Tuesday, 31 March 2009
Thursday, 12 March 2009
Font
The following font seemed to be the most popular, and therefore will be the one we use for our Thriller film.
You Murderer BB
Fonts
Here are the possible fonts we are going to use for our film.
We will then ask the people in our Media class which they think best suits for the genre, and the most popular one chosen will be the one we use:
Sunday, 8 March 2009
Story Board
The people featured in the story board are not the actual characters who are going to take part in the film. However, it is the location where the film will be shot. The costume will too be different.
1. This opening title is accompanied by the diagetic sound of Claire breathing heavily, obviously in distress. It is a black screen with credits, in a white font, such as, “a universal film..”
2.
This is part of the chase scene as Claire is running home. This is a long shot establishing her running out from the alley.
3. This is another black transition, still with the sound of Claire breathing heavily on top of it, implying that she is running from something. Again credits can seen on screen.
4.
This is still the chase scene as she is running home. This shot is a point of view shot to show her running from her perspective. The diagetic sound of her breathing and running can still be heard.
5.Again there is another blacktransition, displaying more of the credits. Diagetic breathing sounds are still on top of this for the audience to hear.
6.
The point of view shot continues as Claire turns around to show the villain chasing her. Her point of view shows a long shot the villain.
The camera will continue to change to her point of view as she runs and to her point of view as she turns around, looking at the villain pursuing her.
7. This is the last black transition in the sequence and shows the final credits, establishing to the audience information such as,who it is produced and directed by.
8.
A high angle shot is used for the camera to track Claire running down the street to her door. This type of shot portrays her vulnerability and isolation as the camera displays the length of the road and its emptiness.
9.
The camera continues to track Claire as she is running to her house. The long shot shows her coming up to her door.
10.
The camera then zooms in to a match on action shot of Claire opening the door. This establishes that she has reached her destination and has managed to escape from the villain who was chasing her.
11.
A midshot shows Claire entering the house, closing the door behind her and leaning against it. This midshot portrays the character in the change of scene and also the lighting as she is now inside. The camera angle and the way she leans against the door displays her fear and confused state of mind, obviously in shock about what has just happened.
12.
A long shot then illustrates her running up the stairs,where the camera follows her to the bathroom.
13.
This mid shot establishes the character walking into the bathroom and the change in scene.
14.
This close up, which is at a slight low angle displays Claire being sick in the toilet. This connotes to the audience her fear and worry about what has just happened and what could possibly follow due to this physical emotion.
15.
Both of these shots are point of view, and so the camera is at a high angle, over the shoulder shot. She washes her hands and dries them on the towel. This point of view shot continues as she lifts her head up look in the mirror.
16.
Another mid shot then shows Claire’s reflection in the mirror. The camera pauses on this for a few seconds to focus on the look that she has on her face, again to reinforce her fear and her thoughts. This is before the scene changes to a flashback of Claire and what she saw and why the villain was chasing after her.
17.
A quick cut transfers to a flash back, taking the audience back to the beginning scenes and displays Claire walking down the alley and a close up of Claire’s face. This illustrates her reaction of what she is looking at, however the audience still do not know what this is.
18.
This long shot shows the audience what Claire saw and why she was running. This is the victim that Claire witnessed the villain trying to kill and this is why she is so shocked.
The killer then slowly lifts his head up, looking a Claire. A clear indicator that he has recognised he has been seen
19.
A quick edit follows this to another close up of Claire. This displays a further reaction as she knows she has been seen. (This then transfers into a medium long shot as she goes to run)
20.
A long shot goes back to the killer where he gets up to pursue Claire.
21.
A point of view shot of Claire repeats what the audience saw at the beginning, verifying what happened and why she was running. The sound of her heavily breathing whilst running can be heard once more but is interrupted by the loud sound of the telephone ringing.
22.
Again, another quick edit cuts to a long shot of Claire. She sharply turns her head to sound of the phone, which appears to be us (the camera.) She hesitantly walks towards it with caution, obviously still traumatised about what she has seen.
23.
The camera tracks Claire as she goes into the room where the phone is. A medium shot shows her pick it up, where she pauses for a moment before saying anything. The camera then zooms in on her face as she says “hello.” The close up expresses to the audience her disturbed and panicked look, however, the audience do not know who is on the other end of the phone, leaving the opening sequence of this film on a cliff hanger
24. A quick cut then goes to a black screen where the title of the film (Payback) flashes suddenly up on screen. This is in the same style Writing as the opening credits.
1. This opening title is accompanied by the diagetic sound of Claire breathing heavily, obviously in distress. It is a black screen with credits, in a white font, such as, “a universal film..”
2.
This is part of the chase scene as Claire is running home. This is a long shot establishing her running out from the alley.
3. This is another black transition, still with the sound of Claire breathing heavily on top of it, implying that she is running from something. Again credits can seen on screen.
4.
This is still the chase scene as she is running home. This shot is a point of view shot to show her running from her perspective. The diagetic sound of her breathing and running can still be heard.
5.Again there is another blacktransition, displaying more of the credits. Diagetic breathing sounds are still on top of this for the audience to hear.
6.
The point of view shot continues as Claire turns around to show the villain chasing her. Her point of view shows a long shot the villain.
The camera will continue to change to her point of view as she runs and to her point of view as she turns around, looking at the villain pursuing her.
7. This is the last black transition in the sequence and shows the final credits, establishing to the audience information such as,who it is produced and directed by.
8.
A high angle shot is used for the camera to track Claire running down the street to her door. This type of shot portrays her vulnerability and isolation as the camera displays the length of the road and its emptiness.
9.
The camera continues to track Claire as she is running to her house. The long shot shows her coming up to her door.
10.
The camera then zooms in to a match on action shot of Claire opening the door. This establishes that she has reached her destination and has managed to escape from the villain who was chasing her.
11.
A midshot shows Claire entering the house, closing the door behind her and leaning against it. This midshot portrays the character in the change of scene and also the lighting as she is now inside. The camera angle and the way she leans against the door displays her fear and confused state of mind, obviously in shock about what has just happened.
12.
A long shot then illustrates her running up the stairs,where the camera follows her to the bathroom.
13.
This mid shot establishes the character walking into the bathroom and the change in scene.
14.
This close up, which is at a slight low angle displays Claire being sick in the toilet. This connotes to the audience her fear and worry about what has just happened and what could possibly follow due to this physical emotion.
15.
Both of these shots are point of view, and so the camera is at a high angle, over the shoulder shot. She washes her hands and dries them on the towel. This point of view shot continues as she lifts her head up look in the mirror.
16.
Another mid shot then shows Claire’s reflection in the mirror. The camera pauses on this for a few seconds to focus on the look that she has on her face, again to reinforce her fear and her thoughts. This is before the scene changes to a flashback of Claire and what she saw and why the villain was chasing after her.
17.
A quick cut transfers to a flash back, taking the audience back to the beginning scenes and displays Claire walking down the alley and a close up of Claire’s face. This illustrates her reaction of what she is looking at, however the audience still do not know what this is.
18.
This long shot shows the audience what Claire saw and why she was running. This is the victim that Claire witnessed the villain trying to kill and this is why she is so shocked.
The killer then slowly lifts his head up, looking a Claire. A clear indicator that he has recognised he has been seen
19.
A quick edit follows this to another close up of Claire. This displays a further reaction as she knows she has been seen. (This then transfers into a medium long shot as she goes to run)
20.
A long shot goes back to the killer where he gets up to pursue Claire.
21.
A point of view shot of Claire repeats what the audience saw at the beginning, verifying what happened and why she was running. The sound of her heavily breathing whilst running can be heard once more but is interrupted by the loud sound of the telephone ringing.
22.
Again, another quick edit cuts to a long shot of Claire. She sharply turns her head to sound of the phone, which appears to be us (the camera.) She hesitantly walks towards it with caution, obviously still traumatised about what she has seen.
23.
The camera tracks Claire as she goes into the room where the phone is. A medium shot shows her pick it up, where she pauses for a moment before saying anything. The camera then zooms in on her face as she says “hello.” The close up expresses to the audience her disturbed and panicked look, however, the audience do not know who is on the other end of the phone, leaving the opening sequence of this film on a cliff hanger
24. A quick cut then goes to a black screen where the title of the film (Payback) flashes suddenly up on screen. This is in the same style Writing as the opening credits.
Friday, 6 March 2009
Questionnaire Analysis
The following research was done by Laurel and Sally
We asked 10 people the following questions, here are the responses:
1) What is your favourite genre?
3) How do you watch unreleased films?
This shows us that 88% of people watched new released films in the cinema, proving it to be the most popular. 0% watches unreleased films through Pirate DVD’s.
4) Do you enjoy thriller films?
We asked 10 people the following questions, here are the responses:
1) What is your favourite genre?
This shows us that Comedy is the most popular genre, with 100% of participants selecting it as one of their favourite genre’s. This was followed by Action and Adventure with 88% selecting it as their favourite. Thriller was the 3rd most popular with 63% selecting it to be there favourite. Western and Romance showed to be the least popular.
2) How often do you watch films?
2) How often do you watch films?
This shows us that that 75% of participants either watched films everyday or 1-3 times a week. No participants watched films fortnightly, monthly or never
3) How do you watch unreleased films?
This shows us that 88% of people watched new released films in the cinema, proving it to be the most popular. 0% watches unreleased films through Pirate DVD’s.
4) Do you enjoy thriller films?
This shows us that 100% of our participants enjoy Thriller films. This furthermore suggests a wider range of answers for the next questions, in comparison to participants who might have answered no and have not seen a range of different thriller films.
5) Which thriller genre is your favourite?
5) Which thriller genre is your favourite?
These results show a mixture of favourite different genre’s of thriller, specifically between Action, Horror and Psychological. However, psychological showed to be the most popular.
6) What is it that you enjoy about thriller films?
The most common responses were along the lines of:
“They make you jump”
“They keep you on the edge of your seat”
“They keep you focused throughout and keep you in suspense”
“You never know what is going to happen next”
“There fast paced”
These results help to suggest to us what we need to include gaining the interest of our viewer. It suggests that to make our thriller film successful, we will need to use techniques such as matching sound effects with connotations of fear with the action of the film. We also need to ensure our film stays fast paced and we are aware that the scenes need to stay at a necessary pace instead of dragging them along at a slow speed.
6) What is it that you enjoy about thriller films?
The most common responses were along the lines of:
“They make you jump”
“They keep you on the edge of your seat”
“They keep you focused throughout and keep you in suspense”
“You never know what is going to happen next”
“There fast paced”
These results help to suggest to us what we need to include gaining the interest of our viewer. It suggests that to make our thriller film successful, we will need to use techniques such as matching sound effects with connotations of fear with the action of the film. We also need to ensure our film stays fast paced and we are aware that the scenes need to stay at a necessary pace instead of dragging them along at a slow speed.
7) What do you expect to find in a thriller film?
40% of our responses were nothing.
Other responses were along the lines of:
“Stories that involve some sort of stalker or characters that you don’t see till the end”“I would expect to find a very good story line with the psycho, characters etc.”
These comments just furthermore suggest to us that we need to keep suspense, particularly with characters.
8) What is your favourite thriller and why?
Responses were alone the lines of:
“Donnie Darko – It’s a crazy messed up film that twists the idea of god”
“Speed – it’s exciting”
“The others because the whole way through you are thinking someone is going to kill the main characters. I also like the twist at the end.”
“Signs. The storyline is based around one family which is like any other. It is a sci-fi thriller which storyline features a whole country and lots of different characters”
This could help to give us inspiration as to what our target audience are looking for and interested in and hope to see in a thriller film.
40% of our responses were nothing.
Other responses were along the lines of:
“Stories that involve some sort of stalker or characters that you don’t see till the end”“I would expect to find a very good story line with the psycho, characters etc.”
These comments just furthermore suggest to us that we need to keep suspense, particularly with characters.
8) What is your favourite thriller and why?
Responses were alone the lines of:
“Donnie Darko – It’s a crazy messed up film that twists the idea of god”
“Speed – it’s exciting”
“The others because the whole way through you are thinking someone is going to kill the main characters. I also like the twist at the end.”
“Signs. The storyline is based around one family which is like any other. It is a sci-fi thriller which storyline features a whole country and lots of different characters”
This could help to give us inspiration as to what our target audience are looking for and interested in and hope to see in a thriller film.
Tuesday, 10 February 2009
Organization
The following was conducted by both Laurel and Sally
Actors:
We will need a total of 3 actors – One to play Claire, one to play the villain and one to play the villain’s initial victim (which Claire witnesses).
Claire will be a female who looks 18-20 year old. The villain will be a male and the other victim will be a female. This will be effective as it will meet the stereotypical characters of the female’s being vulnerable and less able to defend themselves in comparison to males. The actors playing these roles will be personal friends.
Time-Keeping:
We plan to film the chase scene at around 6:00pm as at this particular time of year, that’s when it becomes dark (but not pitch black) and streetlight’s turn on etc. We shall film these cuts over a time period of 2 days so that we will have a wide variety of cuts to choose from to ensure we get the best possible for our film.
The home scene will not have to be shot at any specific time as we will not have any extraneous variables such as the weather, dusk etc. We will once again film these scenes over a period of 2 days to ensure we get a wide variety of cuts to choose from for the final editing.
Props:
Streetlight (Existing prop, already at location)
Plastic knife (Using gloss to make it look realistic)
Mirror, toilet, sink, towel, other props to make house seem realistic (Already at location)
Ketchup (Blood on victim) (Already on location)
Vegetable soup (Claire’s sick in the bathroom scene)
Key (to open door) (Already on location)
Budget: £5
Plastic knife - £3
Vegetable Soup – 60p
Total: £3.60
Location:
We have chosen the alley by Snow Hills in Yaxely as it is convenient to the scene and is near Laurel’s home which will play Claire’s in the scene.
Mise-En-Scene
Look on blog post, ‘Film Narrative’
N0 dialogue script is needed, as no speech is used within the sequence
Actors:
We will need a total of 3 actors – One to play Claire, one to play the villain and one to play the villain’s initial victim (which Claire witnesses).
Claire will be a female who looks 18-20 year old. The villain will be a male and the other victim will be a female. This will be effective as it will meet the stereotypical characters of the female’s being vulnerable and less able to defend themselves in comparison to males. The actors playing these roles will be personal friends.
Time-Keeping:
We plan to film the chase scene at around 6:00pm as at this particular time of year, that’s when it becomes dark (but not pitch black) and streetlight’s turn on etc. We shall film these cuts over a time period of 2 days so that we will have a wide variety of cuts to choose from to ensure we get the best possible for our film.
The home scene will not have to be shot at any specific time as we will not have any extraneous variables such as the weather, dusk etc. We will once again film these scenes over a period of 2 days to ensure we get a wide variety of cuts to choose from for the final editing.
Props:
Streetlight (Existing prop, already at location)
Plastic knife (Using gloss to make it look realistic)
Mirror, toilet, sink, towel, other props to make house seem realistic (Already at location)
Ketchup (Blood on victim) (Already on location)
Vegetable soup (Claire’s sick in the bathroom scene)
Key (to open door) (Already on location)
Budget: £5
Plastic knife - £3
Vegetable Soup – 60p
Total: £3.60
Location:
We have chosen the alley by Snow Hills in Yaxely as it is convenient to the scene and is near Laurel’s home which will play Claire’s in the scene.
Mise-En-Scene
Look on blog post, ‘Film Narrative’
N0 dialogue script is needed, as no speech is used within the sequence
Basic Film Narrative
The following was conducted by both Laurel and Sally
Plot:
The narrative of our opening sequence will consist of a chase theme between Claire and this villain. We plan to establish this before any acting is shown on the screen by adding the diagetic sound of Claire breathing very heavily, as if she was out of breath, accompanying the opening titles which are put against a black screen. We then cut to the actual chase scene (which takes place from the alley to Claire’s home), established mainly by points-of-view shots (so us as the audience can also see the villain but from Claire’s point of view, for example as she’s turning around to see if he is still chasing her), long shots and medium shots. Each cut will have a black-screen transition in between. The diagetic sound of Claire breathing very heavily will continue throughout both the different cuts and transitions. Claire manages to get away from the villain at the last minute and runs into her home, established by a medium shot followed by a match-on-action shot. She shuts the door behind her and a medium-shot of her resting her back on the door helps establish her facial expression which is pure fear. The emphasis on heavy breathing ends here. The audience is left in suspense as to why this villain has been chasing her etc. This will then go to a long shot of Claire running upstairs into the toilet, followed by a medium close-up of Claire being sick. She then washes her hands and looks into the mirror, the camera focusing on her expression before going into the next shot. This will go into a flashback, represented by different lighting, editing (specifically black and white colouring etc). A close-up of Claire’s face followed by a point-of-view medium-long-shot of the villain about to murder another victim helps to establish Claire has witnessed something that this villain feels is vital no one should. This is furthermore established by an emphasis of eye contact. We then have a medium-shot of Claire turning to run, followed by a medium-long-shot of the villain getting up and following/chasing her. Once again, we have the loud diagetic sound of Claire breathing heavily, linking back to the beginning, so we as an audience can instantly link this back to the chase we saw before. The diagetic sound will then have volume turned down, causing suspense. This suspense is then broken by the telephone ringing (switching back from the flashback). This will hopefully cause a ‘jumpy’ effect to the audience, and also does to Claire. A medium-close-up helps to establish the hesitation on her face. A medium-long-shot then see’s Claire walk into the bedroom where the phone is ringing. A medium-close up shows Claire pick up the phone, but she does not say anything. We do not hear what is said at the other side of the phone, but a zoom into a close-up establishing Claire’s fear helps suggest it is the villain that has just been chasing her. As we are zooming-in, we have the sound of Claire’s heartbeat getting faster and her breathing getting heavier emphasised. We then hear her scream, which is followed by the sound of the phone cutting off. This then has a black transition into a black screen where the title of the film will appear.
Mise-en-scene:
Costume: Claire will be established as a young-adult (i.e. early 20’s) by her costume. It will be casual yet modern. The costume will help represent the fact that this was initially a ‘normal’ day for her. She will have her hair up in a pony-tail and the make-up will be suttle. Costume will be along the lines of jeans, a casual t-shirt etc. The villain is covered by clothing (i.e. jumper, big boots) – all of his being black, reflecting his personal mood, lifestyle etc.
Location: The first part see’s Claire running from an alley. We will try emphasising the compact isolation that the alley represents. We will then see her running along the street.
Lighting: The lighting will be dark in the alley, with the streetlight shining onto Claire and a glimpse of the light shining on the villain. In the home, the lighting will be ambient.
Plot:
The narrative of our opening sequence will consist of a chase theme between Claire and this villain. We plan to establish this before any acting is shown on the screen by adding the diagetic sound of Claire breathing very heavily, as if she was out of breath, accompanying the opening titles which are put against a black screen. We then cut to the actual chase scene (which takes place from the alley to Claire’s home), established mainly by points-of-view shots (so us as the audience can also see the villain but from Claire’s point of view, for example as she’s turning around to see if he is still chasing her), long shots and medium shots. Each cut will have a black-screen transition in between. The diagetic sound of Claire breathing very heavily will continue throughout both the different cuts and transitions. Claire manages to get away from the villain at the last minute and runs into her home, established by a medium shot followed by a match-on-action shot. She shuts the door behind her and a medium-shot of her resting her back on the door helps establish her facial expression which is pure fear. The emphasis on heavy breathing ends here. The audience is left in suspense as to why this villain has been chasing her etc. This will then go to a long shot of Claire running upstairs into the toilet, followed by a medium close-up of Claire being sick. She then washes her hands and looks into the mirror, the camera focusing on her expression before going into the next shot. This will go into a flashback, represented by different lighting, editing (specifically black and white colouring etc). A close-up of Claire’s face followed by a point-of-view medium-long-shot of the villain about to murder another victim helps to establish Claire has witnessed something that this villain feels is vital no one should. This is furthermore established by an emphasis of eye contact. We then have a medium-shot of Claire turning to run, followed by a medium-long-shot of the villain getting up and following/chasing her. Once again, we have the loud diagetic sound of Claire breathing heavily, linking back to the beginning, so we as an audience can instantly link this back to the chase we saw before. The diagetic sound will then have volume turned down, causing suspense. This suspense is then broken by the telephone ringing (switching back from the flashback). This will hopefully cause a ‘jumpy’ effect to the audience, and also does to Claire. A medium-close-up helps to establish the hesitation on her face. A medium-long-shot then see’s Claire walk into the bedroom where the phone is ringing. A medium-close up shows Claire pick up the phone, but she does not say anything. We do not hear what is said at the other side of the phone, but a zoom into a close-up establishing Claire’s fear helps suggest it is the villain that has just been chasing her. As we are zooming-in, we have the sound of Claire’s heartbeat getting faster and her breathing getting heavier emphasised. We then hear her scream, which is followed by the sound of the phone cutting off. This then has a black transition into a black screen where the title of the film will appear.
Mise-en-scene:
Costume: Claire will be established as a young-adult (i.e. early 20’s) by her costume. It will be casual yet modern. The costume will help represent the fact that this was initially a ‘normal’ day for her. She will have her hair up in a pony-tail and the make-up will be suttle. Costume will be along the lines of jeans, a casual t-shirt etc. The villain is covered by clothing (i.e. jumper, big boots) – all of his being black, reflecting his personal mood, lifestyle etc.
Location: The first part see’s Claire running from an alley. We will try emphasising the compact isolation that the alley represents. We will then see her running along the street.
Lighting: The lighting will be dark in the alley, with the streetlight shining onto Claire and a glimpse of the light shining on the villain. In the home, the lighting will be ambient.
Friday, 16 January 2009
'Face Off' Opening Analysis
The following analysis was conducted by Sally
The first part of the opening sequence is a set of opening titles. The opening titles are a black background with white titles/text, which transition’s are blurred, which could help suggest disorientation. The initial music could suggest tragedy – this is particularly established at the very beginning, where bell-type music helps to symbolise innocence and the drum-type music over the top helping to symbolise the innocence destroyed by an attacker of some sort. Furthermore, this could suggest a murder which is conventional for a Thriller film. Already from the opening titles, we are able to get some sense of narrative, which is also conventional.
We then have a transition of what appears to be a merry-go-round moving very quickly, still with opening titles, transitioning onto a number of different medium shot cuts of Sean Archer (John Trovota’s character) and his son on the merry-go-round. The medium shots here helps to show the overall muse-en-scene, (the location of a merry-go-round emphasises this sense of innocence, which juxtapose with the disorientation of colour and the dark music which suggests danger or evil). The same instrumental music is continued, but with the addition of the non-diegetic voice over of the child laughing. Furthermore, this establishes and emphasises this sense of innocence, and so we as an audience can already guess that the equilibrium will be broken and it could possibly have something to do with the impairment of this character. Medium long shots help to establish them in that location and the medium close-ups help to show the emotion on the characters faces and also instantly establishes the relationship between these two characters – we can instantly establish they are father and son. The colouring seems dimmed down which could help to represent the fact that this may be a flashback or part of the past.
We then have a long establishing shot of a merry-go-round which presents the viewer with many different connotations (happiness, simplicity, youth etc.) which is then broken by a close-up of a sniper rifle followed by a long shot of Caster Troy (Nicholas Cage). The fact that he has a sniper riffle could automatically classify this film as an action thriller. This is the first time we are introduced to this character. The long shot helps to establish the fact that this character is on his own and isolated, which significantly is in comparison to this busy, loving setting at the merry-go-round that we have previously seen. The music suddenly gets darker which could suggest the characteristics of this character, suggesting he is the villain in the story, and also suggests that the narrative will have something to do with a battle against him and Sean Archer. This is where the title of the film appears, with ‘Face’ written in black and ‘Off’ written in white – the significant contrast in colour change here helps to emphasise the narrative of a battle between too people. The title ‘Face Off’ also helps to create this theme of identity (as the face is a vital part of a person’s identity) which is conventional for a thriller. A slow motion close-up of Cater Troy sipping his drink out of a straw before looking through the viewfinder on the sniper rifle emphasises the expression on his face, which appears very casual, suggesting this routine is normal for him, additionally emphasizing the character to be a villain. The point-of-view shot through the view-finder of Sean Archer and his son confirms that the film will revolve around the battle between the two characters and therefore establishes the narrative. The music is very dark throughout this and so therefore suggests drama and evil in the narrative, which is a vital convention in a thriller film.
A zoom out of Caster Troy’s face along with the bell-type music helps to explain the expression his face He seems to be in thought and a sense of discomfort. The music in particular establishes that he has just realised his antagonist has a child, which we immediately presume is the reason of the sense of hesitation/guilt. This is emphasised by a following of a slow-motion shot of Sean Archer and his son smiling and showing affection. This quickly switches back to a medium shot of Caster Troy taking another sip of his drink, suggesting that the hesitation has not thrown him off the idea of what he is going to do next. The fact that the music has not changed also helps to emphasise this. It is a small shot, and is quickly switched back to a number of different shots of Sean Archer and his child showing affection towards each other. All shots are medium close-ups which help to show the happiness and emotion on both characters faces, in exception to the last shot of them together which is a medium shot of Sean kissing his son’s head and then hugging him, showing a bond and a sense of affection and equilibrium between the characters.
We then switch back to a medium shot of Caster Troy looking through the view finder. We then go back to a point-of-view shot of Caster looking through the view finder. As soon as the point in the middle of the viewfinder hits Sean’s back, the music dramatically changes and gets darker. We then get a close-up shot of Caster pulling the trigger, followed by a slow motion shot of the bullet coming towards the camera. The slow motion helps to establish the drama of the scene, and emphasises how vital it is.
We then get a close up shot of it hitting Sean’s back and a load of blood coming through his jacket. The costume of Sean is a green jacket, which could have been used to help contrast the blood on the jacket. We instantly get the sense of broken equilibrium. This is followed by a long shot of him jolting back which fully establishes the fact it has hit him. This is emphasised by the way in which the music the fully comes to a holt, which could also suggest a life has to come an end as well. It also helps to create the tension and suspense of weather this character has infact died the reaction of the other character etc. A medium shot of Sean falling with his son in his arms shows how important his son is to him. A close-up of blood on the horse where the young boy was sitting on the merry-go-round shows that blood has also been drawn by his son. The fact the horse symbolises innocence and now has blood (which has connotations of pain etc.) also helps to establish this. As an audience, at first we presumed that it was only Sean who got shot and believed this up until this point where we realise that as an audience we got a sense of false path, which is conventional of a thriller. We then get a medium shot of Sean on the ground, followed by panning camera movement to his son, who is laying down and is unconscious, possibly dead – this helps confirm the technique of ‘false path’. We then have a medium close up of Caster Troy – the mise-en-scene of the sniper rifle helps to confirm it was him that shot Sean and his son. His facial expression helps to tell us he was not meaning to kill Sean’s son, which confirms the theory that this battle is between Sean and Caster and is not between Caster and Sean’s family. We then go back to a medium shot of Sean dragging himself towards his dead son. The medium shot helps us to see this but also helps us to see the emotion on Sean’s face, which shows devastation. The merry-go-round in the background helps to remind the audience the innocence of the scene. This is then emphasised by a focused zoom-in of the merry-go-round.
The first part of the opening sequence is a set of opening titles. The opening titles are a black background with white titles/text, which transition’s are blurred, which could help suggest disorientation. The initial music could suggest tragedy – this is particularly established at the very beginning, where bell-type music helps to symbolise innocence and the drum-type music over the top helping to symbolise the innocence destroyed by an attacker of some sort. Furthermore, this could suggest a murder which is conventional for a Thriller film. Already from the opening titles, we are able to get some sense of narrative, which is also conventional.
We then have a transition of what appears to be a merry-go-round moving very quickly, still with opening titles, transitioning onto a number of different medium shot cuts of Sean Archer (John Trovota’s character) and his son on the merry-go-round. The medium shots here helps to show the overall muse-en-scene, (the location of a merry-go-round emphasises this sense of innocence, which juxtapose with the disorientation of colour and the dark music which suggests danger or evil). The same instrumental music is continued, but with the addition of the non-diegetic voice over of the child laughing. Furthermore, this establishes and emphasises this sense of innocence, and so we as an audience can already guess that the equilibrium will be broken and it could possibly have something to do with the impairment of this character. Medium long shots help to establish them in that location and the medium close-ups help to show the emotion on the characters faces and also instantly establishes the relationship between these two characters – we can instantly establish they are father and son. The colouring seems dimmed down which could help to represent the fact that this may be a flashback or part of the past.
We then have a long establishing shot of a merry-go-round which presents the viewer with many different connotations (happiness, simplicity, youth etc.) which is then broken by a close-up of a sniper rifle followed by a long shot of Caster Troy (Nicholas Cage). The fact that he has a sniper riffle could automatically classify this film as an action thriller. This is the first time we are introduced to this character. The long shot helps to establish the fact that this character is on his own and isolated, which significantly is in comparison to this busy, loving setting at the merry-go-round that we have previously seen. The music suddenly gets darker which could suggest the characteristics of this character, suggesting he is the villain in the story, and also suggests that the narrative will have something to do with a battle against him and Sean Archer. This is where the title of the film appears, with ‘Face’ written in black and ‘Off’ written in white – the significant contrast in colour change here helps to emphasise the narrative of a battle between too people. The title ‘Face Off’ also helps to create this theme of identity (as the face is a vital part of a person’s identity) which is conventional for a thriller. A slow motion close-up of Cater Troy sipping his drink out of a straw before looking through the viewfinder on the sniper rifle emphasises the expression on his face, which appears very casual, suggesting this routine is normal for him, additionally emphasizing the character to be a villain. The point-of-view shot through the view-finder of Sean Archer and his son confirms that the film will revolve around the battle between the two characters and therefore establishes the narrative. The music is very dark throughout this and so therefore suggests drama and evil in the narrative, which is a vital convention in a thriller film.
A zoom out of Caster Troy’s face along with the bell-type music helps to explain the expression his face He seems to be in thought and a sense of discomfort. The music in particular establishes that he has just realised his antagonist has a child, which we immediately presume is the reason of the sense of hesitation/guilt. This is emphasised by a following of a slow-motion shot of Sean Archer and his son smiling and showing affection. This quickly switches back to a medium shot of Caster Troy taking another sip of his drink, suggesting that the hesitation has not thrown him off the idea of what he is going to do next. The fact that the music has not changed also helps to emphasise this. It is a small shot, and is quickly switched back to a number of different shots of Sean Archer and his child showing affection towards each other. All shots are medium close-ups which help to show the happiness and emotion on both characters faces, in exception to the last shot of them together which is a medium shot of Sean kissing his son’s head and then hugging him, showing a bond and a sense of affection and equilibrium between the characters.
We then switch back to a medium shot of Caster Troy looking through the view finder. We then go back to a point-of-view shot of Caster looking through the view finder. As soon as the point in the middle of the viewfinder hits Sean’s back, the music dramatically changes and gets darker. We then get a close-up shot of Caster pulling the trigger, followed by a slow motion shot of the bullet coming towards the camera. The slow motion helps to establish the drama of the scene, and emphasises how vital it is.
We then get a close up shot of it hitting Sean’s back and a load of blood coming through his jacket. The costume of Sean is a green jacket, which could have been used to help contrast the blood on the jacket. We instantly get the sense of broken equilibrium. This is followed by a long shot of him jolting back which fully establishes the fact it has hit him. This is emphasised by the way in which the music the fully comes to a holt, which could also suggest a life has to come an end as well. It also helps to create the tension and suspense of weather this character has infact died the reaction of the other character etc. A medium shot of Sean falling with his son in his arms shows how important his son is to him. A close-up of blood on the horse where the young boy was sitting on the merry-go-round shows that blood has also been drawn by his son. The fact the horse symbolises innocence and now has blood (which has connotations of pain etc.) also helps to establish this. As an audience, at first we presumed that it was only Sean who got shot and believed this up until this point where we realise that as an audience we got a sense of false path, which is conventional of a thriller. We then get a medium shot of Sean on the ground, followed by panning camera movement to his son, who is laying down and is unconscious, possibly dead – this helps confirm the technique of ‘false path’. We then have a medium close up of Caster Troy – the mise-en-scene of the sniper rifle helps to confirm it was him that shot Sean and his son. His facial expression helps to tell us he was not meaning to kill Sean’s son, which confirms the theory that this battle is between Sean and Caster and is not between Caster and Sean’s family. We then go back to a medium shot of Sean dragging himself towards his dead son. The medium shot helps us to see this but also helps us to see the emotion on Sean’s face, which shows devastation. The merry-go-round in the background helps to remind the audience the innocence of the scene. This is then emphasised by a focused zoom-in of the merry-go-round.
Opening analysis of The Shining
This analysis was conducted by Laurel
First seen on screen is a wide shot of what appears to be a very remote area. The audience can see a lake with mountains and the sky line in the background. The camera quickly zooms in and sweeps over the lake. This slowly fades into an extreme high angle shot (birds eye view) which looks down on a car travelling along a small road surrounded by trees and water. The camera continues to stay at this high angle whilst following the car on its journey. A quick edit changes the camera to a lower high angle shot which then continues to follow the car. After this another quick edit changes the angle of the camera and the scenery (to a road in the mountains) and again continues to pursue the car. Eventually the audience is able to see the vehicle as the camera overtakes it and swoops off the side of the mountain. Once more, the pattern of the high angle shot tracking the car prolongs. As it maintains this the scenery changes slightly as the car moves deeper and higher into the mountains, for example, the audience can see images of snow capped mountains. The camera then tracks along the road as the car comes closer to meeting its destination and for the opening titles to finish. After two and half minutes of the opening scene and credits we are introduced to the overlook hotel for the first time, we know nothing about it but what it looks like and how big it is. We assume this is where the story is going to take place. By the end of this three minute clip the audience still do not k now who the car that the camera has been following belongs too.
Through the whole opening very bright, ambient and natural lighting is used. Due to the fact that the sunlight is so vivid large shadows silhouette the tall mountains and trees and stretch across the lake and road. This provides the audience with a sense of fear as it suggests that this place is not as nice as it looks or something bad is going to happen to darken the area. It appears to be a very peaceful place, however, due to the music and the vast gulf of isolation we no that this not going to be the case and there is something suspicious about the area.
The music featured on these opening titles is a very effective dramatic device. The piece of music was based on the “Dies Irae” a tradition catholic funeral dirge and is very symphonic. At the start of the opening the music is very deep sounding and single notes are played, with changes in pitch. This continues, where at times the notes get higher, however the music is still very monotone. At approximately forty five seconds through the opening high pitched sounds can be heard through the extremely low notes. This adds to the dramatic and tense feel the music gives to the audience. This follows a few seconds later. Eventually the titles begin to appear. The colour of the font is blue, which is usually seen to be a gentler colour but Kubrick makes this font seem more eerie by the sound he uses of tribal music and screaming women.
In my opinion the music makes the audience feel very uncomfortable and on edge. I think this opening theme music is a good example of having effects on the audience.
The opening of this film allows us to have an idea of the type of complex camera angles that can be used and how a good piece of music can make the opening of the film immediately appeal to the audience and indicate what type of genre this film is going to be.
Tuesday, 13 January 2009
M. Night Shyamalan
The following research has been conducted by Sally.
M. Night Shyamalan is an academy award nominated writer and director, who is best known for ‘making movies with contemporary supernatural plots that usually climax with a twist ending.’
Shyamalan said that the "The Tale of the Dream Girl" episode of Nickelodeon's television series Are You Afraid of the Dark? directed by David Winning was an inspiration for the film’[1]
‘Some critics have suggested that he would be more successful by hiring a screenwriter to help translate his stories to the big screen. He has also been labeled a "one-trick pony" for his continuous use of what some people call the "twist" element in his screenplays. After the release of The Village, Slate's Michael Agger noted that Shyamalan was following "an uncomfortable pattern" of "making fragile, sealed-off movies that fell apart when exposed to outside logic."
In a May 31, 2008, interview with the London Independent, Shyamalan offered this answer to the question about his "one-trick" movies: "Q: A common misperception of me is ... A:That all my movies have twist endings, or that they're all scary. All my movies are spiritual and all have an emotional perspective."
In recent years, M. Night Shyamalan has been accused of plagiarism. Robert McIlhinney, a Pennsylvania screenwriter, sued Shyamalan over the similarity of Signs to his unpublished script Lord of the Barrens. Margaret Peterson Haddix considered a lawsuit after it was noted that The Village had numerous elements found in her children's novel Running Out of Time.[2]
‘M. Night Shyamalan’s films often incorporate themes of trauma, death, water, and secrets. His use of supernatural events can invoke a closer look at these themes. And despite being reared in an affluent and very educated family, Night’s creative drive has always been high. So what make’s him tick? Oscar-nominated filmmaker Nathaniel Kahn recognizes these intriguing attributes, and with "exclusive" interviews with Night on the set of The Village, Kahn sets out to find out if Night is personally hiding some of these elements in his personal life.’ [3]
Films
Shyamalan’s’ first film was released in 1992, called ‘Praying with Anger’. It was funded by the borrowing of money from both Shyamalans’ friends and family. Shyamalan himself acted in this film, playing the character Dev Raman. ‘To date, the film has been shown primarily at film festivals and never received a wide release for mainstream distribution. It has gradually developed a cult following as a seminal work exploring the clash of Western values with those of the Indian subcontinent.’[4]
His second film, Wide Awake, was made in 1995, but was not released until 1998. ‘It is the only Shyamalan-directed film to date in which the director does not make a cameo appearance’[5] ‘The film is similar to later Shyamalan films with a theme of crises of belief, a supernatural sub-plot, and a twist ending that sums up the ideas presented in the film’[6] The film was unsuccessful to say the least.
His most successful film to date, The Sixth Sense, (which Shyamalan both wrote and directed) was released in 1999. The line ‘I see dead people’ instantly became a type of catchphrase for the film. The film gained mostly positive reviews. It grossed $26.6 million in its opening weekend and spent five weeks as the #1 film at the U.S. box office[7]. The film was nominated for six academy awards and in 1999 won the Nebula Award for Best Script in an award from the members Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. In 2007, the American Film Institution put Scary Movie in the 89th position in the run for best film.
His fourth film was Unbreakable, which was also an unsuccessful film and did not manage to make a net profit. Shyamalan says he was disappointed with the response of the general public and critics[8]. ‘Unbreakable was nominated the Saturn Award for Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film, but lost out to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America honored Shyamalan with a Nebula Award nomination for his screenplay.’[9]
Shyamalan’s next successful film came in 2002, with the science fiction thriller film, Signs. The film received generally high and positive reviews from both the critics and the public, and also and was also one of the best earning films of that year.
‘Roger Ebert wrote:
M. Night Shyamalan's "Signs" is the work of a born filmmaker, able to summon apprehension out of thin air. When it is over, we think not how little has been decided, but how much has been experienced ... At the end of the film, I had to smile, recognizing how Shyamalan has essentially ditched a payoff. He knows, as we all sense, that payoffs have grown boring.’[10]. In 2004, Bravo ranked a scene from Signs #77 on the list of 100 Scariest Movie Moments. The Village was released in 2004, and was the third of Shyamalan’s films to hit success, earning him his first Academy award for Best Opening Score. However, after its first successful weekend, the film received a major fall of 67% and some later said the film was a disappointment. ‘Shyamalan expressed a great deal of regret in the way the film was marketed, telling producing partner Sam Mercer, while overseeing the editing of the teaser trailer for Lady in the Water, that he had wished for The Village to have been sold as a period romance with a scare only at the end of the trailer. Shyamalan is also said to have thought that the shift in the main theme of faith from his previous films to that of deception resulted in the mixed-negative response. Citing that his other movies set out to make an audience believe in the supernatural, The Village set out to do the opposite’.[11] Shyamalan’s most recent film, The Happening, was released in 2008. It was Shyamalan’s first R-Rated film, and over its first weekend, ‘the total gross came in at $30,517,109 in 2,986 theaters in the United States and Canada, averaging to about $10,220 per venue, and ranking #3 at the box office, behind The Incredible Hulk and Kung Fu Panda’[12] and also appeared at the top of the DVD rental in its first week of release.
[1] http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0796117/bio
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._Night_Shyamalan
[3] http://www.dvdfile.com/review/the-buried-secret-of-m-night-shyamalan-29
[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Praying_with_Anger
[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wide_Awake
[6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._Night_Shyamalan
[7] http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=sixthsense.htm
[8] http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,333419,00.html
[9] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unbreakable_(film)#Comic_book_references
[10] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signs_(film)#Reception
[11] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._Night_Shyamalan
[12] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Happening_(2008_film)#References
M. Night Shyamalan is an academy award nominated writer and director, who is best known for ‘making movies with contemporary supernatural plots that usually climax with a twist ending.’
Shyamalan said that the "The Tale of the Dream Girl" episode of Nickelodeon's television series Are You Afraid of the Dark? directed by David Winning was an inspiration for the film’[1]
‘Some critics have suggested that he would be more successful by hiring a screenwriter to help translate his stories to the big screen. He has also been labeled a "one-trick pony" for his continuous use of what some people call the "twist" element in his screenplays. After the release of The Village, Slate's Michael Agger noted that Shyamalan was following "an uncomfortable pattern" of "making fragile, sealed-off movies that fell apart when exposed to outside logic."
In a May 31, 2008, interview with the London Independent, Shyamalan offered this answer to the question about his "one-trick" movies: "Q: A common misperception of me is ... A:That all my movies have twist endings, or that they're all scary. All my movies are spiritual and all have an emotional perspective."
In recent years, M. Night Shyamalan has been accused of plagiarism. Robert McIlhinney, a Pennsylvania screenwriter, sued Shyamalan over the similarity of Signs to his unpublished script Lord of the Barrens. Margaret Peterson Haddix considered a lawsuit after it was noted that The Village had numerous elements found in her children's novel Running Out of Time.[2]
‘M. Night Shyamalan’s films often incorporate themes of trauma, death, water, and secrets. His use of supernatural events can invoke a closer look at these themes. And despite being reared in an affluent and very educated family, Night’s creative drive has always been high. So what make’s him tick? Oscar-nominated filmmaker Nathaniel Kahn recognizes these intriguing attributes, and with "exclusive" interviews with Night on the set of The Village, Kahn sets out to find out if Night is personally hiding some of these elements in his personal life.’ [3]
Films
Shyamalan’s’ first film was released in 1992, called ‘Praying with Anger’. It was funded by the borrowing of money from both Shyamalans’ friends and family. Shyamalan himself acted in this film, playing the character Dev Raman. ‘To date, the film has been shown primarily at film festivals and never received a wide release for mainstream distribution. It has gradually developed a cult following as a seminal work exploring the clash of Western values with those of the Indian subcontinent.’[4]
His second film, Wide Awake, was made in 1995, but was not released until 1998. ‘It is the only Shyamalan-directed film to date in which the director does not make a cameo appearance’[5] ‘The film is similar to later Shyamalan films with a theme of crises of belief, a supernatural sub-plot, and a twist ending that sums up the ideas presented in the film’[6] The film was unsuccessful to say the least.
His most successful film to date, The Sixth Sense, (which Shyamalan both wrote and directed) was released in 1999. The line ‘I see dead people’ instantly became a type of catchphrase for the film. The film gained mostly positive reviews. It grossed $26.6 million in its opening weekend and spent five weeks as the #1 film at the U.S. box office[7]. The film was nominated for six academy awards and in 1999 won the Nebula Award for Best Script in an award from the members Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. In 2007, the American Film Institution put Scary Movie in the 89th position in the run for best film.
His fourth film was Unbreakable, which was also an unsuccessful film and did not manage to make a net profit. Shyamalan says he was disappointed with the response of the general public and critics[8]. ‘Unbreakable was nominated the Saturn Award for Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film, but lost out to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America honored Shyamalan with a Nebula Award nomination for his screenplay.’[9]
Shyamalan’s next successful film came in 2002, with the science fiction thriller film, Signs. The film received generally high and positive reviews from both the critics and the public, and also and was also one of the best earning films of that year.
‘Roger Ebert wrote:
M. Night Shyamalan's "Signs" is the work of a born filmmaker, able to summon apprehension out of thin air. When it is over, we think not how little has been decided, but how much has been experienced ... At the end of the film, I had to smile, recognizing how Shyamalan has essentially ditched a payoff. He knows, as we all sense, that payoffs have grown boring.’[10]. In 2004, Bravo ranked a scene from Signs #77 on the list of 100 Scariest Movie Moments. The Village was released in 2004, and was the third of Shyamalan’s films to hit success, earning him his first Academy award for Best Opening Score. However, after its first successful weekend, the film received a major fall of 67% and some later said the film was a disappointment. ‘Shyamalan expressed a great deal of regret in the way the film was marketed, telling producing partner Sam Mercer, while overseeing the editing of the teaser trailer for Lady in the Water, that he had wished for The Village to have been sold as a period romance with a scare only at the end of the trailer. Shyamalan is also said to have thought that the shift in the main theme of faith from his previous films to that of deception resulted in the mixed-negative response. Citing that his other movies set out to make an audience believe in the supernatural, The Village set out to do the opposite’.[11] Shyamalan’s most recent film, The Happening, was released in 2008. It was Shyamalan’s first R-Rated film, and over its first weekend, ‘the total gross came in at $30,517,109 in 2,986 theaters in the United States and Canada, averaging to about $10,220 per venue, and ranking #3 at the box office, behind The Incredible Hulk and Kung Fu Panda’[12] and also appeared at the top of the DVD rental in its first week of release.
[1] http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0796117/bio
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._Night_Shyamalan
[3] http://www.dvdfile.com/review/the-buried-secret-of-m-night-shyamalan-29
[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Praying_with_Anger
[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wide_Awake
[6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._Night_Shyamalan
[7] http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=sixthsense.htm
[8] http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,333419,00.html
[9] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unbreakable_(film)#Comic_book_references
[10] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signs_(film)#Reception
[11] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._Night_Shyamalan
[12] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Happening_(2008_film)#References
Thursday, 8 January 2009
The Others. Opening analysis.
This piece of reseach was conducted by Laurel.
I was unable to find the opening on youtube and post it on here but have analysed the opening from the DVD.
Whilst waiting for her husband’s return from war, Grace and her two young children live an unusually isolated existence behind the locked doors and drawn curtains of a secluded isolated mansion. Then, after three mysterious servants arrive it becomes chillingly clear that there is far more to this house that can be seen. Grace finds herself in a terrifying fight to save her children and keep her sanity.
At the beginning of the opening titles of The Others there is a voice over from the main character, Grace, played by Nicole Kidman. She speaks about God and how many years ago he was the only one who existed, and therefore was the one to create the world, such as plants. This then leads onto the opening titles.
First seen on screen is the film title. This is faded into the foreground through a black background. The letters of the tile are like small lights, similar to candles, which also stand out. The dark atmosphere is continued as the lighting goes onto flicker like a candle. This displays to the audience a cartoon like background, which represents the story that will follow in the film. The colour of this is black but lit up with the candle. It also shows the characters that will be in the film, such as the mother and her children and the nanny.
The music is quite slow and high pitched, which gives a chilling feel to the audience as in the back ground echoes of singing children can be heard. The images that can be seen on screen also add to this feel as the camera focuses on drawings such as children screaming and a puppet doll with no legs, one arm and some broken strings.
The writing of the titles are white and placed over the drawings. They are quickly faded in and faded out. The editing and transitions are slow as at some points the screen goes black until the audience are again introduced the cartoon drawings. The camera follows the drawings like reading a book, from the bottom of the screen upwards. This is in point of view as it feels as if the audience are looking at it direct.
I think the opening titles to this film are very effective towards the audience. This is due to that fact not only does it indicate what type of film it is going to be or what might happen but it also puts a small amount of fear in the audience. The slow music and dark atmosphere contrast with the opening scene.
The opening scene is a shock to the audience due to the fact that the first thing to be heard is Grace screaming, whilst in bed, this also corresponds with the fear on her face. The next scene that follows is the view of the house. This again automatically gives a chilling feel due to the fact there is this big Victorian house out in the middle of nowhere surrounded by mist. The silence of the surrounding area and the footsteps of the three servants in the distance add to this. In addition to this we also find out that the other servants who worked their previously mysteriously left the house without taking their wages. Furthermore, we learn that Grace locks every door as she goes from room to room and that there is no electricity at all. They live in a household where silence is valued. She also lives in the dark due to her children’s condition of being allergic to sunlight. The large rooms are plummeted to darkness and the only way to see around the house is via candle light. Grace and the two servants walk up to the attack and it is at this point where we are introduced to her two children, Anne and Nicholas.
Straight away just from the opening three minutes of the film we can immediately categorise The Others into the thriller genre. Through what we learn at the beginning the audience establishes that this film will be one of mystery and suspense due to the isolated and dark existence these people live.
I was unable to find the opening on youtube and post it on here but have analysed the opening from the DVD.
Whilst waiting for her husband’s return from war, Grace and her two young children live an unusually isolated existence behind the locked doors and drawn curtains of a secluded isolated mansion. Then, after three mysterious servants arrive it becomes chillingly clear that there is far more to this house that can be seen. Grace finds herself in a terrifying fight to save her children and keep her sanity.
At the beginning of the opening titles of The Others there is a voice over from the main character, Grace, played by Nicole Kidman. She speaks about God and how many years ago he was the only one who existed, and therefore was the one to create the world, such as plants. This then leads onto the opening titles.
First seen on screen is the film title. This is faded into the foreground through a black background. The letters of the tile are like small lights, similar to candles, which also stand out. The dark atmosphere is continued as the lighting goes onto flicker like a candle. This displays to the audience a cartoon like background, which represents the story that will follow in the film. The colour of this is black but lit up with the candle. It also shows the characters that will be in the film, such as the mother and her children and the nanny.
The music is quite slow and high pitched, which gives a chilling feel to the audience as in the back ground echoes of singing children can be heard. The images that can be seen on screen also add to this feel as the camera focuses on drawings such as children screaming and a puppet doll with no legs, one arm and some broken strings.
The writing of the titles are white and placed over the drawings. They are quickly faded in and faded out. The editing and transitions are slow as at some points the screen goes black until the audience are again introduced the cartoon drawings. The camera follows the drawings like reading a book, from the bottom of the screen upwards. This is in point of view as it feels as if the audience are looking at it direct.
I think the opening titles to this film are very effective towards the audience. This is due to that fact not only does it indicate what type of film it is going to be or what might happen but it also puts a small amount of fear in the audience. The slow music and dark atmosphere contrast with the opening scene.
The opening scene is a shock to the audience due to the fact that the first thing to be heard is Grace screaming, whilst in bed, this also corresponds with the fear on her face. The next scene that follows is the view of the house. This again automatically gives a chilling feel due to the fact there is this big Victorian house out in the middle of nowhere surrounded by mist. The silence of the surrounding area and the footsteps of the three servants in the distance add to this. In addition to this we also find out that the other servants who worked their previously mysteriously left the house without taking their wages. Furthermore, we learn that Grace locks every door as she goes from room to room and that there is no electricity at all. They live in a household where silence is valued. She also lives in the dark due to her children’s condition of being allergic to sunlight. The large rooms are plummeted to darkness and the only way to see around the house is via candle light. Grace and the two servants walk up to the attack and it is at this point where we are introduced to her two children, Anne and Nicholas.
Straight away just from the opening three minutes of the film we can immediately categorise The Others into the thriller genre. Through what we learn at the beginning the audience establishes that this film will be one of mystery and suspense due to the isolated and dark existence these people live.
Friday, 21 November 2008
The creation of fear
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.
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.
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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