the game as a method of avoidance.

Defensiveness

When confronted or asked about his time spent gaming, a person may become defensive. Denial is often an indication that something is wrong, especially if the person seems unconcerned that friends and family feel neglected or left out of his life.

Misuse of Money

Someone who is addicted to video, computer, or Internet gaming will spend a disproportionate amount of money on computer-related items. The person will seem to be continually upgrading hardware, software packages, and accessories. This becomes an even greater problem if the person spends money that should be used for bills, groceries, and other necessities.

Mixed Feelings

As with any addiction, use of the "substance" – in this case, the video game – initially causes euphoric feelings, but that euphoria is quickly followed by guilt. Guilt may be felt either over what the person is doing while online or simply the amount of time he is spending at the computer.

Miles' practice tackles

As part of our research, one of our needs for the main actor was to tackle a person as he replicates a violent scene from a video game. Here, we have Miles tackling Andy in various ways for us to find a tackle which looks convincing. We shot from two angles so we could see different visual perspectives of the tackle to decide which looked most convincing from the viewer's point of view.  

Banned :- Manhunt 2

Censors ban 'brutal' video game!

British censors have banned a violent video game from the UK for the first time in a decade.

The video game Manhunt 2 was rejected for its "unrelenting focus on stalking and brutal slaying", the British Board of Film Classification said.

It means the Manhunt sequel cannot be legally supplied anywhere in the UK.

The parents of a Leicester schoolboy who blamed the original game for the murder of their 14-year-old son said they were "absolutely elated".

The original Manhunt game was given an 18 classification in 2003. Manhunt 2, for PS2 and Nintendo Wii consoles, is made by Rockstar Games. The company has six weeks to submit an appeal.The last game to be refused classification was Carmageddon in 1997. That decision was overturned on appeal. David Cooke, director of the BBFC, said: "Manhunt 2 is distinguishable from recent high-end video games by its unremitting bleakness and callousness of tone.

"There is sustained and cumulative casual sadism in the way in which these killings are committed, and encouraged, in the game."

'Morally irresponsible'

The original Manhunt game caused huge controversy and was blamed for the murder of Stefan Pakeerah.
The boy was stabbed and beaten to death in Leicester in February 2004.

His parents believe the killer, Warren LeBlanc, 17, was inspired by the game.
Stefan's mother, Giselle Pakeerah, had condemned the sequel, branding the gaming industry "morally irresponsible".

"We have been campaigning against these games for a long time and the BBFC made the right decision," she said.

Police said robbery was the motive behind the attack on Stefan in Stokes Wood Park on 26 February 2004 - and not the video game blamed by Stefan's parents.

Manhunt's maker Rockstar North has always insisted its games are geared towards mature audiences and are marketed responsibly.

Leicester MP Keith Vaz, who campaigned with the Pakeerahs against the original version of Manhunt, praised the decision to ban Manhunt 2.

Stefan Pakeerah was murdered in 2004

He said: "This is an excellent decision by the British Board of Film Classification, showing that game publishers cannot expect to get interactive games where players take the part of killers engaged in 'casual sadism' and murder."

Teaser Trailer Deconstructions

Chris Nolan loves a viral marketing campaign and Inception was one of the best examples of a well marketed movie. This 63 second teaser gives us no idea really about what the movie is actually about but shows off some of the incredible visuals and action scenes that can be expected. With a simple repetitive backing music that gives a very intense and exciting feel.



Once again Chris Nolan hits a fantastic viral marketing campaign for his second Batman movie "The Dark Knight". The movie we were given this which shows nothing other than the Batman logo, but this teaser is all about the audio. It has some brilliant dialogue from the movie and it was the first time we got to hear the late Heath Ledger in his now legendary performance as the Joker. There is also a clever joker card shown very quickly right at the end, to just heighten the excitement.

Daniel Petric

Teenager Daniel Petric shot parents who took away Xbox


A 17-year-old has been convicted of shooting his parents in the head after they took away his video game.

Daniel Petric killed his mother and wounded his father when they banned him from playing "Halo 3" and took away his Xbox console. He now faces a possible life sentence.

Lorain County Judge James Burge convicted him of aggravated murder for the death of his mother, Susan, 43, and attempted aggravated murder for the attack on his father, Mark, 46.

The judge ruled that although Petric's obsession with the video game, in which players shoot aliens, may have warped his sense of reality, the boy knew what he was doing and had planned the shooting.

On the night of the shooting, Petric used his father's key to open a lockbox and remove a 9 mm handgun and the game.
Mark Petric testified that his son came into the room and asked: "Would you guys close your eyes? I have a surprise for you." He testified that he expected a pleasant surprise. Then his head went numb from the gunshot.

The teenager then put the gun in his father's hand in an attempt to make the shootings look like murder-suicide. When he fled the scene, he only took one item with him: the "Halo 3" game.

Judge Burge rejected the defence attorneys' argument that Petric, 17, of Wellington, Ohio, was not guilty by reason of insanity, saying that the teen's youth and addiction made him less responsible. Petric played the Halo games as much as 18 hours a day at friends' houses when he had the chance. Tried as an adult, Petric now faces a maximum possible penalty of life in prison without parole.

Judge Burge said there was ample evidence that the boy planned to kill his parents. But the judge said he believed playing the games long enough caused physical and psychological changes in the teenager's brain, similar to drug use. "When you stop, your brain won't stand for it, just as it wouldn't stand for it when you quit using heroin or crack cocaine," he said.

The popular Halo series involves destroying aliens. Once the game ends and a new game starts, the aliens return. Simply put, death in the game is only temporary, the judge said.

"I firmly believe that Daniel Petric had no idea at the time he hatched this plot that if he killed his parents they would be dead forever," he added.

Family members have said they have forgiven the teenager. Mark Petric, a pastor at New Life Assembly of God in Wellington, stood up as deputies led his son from court. The teenager turned and gave his father a wave goodbye. "We love you, Danny," the father yelled.

Bungie, once part of Microsoft, developed the Xbox 360-exclusive Halo 3, and Microsoft owns the game's intellectual property. Microsoft declined to comment beyond a statement: "We are aware of the situation and it is a tragic case."

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article5512446.ece

Lara Croft

The Lara Croft film plots are not directly based around a game, however the whole premise and character of Lara is based on the Tomb Raider video games. The games were first developed in 1996 and more than ten games have been released. Two films have been released as part of the franchise which is unusual as the games are usually based around films. Films usually release their own official games as part of their merchandise however it is very rare that a film is based around an existing video game.

Video Games at their most violent

Manhunt 2 game banned in Britain


In a landmark decision representing the U.K.'s first video game ban since 1997, the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has rejected Manhunt 2 for both PS2 and Wii, which now makes it illegal to sell the game within the borders of the country.

In a landmark decision representing the U.K.'s first video game ban since 1997, the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has rejected Manhunt 2 for both PS2 and Wii, which now makes it illegal to sell the game within the borders of the country. A final decision on the PSP version of the game has not yet been made, although it is also not likely to make it past the classification process.

The BBFC's decision was based heavily on the game's bleak atmosphere and its tendency to encourage mindless slaughter.

"Rejecting a work is a very serious action and one which we do not take lightly," said BBFC director David Cooke. "Where possible we try to consider cuts or, in the case of games, modifications which remove the material which contravenes the Board's published Guidelines. In the case of Manhunt 2 this has not been possible. Manhunt 2 is distinguishable from recent high-end video games by its unremitting bleakness and callousness of tone in an overall game context which constantly encourages visceral killing with exceptionally little alleviation or distancing. There is sustained and cumulative casual sadism in the way in which these killings are committed, and encouraged, in the game."

While the original Manhunt game was classified "18" back in 2003, Cooke lists a number of differences in the sequel that support the ban, including the game's "sheer lack of alternative pleasures", the "different overall narrative context", and the game's "unrelenting focus on stalking and brutal slaying".

Of course, the original Manhunt's "18" rating was given before the BBFC's scientific research on games and behavior was completed, although Cooke also notes that it was "already at the very top end of what the Board judged to be acceptable".

Rockstar Games has not yet had a chance to comment on the ruling, although, under the terms of the U.K.'s Video Recordings Act, the publisher has an opportunity to appeal the BBFC's decision. The ban on the 1997 title Carmageddon, the only other video game to be rejected by the BBFC, was eventually overturned after an appeal by the Video Appeals Committee. 

The decision to ban manhunt 2 in the UK was later revoked as Rockstar Games won an appeal to have the ban lifted.

A Quote...

This is a quotation from a Journal of Psychiatry Research 2008:

“Self-control is negatively correlated with game addiction.”

We felt this was really relevant to our film and could help with the premise and influences for our trailer.

Initial Typography Ideas

Here are some text ideas we had for our film poster and general typography. We got them from http://www.dafont.com/ and these are only intitial ideas as we are unsure whether or not we can convert them to the exact colour and style that we like.

Equipment Photo - Sony Bravia

This is Ursula's Sony Bravia that is in the living room. This would be possible to use but it would be inconvienent to move it when we have other options. The room itself is too big and airy for use in our film and the fact that it is so open plan also detracts from the isolation theme of our film.

Equipment Photo - LG

This is a 50" LG Television that has been borrowed for use in our trailer. The boy in the film is going to have the state of the art equipment, even at the expense of other necessities because it is such a big part of his life. The case of Ryan Cleary, although he was actually a hacker, also clearly shows that they are likely to have the best equipment available.

Location Photo - Bedroom

This is another shot of our potential bedroom facing one of the walls. It shows a wardrobe and chest of drawers, we would have to remove all the trophies from shot as a reclusive gamer is unlikely to be of sporting prowess and would not be social enough to go out and compete.

Certification

Suitable only for 15 years and over

No one younger than 15 may see a ‘15’ film in a cinema. No one younger than 15 may rent or buy a ‘15’ rated video work.

Discrimination

The work as a whole must not endorse discriminatory language or behaviour.

Drugs

Drug taking may be shown but the film as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse. The misuse of easily accessible and highly dangerous substances (for example, aerosols or solvents) is unlikely to be acceptable.

Horror

Strong threat and menace are permitted unless sadistic or sexualised.

Imitable behaviour

Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on detail which could be copied. Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised.

Language

There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’). The strongest  terms (for example, ‘cunt’) may be acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be acceptable.

Nudity

Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context.

Sex

Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour, but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.

Theme

No theme is prohibited, provided the treatment is appropriate for 15 year olds.

Violence

Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and have a strong contextual justification.

http://www.bbfc.co.uk/classification/guidelines/15-2/


This is a guideline to age appropriation for films. We decided our film should have a 15 rating. This is because though it is quite a violent film with scenes of obsession and fixation over violence we decided it would not be graphic enough to have an 18 rating. Compared to films such as 'Gamer' and 'Chatroom' we see our film being very similar. However both these films have different factors that ours will not. THerefore we felt the appropriate age restriction would be a 15 rating.

Poster Ideas

For our poster ideas we decided to look at films similar to ours. For this we had to look at films such as 'Mum and Dad (top left), Gamer (top right) and Chatroom (below). We found that the 'Mum and Dad' poster would be difficult to recreate so well with such strange objects to make it appropriate to our film with just one main actor. For the 'Chatroom' poster we found that as the film had more than one main character it again would be more difficult to recreate, however as a group we felt that it was a more relevant poster than 'Mum and Dad' so could take some ideas from it. Finally the poster of 'Gamer'. We thought 'Gamer had a poster that was very unique but also very clever. We like the idea that it was a mix between the game and the person playing the game. We as a group thought 'Gamer' would be the most relevant poster. We thought the 'Gamer' poster would be one we could take for ideas and co-operate the ideas into our poster. It is something that we want to experiment with trying to get a similar effect as our end product.