Character profiles
Adalade Mathews, as a child:
She is a 10year old girl, she is taller than average and has short brown hair and hazel eyes. Her mother died when she was 7years old and she now lives with her father; however she is a sufferer of domestic abuse at the hands of her father, her only family member. Due to this life of torment and violence as she finds herself forever locked in the attic space of their home, she is covered in bruises and is a very quiet, nervous, shy little girl who is petrified of the dark and her father.
Adalade Mathews, as an adult:
She is a 23year old woman, she is shorter than the average woman and she now has long brown hair and hazel eyes. Despite her background of domestic abuse at the hands of her farther she has now turned her life around and is a fully qualified psychologist, she has chosen this career in order to help other sufferers and come to terms with her past. She now owns her own house and lives in it with her 6 year old daughter. However her life has been dramatically affected by her past and she is still quiet, shy and afraid of the dark, but she has found herself having terrible dreams since the release of her father from prison.
Father:
The father in this film is known and referred to as he and him; however his name is actually Albert Mathews. When released from prison he is aged 57, he is tall and has a large build, he also has brown hair and hazel eyes. Before Adalade was born he was in the army however was struck off. From the age of 5 he was aware of the domestic violent abuse that effected his mother and sister at the hand of his father and when Albert had misbehaved and needed to be punished his father would force him to watch the domestic abuse towards his female family members; however growing up with this he somehow believed that it’s was the norm and so when he got married he then saw no problem with abusing his wife, however when she was killed in a car crash he then turned his attention to his daughter and when found guilty by the courts received 13 years without parole.
Script
Adalade as a child*
INT GARAGE. CUT IN. CLOSE UP-TEDDY.MIDDAY
The audience can see a TEDDY’s face in a dark room; the TEDDY is lying on his side
REVERSE. CLOSE UP-ADALADE.
The audience can see a young girl’s face in a dark room; she is also lying on her side and is looking at the TEDDY
SHOT. EXTREAM CLOSE UP-TEDDY
The audience can again see the TEDDY however this time it rakes up most of the frame and has not changed his position
REVERSE. EXTREME CLOSE UP-ADALADE
The audience is again shown ADALADE’s face in a dark room this again takes up the whole frame and she is still in the same position.
CUT IN. HIGH ANGLE. MIDDAY
We see a shot of ADALADE looking at the TEDDY in what seems to be a mirror image in the same dimly lit room.
CUT. CLSOE UP, TRACKING-ADALADE
There is a shot of ADALADE in the same room still lying down, however the as she sits up the camera follows her actions.
CUT. FULL SHOT-ADALADE and the TEDDY’s head
We can see ADALADE sitting upright holding her knees to her chest; we can also see the back of the TEDDY’s head in the bottom left hand side of the frame. ADALADE then reaches for the TEDDY and holds it close.
CUT. MID SHOT of ADALADE. FULL SHOT of TEDDY.
We see ADALADE look eye to eye with the TEDDY, she then pulls the TEDDY towards her face.
CUT. OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT. CLOSE UP-ADALADES mouth.
We see the back of the TEDDY’s head and a shot of ADALADE’s mouth and the bottom of her nose as she whispers to the TEDDY
ADALADE:
He’s here
CUT. FULL SHOT of DOOR. OVER THE SHOULDER
We see a shot of the door from behind ADALADES head looking at the door in the dimly lit room.
CUT. CLOSE UP of the DOOR.
We can see most on the door in the frame, and no lighting has been changed however this time we are looking at it more form ADALADE’s point of view rather than over her shoulder.
CUT. FULL SHOT of ADALADE.
We are shown a full shot of ADALADE holding her knees to her chest in the dimly lit room. The camera then CRANES up to produce a slightly HIGH ANGLE shot of ADALADE without changing her position.
CUT. EXTREME CLOSE UP on DOORHANDLE.
The DOOR HANDLE fills the left hand side of the frame and is slightly lit on one side in the otherwise dark room.
CUT. EXTREME CLOSE UP-ADALADE.
ADALADE’s eyes and the bottom of her nose is the only thing that is visible within the frame, her eyes are filled with fear and there is a large amount of light on her face.
ADALADE’s face is then covered in shadow and it is hard to distinguish her facial expression and features.
CUT. BLACK SCREEN.
We can see nothing, but can hear screaming and whimpering.
Adalade as an adult*
EXT. CUT. ARIEL SHOT-ADALADE.
ADALADE wakes up suddenly in bed and gasps loudly.
CUT TO CREDITS
Tuesday, 10 November 2009
section 7: Production material- storyboards and shotlists
Nostophobia
Every night is the same for Adalade, constant sleepless nights that she has never been able to control. You see Adalade keeps a secret, a secret that she even tries to keep from herself; a secret so painful that it torments her every single night of her life. Nobody knows of this secret and Adalade makes sure of it, you see this secret has manipulated Adalade to believing that it never happened in the first place, but yet it happened and there are scars to prove it.
At one point Adalade had a normal childhood with normal things, normal parents and a normal life; nothing was wrong until she reached the age of seven. This is where Adalade’s life would be flipped upside down, inside out and then spat into the gutter. You see there was an accident involving a 4 tone lorry and a little family car, and inside this little family car was Mrs Mathews a fourth grade teacher; also known as Adalade’s mother. A seven year old girl losing her mother, what could be worse? Well let me tell you.
After the accident things were changing in Adalade’s home, her father was manic depressed, he couldn’t even wash his own clothes let alone look after a seven year old girl who had massive needs. For the first few months Adalade’s father was a drunk, a shadow of his former self, his behaviour began to change dramatically and it was for the worse. Some times Adalade would go without food for days, wearing the same clothes for weeks and never being shown affection when it was severely needed. However this was the good side to Adalade’s life now, not being fed or clothed was often a relief for her, you see her father turned against Adalade, he could see his wife in her and it drove him insane, he could not look Adalade in the face without bursting into rage or into a depressive mess.
Then things got worse, much worse.
“Mr Mathews, this is Adalade’s school here, we haven’t seen your daughter for at least 2 months, and we have tried ringing on several occasions but there has been no answer”
“Yes?” replied Mr Mathews
“Well what is the reason for this absence? We know about your wife and that things must be difficult, however Adalade needs to be in school, it may do her some good”
“YOU DONT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MY WIFE! And as for Adalade .......well how do you know what is best her? Goodbye!”
This phone call was the start of dreadful events, Adalade’s life would now be living hell and there was no escape.
“Not been school Adalade?” asks Adalade’s father
“w.....well I can’t get there.... daddy” Adalade replies looking at the floor and fidgeting with her hair.
“So.....this is my fault? Is that what your saying? MY FAULT!? I SPOSE YOU THINK YOUR MOTHER WAS MY FAULT TOO, DONT YOU? Listen to me you little bitch, things are going to change around here and I mean this!” Mr Mathews is mad, real mad, and mad to the point of explosion; his face goes bright red with his veins protruding out of his head. He grabs Adalade by her hair; beats her repeatedly across her whole body and then throws her into the attic.
For many months this abuse was happening, no one around to know or do anything about it, Adalade was all alone. She had nothing and no one to care for her, spending most of her days in the dark crying out for her mother; however this crying attracted him. It wasn’t as if Adalade didn’t want to go to school but the bruises and marks on her face made it very difficult, plus it’s doubtful for a seven year old to take full control of their lives. As time went on and the abuse from her father got severely worse Adalade was a shell of a child, she was so terrified off her father that she spent every hour of every day in the attic, she wouldn’t dare leave for the thought of him catching her.
Until her 9th birthday....
They both came flying out of the front door of the house, Adalade is screaming intensely hoping someone will notice, and they did. Just so happens that a police car was rolling down the street and caught this little girl screaming and a man who looked threatening in pursuit of her.
The police stopped Albert and took Adalade for safety, they discovered the attic in the house and also the fact that Adalade was kept in there most of her days, they found all the server scars on Adalade’s body and the fact that this is one tormented child. Albert had no chance, they had caught him red handed and there was nothing he could do, this had gone further than just domestic troubles. Albert was sentenced to thirteen years in prison.
As time went on Adalade began to take control of her life, she began back at school and wanted to help people who are in the same position as she was. Adalade became very motivated in her life, taking complete control for the first time since her mother died. As the years past the memories of her father and the attic were fading out of her life, however they came back and tormented her at night, this Adalade could not escape.
Now a successful psychologist and studies of domestic abuse Adalade does help the people who are stuck in these dark and painful situations, after all she is defiantly one to understand. Also a nice surprise was installed for Adalade, she gave birth to a little girl which she cherished with her whole life, nothing was more important to Adalade.
As time went on and Adalade and her daughter led a very close, but yet normal life and to Adalade nothing could ruin this life she was leading. Well so she thought....
Its been thirteen years since her father went to prison and she had no idea what he had installed for her, his ‘precious’ daughter. To Albert Adalade has destroyed him, his wife died and then his daughter betrayed him and he wanted revenge.
When Adalade was at a dinner party she had a phone call, a muttering, deep voice on the other end. Adalade paniced because it was her baby sitter ringing, all she could think about was her daughter. She drove back as fast as she could to find her daughter missing and her baby sitter unconscious laying on the floor. Hysterically she rang the police and a full search is trying to find Adalade’s daughter.
This was Adalades nightmare, she couldn’t function, all that was going through her head was the thought of her daughter being harmed. In was now a week and there has been no leads for the police to follow, this was crushing for her. It was late at night and Adalade got a phone call, this voice was so familiar to her... almost too familiar... then it came to her. It was her father, the man she banished from her life and never speaks a word about. She knew that he was out for his revenge and was taking it out on his granddaughter.
She now has to go through all her past memories that she has suppressed for so many years and this itself breaks Adalade down into a depressive mess. She decides to use her links in the law enforcements; she has no faith in the police so takes action herself. She requires her own firearm. Out on the hunt to find her father and daughter Adalade was on a old country lane when she witnessed a car accident, this accident was very strange, nobody in the car... however there was a address scratched into the bonnet, 197 Totters Road. Adalade went white, his address shook her through and through because it was the house where she was held and beaten by ‘him’.
Adalade made it to this address and entered, the house was a mess and falling apart. All of a sudden Adalade was hit over the head and everything went black, it must of been a few hours later she came around to find herself tied up in the attic she had spent her childhood in, but one thing was great for Adalade, she was with her daughter.
After several hours of being beaten by her father all the memories came flooding back to her and she lost herself, however there was a protruding nail sticking out of the floor board just behind her hand, using this nail she managed to rip her hands free and grabbed the hidden pistol from inside her boot, Adalade got her daughter to safety and waited for her father to come through the attic door. BANG BANG BANG BANG ....six shots, right into the chest of her father and she had a strange satisfaction of putting this monster in his place, in hell.
Adalade and her daughter are now safe, all the monsters in her closet have seemed to fade away, she can live her life with her little girl.
section 8: Recce and location sheets
Health and safety
Production health and safety is extremely important as it keeps everyone safe and all of the equipment in one piece, this reduces in an easier to produce film.
Something’s may seem almost trivial however it is always important to ensure the clips are always fastened correctly and that the tripod is always placed in a level place to avoid it falling over. Another simple thing is making sure all cables that can be taped down are taped down to avoid accidents and those that cant be taped down have a stool or object is over it to show that the cable is there. Forms of contact are also important as if there is an accident it will be the only way to alert someone this means that they must always be charged and have credit on them when filming outside.
Another thing to take into account is the fire exits and emergency procedures, this then applies to the crew and the actors as they should all know where to go and what to do. Another important thing to know is where the first aid kit is as this minimises the need for of site treatment.
When filming off site at night, early morning or any time of day you must be aware of the fact there are fewer people around this could be a good thing, however this also means if there is an accident there are fewer people who can help. Weathering conditions are also important as frost and ice can not only be bad for costume and actors but can also be dangerous when positioning the tripod of moving with the camera, the most obvious but still on that is important if it is early morning or of a night it is going to be darker than usual, this means there are more dangers of tripping and falling but also of things such as muggings ect, to ensure you are not attacked or mugged it is always a good idea to film in a group of three, as if there is an accident then there is someone to stay with the injured person an then one to go for help.
Finally there are some technical things to be aware of when using the equipment, the light (red heads and blonds) can reach between 800-1000 watts this making them extremely hot. This means that you should not touch any part of the head of the light as it will also be very hot and can cause severe burns. You must also ensure that you do not touch the bulb weather it be hot or cold, if hot it can melt through your skin, if cold you can leave grease on the bulb and this will cause it to shatter once it is turned on and becomes hot enough.
Location sheet
Opening scenes:
--garage, jess’ house
Address:
-Sutton park,
Runcorn, WA7 6AA
--bed room, jess’ house
Address:
-Sutton park,
Runcorn, WA7 6AA
Recce
This image is of the garages and the area in which in Adalade lies in our opening sequence, originally we were going to film in an attic or loft space however we felt that the garage would be safer for out group and the actress and that is had a more sinister feel and was easier to gain access to.
This is where at the end of the opening sequence Adalade as an adult sharply awakes, we decided to use this space as it looked mature enough for an adult, was easy to access and worked well with the feel of the overall film. It is a simply room with little artwork and is also very mellow this then worked again as there was nothing to draw attention away form Adalade.
Production health and safety is extremely important as it keeps everyone safe and all of the equipment in one piece, this reduces in an easier to produce film.
Something’s may seem almost trivial however it is always important to ensure the clips are always fastened correctly and that the tripod is always placed in a level place to avoid it falling over. Another simple thing is making sure all cables that can be taped down are taped down to avoid accidents and those that cant be taped down have a stool or object is over it to show that the cable is there. Forms of contact are also important as if there is an accident it will be the only way to alert someone this means that they must always be charged and have credit on them when filming outside.
Another thing to take into account is the fire exits and emergency procedures, this then applies to the crew and the actors as they should all know where to go and what to do. Another important thing to know is where the first aid kit is as this minimises the need for of site treatment.
When filming off site at night, early morning or any time of day you must be aware of the fact there are fewer people around this could be a good thing, however this also means if there is an accident there are fewer people who can help. Weathering conditions are also important as frost and ice can not only be bad for costume and actors but can also be dangerous when positioning the tripod of moving with the camera, the most obvious but still on that is important if it is early morning or of a night it is going to be darker than usual, this means there are more dangers of tripping and falling but also of things such as muggings ect, to ensure you are not attacked or mugged it is always a good idea to film in a group of three, as if there is an accident then there is someone to stay with the injured person an then one to go for help.
Finally there are some technical things to be aware of when using the equipment, the light (red heads and blonds) can reach between 800-1000 watts this making them extremely hot. This means that you should not touch any part of the head of the light as it will also be very hot and can cause severe burns. You must also ensure that you do not touch the bulb weather it be hot or cold, if hot it can melt through your skin, if cold you can leave grease on the bulb and this will cause it to shatter once it is turned on and becomes hot enough.
Location sheet
Opening scenes:
--garage, jess’ house
Address:
-Sutton park,
Runcorn, WA7 6AA
--bed room, jess’ house
Address:
-Sutton park,
Runcorn, WA7 6AA
Recce
This image is of the garages and the area in which in Adalade lies in our opening sequence, originally we were going to film in an attic or loft space however we felt that the garage would be safer for out group and the actress and that is had a more sinister feel and was easier to gain access to.
This is where at the end of the opening sequence Adalade as an adult sharply awakes, we decided to use this space as it looked mature enough for an adult, was easy to access and worked well with the feel of the overall film. It is a simply room with little artwork and is also very mellow this then worked again as there was nothing to draw attention away form Adalade.
section 9: Production schedule
Name of production: "Nostrophibia"
Directors:
Jessica Healey
Hannah Burkey
Daniel Hancox
Cast:
Emily Burkey
Crew:
Jessica Healey
Hannah Burkey
Daniel Hancox
Equipment:
Camera
Candles
Location:
47 Helston Close,
Sutton Park,
Runcorn,
Cheshire,
Garage
Props:
Teddy Bear
Blanket
Day of filming: 14/11/2009
Collecting equipment and hire sheets
Collecting extras and cast
Travelling to locations
Creating set
Filming
Started Editing/logging: 16/11/2009
Finished Editing/logging: 14/12/2009
Directors:
Jessica Healey
Hannah Burkey
Daniel Hancox
Cast:
Emily Burkey
Crew:
Jessica Healey
Hannah Burkey
Daniel Hancox
Equipment:
Camera
Candles
Location:
47 Helston Close,
Sutton Park,
Runcorn,
Cheshire,
Garage
Props:
Teddy Bear
Blanket
Day of filming: 14/11/2009
Collecting equipment and hire sheets
Collecting extras and cast
Travelling to locations
Creating set
Filming
Started Editing/logging: 16/11/2009
Finished Editing/logging: 14/12/2009
section 11: audience feedback
Audience feedback
As it is important to collect audience research to make a satisfying film to a target audience, it is as equally important to collect audience feedback. Hopefully this feedback will allow me and my group members to understand how to amend problems and see what worked well within our thriller film.
During our feedback one of the first comments that were made about our media product was that the music played throughout the sequence made the audience feel tense and gave the clip more tension. This is positive feedback as one of the main conventions of a thriller films is music that provides suspense. Also this comments means that we have been following the information that we were given through our audience research, this is as our research we found that one of the main things that the audience expected from our media product was tension and suspense.
Another comment made about the music we used in this sequence was that it worked well with the effects we placed on the opening title of the film. This means that we were combining both the tension of the music and adding more tension with the title effects. We were given a comment “it made me jump” again this is a good thing as one of the things that the audience research found that the audience liked about a thriller film was that it was scary. This means that we were satisfying the audience’s wants with our opening sequence.
The direction we gave the actress was described as very good. This is important as this means that we were giving the right emotion across to the audience through the use of our actress. This means that we were able to put across the feeling of neglect and domestic abuse to the audience. This was also one thing that the audience wanted to see during our audience research. The feel of neglect was also put across using the prop of an old scruffy teddy bear. This prop was described as relevant, meaning that we did put across that feeling of neglect to the audience successfully.
Negative feedback is as important as the positive, but the only negative feedback we received was that there weren’t a lot of credits. We only had the title of the film in the beginning sequence as we felt that this needed to stand out as the most important thing of the sequence as it was the title of the film. This also made that audience ask questions about what the title of the film meant, making them want to watch the film to have their questions answered.
As it is important to collect audience research to make a satisfying film to a target audience, it is as equally important to collect audience feedback. Hopefully this feedback will allow me and my group members to understand how to amend problems and see what worked well within our thriller film.
During our feedback one of the first comments that were made about our media product was that the music played throughout the sequence made the audience feel tense and gave the clip more tension. This is positive feedback as one of the main conventions of a thriller films is music that provides suspense. Also this comments means that we have been following the information that we were given through our audience research, this is as our research we found that one of the main things that the audience expected from our media product was tension and suspense.
Another comment made about the music we used in this sequence was that it worked well with the effects we placed on the opening title of the film. This means that we were combining both the tension of the music and adding more tension with the title effects. We were given a comment “it made me jump” again this is a good thing as one of the things that the audience research found that the audience liked about a thriller film was that it was scary. This means that we were satisfying the audience’s wants with our opening sequence.
The direction we gave the actress was described as very good. This is important as this means that we were giving the right emotion across to the audience through the use of our actress. This means that we were able to put across the feeling of neglect and domestic abuse to the audience. This was also one thing that the audience wanted to see during our audience research. The feel of neglect was also put across using the prop of an old scruffy teddy bear. This prop was described as relevant, meaning that we did put across that feeling of neglect to the audience successfully.
Negative feedback is as important as the positive, but the only negative feedback we received was that there weren’t a lot of credits. We only had the title of the film in the beginning sequence as we felt that this needed to stand out as the most important thing of the sequence as it was the title of the film. This also made that audience ask questions about what the title of the film meant, making them want to watch the film to have their questions answered.
section 12: analysis of completed sequence
EVALUATION
In our film we challenge forms and conventions of media by using common codes and making them obvious, such as the use of darkness to obstruct the vision and use of protraction, delaying the outcome. We have use modern, urban environments in which to film in, these environments are a key convention in which thriller films are made. Most likely to be our strongest convention would be the use of a protracted outcome, using close ups on the door and back to the girls face building up this tension before the door opens. We do not see who is at the door, or what is at the door; also where the light source is coming from. This use of partial vision also brings in the element of a villain; this presence behind the door is obviously not a good one by the look on the little girls face.
Our film was shot in a garage, this set does show the audience the type of environment in which this thriller is filmed. There are tools, boxes and a trailer to give the audience further clues to show that this is a urban environment. We have also used music that gives off a eerie atmosphere, this music builds up tension for the audience and gets them involved deeper into the film, it also gives the audience clues in what sort of film or actions are about the take place. As this is the opening to our film, we have taken one of the codes and conventions are twisted it to fit our opening, the use of a ordinary hero. There is a hero in our film however in the opening this hero is still a little girl, she does grow into the hero but at first this codes is broken. Where as most thriller films introduce their ordinary hero right from the start. Using everyday troubles of ordinary people such as abuse we are able to capture the audience better because they know that these things happen every day all around us.
We have used fear in our film, fear can be shown by body language and facial expressions. The audience can see this fear straight away by the look of the little girl, plus with the setting being dirty, dark and a uncomfortable place to be laying down helps show this fear, protracting the shots and using shot reverse shots also build up this tension of fear.
The beginning to our film revolves around a small girl, Adalade. Adalade is the ordinary hero however she grows into this hero, whereas the beginning of the film we see her as just a child. It would be hard to relate to her at first because there are only a small number of people who would have gone through the same as Adalade, however the audience is able to compare their own lives with hers and realise how life could be completely different depending the circumstances, realising how lucky they are for example.
Our group conducted a questionnaire with a number of questions which related to our film, these questions helped us understand what age group and type of person would be most likely to watch our film. We found that the main audience would be between 15 – 17 year olds. Although Adalade is only 10 years old at the beginning of our film the age group of people most likely to watch it are not that far off, they can remember vividly when they were 10 and possibly compare their own situations with Adalade’s. Whereas if Adalade was older at the beginning of the film this age group may not have had as strong a connection with Adalade if she were 10. It seems to be teenagers tend to be more interested about domestic abuse in films. Our film portrays a quite dark and serious front, the actions taking place are full of tension and also sorrow, however younger people tend to be invited by this drama. There are many films which portray this negative idea, such as Constantine, directed by Francis Lawrence and released 18th March 2005, Hell wants him, Heaven won’t take him and Earth needs him. This is a story is of a supernatural detective who has literally been to Hell and back, Jon Constantine is a broken man as it seems, he has been through immense deals and it shows in his character. This thriller has a negative light as it seems however young people are drawn to this because we all love drama. Our film mostly appeals to the middle class, people who live in ordinary neighbourhoods, we haven’t shown any wealth or riches in the beginning of our film. The look is rather dirty with the set enhancing that, bruises on Adalade’s face also give the audience a great clue to what has been happening. Set in a urban environment in which looks like a normal house this connects better with middle class people.
We asked a range of people in the questionnaire about the set and props which would cause the best effects. For example the old beaten up teddy bear was a main influence by the audience, asking them whether using this teddy is such ways could enhance the effects of abuse. Also the use of candle light instead of standard lights created this eerie feel to the set. We also added make up to our 11 year old actor to represent bruise and neglect however with the candle light this make up was not shown to its best ability but did show the audience the neglect of the character.
In our film we challenge forms and conventions of media by using common codes and making them obvious, such as the use of darkness to obstruct the vision and use of protraction, delaying the outcome. We have use modern, urban environments in which to film in, these environments are a key convention in which thriller films are made. Most likely to be our strongest convention would be the use of a protracted outcome, using close ups on the door and back to the girls face building up this tension before the door opens. We do not see who is at the door, or what is at the door; also where the light source is coming from. This use of partial vision also brings in the element of a villain; this presence behind the door is obviously not a good one by the look on the little girls face.
Our film was shot in a garage, this set does show the audience the type of environment in which this thriller is filmed. There are tools, boxes and a trailer to give the audience further clues to show that this is a urban environment. We have also used music that gives off a eerie atmosphere, this music builds up tension for the audience and gets them involved deeper into the film, it also gives the audience clues in what sort of film or actions are about the take place. As this is the opening to our film, we have taken one of the codes and conventions are twisted it to fit our opening, the use of a ordinary hero. There is a hero in our film however in the opening this hero is still a little girl, she does grow into the hero but at first this codes is broken. Where as most thriller films introduce their ordinary hero right from the start. Using everyday troubles of ordinary people such as abuse we are able to capture the audience better because they know that these things happen every day all around us.
We have used fear in our film, fear can be shown by body language and facial expressions. The audience can see this fear straight away by the look of the little girl, plus with the setting being dirty, dark and a uncomfortable place to be laying down helps show this fear, protracting the shots and using shot reverse shots also build up this tension of fear.
The beginning to our film revolves around a small girl, Adalade. Adalade is the ordinary hero however she grows into this hero, whereas the beginning of the film we see her as just a child. It would be hard to relate to her at first because there are only a small number of people who would have gone through the same as Adalade, however the audience is able to compare their own lives with hers and realise how life could be completely different depending the circumstances, realising how lucky they are for example.
Our group conducted a questionnaire with a number of questions which related to our film, these questions helped us understand what age group and type of person would be most likely to watch our film. We found that the main audience would be between 15 – 17 year olds. Although Adalade is only 10 years old at the beginning of our film the age group of people most likely to watch it are not that far off, they can remember vividly when they were 10 and possibly compare their own situations with Adalade’s. Whereas if Adalade was older at the beginning of the film this age group may not have had as strong a connection with Adalade if she were 10. It seems to be teenagers tend to be more interested about domestic abuse in films. Our film portrays a quite dark and serious front, the actions taking place are full of tension and also sorrow, however younger people tend to be invited by this drama. There are many films which portray this negative idea, such as Constantine, directed by Francis Lawrence and released 18th March 2005, Hell wants him, Heaven won’t take him and Earth needs him. This is a story is of a supernatural detective who has literally been to Hell and back, Jon Constantine is a broken man as it seems, he has been through immense deals and it shows in his character. This thriller has a negative light as it seems however young people are drawn to this because we all love drama. Our film mostly appeals to the middle class, people who live in ordinary neighbourhoods, we haven’t shown any wealth or riches in the beginning of our film. The look is rather dirty with the set enhancing that, bruises on Adalade’s face also give the audience a great clue to what has been happening. Set in a urban environment in which looks like a normal house this connects better with middle class people.
We asked a range of people in the questionnaire about the set and props which would cause the best effects. For example the old beaten up teddy bear was a main influence by the audience, asking them whether using this teddy is such ways could enhance the effects of abuse. Also the use of candle light instead of standard lights created this eerie feel to the set. We also added make up to our 11 year old actor to represent bruise and neglect however with the candle light this make up was not shown to its best ability but did show the audience the neglect of the character.
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