Post 14 - Audience positioning

Post 13 - The BBFC/film rating

The BBFC (the British Board of Film Classification) are a non-profit organisation who relies solely on the money from film makers to do their jobs properly, they attempt to cut out any inappropriate content and classify films in categories respectively. The BBFC are independent film regulators who seek to protect the public, mainly children from high risks, as well as enabling the public to make correct decisions about viewing choices. The BBFC look to make ‘the right’ decisions so that there is no uproar from the public, if the BBFC make strange decisions about a film then the views and opinions of society can backfire and the two can come into conflict.


Horror

The use of frightening elements which might scare or unsettle an audience is part of a long tradition of storytelling and film making.

Many children enjoy the excitement of scary sequences, but, where films are targeted at a younger audience, classification decisions will take into account such factors as the frequency, length and detail of scary scenes as well as horror effects, including music and sound, and whether there is a swift and reassuring outcome.

Older audiences often pay to see horror films because they like being frightened or shocked and such works are classified at an appropriate category to ensure that the young and vulnerable are protected from too intense an experience.

Imitable behaviour

Classification decisions will take into account any detailed portrayal of criminal and violent techniques, and any glamorisation of easily accessible weapons, such as knives (Teenage mutant ninja turtles) Works which portray anti-social behaviour (for example, bullying) uncritically are likely to receive a more restrictive classification. Works which, taken as a whole, actively promote illegal behaviour will be cut or rejected. Portrayals of potentially dangerous behaviour (especially relating to hanging, suicide and self-harm) which children and young people are likely to copy, will be cut if a more restrictive classification is not appropriate.

Nudity

Natural nudity with no sexual context is acceptable at all classification levels, but will not occur more than occasionally in the lowest category.

Nudity with a sexual context will receive a more restrictive classification and strong detail in such a context will only be passed in the adult categories.

Sex

The portrayal of sexual activity can range from kissing and verbal references to ‘making love’, to detail of real sex. This is reflected in the classification system, in which progressively stronger portrayals are allowed as the categories rise.

Sex works (works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation) are likely to be passed only in the adult categories. Sex works containing only materials which may be simulated are generally passed ‘18’.

Sex works containing clear images of real sex, strong fetish material, sexually explicit animated images, or other very strong sexual images will be confined to the ‘R18’ category. ‘R18’ video works may be supplied only in licensed sex shops which no one under 18 may enter.

‘R18’films may be shown only in specially licensed cinemas.

These Guidelines will be applied to the same standard regardless of sexual orientation.

Post 12 - Audience

Audience can be defined as a collective group of people who read or consume any form of media. All texts have an audience in mind, an important question to consider is always what is the audience?
Without audiences there would be no media, the audience can often too determine the success of a media product. Media organisations produce media texts to make profit, quite simply this means that no audience means no profit. Mass media is all about the profit!

Katz and Blumer proposed

Katz and Blumler – link!

They proposed audience research into their behaviour that audiences use media texts for a variety of reasons.

INFO

PERSONAL IDENTITY

INTEGREATION AND SOCISL INTERACTION

 

New technology and audience

Old media forms such as TV, Print and Radio, used to have high audience numbers and now they must work harder to maintain audience numbers.

Digital technology has also led to an increasing uncertainty over how we define an audience.

Fragmented audience

The division of audiences into smaller groups due to the variety of media outlets.

EG. Newspapers and magazines you can now find online copies

How do institutions continue to make money?

Nothing in life is free

Free apps

Websites and adverts

Newspapers print fewer copies, to switch to online/tablet copies, mean less money for producing copies.

Mass and niche audiences and examples of both

How do we categorise audiences?

Audiences can be divided into categories based on social class.

Audience research – major part of any media companies work – survey monkey

They use questionnaires, focus groups, pre film screenings and spend a great deal of time and money finding out who would be interested in their product.

DEMOGRAPHICS

Media producers and interested in

Age

Gender

Race

Location of their potential target market. This is called the demographic.

PSYCHOGRAPHICS

Every advertiser wants to target a particular type of audience. Therefore media companies produce texts that target a particular ‘type’ of audience.  Audiences interests and tastes and hobbies.

Link – thinkbox.tv/server/show/nav/914

Group A – what types of media texts would they consume?

Lawyers

Doctors

Scientists

Well paid professionals

Group B

Teachers

Middle management

Fairly well paid professionals

Group C1

Junior management

Bank clerks

Nurses

White collar professionals

Group C2

Electricians

Plumbers

Carpenters

Blue collar professionals

Group D

Manual workers

Drivers

Post sorters

Group E

Students

Unemployed

Pensioners

PUT SCRIPTS UP there

Stuart Hall – Hall views audiences as both the producers and consumers of texts: decoding the meaning encoded by the originator of the text. His approach to textual analysis is that the consumer actively negotiates the meaning.

How do we measure audiences?

Sales, subscriptions, ratings, figures

Who measures them?

NRS

ABC

BARB

Bookseller

New ways in which we measure audience

Social networking

YouTube + google+1 views

Twitter trends

Research

Quantitative

Qualitative

Niche –  Some fishing programme

Mass – Sky sports

Audience engagement

Audiences’ expectations

Audiences’ foreknowledge

Audience Identification

Audience placement

Audience research

 

 

 

Post 11b - New Script

Run

FADE IN FROM BLACK

EXT. LOCATION. Late afternoon

Four friends are running through a large park. Shots cut from angle to angle as we see the four friends frantically running away from what is unknown. As the four friends run we see characters in order from THEO, JOSH, JACOB and CHARLIE.

Soundtrack plays

After a montage of running, music playing and opening credits the four friends seek shelter elsewhere.

CHARLIE

Quick guys we need to find a place to hide.

THEO

There must be somewhere to go.

JACOB

Guys they’re gaining on us. (Shot focuses on JACOB whilst we see several unknown beings in the distance running towards the four friends).

JOSH

We must be close to some shelter by now; we’ve been running for ages!

The four friends scan around for a place to hide; the camera focuses from their point of view as the camera looks around for a suitable place.

CHARLIE

Look over there! (Points to a gate).

JOSH

Why on earth would we go there? It looks like a dead end.

THEO

No Charlie’s right! I remember this place.

JACOB

Yeah we used to go though there when we was little.

CHARLIE

Thank you! But we can talk about our childhood when we’re safe.

JOSH

I still don’t know where this place leads to?!

CHARLIE

If I remember this location correctly, a shed backs onto this gate, providing its unlocked then we can hide in there.

JACOB

OK now let’s hurry up and get in there.

The four friends run up the remainder of the hill and they push on through the gate, once on the other side they follow a path round which follows eventually to the shed which CHARLIE was talking about.

EXT.LOCATION – Outside of shed

JACOB

Quick! Get it open!

JOSH

Oi! Quit your whining! (He turns from JOSH and forces the door open)

The four friends hurry into the shed as JACOB is the last one in, he looks around as he closes the door after checking that the surroundings are clear.

THEO

So what do we do now?

CHARLIE

Now? We wait, we can’t do much more than hide for the moment.

JACOB

And how long do you expect us to hide for?

CHARLIE

It’s hard to tell really, I mean if we hadn’t have bumped into them earlier then they wouldn’t have found us.

JOSH

Ohh yeah…..and who’s to blame for them noticing us?

CHARLIE, JOSH and JACOB turn to THEO who looks puzzled as if he has done something wrong.

THEO

What me?! Why are you blaming me for what happened earlier?

JOSH

Hmm I dunno? (Sarcastically) well it’s a little stupid blasting your music for the whole of the world to hear.

THEO

Slight exaggeration there mate….

JOSH

Well fine, but those infected ‘things’ heard it and that’s left us right in the shit since then.

THEO

Well I’m sorry, what can we do about it now? Haha (laughing)

JOSH

Well you could apologize with some form of effort this time? Is this some sort of joke to you? We could die shortly because of you.

JACOB

Guys….. (Fairly quiet)

CHARLIE

Ok guys stop it (shouting), let’s just accept that Theo made a mistake and all we can do is move on and stick together now.

JACOB

Guys….. (A little louder)

JOSH

Suppose so, sorry man, didn’t mean to snap.

THEO

Its fine mate don’t worry for the minute, but like Charlie said right now we just need to stick together.

JACOB

Guys! (Progressively louder)

CHARLIE

What Jacob?!

JACOB

Listen…..

The four friends listen carefully to what JACOB had previously noticed, they are all quiet as they can hear ‘groans’ and ‘moans’ edging closer and closer to them.

CHARLIE

Guys we need to get out of here, like now.

JACOB

But it’s safe in here?

CHARLIE

Look we don’t know how long they could be out there for, our best bet is to make a break for it now and hope for the best.

THEO

But what if they’re blocking the gate? Then we have no way of getting back out.

JOSH

He’s right, it’s like we need a distraction.

JACOB

Well im not going to do anything, and as if any of us would risk our own lifes……

CHARLIE

I’ll do it

JACOB

Wait what?

CHARLIE

I’ll run out, let them chase me for a bit and then you guys can make a break for it. Then I can break away and catch you lot up.

THEO

Probably easier said then done, what if they catch you?

CHARLIE

Who knows, I’ll have to risk it.

JOSH

Are you sure you want to do this? For us?

CHARLIE

Well one of us has to?

After the group’s discussion, CHARLIE slowly moves outside to see what is outside, we see vivid images of zombies waiting by the gate. CHARLIE then makes a break for it.

CHARLIE

Come on then! (Taunting the zombies)

The zombies frantically turn around to see CHARLIE running away so they chase after her, the other lean out of the shed to see a clear path.

JOSH

Go on Charlie! Come on boys let’s move.

JACOB, THEO and JOSH run towards the gate as JACOB looks desperately back at CHARLIE running in the distance. CHARLIE is then caught by the zombies and falls to the floor, they begin to eat her. She screams helplessly but no-one is around to help.

The final shot appears CHARLIE left on the floor as the camera focuses on her face, she grins at the camera, she is now a zombie.

Post 11a - Old script

Run

OPENING CREDITS

FADE IN

EXT. LOCATION. DUST

5 friends are walking in the middle of a park, unaware of their surroundings. Although they are unaware they are constantly looking around for zombies.

The opening credits then appear on each of the characters as they are walking, the order is from DIEGO, SOPHIE, THEO, JACOB then lastly CHARLIE to show her role as the main character and strong female presence.

CHARLIE

Alright guys, Diego and Sophie you two keep looking ahead just in case.

DIEGO

Got it.

SOPHIE

Check.

CHARLIE

Now Jacob and Theo you keep looking to the left and right, Jacob the left and Theo to the right.

THEO

No problem.

JACOB

Yeah sure.

CHARLIE

Seriously guys do not take your eyes off of your course.

CHARLIE looks ahead but regularly checking back for zombies, she notices that JACOB is looking at his phone as opposed to the left.

CHARLIE

Jacob! Keep your eyes open! (loud whispering)

JACOB

Woah! (jumps)

As CHARLIE looks up to moan at JACOB she takes her eyes off of the path and trips over a large rock. CHARLIE falls to the floor.

JACOB

Haha! (Laughing) I could say the same about you missy!

CHARLIE

At least I’ve kept my eyes open on my area.

JACOB

Ermmm (looking behind CHARLIE).

CHARLIE

What? (Confused)

DIEGO

They’re coming... (Points and looks behind CHARLIE).

As CHARLIE tilts her neck around to see the danger, the camera cuts to the distance across the park/field. Here we see several zombies charging towards the group from a distance.

THEO

Shit...

JACOB

Run! (shouting)

The group begin to run away however as CHARLIE tries to get up she notices that her ankle is hurting and she falls back down to the floor.

CHARLIE

Someone help! (Screaming)

THEO

Shit! Jacob go grab her! We’ll meet you round the corner.

SOPHIE

Just hurry!

THEO, SOPHIE AND DIEGO carry on running to their location, whilst JACOB runs back to help up CHARLIE. JACOB grabs her hand to help her up but she clinches her ankle.

CHARLIE

Ouch! Jacob my ankle it hurts!

JACOB

No time to check it out! Come on they’re gaining on us!

CHARLIE

I can barely stand!

The sound of moaning gradually began to increase as members of the infected began to emerge from the darkness.

JACOB

Get the fuck up now!

JACOB pulls up CHARLIE but zombies gain on CHARLIE and JACOB; they have to fight off a few.

JACOB

Have some of that you......

JACOB picks up an old magazine on the floor and rolls it up, he then proceeds to slap the zombie across the forehead. The camera focuses on the zombie clueless of the impact; JACOB continues to hit the zombie.

CHARLIE

What the....... (Pause)

CHARLIE bends to down to pick up a better weapon (a long stick) and she goes over to the zombie that JACOB is fighting.

CHARLIE and JACOB get away from the group of zombies and meet the others in a nearby car park.

SOPHIE

Seriously what the hell are we going to do?

DIEGO

Fuck knows.

JACOB

We need a plan of some sort, honestly have no idea how we’re getting out of this mess.

Post 10c - feedback from the script

Below is the feedback given upon Dudi Appleton reading our original script and him telling us what could be improved upon. After reading the feeback we were told that we also have the opportunity to Skype Dudi as he was willing to explain his feedback face-to-face online with each of the groups. I was curious as to what Dudi had to say, I wanted to know several of the points in more detail. 

Post 10 - Treatment

In the previous post there is a mind map showing the key elements coming from our chosen logline, after we chose this logline we looked to see how it could develop further. By this I mean that we had to put our ideas together and come up with the treatment for our film. Here is what we arrived at.

"Run" Treatment

Gadebridge Park. Late evening. We open to see a large amount of zombies running franticly across the empty field, Drenched in blood with their organs protruding out of there decomposing bodies. Terrified, a group of 18 year olds run across the field screaming and fighting of the infected as they run. A girl Charlie becomes the focus of our attention as she uses brutally hits an infected zombie in the face with a bashed up baseball bat.

A guy falls to the ground, "Jacob" Charlie screeches as she sprints over to the boy lying on the ground as a group of the infected surround him. Charlie charges through the infected savagely beating them with the bat that she grasps firmly.  She drops the bat as she grasps Jacobs hand and leads him away; they catch up with the rest of the group who are hiding in a nearby car park.

As they can hear the infected closing in around them the group begin to realise that they will not be able to escape this without sacrificing one of their own. The first survivor states that the oldest should sacrifice themselves and states that one of the older survivors should just be left here as bate. An argument breaks out between the group the noise from the argument begins to attract more and more of the infected. Throughout the argument Charlie stays deadly quiet as Jacob begins to attempt to defuse the situation but it is too late.

The infected zombies begin to mass around the group of survivors, they soon are overwhelmed. Charlie shouts and begins to lead the zombies away. Puzzled Jacob asks her what are you doing, He soon clocks on to what she is doing as his face drops and she tells him to run.

She is soon overwhelmed and the savage infected zombies begin to eat Charlie. Everything goes quiet as she is slowly eaten alive as watches Jacob and the others escape she closes her eyes and everything goes black.