'Blind Faith' final cut

http://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=rc96FsEYddA

This is the final cut of my media thriller opening, 'Blind Faith', starring Caesar Mahamba, Sorrel Lawrence and Steven Webb, filmed by James Webb (with suggestions partly from myself), edited by myself and directed by James Webb, Solay Elibol, Sorrel Lawrence and myself.

Thriller Evaluation: Question 1 - In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Joseph Cotten in 'The Third Man'

  My opening to a thriller, Blind Faith, is a film which tries to challenge some generic aspects of Thrillers in the construction of mise en scene, though uses others to place itself firmly within the genre.

The title ‘Blind Faith’ is an appealing play on words which hints directly to the plot of the film; a racist/right wing father, blinded by his corrupt moral and religious beliefs, attempts to murder his daughter’s boyfriend out of racial hate and overprotective parenting. Thrillers such as The Third Man and Se7en also utilise a title which hints to the dilemma or crime of the film, The Third Man being the presence of a contradictory third man at the staged death of Harry Lime and Se7en being the Seven Deadly Sins which the killer uses to make an example of his victims.

The primary location of the film was a small council estate in Lakenham, Norwich. The partly dilapidated features of the area are credited to the dark underbelly of Essex in Essex Boys, but at a far less intense level. Unglamorous locations such as our chosen part of Lakenham are a generic aspect of Thrillers which connote the moral corruption in the community. When Samuel and his mother are taken for questioning in Peter Weir's Witness, the streets are dark, unwelcoming and seedy.

  The area is intended to appear built up, suburban, quiet: somewhere where the audience will be shocked at a crime taking place. The somewhat faceless vibe of the suburb means the film could take place anywhere in the country. The possibility of a crime being committed in your own neighbourhood is a powerful tool for creating fear in the audience, inspired by Hitchcock’s Rear Window. The attack takes place in a woodland area around Lakenham, which challenges some of the generic expectations of location in Thrillers. Unlike Essex Boys, which uses the Essex Marshes - a bleak and featureless landscape devoid of any hope of escape - Blind Faith utilises the labyrinthine nature of the woods to give the effect that Caesar is lost in the wilderness and at the mercy of Jason. The struggle to survive the unfamiliar woodland location mimics the frightening backwaters of Deliverance and the camouflaging curtain of flora in Predator.

Morgan Freeman in 'Se7en'

  When choosing the costume of Caesar, we tried to embody the character’s moral ideology and goodness in his choice of attire. Caesar wears plain, monochrome items of clothing including a smart, white, collared shirt and straight black trousers. This work attire was partially inspired by Milky in This is England, who as a young man casually wears white shirts, Samuel and the other Amish characters in Witness, unexposed to the debauchery and violence of the social underworld, and partly by the moral high ground taken by Morgan Freeman as Detective Somerset in Se7en. Caesar’s name was taken from the Roman emperor Julius Caesar. Helen is not necessarily provocatively dressed, but wears a fashionable scarf, jacket and boots. Helen is the modern rendition of a femme fatale, moving away from the subtle sophistication of Anna Schmidt in The Third Man and more into the territories of Lisbeth Salander, the edgy heroine of the Millennium trilogy. Helen’s father, Jason, wears a khaki hooded coat and well-worn denim trousers. The khaki coat has several underlying connotations; the camouflage blends him into the woodland and places him in the role of the hunter; the coat, along with the murder weapon (a large knife) may imply that Jason is a veteran of war, most likely the Falkland’s war; the present day culture of hooded yobs places Jason in the violent working class English stereotype. Jason is a character similar to Sean Bean’s Jason Locke in Essex Boys. Jason stays mostly to the stereotype of the thuggish and racist skinhead, as seen in the This Is England's Combo.

Caesar, Steven & Sorrel

- Caesar plays himself, Steven plays Jason & Sorrel plays Helen

Combo (Stephen Graham) in 'This is England'

  The choice of soundtrack was inspired by the opening credits of Se7en, which uses Nine Inch Nails’ song ‘Closer’. I chose the song for my cut of Blind Faith because it was laden with peculiar noises and effects. There are no lyrics or especially loud segments to distract the audience from the visual experience. The music is there only to intensify the tension and overall menace of the opening sequence.

Chiaroscuro in 'The Third Man'

As in the sewer sequence of The Third Man, chiaroscuro lighting is used during the attack scene in the woods. The contrast of the dark of the woods and the light of the setting sun is a visual metaphor for the good and evil of Caesar and Jason, as well as Jason’s emergence from the dark, which is similar to the arrival of the killer in Rear Window out of the darkness. The cliff-hanger uses the extinguishing of a candle in unison with the scream, apparent death and fall of Caesar to imply Jason’s attack. The sequence of the turning of the tap makes the film in it’s entirely appear like a flashback, as in Memento, or as part of a hallucination/dream sequence, as in Vertigo.

  To conclude, Blind Faith uses forms and conventions to please the existing audience: The lighting aspects take inspiration from film noir and Hitchcock, costumes play to stereotypes inspired by Essex Boys and Witness, sound follows the atmospheric and unnerving tones of Se7en and the title is typically memorable. The femme fatale is developed by down tuning Helen’s sexuality and granting her the strength to defy her father. Generic locations are challenged with the removal of large faceless landscapes and the use of woodland to create the vital sense of isolation.

Thriller Evaluation: Question 2 - How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My opening to a Thriller interacts with several well-known stereotypes, both challenging and utilising a range of social assumptions.

Michael Caine in 'Harry Brown'

The conflict between different generations in Blind Faith is represented as a violent and ongoing one. As in Harry Brown, the older generation asserts its authority against the perceived hoodlum youngsters, but unlike the film, in which Michael Caine seeks revenge on a gang of teens from a South London estate for the murder of his only friend, the character of Jason is positioned as the villain. He is disillusioned in his overwhelmingly racist religious beliefs, so tries to protect his daughter by attempting to murder Caesar. Similarly to Harry Brown, the teens are the victims of the violence of the elder character, but instead of being a vigilante force for justice, Jason is the insane culprit to an unjustifiable attack on an innocent teen.

Noomi Rapace in 'The Girl Who Played With Fire'

  The representation of female characters in my film is limited to a degree. The only female lead role in Blind Faith is Sorrel, who plays Helen. Helen plays partly to the stereotype of the femme fatale, leading Caesar into dangerous territories with her feminine charms, but she means well and maintains her composure throughout. We sourced her defiant personality from Noomi Rapace’s portrayal of Lisbeth Salander in the Millennium trilogy. In my cut of the footage I wanted to create a female character that could hold her own in the presence of her villainous father, but still manage a stable relationship with Caesar. Caesar himself lies within the stereotype of the protective, heroic man. He is chivalrous and respectful of his girlfriend and determined to defy the wishes of Jason, who plays to the stereotype of the overprotective father. What may not be expected by the audience is Jason’s psychopathic will to kill Caesar.

There is not necessarily any clash in my film between social classes. Caesar is intended to be from a similar background in society to Jason and Helen’s working class family, though his great ambitions for his future have spurred him to break out of the bottom demographic via extensive study. The conflict is instead linked to Caesar’s race.

The most important decision in choosing the actors to play the three main roles was choosing Caesar as the hero. The underlying theme of the film is the threat of racism, whether brought on by religion or upbringing. We wanted to challenge the racial stereotypes and cast Steven, the white British father, as the main antagonist so as to label racism as criminal. A crime can be committed by anyone of any race or gender, and the prospect of racial role reversal was an exciting idea, so it was decided that Caesar would be the moral figure, much like Det. Somerset in Se7en.

Status is touched on briefly in the continuous door-slamming transition sequence of Blind Faith. Caesar and Helen walk up to the porch of the house side by side and interlocked with each other; their close proximity suggests they are in a relationship. Jason opens the door for Helen and the audience comes to assume that he is a figure of authority in her life. He slams the door on Caesar, which further shows authority and Jason’s dislike of him. The building up of the repeated action represent's Jason's pent up fury slowly rising to fever pitch.

Contemporary Britain in Blind Faith is represented as deceivingly safe. The suburban community is a family of sorts spanning all nationalities, and nature, although separated from humanity, is never far away. But when night falls the streets take on a completely different persona; danger may lurk around every corner, out in the woods or even on the street where you live. Any major settlement has its own seedy nocturnal activities and inner corruption, as seen in Witness and in Jackie Brown, when Ordell persuades Beaumont to sit in the car boot before killing him.

My thriller communicates a message of equality and how multiculturalism must be accepted in modern society. It takes into account that hate crimes and racism are still prevalent, but teaches the audience that such opinions are ignorant and immoral, and with work racial hate criems are preventable.

Thriller Evaluation: Question 3 - What kind of media institution might distribute your media product?

If Blind Faith were to be brought to full length, independent film companies such as WT2 (now defunct) or Warp might decide to fund and distribute it. Because the film deals with situations which are recognisable to many young people in mixed race relationships and challenges ethnic stereotypes, an independent company may want to give it funding. Due to Working Title’s affiliation with Universal and the particularly British, niche market tones of Blind Faith, a distribution by Working Title would seem unlikely. Warp Films is widely known for targetting the 16-25 bracket with many unusual and entertaining films (including Richard Ayoade's Submarine) and music videos, so interest may be sparked by this, although considering the record of obscure short films such as Rubber Johnny and collaborations with Aphex Twin the story of my film may seem too predictable for Warp’s audience.

In its current state as a short opening to an unmade film, Blind Faith may be more at home on the internet. The most likely place of distribution would be YouTube because of its capabilities of distributing videos to a large, worldwide audience as well as there being no need to provide a fee to host the film. YouTube is also available on multimedia devices such as modern games consoles and iPods.

Unless as a pre-feature short, my film would not be suited to the cinema; if developed as feature length, it would be shown in independent facilities such as the Norwich-based Cinema City instead of corporate multiplexes like Vue or Odeon. If polished well enough, the film may be entered into one of the many yearly short film competitions open to aspiring directors. If popular, it may be given distribution on TV Choice on Demand for Virgin TV through Virgin Media Shorts, which fund and exhibits aspiring directors' work.

Thriller Evaluation: Question 4 - Who would be the audience for your media product?

Blind Faith aims to appeal mostly to the demographic of 16 to 25 year olds of both the male and female gender. Caesar and Helen are intended to be within the age of this demographic, so the demographic will be able to identify with them. Helen is an attractive young woman with the will to defy her father and escape the boredom of suburban life; she is a possible role model to the female audience and may draw in a male audience with sex appeal. Caesar is an excellent role model for young males; he is of good physical fitness, hard working, well dressed and moral, despite being from a humble background and having the odds stacked against him by Jason. The female audience, again, may be attracted by sex appeal, as well as Caesar’s moral attitude. Caesar’s multiculturalism also encourages young adults of any ethnicity to watch the film, thus spreading the message of racial equality. Teenagers may be keen to defy their elders and the presence of Jason in Blind Faith connects with the recurring stories of conflict in the sensationalist news.

Luc Bresson's 'Léon'

The theme of Blind Faith is in part the occurrence of hate crimes in contemporary Britain. My chosen demographic are used as scapegoats in the sensationalised reporting of antisocial behaviour and hate crimes in tabloid newspapers. The role reversal of Caesar, who defies the stereotype and becomes the hero, and Jason, who is positioned as the violent yob, gives the 16-25 demographic a chance to fight back against the over hyped assumptions of violent and antisocial teenage gangs. The location in the less than glamorous suburbs is a portrayal of what life is really like for some citizens of contemporary Britain, in contrast to the over hyped upper class period dramas such as Atonement or The King's Speech. The soundtrack’s eerie sound effects and feedback transcends genres; the musical preference in Blind Faith barely matters, as long as the music heightens the tension. The popularity of action thrillers such as Léon and Essex Boys is huge within the male 16-25 audience, so I exploited this expectation of conflict in Blind Faith.

Forbrydelsen - The Killing

I would expect my male audience to consume films such as Léon and Essex Boys. An amount of the male and much of the female audience may watch The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and its sequels because of Lisbeth Salander’s sex appeal and impeccable ability to defend herself. The themes of Blind Faith are positioned slightly away from the mainstream, and in terms of TV thrillers, shows such as The Killing may be more apt for what my audience expects from a thriller broadcast on television.

Thriller Evaluation: Question 5 - How did you attract/address your audience?

 After my film was finished, I was required to take survey data from Year 13 viewers and my course teachers for feedback. When asked which parts of the film were prevelant, the unanimous descision was that the flashback/transition of the repeating door slamming was what they liked the most, and that the titles were adequate but not a primary part of the atmosphere. It was also commented that the music fits the theme of the film well, and that the forest sequence was good, my teachers commenting especially on the birdsongs in the background and light coming through the trees. Out the the films that the survey audience had been shown, mine was said to be less 'cheesy' than some others and was somewhat gritty, but the relevance of a shot of Jason reading the Bible was questionable, so was cut before exporting the film.

Blind Faith begins with a close up shot of Jason (Steven Webb) staring menacingly into the bathroom mirror. The audience is given no hint on Jason’s intentions, but he appears menacing, so a sense of mystery and interest is established surrounding the antagonist. Caesar and Helen then walk up the drive and establish themselves to the teenage demographic. The repetitive nature of the bathroom scenes creates a formula that the audience can easily follow. The gradual reveal of the blood on Jason’s hands is intended to give the audience a taste of what may be to come, as well as to keep them on the edge of their seat in the opening sequence, lure them in to watch the rest of the film and create the impression that the entire sequence is a flashback of Jason’s attack on Caesar; whether or not Caesar has survived this attack has not been revealed, as unanswered questions presented in opening sequences help to stop the audience from losing interest. The music, as mentioned previously, heightens the tension. Caesar’s scream on the last few seconds was sampled directly from the raw footage, lengthened, and placed back into the shot; the resulting scream is blood-curdling, which may encourage further viewing. The film is appealing because the crime occurs in a neighbourhood not dissimilar to where some of us may be living. The concept of attempted murder happening just outside of your door is an extremely powerful tool for creating fear. The question of wether Jason is contemplating the murder or has already attacked Caesar keeps the audience glued to the screen.