The affect of SFX in thriller films:
Pros:
The purpose of the thriller genre is to create effects and visualize near impossible events that entice the audience. Therefore the sole aim to achieve this genre is to grasp how to achieve these effects during post production. Researching this aspect would not only further my knowledge and understanding of post production, but take me to a whole new part of editing as a whole. I believe that this research is also a smart decision, as studying special effects is a vast area of research, enabling me to choose the perfect type for my project. I also believe this research is important as special effects make a project easily stand out from the others. Standing out from the crowd is key in gaining notice from other filmmakers as well as people higher up in the business of film making.
Cons:
The effects of editing in drama films:
Pros:
Researching the specific area of post production feeds me information relevant to my specialty area. Not only knowing how editing effects a drama, but what types and techniques of editing can add whats needed to make a film a drama. With the knowledge that post production can manipulate a project to most to any genre, researching further would only increase my chances of hitting the target theme for my film. This investigation will be easy to find information on as there are many previous videos and websites that discuss this particular area and its effects. Not only will this research further my knowledge of specific editing techniques such as mood colour grading and transitions, it will give me a direction of which way to approach post production. This is a drastic and important part of production, meaning researching this will ensure me that I know how to fix and improve any part of the film.
Cons:
The cons of researching this aspect of production are because I have already focused on editing in the past. This may be seen as a waste of time when I could be ensured a more balanced finished project. Focusing on post production leads to an unbalance in skill level of every other aspect. for example, researching and practicing sound design or cinematography could lead to a higher quality all around project. Another con of researching this is that drama films require more knowledge of cinematography techniques, to create the effect without having to edit it. Having this knowledge will make it easier and less time consuming as the raw film will not require an overload of time and effort to fix. This time could be spent improving other factors of production.
Impact of social issues in drama films:
Pros:
The pros of researching social is are that the audience is targeted with a matter that reaches deep emotions. Combating a social issue also adds meaning and purpose to a film, as it gives it something to address to the audience. The effect of social issues increases links with the audience, either helping them understand what the issue is, or showing another perspective of it. Another benefit of addressing a social issue is it inflicts positive attitude to the audience about how the matter should be noticed and fixed. Highlighting these issues gives the audience understanding so they can approach the issue with the knowledge that they have been addressed.
Cons:
The cons of addressing certain social issues are that it may not integrate with the full audience. Social issues can decrease the amount of range in the audience, as it only targets and hits the emotions of those who have experienced the issue personally. Those who do not share the experience may not view the films meaning as deeply as other viewers. Without linking to the audience, the project may seem empty with a lack of purpose. As this is a drama project, failure to link emotionally with the audience leaves a lack of interest in the audience. Portraying a social issue to someone who doesn’t know about it will leave them with that sole view that the film is what the issue is, however the films purpose is to display a different perspective, not the first one they see.
Proposal: The affect of SFX in thriller films:
The area I am proposing to investigate is how special effects drastically effect and improve projects of the thriller genre. I have chosen to research this solely to achieve a project that can stand out. I thoroughly believe that special effects are a key aspect of creating excitement for the audience and dramatic tension. I also decided to choose this due to the fact that twisting reality and creating visual effects unique to my story line can entice the audience more into the deeper plots of the film, as well as letting them further understand the characters developed throughout. Showing the audience something new that they have never witnessed, can affect their emotions towards the film. Over the years of film making, special effects and post production have transformed the thriller genre. For example, remakes of classic films such as IT (1990) and Beauty and the Beast (1991) have been recreated with special effects. This is a perfect portraying of how modern day visual effects can drastically uplift and improve films. Seeing the comparison may take away the original ‘magic’ of the film, but it does show a great comparison of how this technique can improve a project from any genre – this will be a huge help as my film has more than one genre. The thriller genre however, almost requires a sense of non reality to affect the audiences interest. Thrillers may otherwise appear ‘boring’ as they do not fulfill the genre. Selecting this topic of research assists me in achieving the genre I am targeting more than any other research I have planned.
What research I intend to carry out:
The research I intend to carry out is to obtain books that address and explain the use of special effects, as well as a tutorial type book on how to create them. These will be found in the library and booked out over Christmas. Chapters will be pre selected in order to spend my time researching relevant information that will assist the production of my film. I will also spend my time researching via YouTube videos and tutorials of specific effects that will be used in post production, such as gunshots and explosions. Some of the channels I watch and learn from are ‘LOBO Films’, ‘Cinecom.net’ and ‘Peter McKinnon’. These pages are useful to gain software techniques from beginner to expert level, with a vast amount of effects suitable to my research. I’m aiming to achieve a higher understanding of editing during the course of this research, as well as knowledge of a new form of post production, which is special effects. The specific books I will use are Thrillers Rubin, M. (1999), Special FX Wilkie, B. (1990) and Digital Domain Bizony, P. (2002). Both give tutorials and teach more of the history of special effects, as well as when and where to use it. Another book I chose was “Thriller” This book delves into the meaning of the thriller genre, giving me a deeper understanding of how the genre works and what techniques best achieve it.
What practical experiment will I carry out:
My practical experiments will contain shooting multiple parts from the final idea, such as an explosion in the final scene, as well as having photo shoots to see which lighting best achieves the aesthetic I am aiming for. I will also follow tutorials on YouTube to keep my editing skill level high enough to be ready for production, as well as picking up new skills and techniques along the way.
How this will help me develop as a film maker:
I will develop as a film maker as I will learn a new aspect of production as well as furthering my knowledge of other aspects I have previously experimented with. Having knowledge of more roles in film making will develop my understanding of film making as a whole. This will also keep me ready for production on any projects I have in the future, as I will be able to add my skills to the film. Knowing all the other roles of film making as well as developing my own in this independent project will keep me open to the work other people put in on their part of production.
Corey Barnsley - Film and TV 
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