Evaluation question 1

Through the use of conventions in films they are usually put forward to reinforce some sort of effect or feeling to convey towards the audience and make them remember a specific experience while watching the product, perhaps from past experience or to either gain new ones and alter people’s minds or feeling towards a particular subject. These effects are all made through the use of conventions which can also determine what kind of genre a film will most likely fit in to. It’s vital to have these in order to create a specific feeling or effect for the audience to follow which can help them to either understand or like the film even more. On the other hand because most of the conventions are well known in specific films sometimes it makes an interesting twist on the story if some directors of films choose to challenge these and bend them in order to fit around the plot or genre. In our film however we stuck very close and true to some of the conventions, using them to our advantage in order to convey and create a specific atmosphere while others we challenged in order to create an interesting twist to some of our characters as well as events that unfold in order to engage and capture audiences and make this film appeal in way that is unique and stands out from others. Upon searching other films among the Thriller genre we took a lot of inspiration in order to help construct ours, learning from others peoples mistakes as well as strengths.

Frame 1 (tilting):

For the first frame we wanted a tilting shot of the protagonist to show her leaning over the camera however still make it clear that she is slouching and presumable in a bad situation. It also builds tension for the audience as they may wonder why there was such a sudden reveal for this character and the first person they encounter in the whole film.  Following this it also consists of a range of close ups and so that the audience can witness what it’s like and the tension of being in this characters position. It also reveals that she is not satisfied where she is in this current time which is further emphasised and expressed through the close ups as we are able to see the emotion the character is going through and almost see that she is trying to stay strong, hiding something from the audience.

The environment that Grace is in is further shown through these next shots where we start to see the environment she is being contained in. This dull lighting was used to keep the serious and intense atmosphere of the room as well as the situation, clearly showing that this was not a safe or pleasant place to be kept in, creating an unsettling as well as curious atmosphere for the audience. This use of setting was inspired by the film ‘Hanna’ as they used this very wisely to convey the lock-down and prison feeling as Hanna was in extreme captivity as well as having cameras all around her to monitor her. We on the other hand choose to have 1 camera considering it may have been unclear and confusing to the audience if the camera angles where all over the place, looking through multiple CCTV cameras. This gave an isolated feeling to both of them with the character by themselves however know that someone is watching them in an unwelcome environment where the protagonist is clearly visible and looks out of place.

 We decided to make sure the room was brightly lit to correspond with the dull and hard walls and floor, demonstrating to the audience that Grace was here against her own free will. This further emphasised in the story that she is innocent and that her character, even though in a place where she is supposed to be receiving help from Demi, still feels alone and clearly showing her attitude towards being locked up and monitored in this place.

we decided to still have the environment still with dull and grey lighting to keep the serious tone of the situation and how the overall building that all the characters are situated in is an unwelcome and dangers place; purposely giving off an eerie and unsettling feeling for the audience as well as mystery.

This was also inspired by Hanna by then having the place where Grace is kept an unwelcome place however then having the place where Demi and her assistant are in a working and professional environment but at the same time still unwelcome towards Grace if she was being presented in that environment. 

Frame 3 (protagonist and antagonist):

The way we made the protagonist clearly portrayed to the audience was in the voice over at the start. Seeing how she was in an unwelcome place however on the first viewing she could be seen as the antagonist because she is in this environment and as the audience soon realises that she is within an interrogation room. This indicated that it is further suspected however when we are introduced to Demi and shown that she is asking too much of Grace as well as morphing her voice through the microphone to emphasise that Demi is not here to help; as she gives the audience a mysterious and unnerving feeling that she is up to something. Although Grace is actually the protagonist and Demi is the antagonist it can still be debated through out the film who is in the good and the bad; considering that even though Grace is suppose to be good some things she does are bad and used for selfish reasons to hurt others. This makes the audience feel on edge as well as curious throughout the film, as they follow Grace through her journey they will be aware that she is not the stereotypical hero and will wonder what choices she will make, whether they are the right ones or not and what effect they will have on her and others around her in the future. It also makes the character more likeable and relatable for the audience as she seems more realistic and down to earth, by not making the right choices all the time and not being the stereotypical good protagonist it creates a sense of reality for the character and that they are not this perfect image of a good guy.  

Frame 4 (Quick cuts)

To keep the pace of the opening going we decided to use quick cuts in the flash back of Grace’s home in order to keep it quick and to the point as well as showing how traumatizing and fearful her life was when she first discovered the Xaviour. In doing so by keeping clips 2 seconds maximum on screen as well as fading over some of them in order to get a sketchy and fuzzy image towards the audience it highlights that this was a quick memory, perhaps not wanting to remember or so traumatizing that there’s not much to remember. It also keeps the audience on edge while watching as if they want to know what happens next in the flash back however it all goes by to fast and are almost left to ponder on what they had just witnessed. 

On the other hand this was the only part of the opening that was quick paced despite the part with the security camera breaking and fizzing to static to highlight Grace finally breaking free from Demi’s watch over her. The rest of the opening is quite dragged out and slow paced in order to keep a serious tone to it as well as representing how Grace feels about the overall situation. Making it seems as though time is passing more slowly as she is helpless in her position, with the only thing she can do is to stay put and answer Demi’s false appeals to help her. Instead of having the whole opening faced pasted to follow the convention we wanted to have it reasonably slow so that the audience may take in the right atmosphere and fully grasp the situation of the story and what has happened up to that point. It almost seems as though it’s going to slow for what is supposed to be happening, giving a disorientating feeling for the audience and almost confusing those in the way that it makes them curious to find out what happens next.

Frame 5 (Mirrors and stairs):

Although we did have a scene where Grace was escaping from the institution to run down a flight of stairs and have the camera looking through the top of the banister to create an   effect of disorientation for the audience, unfortunately we had to cut out this scene because it was too long for the opening. Although the way stairs are used in thriller films, having the top of the stairs a safe place in order to reach further and get closer to the light or a way out of a secluded place, whereas the bottom is where the evil and darkness lies where usually the antagonists are seen. In our film we don’t see this effect but instead have the characters all on the same level in one building in order to show that, despite their age and class, they are both on the same power level and presented as equals in terms of understanding. In the scene we were going to include where it shows Grace running down the stairs it shows that she has finally broken free from Demi’s grasp and making her own way, however then give off the uneasy feeling towards the audience. Considering she is going down the spiralling stairs it almost representing the fact that it’s good she is now free however debated whether it was the right thing to do or if this choice will even benefit her later on in the film as well as what consequences she will face. On the other hand it then makes Demi on a higher level than her, the way it should have been and Grace in a way conforming to the pressure Demi is putting on her however understands that by crumbling under her she can now break off and away from what Demi is planning. This makes a good start for the audience to understand both characters and see what they are like in the first 2 minutes of the entire film. Also by having this understanding they are then able relate more to these characters and be on edge to what choices they will make as well as where the conflict between the two will lead them.

we took the inspiration to use stairs to confuse our audience from shutter island when Teddy is in the insane asylum as this image can be very disorientating to the audience which is what we wanted to implement into Soul.   

Frame 6 (False ending and plot twists):

Even though we couldn't make this relevant in the 2 minute opening there was going to be a plot twist throughout the film and a false ending where supposedly the Xaviour dies and Grace is finally free from the grasp he has over her. However instead of him being gone forever the 4 piece of his soul that represented a specific animal come back to life in the embodiment of that creature, aiding Grace to take revenge on Demi and the organisation that finally broke the connection the Xaviour had on Grace. By doing this it would have carried on the effect right through from the beginning where the audience is still unsure where Grace lies in terms of being a protagonist or an antagonist. Furthermore the feeling of reality that Grace has and how likeable she is for the audience they then wonder why she chooses to do nothing when the link between her and the Xaviour have been broken. This is when she as well as the audience finally realise the Xaviour’s soul still exists and that he will help her take revenge in order to be free from pursuit for the rest of their lives.

We took the inspiration of false endings and plot twists from the focus group we did considering everyone in the group said that they thought it made the thriller film what it is and gave an interesting twist to the film. For example in the sixth sense many people are saying it was one of the biggest plot twists of that time when the film came out and is still talking about because of the false leads it gave the audience and in the end delivered a plot twist that no one was expecting. We wanted a plot twist/ false ending such as this to be highly talked of in our thriller film and perhaps even surprise audiences as much as they were with the sixth sense.

Frame 7 (title and text) :

In order to have the Text correspond with the opening and setting of the film, we have the text surrounded by a light blue glow. This was done to show the supernatural side of the genre and to also represent the Xaviour, as the blue glow symbolises the soul and what it is said to look like. The blue also compliments the dull colouring and lighting of the rooms as it fits into place around the intense atmosphere of the situation.

Furthermore we decided on the title ‘Soul’ as it represents and gives hints to the narrative of the story as well as a hint into the sub-genre, being supernatural. The word ‘Soul’ also represents the embodiment of someone’s life force within themselves having everything such as their personalities inside them. This plays a key part in the story as Graces Soul is damaged at the beginning of the timeline in the story as so the Xaviour who feeds off of Human Souls comes by and agrees to link his Soul to hers in order to heal it, however purposely lies in order to devour it eventually. Although throughout the story this then changes as the Xaviour feels a bond with Grace and in the end refuses it take her life but instead ends up sacrificing his to save her from Demi. We also wanted the title to be short and one worded, straight to the point in order to have it open to different readings and interpretations to the audiences and not self-explanatory. In doing so, as they watch the film and link it back to the title they ponder on what it would truly mean and stand for in response to the main story line as well as the hidden themes and meanings. 

The glowing font to give off a supernatural vibe was inspired from the film "the sixth sense" as the number 6 was glowing orange on the front cover as well as in the opening sequence.

Frame 8 (Special effects) :

In order to create the intense and suspenseful atmosphere as well as slight confusion for the audience we decided to use special effect through the video software’s we used. In doing so we were able to emphasize further what was happening without having to address it directly. For example when the CCTV camera is watching over grace for the first time we had the clip fade to a static TV simulation effect to make it seem as though the audience is looking directly through the camera, giving the audience a hint that Grace is being monitored and imprisoned in some form. 

We also decided to put a morph effect on Demi’s voice in order to make her appear more threatening as well as mysterious as she re-frames from showing what she truly sounds like, also symbolising her status above Grace.   

Frame 9 (Genre):

We decided to choose the sub-genre of supernatural in order to have an interesting twist to a thriller film as they are not the most popular sub genre in the film industry. In choosing this we over all wanted to construct a film that was very unique for a thriller film by dealing with situation, characters and themes in the narrative that wouldn't normally be tackled and shown through other films. It also makes a twist on what would happen as the audience would be completely thrown off from what the sub-genre would include.