Script for Evaluation Q2 - Engaging With Audiences, Distribution and Marketing

How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as real media text?

Hi my name is Eliana Brassey and this is the second of my director's commentaries about my opening sequence for the thriller film 'Keep'. In today’s commentary I am going to discuss how I engaged with my audience and how my film would be distributed.

My target audience is likely to be older than 15+ as the thriller genre is one that would appeal to those who are able to deal with more adult themes and scenes of distress and violence, as these are common in my chosen genre. Thrillers often appeal to audiences who are interested in watching a film that will
challenge them and require more active spectatorship. ‘Keep’ relates to the kind of film that was made in the late 1990's and early 2000's when some of the most popular thrillers and mysteries were made, and really challenged audience expectations with their gritty storylines and confusing and challenging narrative structures. I expect the film to appeal to both men and women, as is typical with many thrillers, and I have included characters in my film that will resonate with both genders. 

I was careful to use mise en scene and music to make ‘Keep’ instantly recognisable as a thriller/mystery genre to the audience, so that it would appeal to their expectations of genre. The setting, for example, is immediately unsettling for the audience. The room is bare apart from a telephone ringing and the protagonist lying on the floor. The empty room raises all kinds of questions in the audience’s minds. With little to look at, they have to focus on the one person in the room and the phone, creating intrigue for them. I also kept the props to an absolute minimum so that the audience are not distracted away from the key questions I want them to ask. Who is the woman? Why is she there? What is the information she has taken? Is she innocent or guilty? The phone, however, was a key prop, representing a gateway to answers for the audience.

I used different sounds to add to the atmosphere of the sequence. The pleonastic sound of the phone continuously ringing for dramatic effect continues in the scene until it is answered. It will grate on the audience’s nerves and they will be hoping that it is answered soon to stop the noise, but also to find out who is ringing, in the hope that it might shed some light on the woman’s situation. 

In addition, I added a non-diegetic score, to signal that this was a mystery/thriller, but also to connote the level of danger the woman is in. The sinister music will unsettle the audience and as it becomes louder and more intense it adds to the atmosphere just before the protagonist answers the phone. The voice at the end of the line is a male voice, stereotypical in many films making men seem dangerous, harmful and often as the antagonist. He is also suitably mysterious in what he says, revealing only enough to keep the audience intrigued but not enough to reveal what has actually happened. Thriller films often manipulate the audience, especially in the opening scenes, and I decided that the best way to hook the audience was by withholding narrative information from them, inviting them to solve the puzzle with the protagonist.

There was careful consideration about camera angles and how this could add atmosphere to the sequence. The first shot was a bird's-eye-view shot looking down on the protagonist to emphasise how she was vulnerable, which I hoped the audience would realise was implying that the woman is not in control of events. I also used an extreme close up to amplify her face and show how scared she
was. 

As my film is produced by Warner Brothers I would expect it to be distributed in a number of different ways. Initially, I would expect it to have a wide cinematic global release preceded by a carefully orchestrated marketing campaign on social media, on X, Instagram, TikTok and You Tube. I anticipate
an effective viral marketing campaign similar to that used for 'The Blair Witch Project' where I would make it appear as if the main character’s abduction really took place. This campaign would include fake newspaper articles and missing persons reports.

A24 are known for creating a buzz and anticipation for their films and so I would use mystifying teasers in trailers that would encourage audiences to want to find out more about the film. In this way, the film will already be in people's minds and they will be excited to watch it, contributing to the hype by actively trying to solve the social media puzzles I would create. As it is a thriller and they are popular films, I would expect ‘Keep’ to have a release in multiplex cinemas. However, A24 and Magnolia Pictures are independent film companies and so are not as well known. Therefore, their films would usually be released in independent cinema chains, which I would also do with ‘Keep’. Following a
complete global release, I would also consider that the film would then be streamed on streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Apple, or alternatively, exclusively streamed on HBO Max, which is owned by Warner Brothers.