1. Louis Blakeney 1004
Claremont Fan Court School 64680
OCR Media Studies J526
B324 Production Portfolio in Media Studies

2. Video Brief 7: opening sequence from a new thriller with
storyboard
• I worked in a group of three with Oliver
Walpole, Ryan Apps.
• I took specific responsibility for the editing of the
piece and also worked as Co-Director
• We made a thriller film opening entitled ‘National
Security’
• The genre of our film is of a hybrid
genre, incorporating elements of a psychological and
political thriller

3. Research into similar films/music videos
• JFK: I have researched this similar media text
because of the similar themes present within the
film. For example this films too is also a political
thriller with psychological connotations.
• Transsiberian: I have carefully watched this film
analysing the use of camerawork and
soundtrack, the way that the thoughts of
mistrust and fear from the superior
governmental powers I found very well done and
hoped to try and use some of the techniques
used.

4. Research into similar films openings
• Se7en: I have extensively researched and
analysed the opening to this film as it is
exactly the type of style that I intend to
recreate within my own piece of work. I very
much like the use of very paced editing but
also the psychologically dark tone of the film
opening.

5. Our Target Audience
• Audience profile: our target audience is likely to be both
genders aged from 15 years of age up to 45 years of age.
• They are likely to have seen these films recently: Halloween
(dir. 2007)Zombieland (dir. Fleischer,2009), Shutter Island (dir.
Scorcese, 2010) Inception (2010, Nolan), London Boulevard
(dir. Monahan, 2011), Anuvahood (dir.
Deacon, 2011), Sanctum (dir. Cameron, 2011)
• They are likely to go to the cinema once or twice a month as
well as see films on DVD and downloads on their computers
• Audience figures show how popular the thriller /horror
/action genre is. Box office returns for films similar to mine
show the following figures (source Box Office Mojo): Shutter
Island ($294,803,014);

6. An account of my planning
• I have taken a record of
everything that I have done
towards the project within my
planning – This is an example of
Ryan and I working on our film
opening in class. (This is a day
when Oliver was not present.)
• Including of which my
contribution to the project such
as what I have done towards the
planning of location for shoots
and also control over the editing
and sorting of the general
appendix.

7. How the forms and conventions used in
our film function
• Opening – The extract itself introduces the story through the
telling of a story and displaying the scenes of the plot in a way
that will keep the audience on the ‘edge of their seat’.
• Titles – The titles within our film were striking and stood
out, however they show the
• Mise-en-scene (locations) – within our film the shown
locations that give a dark and menacing tone furthering the
messages of mystery and danger within the extract.
• Costumes – the tone created matches the time period set
within the plot, this is shown through the use of formal 1940’s
clothes

8. Forms and conventions (cont.)
• Sound – Throughout the film the use of discoordinating and ambientic
sounds creates an element of suspense and mystery, thus unnerving the
audience and heightening the experience as a whole.
• Music – The music fits the conventions of typical thrillers through the
• Atmosphere- A general tone of several key elements; such as the dark
sympathy for the victim which is created through the use of music within
the extract which has connotations of mystery and suspense.
• Suspense – the tone of the piece displays to the audience the mystery of
the happenings, this is furthered by the elements of danger present
(within the cinematography and soundtrack) and the unsuspecting of
which. This is turn directly affects the audience when a figure appears out
of darkness only to take Oswald into a metaphoric hell, as the appearance
to the audience. Furthermore the hidden identity of the character adds to
the false sense of security.

9. Audience feedback
• To see how our audience reflected from our project
we invited 15 people from a range of ages and film
tastes to watch a screening. Additionally I uploaded
the project to Youtube.com and asked for a response
from an audience over Facebook.com. They
responded by saying how they enjoyed the
camerawork, soundtrack and editing. However it was
the general census that the title of the film was easily
visible however the feedback displayed that I needed
to make it more profound.

10. How successful our project is as a film
opening
• In my opinion I think that our project is successful as a
film opening especially specifically within the genre of
a thriller. For example; when one watches an intense
thriller it becomes more than a form of entertainment
but rather a psychological experience up to an extent.
• Our film opening keeps elements of tension, mystery
and suspense within the mind of the audience
through the use of fast paced editing, aspects of
camerawork, sound and constant abstract references
to danger which eventually accumulate to a
overwhelming sense of unnerving of reality.

11. How successfully the whole project
answered the brief
• Opening sequence from a new film, including titles, in any
genre or mix of genres chosen by the centre, such as a
comedy or a thriller, together with a storyboard.
• I feel that I have complied with the brief within the work.
As it is a film opening under three minutes in length it is a
hybrid genre of a psychological political thriller (as thrillers
are on of the most popular film genres) which was been
created with a storyboard therefore I think that I have done
everything required within my brief and successfully
answered such to the best of my ability within the amount
of time given.