This piece of research was conducted by Sally
A vital factor that needs to be considered when Laurel and I start planning our film opening is how we are going to create the fear which we want the audience to experience. The purpose of Thriller films is to be able to create a fear from the audience, so it is important for us to have an idea of how we are going to create this. In order to help us, I am going to make an analysis of how the film ‘What Lies Beneath’ (Directed by Robert Zemeckis) creates fear throughout the film.
The most popular technique used to cause fear within the film is to make everyday situations come across scary.
One way in which they do it is through making a dramatic music change, e.g. from a gentle, violin-created sound to some quite dark music, particularly at the beginning where Michelle Pfeiffer’s character, Claire Spencer, is going through photographs from the past. The change into dark music represents a dark time which could help create a fear in the plot. In this particular part of the scene, Claire is looking back at pictures of herself when the music changes, which instantly suggests to the audience that she is to be a victim of something.
Claire Spencer is instantly introduced as quite a vulnerable character. One of the main focuses within this film is Claire and her vulnerability. This is emphasised by a constant sense of dark and suspenseful music in the background of a number of different scenes. An example of this is when Claire finds a spot of blood on the neighbours’ shoe. In comparison to a film with of different genre, such as a comedy, the character could presume that this blood on a shoe is a result of some sort of comic accident. However, with the dark, suspenseful music in the background shows Claire’s instant suggestion is something to do with purpose impairment of a character, which is a conventional issue raised in both horror and thriller films.
You also have this constant typical dark setting, e.g. the majority of night’s its thundering, lighting, heavily raining etc. The lighting in particular helps to create the fear in this film. At the beginning of the film, Claire suspects her neighbour, Warren, has murdered his wife and refers to spying on him through her bedroom window to prove this idea. In one particular scene, she see’s Warren putting something into his trunk to drive away. However, due to the flash of the lighting, it is not clear to see weather it is in fact his wife’s body, or some other object.
You also have scenes (for example) where the door is opening itself as Claire is walking towards it. This shows a sense of comparison, as other characters such as her husband are getting this sense that Claire is becoming somewhat delusional as the allegations she made of Warren killing his wife are proved to be false.
You also have times where a sense of realism is emphasised and so therefore the thriller is suggested to have a sense of realism. An example of this is when Claire’s dog is growling and barking at the water, and both Claire and us as an audience can see a slight view of what seems to be a woman in the water. Whilst trying to work out weather in fact she can see a woman in the water or not, non-diegetic music in the background helps to cause tension, which is broken by the diegetic sound of the telephone. This helps create not just to create a sense of realism, but also a ‘jumpy’ effect to the audience.
There are also times in the film where Claire’s breathing gets heavier. Although it’s only a small element and effect, it helps emphasise the characters fright, which is then reflective on the audience.
In conclusion, film directors do not just need to show the attacker to create fear to the audience. They can use different techniques (as listed above) to create the fear even when the attacker isn’t actually attacking. E.g. in this case, Robert Zemeckis is able to create fear from the audience even before the finding out of the ghost, Madeline Fox, by using simple techniques such as just making everyday situations seem scary by tense music, muse-en-scene etc.
Friday 21 November 2008
Wednesday 19 November 2008
Alfred Hitchcock
The following research was conducted by Laurel. The research was taken from www.wikipedia.org
Hitchcock was born on 13 August 1899, in Leytonstone, London, the second son and youngest of three children of William Hitchcock and Emma Jane Hitchcock. It is widely known that as a child, Hitchcock was once sent by his father to the local police station with a note asking the officer to lock him away for ten minutes as punishment for behaving badly. This idea of being harshly treated or wrongfully accused is frequently reflected in Hitchcock's films.
Alfred Hitchcock was a British film maker and producer who pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. Hitchcock began his directing career in the United Kingdom in 1922. From 1939 onward, he worked primarily in the United States.
Hitchcock directed over more than fifty feature films, in a career spanning more than six decades. He remains one of the best known and most popular film makers of all time.
He became famous for this expert and largely unrivalled control of pace and suspense, and his films draw heavily on both fear and fantasy. The films are known for their droll humour and witticisms, and these cinematic works often portray innocent people caught up in circumstances that are often beyond their control or understanding.
Themes, plots, deviances and motifs
Hitchcock seemed to delight in the technical challenges of film making. An example of this is in the film Lifeboat, where he stages the entire action of the film in a small boat.
Characters
Hitchcock’s films sometimes feature characters struggling in their relationships with their mothers, examples of this include, North by Northwest, The Birds and Psycho. His heroines tend to be lovely, cool blondes who seem proper at first but, when aroused by passion or danger, respond in a more sensual, animal or even criminal way, such as in the films The 39 steps, Marnie, To Catch a Thief, Rear Window and Psycho.
Hitchcock saw that the reliance on actors and actresses was a holdover from the theatre tradition. He was a pioneer in using camera movement, camera setups and montage to explore the outer reaches of cinematic arts.
Style of working
Writing
Hitchcock once commented, "The writer and I plan out the entire script down to the smallest detail, and when we're finished all that's left to do is to shoot the film. Actually, it's only when one enters the studio that one enters the area of compromise. Really, the novelist has the best casting since he doesn't have to cope with the actors and all the rest." In an interview with Roger Ebert in 1969, Hitchcock further elaborates,
"Once the screenplay is finished, I'd just as soon not make the film at all...I have a strongly visual mind. I visualize a picture right down to the final cuts. I write all this out in the greatest detail in the script, and then I don't look at the script while I'm shooting. I know it off by heart, just as an orchestra conductor needs not look at the score...When you finish the script, the film is perfect. But in shooting it you lose perhaps 40 per cent of your original conception."
Storyboards and production
Hitchcock's films were strongly believed to have been extensively storyboarded to the finest detail by the majority of commentators over the years. He was reported to have never even bothered looking through the viewfinder, since he didn't need to do so, though in publicity photos he was shown doing so. He also used this as an excuse to never have to change his films from his initial vision. If a studio asked him to change a film, he would claim that it was already shot in a single way, and that there were no alternate takes to consider. This view of Hitchcock was from a director who relied more on pre-production than the actual production its self and has been challenged by the book Hitchcock at work.
Even on the occasions when story boards were made, the scene which was shot did differ from it significantly. Hitchcock was flexible enough to change a films conception during its making. While Hitchcock did do a great deal of preparation for all his movie’s, he was fully cognizant that the actual film making process often deviated from the best laid plans and was flexible to adapt to the changes and needs as in his films weren’t free from the normal hassles and routines that face many other film productions. Hitchcock also generally shot in chronological order, which often sent many of his films over budget and over schedule. He also had a tendency of shooting alternate takes of scene, they represented Hitchcock’s tendency of giving himself options in the editing room.
Approach to actors
Hitchcock simply did not tolerate the method approach as he believed actors should only concentrate on their performances and leave work on script and character to the directors and screen writers. Hitchcock quotes, “The method actor is OK in the theatre because he has a free space to move about. But when it comes to cutting the face and what he sees and so forth, there must be some discipline.” For Hitchcock, the actors, like the props were part of the films setting.
Hitchcock is considered the best film director of all time and was knighted in 1980. Sixteen films directed by Hitchcock earned Oscar nominations, though only six of those films earned Hitchcock himself a nomination. The total number of Oscar nominations (including winners) earned by films he directed is fifty. Four of those films earned Best Picture nominations.
Some films by Hitchcock include, Vertigo, Rear Window, North by Northwest, Shadow of a Doubt, Notorious, Psycho, Rebecca, Life Boat, Mr and Mrs Smith, Spellbound, Strangers on a Train, Frenzy and The Lodger.
Hitchcock was born on 13 August 1899, in Leytonstone, London, the second son and youngest of three children of William Hitchcock and Emma Jane Hitchcock. It is widely known that as a child, Hitchcock was once sent by his father to the local police station with a note asking the officer to lock him away for ten minutes as punishment for behaving badly. This idea of being harshly treated or wrongfully accused is frequently reflected in Hitchcock's films.
Alfred Hitchcock was a British film maker and producer who pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. Hitchcock began his directing career in the United Kingdom in 1922. From 1939 onward, he worked primarily in the United States.
Hitchcock directed over more than fifty feature films, in a career spanning more than six decades. He remains one of the best known and most popular film makers of all time.
He became famous for this expert and largely unrivalled control of pace and suspense, and his films draw heavily on both fear and fantasy. The films are known for their droll humour and witticisms, and these cinematic works often portray innocent people caught up in circumstances that are often beyond their control or understanding.
Themes, plots, deviances and motifs
Hitchcock seemed to delight in the technical challenges of film making. An example of this is in the film Lifeboat, where he stages the entire action of the film in a small boat.
Characters
Hitchcock’s films sometimes feature characters struggling in their relationships with their mothers, examples of this include, North by Northwest, The Birds and Psycho. His heroines tend to be lovely, cool blondes who seem proper at first but, when aroused by passion or danger, respond in a more sensual, animal or even criminal way, such as in the films The 39 steps, Marnie, To Catch a Thief, Rear Window and Psycho.
Hitchcock saw that the reliance on actors and actresses was a holdover from the theatre tradition. He was a pioneer in using camera movement, camera setups and montage to explore the outer reaches of cinematic arts.
Style of working
Writing
Hitchcock once commented, "The writer and I plan out the entire script down to the smallest detail, and when we're finished all that's left to do is to shoot the film. Actually, it's only when one enters the studio that one enters the area of compromise. Really, the novelist has the best casting since he doesn't have to cope with the actors and all the rest." In an interview with Roger Ebert in 1969, Hitchcock further elaborates,
"Once the screenplay is finished, I'd just as soon not make the film at all...I have a strongly visual mind. I visualize a picture right down to the final cuts. I write all this out in the greatest detail in the script, and then I don't look at the script while I'm shooting. I know it off by heart, just as an orchestra conductor needs not look at the score...When you finish the script, the film is perfect. But in shooting it you lose perhaps 40 per cent of your original conception."
Storyboards and production
Hitchcock's films were strongly believed to have been extensively storyboarded to the finest detail by the majority of commentators over the years. He was reported to have never even bothered looking through the viewfinder, since he didn't need to do so, though in publicity photos he was shown doing so. He also used this as an excuse to never have to change his films from his initial vision. If a studio asked him to change a film, he would claim that it was already shot in a single way, and that there were no alternate takes to consider. This view of Hitchcock was from a director who relied more on pre-production than the actual production its self and has been challenged by the book Hitchcock at work.
Even on the occasions when story boards were made, the scene which was shot did differ from it significantly. Hitchcock was flexible enough to change a films conception during its making. While Hitchcock did do a great deal of preparation for all his movie’s, he was fully cognizant that the actual film making process often deviated from the best laid plans and was flexible to adapt to the changes and needs as in his films weren’t free from the normal hassles and routines that face many other film productions. Hitchcock also generally shot in chronological order, which often sent many of his films over budget and over schedule. He also had a tendency of shooting alternate takes of scene, they represented Hitchcock’s tendency of giving himself options in the editing room.
Approach to actors
Hitchcock simply did not tolerate the method approach as he believed actors should only concentrate on their performances and leave work on script and character to the directors and screen writers. Hitchcock quotes, “The method actor is OK in the theatre because he has a free space to move about. But when it comes to cutting the face and what he sees and so forth, there must be some discipline.” For Hitchcock, the actors, like the props were part of the films setting.
Hitchcock is considered the best film director of all time and was knighted in 1980. Sixteen films directed by Hitchcock earned Oscar nominations, though only six of those films earned Hitchcock himself a nomination. The total number of Oscar nominations (including winners) earned by films he directed is fifty. Four of those films earned Best Picture nominations.
Some films by Hitchcock include, Vertigo, Rear Window, North by Northwest, Shadow of a Doubt, Notorious, Psycho, Rebecca, Life Boat, Mr and Mrs Smith, Spellbound, Strangers on a Train, Frenzy and The Lodger.
Thriller sub-genre's
The following research has been conducted by Sally
In order to ensure we meet conventions, I am going to take a deeper look into thriller and research the thriller sub-genres. Once our plot etc. has been confirmed, we can fit it into one of these sub-genres and take a deeper look into that sub-genres’ specific codes and conventions.
The following information has been taken from www.wikipedia.com
The thriller genre can include the following sub-genres, which may include elements of other genres:
‘Action thriller - In which the work often features a race against the clock, contains lots of violence, and an obvious antagonist. These films usually contain large amounts of guns, explosions, and large elaborate set pieces for the action to take place. These films often have elements of mystery films and crime films but these elements take a backseat to action. An example is any of the James Bond films.
Conspiracy thriller - In which the hero/heroine confronts a large, powerful group of enemies whose true extent only he/she recognizes. The Chancellor Manuscript is an example of this.
Crime thriller - This particular genre is a hybrid type of both crime films and thrillers that offers a suspenseful account of a successful or failed crime or crimes. These films often focus on the criminal(s) rather than a policeman. Crime thrillers usually emphasize action over psychological aspects. Central topics of these films include murders, robberies, chases, shootouts, and double-crosses are central ingredients. Some examples include The Killing, Seven and The Asphalt Jungle.
Disaster thriller - In which the main conflict is due to some sort of natural or artificial disaster, such as floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes, etc., or nuclear disasters as an artificial disaster. Examples include Stormy Weather and the 1974 film Earthquake.
Drama thriller - In which the story consists of the elements of a thriller and drama film. These films are usually slower paced and involve a great deal of character development along with plot twists. Examples include The Illusionist, The Interpreter and The Prestige.
Eco-thriller - In which the protagonist must avert or rectify an environmental or biological calamity - often in addition to dealing with the usual types of enemies or obstacles present in other thriller genres. This environmental component often forms a central message or theme of the story. Examples include Nicholas Evans's The Loop, C. George Muller's Echoes in the Blue, and Wilbur Smith's Elephant Song, all of which highlight real-life environmental issues. Futuristic Eco-thrillers are of the Science Fiction genres that propose ideas that will or may occur and include such works as Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars Trilogy and Ian Irvine's Human Rites Trilogy and Dasavathaaram.
Erotic thriller - In which it consists of erotica and thriller. It has become popular since the 1980s and the rise of VCR market penetration. The genre includes such films as Basic Instinct, Fatal Attraction, Looking for Mr. Goodbar, and In the Cut.
Horror thriller - In which conflict between the main characters are mental, emotional, and physical. Two recent examples of this include the Saw series of films and the Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later. What sets the horror thriller apart is the main element of fear throughout the story. The main character(s) is not only up against a superior force, but they are or will soon become the victims themselves and directly feel the fear that comes by attracting the monster's attention. Other well-known examples are Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho and Thomas Harris's The Silence of the Lambs.
Legal thriller - In which the lawyer-heroes/heroines confront enemies outside, as well as inside, the courtroom and are in danger of losing not only their cases but their lives. The Innocent Man by John Grisham is a well known example of the type.
Medical thriller - In which the hero/heroine are doctors or medical personnel’s working to solve an expanding medical problem. Robin Cook, Tess Gerritsen and Gary Braver are well-known authors of this subgenre. Nonfiction medical thrillers are also a subcategory, comprising works like The Hot Zone by Richard Preston. Films such as Awake are other examples of medical thrillers.
Political thriller - In which the hero/heroine must ensure the stability of the government that employs him. The success of Seven Days in May (1962) by Fletcher Knebel, The Day of the Jackal (1971) by Frederick Forsyth, and The Manchurian Candidate (1959) by Richard Condon established this subgenre. A more recent example is the 1980 film "Agency".
Psychological thriller - In which (until the often violent resolution) the conflict between the main characters is mental and emotional, rather than physical. The Alfred Hitchcock films Suspicion, Shadow of a Doubt, and Strangers on a Train and David Lynch's bizarre and influential Blue Velvet are notable examples of the type, as is The Sixth Sense by M. Night Shyamalan and The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith (who also wrote Strangers).
Spy thriller (also a subgenre of spy fiction) - In which the hero is generally a government agent who must take violent action against agents of a rival government or (in recent years) terrorists. Examples include From Russia with Love by Ian Fleming, The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum, and television series such as Mission: Impossible and 24 (the latter demonstrating a break from the norm by Robert Ludlum, as it is as much a psychological thriller as a spy thriller.)
Supernatural thriller - In which the conflict is between main characters, usually one of which has supernatural powers. Carrie by Stephen King and Unbreakable by M. Night Shyamalan and Torchwood are notable examples of this genre. This type of thriller combines tension of the regular thriller with such basic horror oriented ingredients as ghosts, the occult, and psychic phenomenon; the supernatural thriller combines these with a frightening but often restrained film. They also generally eschew the more graphic elements of the horror film in favor of sustaining a mood of menace and unpredictability; supernatural thrillers often find the protagonists either battling a malevolent paranormal force or trapped in a situation seemingly influenced or controlled by an other-worldly entity beyond their comprehension.
Techno-thriller - A work that usually focuses upon military action, in which technology (usually military technology) is described in detail and made essential to the reader's/viewer's understanding of the plot. Tom Clancy defined and popularized the genre with his The Hunt for Red October, and is considered to be the "Father of the Technothriller."
In order to ensure we meet conventions, I am going to take a deeper look into thriller and research the thriller sub-genres. Once our plot etc. has been confirmed, we can fit it into one of these sub-genres and take a deeper look into that sub-genres’ specific codes and conventions.
The following information has been taken from www.wikipedia.com
The thriller genre can include the following sub-genres, which may include elements of other genres:
‘Action thriller - In which the work often features a race against the clock, contains lots of violence, and an obvious antagonist. These films usually contain large amounts of guns, explosions, and large elaborate set pieces for the action to take place. These films often have elements of mystery films and crime films but these elements take a backseat to action. An example is any of the James Bond films.
Conspiracy thriller - In which the hero/heroine confronts a large, powerful group of enemies whose true extent only he/she recognizes. The Chancellor Manuscript is an example of this.
Crime thriller - This particular genre is a hybrid type of both crime films and thrillers that offers a suspenseful account of a successful or failed crime or crimes. These films often focus on the criminal(s) rather than a policeman. Crime thrillers usually emphasize action over psychological aspects. Central topics of these films include murders, robberies, chases, shootouts, and double-crosses are central ingredients. Some examples include The Killing, Seven and The Asphalt Jungle.
Disaster thriller - In which the main conflict is due to some sort of natural or artificial disaster, such as floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes, etc., or nuclear disasters as an artificial disaster. Examples include Stormy Weather and the 1974 film Earthquake.
Drama thriller - In which the story consists of the elements of a thriller and drama film. These films are usually slower paced and involve a great deal of character development along with plot twists. Examples include The Illusionist, The Interpreter and The Prestige.
Eco-thriller - In which the protagonist must avert or rectify an environmental or biological calamity - often in addition to dealing with the usual types of enemies or obstacles present in other thriller genres. This environmental component often forms a central message or theme of the story. Examples include Nicholas Evans's The Loop, C. George Muller's Echoes in the Blue, and Wilbur Smith's Elephant Song, all of which highlight real-life environmental issues. Futuristic Eco-thrillers are of the Science Fiction genres that propose ideas that will or may occur and include such works as Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars Trilogy and Ian Irvine's Human Rites Trilogy and Dasavathaaram.
Erotic thriller - In which it consists of erotica and thriller. It has become popular since the 1980s and the rise of VCR market penetration. The genre includes such films as Basic Instinct, Fatal Attraction, Looking for Mr. Goodbar, and In the Cut.
Horror thriller - In which conflict between the main characters are mental, emotional, and physical. Two recent examples of this include the Saw series of films and the Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later. What sets the horror thriller apart is the main element of fear throughout the story. The main character(s) is not only up against a superior force, but they are or will soon become the victims themselves and directly feel the fear that comes by attracting the monster's attention. Other well-known examples are Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho and Thomas Harris's The Silence of the Lambs.
Legal thriller - In which the lawyer-heroes/heroines confront enemies outside, as well as inside, the courtroom and are in danger of losing not only their cases but their lives. The Innocent Man by John Grisham is a well known example of the type.
Medical thriller - In which the hero/heroine are doctors or medical personnel’s working to solve an expanding medical problem. Robin Cook, Tess Gerritsen and Gary Braver are well-known authors of this subgenre. Nonfiction medical thrillers are also a subcategory, comprising works like The Hot Zone by Richard Preston. Films such as Awake are other examples of medical thrillers.
Political thriller - In which the hero/heroine must ensure the stability of the government that employs him. The success of Seven Days in May (1962) by Fletcher Knebel, The Day of the Jackal (1971) by Frederick Forsyth, and The Manchurian Candidate (1959) by Richard Condon established this subgenre. A more recent example is the 1980 film "Agency".
Psychological thriller - In which (until the often violent resolution) the conflict between the main characters is mental and emotional, rather than physical. The Alfred Hitchcock films Suspicion, Shadow of a Doubt, and Strangers on a Train and David Lynch's bizarre and influential Blue Velvet are notable examples of the type, as is The Sixth Sense by M. Night Shyamalan and The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith (who also wrote Strangers).
Spy thriller (also a subgenre of spy fiction) - In which the hero is generally a government agent who must take violent action against agents of a rival government or (in recent years) terrorists. Examples include From Russia with Love by Ian Fleming, The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum, and television series such as Mission: Impossible and 24 (the latter demonstrating a break from the norm by Robert Ludlum, as it is as much a psychological thriller as a spy thriller.)
Supernatural thriller - In which the conflict is between main characters, usually one of which has supernatural powers. Carrie by Stephen King and Unbreakable by M. Night Shyamalan and Torchwood are notable examples of this genre. This type of thriller combines tension of the regular thriller with such basic horror oriented ingredients as ghosts, the occult, and psychic phenomenon; the supernatural thriller combines these with a frightening but often restrained film. They also generally eschew the more graphic elements of the horror film in favor of sustaining a mood of menace and unpredictability; supernatural thrillers often find the protagonists either battling a malevolent paranormal force or trapped in a situation seemingly influenced or controlled by an other-worldly entity beyond their comprehension.
Techno-thriller - A work that usually focuses upon military action, in which technology (usually military technology) is described in detail and made essential to the reader's/viewer's understanding of the plot. Tom Clancy defined and popularized the genre with his The Hunt for Red October, and is considered to be the "Father of the Technothriller."
Conventions of a thriller
The following research was conducted by both Laurel and Sally.
In order to make our thriller opening successful, we need to research the conventions of a thriller:
The following has been taken from http://thrillerproject.blogspot.com/2008/10/thriller-conventions.html
‘Thriller Conventions.
A crime at the core of the narrative (often murder, but not necessarily).
A complex narrative structure, with false paths, clues and resolutions.
A narrative pattern of establishing enigmas which the viewer expects to be resolved.
A protagonist who is systematically dis-empowered and drawn into a complex web of intrigue by the antagonist.Extraordinary events happening in ordinary situations.
Themes of identity.
Themes of mirroring.
Themes of voyeurism.
Protagonist with a ‘flaw’ which is exploited by the antagonist.
Titles often reflect an aspect of the pro/antagonist’s psychological state.
There is often a scene near the end of the film in which the protagonist is in peril.
Mise en scene which echoes/ mirrors the protagonist’s plight.’
In order to make our thriller opening successful, we need to research the conventions of a thriller:
The following has been taken from http://thrillerproject.blogspot.com/2008/10/thriller-conventions.html
‘Thriller Conventions.
A crime at the core of the narrative (often murder, but not necessarily).
A complex narrative structure, with false paths, clues and resolutions.
A narrative pattern of establishing enigmas which the viewer expects to be resolved.
A protagonist who is systematically dis-empowered and drawn into a complex web of intrigue by the antagonist.Extraordinary events happening in ordinary situations.
Themes of identity.
Themes of mirroring.
Themes of voyeurism.
Protagonist with a ‘flaw’ which is exploited by the antagonist.
Titles often reflect an aspect of the pro/antagonist’s psychological state.
There is often a scene near the end of the film in which the protagonist is in peril.
Mise en scene which echoes/ mirrors the protagonist’s plight.’
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