Matt: Thriller 07

2008-04-12T10:17:00.000-07:00

Hollywood '08!

Personal Evaluation

2008-01-24T15:13:00.000-08:00

Personal Evaluation

My personal aims were to produce an opening sequence which expresses my creativity, develop my editing skills, and provide enough plot development for the audience to build generic expectations upon, without revealing too much of the plot. I think we managed this successfully by using Propp’s character role of a false heroine, and executing unique camera work and editing. For example we didn’t have a track or a crane, and so we used available resources to the best of our ability.

With regards to editing, I also expanded my capability on Abode After Effects which I feel makes me a more valuable team member in the future. I learnt how to animate credits on Adobe After Effects, other methods of colour correcting (tri colour), and my overall knowledge of how to use Adobe Premiere Pro has improved.

I feel that I was a valuable team member as my creativity was brought to the forefront during the planning and a pre-production process (such as test shoots). Also, I feel my leadership skills helped us to meet all group deadlines. Although there was much constructive criticism within the group, I felt our indecisiveness hindered the quality and pace of our production.

I also feel I have learnt to put more trust in my group. In previous projects completed for GCSE I feel I was more in command and had to complete a large proportion of group work on my own. In this project however my great team members allowed me to relax as I knew they would all complete their work by deadlines we had set and I hope this feeling is reciprocated through the group.

'The Anaesthetist'

2008-01-23T15:00:00.000-08:00

Here it is-what you've all been waiting for...my group's finished production...enjoy!

'The Anaesthetist'

Comments welcome.

Overall think our opening was successful! I really like the range of shot types within the opening and i think the acting and diegetic sound works fantastically. Also the variety of transitions such as straight cuts and fades to and from the titles works really well at either maintaining the action or creating further agitation on the audience's behalf.-These aspects are exactly how i, along with the group, intended them to be. The only thing i dislike is the non-diegetic music. I think it could have been improved however the group as a whole did not realise the sheer time and effort that needed to go into this researching. If i had more time to research music which linked well with the opening i would have really felt more satisfied with the production. The police siren in the background is pretty irrelevent however the lack of lyrics was successful as the audience is still kept firmly in the action without thinking about the song.-It enhances rather than takes over.

As a group we also realised that when watching the final opening sequence back, Amy the victim in the opening is not given a clear link to the next victim. I personally feel that linking them more explicitly in some way, e.g. friends or from the same university/work, would have made the narrative clearer to teh viewer.

Also i think that not enough impact is created at the end of the opening. Although there is a pan across te polaroids of the killers' victims, i feel that to make it more dramatic and emphaise his next victim, we should have zoomed in really close or had a jump cut or had a flash to negative/white screen. This would really have helped anchor the fact that this next victim is going to be the main character of teh rest of teh film.

In order to make the action continual in our film, i.e. realistic and plausible, we decided to follow all continuity rules. These included; never crossing the 180degrees line so the audience are always aware of the characters sense of direction , using shots more than 30 degrees from the last to avoid the effect of ‘jump cuts’, using eye-line matches, matches on action, and shot reverse shots. Also the distancing increases and decreases gradually which helps move the audience smoothly across physical space. As a result, i feel using these techniques really aided the success of our opening sequence.

My finished DVD cover

2008-01-22T14:43:00.000-08:00

Here is my DVD cover which the group and I created after finishing the editing process of our opening sequence.

Blurb:

With Strikeout Pictures' most recent production, once more, we are not disappointed. Nominated for 'Best Film', 'The Anaesthetist' follows a story of voyeurism, obsession and kidnap. Unbeknown to Naomi Lawson (Sian Williams), she is the latest fixation of Nathan Jones (Nicholas Green)- the systematic serial killer with a fetish for white silk, a scientist's knowledge of euthanasia techniques and a passion for autopsy.

His methods were flawless, until now...

‘The Anaesthetist’: Narrative image through our DVD cover

When the group designed the cover for our DVD we had in mind that it is important to set up expectations of the film on the cover, by generic signifiers and connotations of the underlying themes of the film, however it is also important not to give too much information to the audience.

On our DVD cover I feel we managed to confidently achieve this. Our tagline ‘an overdose of desire’ brings about connotations of obsession and further anchorage from the Polaroid’s help to suggest a theme of voyeurism. The main image is a Polaroid which helps to imply there are themes of obsession, foregrounding the camera almost like a potential weapon of choice, -which in some ways it is. The main image is shot at a slight low angle close up which makes him more intimidating, striking and implies he is going to be a focal and assertive character. Also the lighting highlighting the villain in the Polaroid produces shadowing of half of his face which implies he has a split personality. The slight smile of this character implies that he in fact takes pleasure from his behaviour, showing just how twisted a character he is. His direct address helps grab attention whilst also makes the experience more intimate and personal for the viewer.

The title gives away the villain’s nickname and has connotations that he is going to sedate his victims in some way. However the victim’s location is not revealed which is an important aspect of the film itself, producing enigma. The title suggests some sort of medical knowledge on the villain’s part which is expected to be an advantage of his, whilst binary opposites of control vs. Lack of control are also signified. As the title provides the nickname of the serial killer this also suggests the film is also going to be based around this character.

I feel the lack of writing on the front cover is really effective in focussing the audience’s attention on the image itself which entails many generic signifiers and themes. The colour of the DVD cover is black, white and red. This highlights themes of good vs. Evil and the sense of danger, and possibly blood.

2008-01-22T08:51:00.000-08:00

Applying narrative theories to my opening sequence:

I am going to apply the narrative theories I have researched, to ‘The Anaesthetist’.

Levi-Strauss: Binary Opposites:
· disorientation v full consciousness
· good v evil,
· male v female
· innocence v experienced
· victim v villain
· fear v happiness
· life v death
· control v lack of control

Roland Barthes - action/enigma codes:

In this sequence there are many action and enigma codes which I feel heighten suspense throughout.

Examples of action codes (we see an action and want to know what's next):
Whose shoe is that?
Will Amy get up off the floor before she is caught?
Amy fell over- is she going to be caught now?
Is her disorientated state and consequent hallucination going to lead her to be captured?
Is he going to kill her now that he has caught her?

Examples of enigma codes (raises questions in the audience's minds):
Why is Amy in this state?
Why is she dressed in a white silk dress?
What is the relationship between these characters?
Why does this man want to catch her?
Why is Amy in this woodland?
What is his motivation to kill?

Tzvetan Todorov’s- narrative structure: (main examples of the narrative structure)

As the film gives an insight to the Villain’s life and is mainly from his point of view I have displayed this narrative structure for the Villain as well as the victim.

• A state of equilibrium (the normal) – the opening sequence begins at a state of disequilibrium. However the audience can presume the equilibrium is the victim in her normal life before this villain disrupted it.
Villain- Successfully capturing and killing his victims without being caught.

• A disruption by an event – the opening sequence begins after the victim’s disruption. This is that the villain has caught her and takes advantage of her. The villain- she has escaped from his lair and is making a run for it.

• recognition of the disorder – Victim- she is dressed in this white silk dress and is heavily drugged and disorientated and from the news report we are informed that the police are looking for her.
Villain- he is publically chasing her through the woodland.

· An attempt to repair the disruption –Victim-she is running from him trying to escape and find help. Villain- Once he has caught her he re-anesthetises her.

• A new state of equilibrium – Victim- she does not have a new equilibrium- put out of her misery? Villain-he has successfully recaptured and eventually killed her.

Vladimir Propp - Character types present in the opening sequence:
· The villain –Nathan Jones
· The false heroine- Amy Miller

2008-01-19T06:33:00.000-08:00

Compare and contrast between ‘Scream’ opening and ‘The Anaesthetist’ opening sequence.

Narrative

Similarities:

Both openings use Propp’s character notion of a false heroine, to build up a false expectation of characters in the film. More than this, both are killed in the sequence.
Both involve a chase sequence whereby the villain is in control and eventually disappears before pouncing on the victim.
The villain has obviously been obsessing over his victim and knows about their background. E.g. photographs in my thriller, and knowledge of her lifestyle in Scream.

Differences:

Our narrative is greater driven towards the Villainous character whereas Scream’s focus is on the victim. This aids our success of setting the audience expectation of a villain driven narrative and POV.
The Scream chase is mainly around the domestic setting unlike my opening which is in a public area. Arguably ‘Scream’ personalises the viewer’s experience.
Narrative is anchored by a news report in our opening whereas Scream uses the dialogue of the villain.
In Scream the villain keeps failing to grab the victim, whereas our villain catches the victim on the first attempt.
Scream- the killing of the victim is graphically witnessed whereas our thriller just provides information that the victim has been killed.
Our thriller is more action orientated whereas Scream involves long episodes of dialogue.
Scream-much more character development of the victim provides a stronger attachment between the audience and herself (and situation). As a result of this the audiences expectation that she will be a main character in the rest of the film is flawed when she is killed-giving implications of specific themes that will be included in the film, -not defining the films narrative.

Characters:

Similarities:

False heroines-white petit females, blonde hair (the stereotypical blonde hair blue eyes), and white clothing.
Weak, innocent, attractive victims
False heroines show determination in their attempted escape.
The male villains show connotations of control, power, calmness, and kill for pleasure.
Victim does not know her killer.
Gender roles are conventional in both thrillers to provide a strong generic signifier.

Differences:

Scream-the villain signifies calmness and control through dialogue, making it almost personal for the viewer as this is also all the victims knowledge of the villain.-We are interpreting from her point of view.
Our villain’s calmness and confidence is shown through the action code of striding slowly and his tall stance and bold posture.
Scream shows a verbal interaction between the victim and villain unlike our opening.
Scream gives deeper insight into this victim’s lifestyle whereas our victim is not given much backgrounding. –our opening had to be two minutes and also this implies the focus is going to be on the villain throughout the film, rather than his victims.
Our villain’s control is shown through his anesthetising of her, unlike in scream where it is his personal knowledge of the victim. (I think Scream is more suspenseful in this sense)
Scream has a potential hero that is easily killed off to further suggest the villain’s complete control in his situation.

Themes

Similarities:

· Isolation/loneliness
· Innocence/vulnerability
· Spying
· chase
· murder
· power/control
· mockery of victims chances

Differences:

· Scream- rigid hidden identity, violent death,
· My opening- systematic killings, serial killing, police involvement,

Breakdown of iconography and other techniques

Camera work:

Similarities:

· Range of distances and types of movement throughout chase. E.g. whip pans to show immediacy and add disorientation, long shots to show the surroundings and spacing between characters.
· Steady camera work when onlooker so we understand the action codes.
· Many close ups to show detailed and intensity of emotions
· Shot mostly at eye level, and there are eye-line matches in the sequence for continuity
· Some shots use a stationary camera to restrict the audiences flow in their involvement, making it more enigmatic as they want to be there to help the victim escape.
· Both sequences apply the 180degree rule successfully between two characters which maintains the audience’s sense of direction through the chase.

Differences:

· Our thriller involves much more shaky, point of view shots.
· There are tilted angles during POV shots in Scream which add to the sense of disorientation.

Mise-en-scene:

Similarities:

Villain wears dark clothes to hide identity and is a signifier of evil
The victims wear light clothing as connotations of innocence.
Rural location implies a sense of isolation, i.e. victim is more on her own. ‘Out in the middle of nowhere’
Both victims run outdoors where help may be possible yet both remain alone with the villain.
Both foot chase sequences

Differences:

Scream- Mask hides the identity of the villain and makes him seem supernatural and excluded from society.
Scream- A main a domestic setting allows the audience to relate to the situation which adds greater suspense.
Scream- victim is injured, our victim is drugged.
Scream- Night time and low level lighting adds creepiness and plays on the fear of the unknown. Also this is typical of thrillers.
Our thriller- the villain has a cloth with chloroform on it unlike Scream’s villain who uses a knife.

Editing:

Similarities:

Fast and slow pace editing and fast and longer shots are used in places to show realistic speed of the chase (and build up) yet also this technique creates heightened suspense by lingering on shots.
Straight cuts maintain pace of the chase
Following on shots are more than 30 degrees from the last to avoid the effect of ‘jump cuts’. Maintains fluidity of experience.
Matches on action to maintain realism
Shot/ reverse/shots, to give more information to the audience and show reactions to actions.
The shot of the victims capture is slowed down (slow motion) to extend this moment of heightened suspense.

Differences:

· Because our chase is the opening sequence to our thriller, there are credits included.
· Our chase has fades to and from black in the sequence adding suspense but more importantly they are purposeful for the opening credits to be shown.
· Scream-Overall a slower paced opening sequence. This lingering on every shot heightens suspense.

Sound:

Similarities:

The use of diegetic and non-diegetic sound to add realism whilst creating more enigma and suspense.
At points of heightened suspense the non-diegetic sound extenuates this by increasing in pace or volume.
When the victim is being chased there is a fast non diegetic drum beat.

Differences:

We use diegetic sound such as screaming, water trickling, rustling of leaves, falling, panting, ‘Scream’ uses door bell ringing, popcorn crackling, telephone rings, smashing of glass, locking doors, sinister villainous laughs, gabbing, panting, sound of being stabbed, and silence which is effective to add suspense purely through action codes. Also Scream uses outdoor atmospheric sounds to suggest the calm and stillness of this location.

Our thriller uses a news report for further generic anchorage and to set up expectations of the film narrative whereas Scream sets these expectations up through the dialogue.

Our non-diegetic sound is a drum beat, siren and synthesised sounds, which are very loud and clear. In Scream the non-diegetic sounds are very eerie such as slow piano keys and high violin notes/screeches. Also an increasingly louder violin is cut short by a drum beat at a point of heightened suspense before the villain gives an ultimatum. “Put the phone down again, and I’ll cut you like a fish!”

Scream- during longer takes and dialogue orientated shots there is a slow drum beat-almost like interjections of sound at key moments-e.g. “[her boyfriend’s] his name wouldn’t be...Steve...would it?....DRUM BEAT”

2008-01-16T06:28:00.000-08:00

Compare and contrast between Halloween (2007) chase sequence (6:12-8:25 as seen on group blog) and my opening thriller sequence.

Narrative

Similarities
· Both are suspenseful foot chase sequences and include the main villain and main victim in the film. Action and suspense driven narratives.
· The villain has been obsessing over the capture of this victim for some time.

Differences
· In ‘Halloween’ more characters are brought into the event/chase such as the little children in fancy dress, however in my sequence it is purely a victim v. the villain.
· Our opening’s victim is one of many main victims’ in the villain’s plans. She is a false heroine unlike in the ‘Halloween’ sequence.
· Narrative is anchored by a news report in our opening.

Character

Similarities
· Determined yet weak female victims
· Innocent victims
· Confident, calm, strong male villains
· Male villain’s more than likely to have abusive and unusual upbringings
(The villains have no Dialogue- except the name call at the start of our opening)

Differences
· Our victim is under the influence of drugs, whereas in ‘Halloween’ she is injured.
· The victim is successful in her attempt during the sequence of Halloween unlike the victim in our opening.
· Villain is killing for revenge for his family upbringing whereas our villain is killing for pleasure and to fulfil his desires.
· Victim knows the villain in Halloween unlike our victim.

Themes

Similarities:
· Innocence
· Isolation
· Vulnerability
· Power
· Danger

Differences:
· My opening- stalking, murder, seduction
· Halloween chase- revenge, torture, complex relationship,

Breakdown of iconography and other techniques

Camera work:

Similarities:
· Range of distances and types of movement throughout chase. E.g. Whip pans to show immediacy and add disorientation
· Shaky movement when more involved as if audience is experiencing the event.
· Steady camera work when onlooker so we can take the action codes.
· A range of big close ups to very long shots, show from close emotions to the surrounding environment, making sure distancing increases and decreases gradually, moving the audience smoothly across physical space.
· Shot mostly at eye level, and there are eye-line matches in the sequence for continuity
· Some shots use a stationary camera to restrict the audiences flow in their involvement, making it more enigmatic as they want to be there to help the victim escape.
· High angle shots express loneliness and vulnerability whilst slight low angles give connotations of dominance and authority.

Differences:
· My sequence never crosses the 180degrees line so the audience are always aware of the characters sense of direction. -Continuity purposes. The chase in ‘Halloween’ breaks this rule but the surroundings help maintain the audience’s spacial awareness.

Mise-en-scene:

Similarities:

Villain wears dark clothes to hide identity and is a signifier of evil
Rural location implies a sense of isolation, i.e. victim is more on her own.
Both victims run to open public places where help may be possible yet both remain alone with the villain.
Both foot chase sequences
Both victims have long flowing hair

Differences:

Mask hides the identity of the villain and makes him seem supernatural and excluded from society
Our thriller- the victim wears a white dress to make strong connotations of innocence and ‘good’ compared to the villain’s evil.
Initial domestic setting in Halloween involves the audience when expressing fears on society so is more suspenseful and plausible
A ‘Halloween’ struggle is through doors and windows connoting entrapment, unlike our loss of a shoe.
‘Halloween’ victim is injured, our victim is drugged.
Halloween- Night time and low level lighting gives a sense of creepiness, and is typical of thriller chases
Our thriller- the villain has a cloth with chloroform on it unlike ‘Halloween’s’ villain who carries a knife.

Editing:

Similarities:

Fast pace editing and fast shots are used in places to show that this is actually a chase- it maintains realism and audience’s pace
Slow paced editing and longer shots are purposefully used to hold the audience in suspense and this lingering puts the audience on the edge of their seats.
Straight cuts maintain pace of the chase
Following on shots are more than 30 degrees from the last to avoid the effect of ‘jump cuts’. Maintains fluidity of experience.
Matches on action to maintain realism
Shot/ reverse/shots, to give more information to the audience and show reactions to actions.

Differences:
· Because our chase is the opening sequence to our thriller, there are credits included.
· Our chase has fades to and from black in the sequence adding suspense but more importantly they are purposeful for the opening credits to be shown.

Sound:

Similarities:
· The use of diegetic and non-diegetic sound to add realism whilst creating more enigma and suspense.

Differences:

We use diegetic sound such as screaming, rustling of leaves, falling, panting, ‘Halloween’ uses crying, grabbing, smashing of objects, smashing glass, banging on the door, locking the door, smashing the door down. Also in our thriller we use a news report which gives further anchorage of the genre and narrative.
Non-diegetic sounds such as a piano drone, heightens suspense and enigma in ‘Halloween’. Our non-diegetic sound is a drum beat, siren and synthesised sounds.

2007-11-24T14:28:00.000-08:00

Individual contribution to solving/avoiding problems during filming

I am in charge of bringing a camera and tripod to the shooting sessions
I am going to make sure everyone agrees on each shot, even the shy ones in the group. The more we speak our mind the better our end product will be. Honesty yet the ability to compromise.
I am going to bring a blanket, umbrella and flask of hot tea to the shoots to stop all the moaning and lift the groups moral on a rainy day. haha
When we are all getting stressed on a shoot i will get us to take a break and start again with a more optemistic outlook on our efforts.
Ill make sure everyone is assigned a certain job during each shot and make sure jobs are rotated round to relfect everyones capabilities. (Alix may do slightly less filming as she maybe our actress in the opening)
Checking that on the shoot all continuity aspects are followed as rigidly as possible to ensure a flowing opening sequence once edited together.

Overall i hope my contributions really help the group to produce a high quality footage which we all feel is achievable.

Inspirational songs:

2007-11-19T09:07:00.001-08:00

Here are a few songs that i think would work for my thriller opening. They are either very weird, distorted, suspensful, relfective or just have a really fast beat which would be great for a really action packed opening sequence....

Location shots

2007-11-12T11:41:00.000-08:00

Film Reccies:

Here are a few locations that i think would work well in our thriller...

A dingy alleyway that has broken pots and narrow walls. Also at the bottom of this alley there is an overgrown section which i think could help make the film very eerie and dangerous. The atmosphere and the width of this alley really provides a sense of claustrophobia. I can really imagine someone being chased down through here, tripping and shouting. Or even running to hide at the end of the alleyway.

I like the idea of a shed as it is very hidden and dark, connoting evil and a villain's secluded area. Also props like a screwdriver or a something might work well as a the villain's weapon. This shed also looks a bit bigger than normal sheds so filming would be slightly easier.

For more of my 'reccies' go onto the group blog where i have posted more of my location shots which could be used for my group thriller.

2007-11-10T14:56:00.000-08:00

Our group have agreed on the following aspects of our thriller opening:

Location: The woodland area of Grovelands Park, Southgate.

Shooting Schedules: To shoot early morning till midday (roughly). The group are to get there 10minutes before the actor/actress to get set up and organised. Arrival= roughly 8 (to be arranged nearer the time), Departure= roughly 1.30

Thriller opening Synopsis: A chase scene between a young innocent (stereotypically blonde) female and a menacing male serial killer. He has previously drugged her with chloroform and lets her escape. He then enjoys the chasing of her until he finally re-drugs her to take her back to his hideaway where he kills and possibly rapes his victim. We are then introduced to his next potential victim.

Sub Genre:
Due to the film being about the villain specifically, with regards to his behaiour and reasons for it, the actual methods of his activities etc. we believe our thriller is categorised as a psychological thriller and maybe even a crime thriller, due to the capturing of the villain. Therefore we have to be careful with the chase sequence at the start as we don't want to provide concreted connotations of an action thriller.

Mise-en-scene: Pure white for the female victim to connote innocence, purity etc. The male serial killer is going to wear a Black coat and boots to signify his hidden agenda, masked identity, villainous character etc. (Produces binary opposite of light and dark) The use of chloroform on a cloth shows he appears to be a suble and articulate killer.

Concerns:
Uneven outside ground will mean smooth camerawork is extremely hard and so to get a good shot this may mean takes will come in the plenty!

Weather,-it is December and so we are all predicting freezing temperatures. This will slow our shooting and we will need to be sure that the actress/actor is allowed to warm up during takes. ESPECIALLY AS THE ACTRESS IS WEARING ONLY A SMALL SILK NIGHTY with underwear...oh and possibly some white plimsolls.

An outside location in December is likely to put off actors/actresses. Lots of bribing is going to take place over the next few days!

The weather may also change from weekend to weekend which is likely to affect the continuity of our opening. Although we will try to limt this factor at the end of the day if we do not have time to wait for the weather to turn favourably we will have to shoot and hope for the best during editing.

Initial ideas

2007-11-09T11:37:00.000-08:00

Initial ideas

Here are a few of my ideas that have been stuck in the back of my mind for some time now. I will put these forward to my group members in the next meeting and from feedback we can make a judgment on what to do with each idea. -To use it, develop it further, or just scrap it.

1. there is a notorious London gang (playing on the fears of todays society as gang culture is rapidly increasing) which dress exactly the same, use similar bikes as a means of transport, and commit crimes only as a group, -this is acts as a connotation of their unity. The gang leader is a serial killer and extremely clever. He realises clues he leaves are only tracable back to the whole gang and so this increasses their gang reputation, whilst stops himself being caught. In the opening of this thriller, this main character could either; leave one too many clues for the police to trace, in which case a main theme of the film would be law and order v rebellion, or he could be involved in a gang war in which case we are given an insight to both gangs methods and plans for another battle.- We follow the life of this individual who possibly ends up dying.

examples of dress codes: -same colour bikers masks

- black tracksuits

- same colour bandanas

- same gloves

- BMX's all o fthe same colour

- all teenagers

- all similar hair cuts/hats

- all carry weapons

Although i think this could potentially be a great idea for a film i think for a student piece this is highly impractical not only due to the props but also the sheer amount of actors. I will take this ot the next group meeting and discuss this to see if this can be taken ny further or maybe stem off to another more suitable idea.

Similar to this idea, we could have a group/gang whereby there is a new resident on the block of estates. This boy is of a completely diferent backgrond and has come from a more wealthy family which have lost their money through something, or he could be an orphan old enough to live on his own. This boy is mentally and physically forced to join the gang and they push him to do crimes in order to see how helpful he can be. He is ambition is to try and break free from this estate and live elsewhere but circumstances are just not in his favour (audience sympthise). As a result he is unable to move and is persistantly used as a in between and the final climax is to kill an opposing gang member/leader. This step proves too much and in the end he shockingly is killed.

This is a whole film story although i think an opening to this stroyline would be powerful as we could really get teh audience to sympathise with him and want him to desperately break free. I will take this to the next meeting and discuss and expland on how this could possibly be made into a more effective opening, however i do like this idea.

Things to later consider when thinking of ideas for the thriller:

-Affordable

-Appropriate

-Locations

-Actors/Actresses

-weather

-Lighting

2007-11-09T09:46:00.000-08:00

The conventions of opening thriller sequences:

· Establishes the main characters or themes of the film
· Conventionally begin at a disruption/disequilibrium (Todorov's theory)
· Provide the audience with the conventional opening credits such as:

Film title
The production company
The distributer
Director's name
Main actors/actresses
Other actors/actresses

Credits may also also include the following:
· Screenplay by...
· Casting by...
· Edited by...
· Assistant director
· Music by...
· Director of photography
· Set director
· Special effects coordinator
· Cinematographer
· Costume/make up/hair stylists/designers

All of these conventional features should provide the audience with expectations of the whole film and therefore give the audience an idea of whether they will enjoy watching the rest of the film.

2007-11-07T15:37:00.000-08:00

Continuity editing

In continuity editing everything is filmed so that the viewer thinks they are seeing continuous action. As well as following the rules below, you will need to ensure that characters’ appearance, the set and the lighting (colour and direction) remain consistent from shot to shot.

Note: MONTAGE EDITING: Not all editing is continuity editing. Film title sequences/ trailers/ adverts/ music videos often use ‘montage’ techniques, where the combination of contrasting images builds up meaning.

Rules for continuity editing –camera work:

Shot Order:

When editing shots together, the audience needs to more across physical space smoothly. This is performed through a logical shot order i.e. LS to MS to CU rather than jumping straight from LS to CU.

180 degree rule:

There is a 180degree ‘line of vision’ between two characters in which the camera cannot cross unless the viewer actually sees the viewpoint move across the line. If the shots appear to just cut across the line the audience lose their sense of direction, spacial awareness and are altogether confused. The same rule applies during movement: The camera must not cross the line of vision as the person or object may appear to be moving in a different direction. E.g. on one side a character may be walking to the right of the frame but if the line is crossed they may be seen as walking left of the frame.-Confusing eh!

30 degree rule:

If the camera angle changes by less than 30 degrees (with the same framing) viewers may notice a visible ‘jump cut’ which can look very amateur.

Eyeline Match:

The direction of characters’ gazes should stay the same, e.g. if one character is taller than the other, the smaller character should be looking up and the taller looking down. This makes the action seem realistic and plausible. In other words...we see what they see, from their eye line.

Match On Action:

Editing movement should be ‘on the action’ to make sure that the character has clearly moved forward between shots- rather than repeating an action. E.g. If their is a character running on their left foot, the next shot should be them about to run on their right foot.

Shot/reverse/shot:

This should be used when shooting an interaction between two characters:

Shot order:

A ‘master shot’, which shows both characters
A close up on one character
A close up on the second character.
Individual shots of each character e.g. big close ups to show strong emotion.

Rules for continuity editing –when editing:

Transitions:

Cuts are the most common way of seamlessly moving from one shot to the next. They can also create pace and rhythm.
Dissolves can provide a slow, relaxed way of linking shots such as, in a ‘montage’ of shots within an opening. They can also be used to show a forward movement in time or space and show a link between two shots.
Fades (up/out/to black/from black) often show that time has passed.
Wipes and other unusual transitions are not conventionally used in film making but can be used to make something lively, wacky and comical-usually children’s TV programmes.

Other editing techniques include:
· Trimming shots and dialogue
· The addition of non diegetic sound, e.g. music or voiceover
· Titles
· Special effects
· Colouring- e.g. blue-ish lighting connotes a cold and isolated atmosphere or a sense of technology. Yellow lighting connotes comfort and gives a feeling of warmth. Black and white or sepia can signify sophistication or set the sequence in the past.

Sound:

Diegetic sound

Sound that the audience believe to be part of what is going on within the action, such as walking on smashed glass, smashing a window, a door bell ringing, a punch, panting, etc. These sounds reinforce the audience’s perception of a realistic sequence.

Non-Diegetic sound

This is sound that the audience know is not part of what’s on screen, but is used to heighten emotions or change our interpretation. E.g. Music in thrillers is used to heighten suspense. Another example is a voiceover which is used to give the audience a better understanding and possibly a bias viewpoint.

Sound Bridging

This is when sound links two shots or scenes by changing the picture and diegetic sound at different times. Usually sound from the second shot or scene comes before the next shot is shown. E.g. the audience may hear a gunshot in a shot whilst the next shot shows somebody on the floor wounded.

Lighting:
This needs to be consistent throughout the sequence to make it seem realistic and continual. There are many types of lighting such as:

· High-key. This is bright lighting possibly used for distorting a shot.
· Low-key.This produces shadows and dramatic contrasts, which may be used to connote a villainous character. E.g. in the villain’s lair.
· Lighting from below. This makes something/someone seen threatening or horrific, such as a villain.
· Backlighting. This produces a ‘halo’ effect around something/someone, for example a hero/ine.

Past thrillers

2007-11-07T02:46:00.000-08:00

Past thrillers:

'SILENT WATER'

Dissolves were effective at showing a passing of time and I felt it almost resembles the characters disillusioned thought.
The female character in the background appears to be saying nothing and just stars implying she is a ghost.
The main character is wearing black and the ghost wearing white which implies the ghost’s innocence and suggests the main character’s guilt and negativity.
The non-diegetic piano tune is repetitive and slow making it seem really creepy.
The action codes are very powerful such as stroking the picture of her best friend and the opening is made more successful by the background anchorage from the voiceover. –A well written script.

'Under the Gun'

Low Lighting implying this is the villain’s lair and gives a feeling of eeriness through the dramatic shadowing.
The mise-en-scene of alcohol, guns, cards, men in suits etc.. Helps to suggest the themes of the film such as gangster culture, crime, revenge, heists.
The camera distancing was very close throughout which gave this sense of claustrophobia, secrecy and entrapment.
The pace was very slow and coupled with the fades to credits, gave the impression of a passing of time. This is successful as we understand that the victim has been held hostage for a long time.
The script was very effective and well written as this set up the expectations of this villainous character easily. Also the music is questionably diegetic which would imply that the villain is listening to this relaxing yet meaningful song – all the more suspenseful.
The male villain wearing a black suit, shows confidence through his dialogue and calm state of playing cards, and appears not to get very aggressive. This is more enigmatic as the audience can relate to this seemingly reasonable character.
The black clothing of the female implies that, although she is the victim at present, she has a dark/evil past to her. -Also shown through the fact that her face is half shadowed from the light, similar to the males. This therefore suggests her involvement in this crime.

'Exposure'

This action orientated opening sequence is successful as it follows all continuity rules: never crossing the 180degrees line so the audience are always aware of the characters sense of direction , using shots more than 30 degrees from the last to avoid the effect of ‘jump cuts’, using eye-line matches, matches on action, and shot reverse shots. Also the distancing increases and decreases gradually which helps move the audience smoothly across physical space. For example, the match on action of opening and closing the bedroom door seems continual from shot to shot.
The domestic setting and use of diegetic sound makes the sequence really realistic, for example, keys rattling, packing a suitcase, slamming door etc.
I really like the montage of different shots near the end, as this connotes a passing of time yet we still understand what has happened in this condensed time.
The colouring is very successful also. The black and white colouring suggests this sequence is from the past yet more than this, the stark contrast to the yellow/saturated colouring of the other room suggests something is very significant about this room.
The introduction of non-diegetic sound and the long forward low level track of the character walking towards ‘the room’ also heightened suspense and builds the audience up with an expectation of something very significant about to happen.
I love the fact the sequence is so simple yet extremely effective. –The audience can easily relate to this yet the focus on simple action codes like packing a suitcase and running around arouses many questions. - I.e. there are still many potential narrative developments.
I feel the action orientated sequence was shot very well and there was much to take in and therefore I think the superimposed credits on the sequence proved successful as they did not disrupt the viewer’s experience.

2007-11-06T13:45:00.000-08:00

'Memento': Opening Sequence

OPENING- 0:00-2:26

I thought the opening sequence of ‘Memento’ was very clever and unique. It began with a Polaroid which throughout the opening sequence fades out. Although the filming is obviously reversed, at this point it is not obvious and looks very unique. The fading of the Polariod is an enigmatic code which makes the audience anticipate that the storyline is also linked to something fading or a forgotten event. Throughout the film the audience is therefore more satisfied when they find out that the main character has a short term memory loss since an accident. Althought the fading is very enigmatic, it is also a connotation of the main character's loss of memory.-Therefore a key theme is highlighted in the opening, which is conventional.

I find the stillness of the opening 2 minutes really successful as the lack of movement creates so much suspense whilst the stillness connotes an eerie and lonely situation. There are so many enigma codes in this opening, it makes the audience asks questions such as; who was murdered in the polariod? why were they murdered? why is there a tattoo on this character's hand? where is this character?- why is he there? etc.

The credits fade in and out during the fading of the polariod. Althought this action code is very enigmatic, the stillness allows the audience to read the credits without missing any of the viewing experience, therefore the viewer is fully satisfied as they are able to understand and take in everything given to them. The fading of the credits alos reinforces the theme of short term memory loss in the film.

After this moment the credits stop and the action becomes the focal point. This is important as narrative is revealed from the action codes. We see a who the main character is and who he has killed, but we still do not know who the victim is and why they were killed.-This is important as the audience are still interested. Generic signifiers are also revealed such as; blood, bulletshells, gun, dark lighting, a dead body, half shadowed face (to show an evil side), confined room, photos/polariods and camera, shouting, gunshots.

There is music/a non-deigetic sound in this opening. Only string instruments are used during this opening as a slow drone, which connotes suspense and eerieness yet passion. At the end of the opening sequence there is a greater sense of realism and involvement in the action as this music is backgrounded and the diegetic sounds such as gunshots and shouting are loudest(foregrounded). I think the instruments and sounds really help build up tension and i think using sounds of the same effect would make my thriller opening more successful.

'SCREAM':Opening sequence

2007-11-06T11:42:00.000-08:00

'Scream': opening sequence

I thought the opening sequence of ‘Scream’ was fantastic. The audience instantly relates to the main character, Casey (Drew Barrymore), as the domestic setting and situation is very ordinary- she is just at home making popcorn getting ready to watch a film with her boyfriend. The realism created makes the film more thrilling as the audience believe events which are to follow can also be brought to life. It really plays on once of society’s current fears. When I asked a female friend what they thought of this film they told me that when it first came out they had to hide the film so that it was not accidentally played again. They stated that it was so realistic that it petrified them to think that something like that could actually happen to them.

The opening sequence breaks the conventions of Propp’s narrative theory. The audience perceive Casey to be the film’s heroine as she is a conventional hyper feminine character (blonde, clever, attractive) and her point of view is clearly given. However she is then dramatically killed within 10-15minutes. This break in convention entices the audience as they want to find out what is going to happen next, and who is going to survive this serial killer’s attacks. Prior to Casey’s death, her boyfriend, Steven, is killed and so our preconceptions that he made end up as the hero are instantly flawed.

What I particularly love about this opening sequence is that the whole conversation is over the phone. This is a highly successful enigma code, as so many questions are raised in the audience’s mind during the suspense. Examples include: Who is this person? Why has he decided to ring Casey? Is he a psycho killer? Will he come and find Casey? Etc. What makes this even more thrilling is that the conversation changes from light and chatty to angry and threatening. There is a real sense of vulnerability in this opening and is heightened further by the fact the villain knows much about Casey already. - He completely controls the dialogue.

I also like the fact that Casey is made to play a ‘game’ in order to keep her boyfriend alive, as this makes the film more personal and we really empathise with her desperation. This even gets the audience more involved- I’m sure when watching this film, some people are probably shouting the answers at the screen.

What is really great about this opening is that so much of the villain’s character is given to us but his identity is still hidden. This is very intriguing but more importantly the audience are familiar with his traits and personality, which means there is an expectation, that in the rest of the film we will witness this villainous character being overhauled, in order to satisfying the audience.

In the opening sequence to ‘Scream’ credits are even shown. Although this is unconventional of thrillers I think it is extremely successful as the audience is forced to focus on the highly suspenseful narrative event, (nothing to distract the audience’s initial experience of the film). Conventionally credits are shown in the opening of a thriller when the characters are introduced.

Comparison: Rear Window v Disturbia

2007-10-31T14:55:00.001-07:00

Comparison: 'Rear Window' v 'Disturbia'

As already mentioned in my blog, 'Disturbia' (Dist.) is a remake of 'Rear Window' (R.W). I always feel that remakes never do the original any justice, however in this case I couldn’t be further from the truth. I think Disturbia is absolutely brilliant, in my opinion, better than Rear Window. I have therefore decided to compare the two to see what it is that makes them both so successful.

The Narrative

Similarities:

Both heroes/main characters have been forced to stay at home. -House arrest and a broken leg. Therefore the voyeurism is forced.
They are both spying on their neighbours. -‘Jeff’ spies on the arguing couple, the musician etc. Kale spies on Turner, Ashley etc.
Both narratives are focussed on these neighbours.
They both suffer a distraction. Both cases this is a party.
Both films are mainly from the main characters point of view (sometimes their friend’s point of view). This means we know only as much as this character/the hero. This also gives us an insight to events which makes it less dramatic to us, unlike their friends. (We gain info. as the main character gains it.)
Both characters watch their neighbours’ events. In Dist. (Disturbia) kale watches Turner mow the lawn. In R.W (Rear Window) he watches the neighbours doing some gardening.
The police/law believe neither of the main characters
The main characters friend enters the neighbour’s/villain’s house to look for clues/evidence.
Both the main character’s love interests also become obsessed with voyeurism (and they practically move in).
The main characters suspicion of the villain is correct
Women are murdered in both
Villains catch the main character watching them
The villains invade the heroes property
Takes time for the main plot to surface, I.e. the murders
Both villains also kill animals (deer, rabbit, or dog)
Both villains kept the evidence well hidden
Dialogue is mostly character driven but decisive events are not, about 60/40 percent ratio.
The main characters use up to date technology to compile evidence (picture of plants which move place and video camera of Turner’s garage)
Both use technology to bide their time. ‘Jeff’ uses the camera flash to temporarily blind the villain and Kale jumps over his perimeter of house arrest which calls the police and bides his time to find his mother.

Differences:

Dist. has a more traumatic back story.
Dist. builds up to the main plot slowly which sets the scene and introduces characters. R.W plot goes straight into voyeurism.
There is much more dialogue in Dist. due to more characters.
In Dist there is a high body count, where as in R.W only one person is killed.
There is more technology used in Dist. e.g. mobile phones, computers, a video camera, etc.
In Dist. Kale is deceived by what he believes to be proof. E.g. in Dist. Kale thinks the clubber leaves Turner’s house but really it is Turner wearing a wig.
In Disturbia his friend investigates the villain’s house, but in R.W it is his partner

Iconography

Similarities:

There are many frames within frames- e.g. binoculars/camera lens and windows. This reinforces the theme of voyeurism as we are constantly placed as onlookers.
Shots are nearly always from the hero’s and his helpers’ POV. The POV of the villain is not used so as to heighten suspense.-his views are incomprehensible to us.
All villainous behaviour occurs during night time. Connotation of light-good and dark-evil. At night time things are unseen.
Domestic location is used and the disruption occurs inside the home.
Use of knives, up to date technology and vehicles
Animals play key roles in the films (and are killed in both)
Other than the main characters, dress codes are up to date with the time period.

Differences:

R.W is set in urban apartments, but Dist. is set in a suburban road.
In R.W the whole film is set from one room. Dist. is set in a large house with many rooms, each showing a different house and meaning.
diegetic sounds differ from urban cafes and traffic to lawn mowers and splashes (from the pool)
In Disturbia there are more of his friend’s POV as there is more parallel editing.- e.g. when Kale’s friend goes into the villain’s house. In R.W the hero is more isolated and so the majority of shots are from his POV.
Greater use of technology in Dist. e.g. mobiles, computers, cameras, games consoles, etc.
Dist. displays a more effective use of colour. There is a range of dull, blue colouring when villainous action occurs as a connotation of coldness and lack of emotion and saturated and more reddish lighting at moments of passion. The film quality is also better, but reflects upon the time period.

Characters

Similarities:

The hero is not worried about their appearance. They dress casually, unlike their love interests who dress to impress.
The females are very attractive.
The villains are bold and confident, even more so when they notice they are being watched. They are also larger and stronger than the hero.
The female helper is very active in the plot, although they both get into trouble with the villain.
The main characters have a helper- Ronnie, and the nurse
Both heroes form sexual relationships.
Among the hero and his friends there is an obsession with the plot.

Differences:

In Dist. main characters are often teenagers whereas in R.W they are all adults. This is reflective of the time period as children would not have acted in thrillers during the 1950’s.
The hero in Disturbia is in his situation due to being naughty and a slacker at school. In R.W the hero is a gentleman and is accidentally placed in the situation.
The helper in Dist. is Kale’s best friend, but in R.W it is Jeff’s nurse.
The victim in R.W is the villain’s ill wife. Disturbia his victims are numerous attractive females.
In R.W the villain is more mysterious and the audience is not given much information about his character. This therefore acts as an enigma code. Unlike this, the Disturbia villain is charismatic and visits Kale’s mum. This is enigmatic for the act that we want to find out what the cunning villain is planning.
Characters are more believing in Disturbia- in R.W they eventually believe him
In R.W his friends (nurse and partner) discourage him from watching the neighbours, whereas in Dist. the friends (friend and love interest) encourage his voyeurism

Themes

Similarities:

House arrest
Suspense and fear
law and order
Suspicion of neighbours
Useless police involvement
claustrophobia
Voyeurism/spying
Right and wrong
The role of technology
Sexual Attraction

Differences:

In Dist. Kale’s a father dies
The mother and son relationship
In R.W Jefferies has to convince his friends before they believe him, but in Dist. there is the theme of trust and they believe him from the beginning.
Role of technology: in Dist. it is used to provide evidence, in R.W it is used to stall the villain.

What have I learnt from this comparison?

Genre conventions are always repeated because they work/ are successful.
Over time, remakes need to be updated for the new audience so as to play on the current fears in society.
Remakes/similar films can be just as satisfying for film buffs (who watched the original) as they have expectations and can form a discussion/comparison between the films.
Directors use structures/ frameworks which have lots of narrative so they can use it again and again.

2007-10-31T13:48:00.000-07:00

Applying Syd Field’s 3 act plot structure to ‘Psycho’

Act One– The setup

The opening shows Marion (the main character at this point) and her happiness with her boyfriend, Sam. We see they desperately want to get married and when she steals $42,000, we see their renewed happiness as the equilibrium. However as an audience, we anticipate that she is going to have some troubles in keeping this money, this was far too straightforward. In the rest of this act, the audience follow Marion on her journey to Sam, when she stops in a motel.

The first plot point is that she is then killed by the villain! This moves the narrative on because now detectives are hired and her family (including the hero) begin searching for her.

Act Two– The Confrontation

Confrontations:
· The lone detective questions Norman (villain) about Marion but his answers are so vague that the lone detective is very suspicious. He therefore changes his approach and secretly enters the house behind the Motel. As a result of this we find out he is a false hero because he is killed off by the villain.

Here is the next plot point. Sam and Marion’s sister enter the Motel and go to the room which they are certain was the one Marion stayed in. They look for clues and they find a piece of paper with $40,000 on it. They know this to be Marion’s note as they are aware she stole a similar figure from her company. This moves the narrative along as they are certain she stayed there, know Norman is hiding something, and they know they have to be very cautious in their further actions.

· Sam tries talking to Norman in order for Marion’s sister to search for Marion in the house behind the Motel. Norman catches onto this and so fights with him and knocks Sam unconscious.
Act Three– The resolution

As Norman finds Marion’s sister in the basement, we think that she is going to be killed. However in a climax to the film, Sam comes into the basement, takes the knife from a cross-dressed Norman, wrestles him and the police capture Norman. The new equilibrium is set once the police recover Marion’s car, belongings and body, although this is not the outcome desired.

The Problematic of ‘Psycho’

The problem/disruption in this film is the split personality psycho that is Norman Bates. This psychotic male causes heart ache for Sam and stops Marion and Sam being happy and married (the perfect equilibrium). This main problem- killing Marion (the supposed heroine) is within the first half hour, which makes the audience very intrigued to find out what is gong to happen next especially to any one that comes near the Bates Motel. The audience’s desire for the film to end with a new equilibrium is heightened.

The ideology of ‘Psycho’

I think this film sends out a message that you must abide by the law. Marion is killed and I think this is because she committed a crime and must therefore pay the consequences…of meeting a psycho. Also I think this shows a message that psychos should not be accepted in society and need to be cared for. This is evident because without his mother, Norman commits extreme acts such as digging his mother up from her burial, spying on Marion through a hole in the wall etc. Also it shows that killers need to be locked away before they can cause any more harm.

Film review: 'Psycho'

2007-10-31T05:54:00.000-07:00

Film review: 'Psycho'

Alfred Hitchcock's ‘Psycho’ was (after huge box office returns) known to be one of his best thrillers-such a hit that three sequels were produced, the last being a prequel (the past, when the characters were at a younger age). There was also a remake.
The 1960 ‘Psycho’ is known as a suspense/horror film. However before watching the film I had heard only of the infamous ‘shower scene’, which definitely lived up to the hype.

Main characters:

Marion Crane (main character and false heroine), played by Janet Leigh
Norman Bates (villain and psychopath), acted by Anthony Perkins.
Lone Detective (donor, false hero)
Marion’s lover (hero and confused relative)
Marion’s sister (helper and confused relative)
A local sheriff (donor and dispatcher)

Themes:

a murder mystery (main theme)
fear and suspense
law v order
right v wrong
violence
sexual relationships/romance
distorted visions
unusual activity
loneliness
isolation
vulnerability
money
obsession

Setting:

· Marion’s hotel room and bedroom
· Marion’s office
· Marion’s car as she travels across America.
· An isolated Motel (off the beaten track which is a connotation of her vulnerability and entrapment)
· Inside a haunted/eerie house (a signifier of the characters personality)

Narrative/plot summary:

Marion and Sam, her boyfriend, are not able to marry due to debt. One day Marion is given $42,000 cash to take to the bank on behalf of her company. She realises the benefits this money could have on her situation and decides to take the money and leave the city. Marion heads for California, to meet Sam. However on the way many people are alerted by her conduct, even a police officer. He follows her and when she trades her car and pays extra cash, he is very suspicious.
Marion gets really tired due to the long distance drive and so stops in at an isolated ‘Bates Motel.’ She meets the owner, Norman Bates (villain) and becomes very chatty with him, learning of his hobbies and his caring for his mother who lives in the house behind the motel. His conversation proves rather unusual and when Norman retreats to the house we hear just how much control Norman’s mother has over him. Marion goes for a shower, where she is stabbed to death by what appears to be Norman’s mum. This is the infamous ‘shower scene’. Norman clears away all the evidence of the killing by sinking Marion, her belongings and her car in the nearby swamp.
A lone detective becomes involved as Marion and $42,000 have gone missing. He traces Marion to the Bates Motel and questions Norman. Unconvinced by Norman’s behaviour, he secretly enters Norman’s house, where he is then killed by Norman’s mother.
Sam and Marion's sister are worried as the lone detective ceases to report back to them. They enquire to a sheriff and discover Mrs. Bates had died long ago. They therefore set off to the motel in search of Marion-or at least clues. They find their clue-a note stating $40,000. Sam confronts Norman while Marion’s sister goes to the house. Norman, agitated, knocks Sam unconscious and goes to the house to look for Marion’s sister. She hides in the basement and finds a preserved corpse- Norman’s mother! Norman then bursts in dressed as a women, wearing a wig and carrying a knife. Luckily Sam enters, injures him and saves Marion’s sister. Marion and her belongings are later recovered along with the money.
At the end of the film there is key narrative. Norman is has a split personality because he killed his mother but in guilt resurrects her (physically and mentally). He acts how he thinks she would if she were alive. Then, in prison, the mother’s personality comes through and blames Norman for everything.

Opinions:

I thought ‘Psycho’ was a great film, although slightly dated. I loved Hitchcock’s twist regarding character types. Throughout the first half hour the audience was led to believe that Marion was going to be the heroine, but then she was shockingly killed. It is only later on that we discover Sam to be the hero, defeating Norman. This is a great idea and I would love to put something like this in my own thriller. In fact this gives me a great idea, -to build up the two minute opening around a hero and then kill them off! This really would create great suspense and the audience would really want to find out how the new equilibrium is made at the end of the film, if such equilibrium even exists. This causes so many questions and is therefore an ideal enigma code- I am strongly considering whether to use this break of convention!

I also really enjoyed the Norman Bates character and the reasons for his personality, and linked to this I thought the ending was outstanding! It really sums up the film and only here are some of the enigmatic questions answered. This really leaves the audience in a satisfied state when the film is over.

The only element of the film I did not like was the fact that some parts were very dated. An example of this is when the lone detective is falling but practically walking down the stairs. His action codes along with the camera work for such action was very comical to watch. To improve this he should have just fallen down the stairs and I would personally have used close ups of body parts hitting the stairs as he falls, and I think this is a more modern way of shooting this sequence. On the whole though, the film was extremely enjoyable to watch and I think this film has helped me highlight successful and less successful ideas and ways of shooting.

Film Review: 'Rear Window'

2007-10-31T02:36:00.000-07:00

Film review: 'Rear Window'

Recently i have been watching many thrillers that have been recommended to me and thrillers that i know from the storyline that i would enjoy. Also this will help me when producing my own thriller introduction to see what has come before me that maybe is successful or not. From this i can witness the use of conventions and the breaking of conventions to see what effect they have on the audience, whilst also widening my creativity and ideas.

Alfred Hitchcock's 'Rear Window' is an absolute classic and its success led to many remakes, most recently 'Disturbia'. The voyeurism and murder mystery storyline is so simple but is clinically executed which makes the experience of watching the film so thrilling.

Characters:

L. B. Jefferies (hero/main character) a photojournalist, is acted by James Stewart

His fashion model girlfriend, Lisa, is played by Grace Kelly (doner and helper)

The killer (villain), a Mr. Lars Thorwald is acted by Raymond Burr

Jefferies' nurse, Stella (helper)

a new couple- first time buyers

a female dancer

a musician

the killer's wife

Themes:

a murder mystery (main theme)

voyeurism

fear and suspense

lack of police involvement

law v order

use of current technology

right v wrong

ethics of marriage

relationships (sexually and between friends)

suspicions

home-bound
boredom
isolation
obsession

Setting:

An urbanised, high density housed area-an estate/appartments

Film is shot from Jefferies point of view and therefore from his bedroom, as he is home-bound.

Narrative/plot summary:

Jefferies (main character), a photojounalist, has broken his leg and is home-bound for a number of weeks. He lives in the city in an appartment, whereby he can look out of his 'rear' window and into many other appartments, almost like an estate. He becomes extremely bored and really wants to get back to work, and so takes up his profession at home, by watching/spying on his neighour's lives through his high lens/long distance camera. The audience watch the entire film mainly through his point of view, along with his girlfrind's and nurse's.

He watches a number of appartments including characters such as; what seems to be a couple in their first home, a female dancer, a married couple and a musician (pianist).

He is drawn to the married couple's appartment as it seems the couple are in disagreement. He watches their confrontations and their time spent alone. From this intense watching he believes he has witnessed the male (husband) kill his ill wife.

Jefferies urges his nurse Stella and his girlfriend, Lisa , to agree, however they both feel he must have imagined it due to his state.

Doubts are set in their minds as they continue to watch the couple disagreeing and then the villain's behaviour, they search for clues that the villain is in fact a killer. After much turmoil, the villain catches Jefferies watching his every move through his rear window. This leads to the final confrontation whereby the villain enters Jefferies' appartment and attempts to kill him. Jefferies stalls him by using the flash on his camera, which probably saves his life as the police are moving ever nearer to the appartment. The villain is then arrested for the murder of his wife and Jefferies lives happily ever after with his girlfriend.

Opinions:

My first impressions when the film began, was that this would be the type of film i would have to sit through when visitng the grandparents or something, however soon did i realise that infact this was a film which was hard hitting to its audience and broke thriller conventions of its time by highly reflecting the society of its set time period.

I particularly enjoyed how the film was entirely shot from Jefferies bedroom, because it shows, even though only one location is used, the film remains interesting and intense to the audience. Also i liked the fact that the audience witnessed the majoriy of events through Jefferies point of view. This was signified by the camera work as, the film was filled with frames within frames (looking through the window, through the camea lens..) and over the shoulder shots. On the contrary, i specifically loved the fact that the climax was from this villain's point of view, as this made it so much more thrilling to watch. And finally, in the film i thought the lack personality given to the villain really helped carry the suspense of the film. This is rarely used nowadays but from this film we can see it used very effectively. (This could possibily be an element used in my thriller project)

The thriller genre

2007-10-30T03:31:00.002-07:00

Definitions of 'the THRILLER genre':

Thriller:

an exciting, suspenseful play or story, esp. a mystery story.

an exciting novel or play, usually about crime, detectives etc
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/thriller

The 'thriller genre'

Thrillers are characterized by fast pacing, frequent action, and resourceful heroes who must thwart the plans of more-powerful and better-equipped villains. Literary devices such as suspense, red herrings, and cliffhangers are used extensively. -Wikipedia

My personal definition for a film thriller would be, 'a film whereby the narrative and imagery is full of suspense to keep the audience involved, whereby the hero is constantly in danger from the villain/undesirable outcome'.

Action thriller: e.g. The Bourne Identity/Ultimatum/Supremacy, Mission Impossible
Contain lots of violence with an obvious antagonist, usually involves a chase or race against time. Typically high budget films containing large amounts of weapons, and pyrotechnics, based on a large film set.

Conspiracy thriller: e.g. The X Files, The Da Vinci Code
The hero/heroine has a main confrontation with a powerful villain who appears harmless and innocent to the public (others).

Crime thriller: e.g. Se7en, The Transporter
Are thrillers that give an insight to successful/failed crime attempts, often from the criminal(s) POV. There are physical and illegal confrontations such as murders and robberies, rather than psychological conflicts.

Disaster thriller: e.g. Stormy Weather
The main disequilibrium is due to natural or artificial disasters. E.g. a flood or nuclear explosion.

Drama thriller: e.g. The Illusionist
A slower paced thriller involving a great deal of character and plot development

Erotic thriller: e.g. Fatal Attraction
A thriller with elements of erotic content between the protagonist and the dispatcher/princess/ even villain!

Horror thriller: e.g. The Silence of the Lambs, Saw I-IV
The main character encounters a combination of mental, emotional and physical confrontations. The villain is usually monstrous.

Legal thriller: e.g. The Pelican Brief
The hero confronts the villain both inside and outside of the courtroom. The battle is not only the win the case but also to secure the safety of their own life.

Psychological thriller: e.g. One Hour Photo, Red Dragon
The main characters confrontations are mental and emotional, rather than physical. Characters do not rely on physical strength to overcome the disequilibrium; instead they are reliant on their mental resources. It is not the character or their action codes which are necessarily thrilling, it is more about the reasoning behind their action (are they...obsessed? brought up differently? etc)

Spy thriller: e.g. The Bourne Identity
The hero is often a government agent whose confrontations are revolved around opposing agents from rival governmental groups. The Bourne Identity is a great example of this.

Supernatural thriller: e.g. What Lies Beneath
Either the protagonist or the villain has supernatural powers. The hero is usually confronted by a wicked paranormal force or is forced into a situation which is controlled by something incomprehensible.

I think I'd like my opening thriller to be a sub-genre of either; crime, psychological, action or conspiracy. (These are probably the most practical practical too!) I would love to give my thriller opening more psychological elements as i personally find this more enigmatic, which would want the audience to watch the rest of the film. Also my favourite thrillers such as, 'Memento', 'Silence of the Lambs', etc... all usually include psychological elements which makes them, in my opinion, more thrilling and enticing.

Key characteristics of the thriller genre:

Typical thriller themes:

isolation, loneliness, entrapment, innocence, guilt, claustrophobia, stalking, voyeurism, secrets, suicide, mystery, death/murder, predetermined death, crime, gangster culture, revenge, vulnerability, anxiety, spying, stalk and slash, lawyer-courtroom, film noir, rape revenge, deception, corruption, terrorism, love/romance, sex/seduction, politics, ambiguity, power, money, obsession, torture, heists, complex relationships, danger,tension...

Typical thriller characters:

lone detectives, confused people, psychopaths, sociopaths, moles, fugitives, assassins, victims, terrorists, a femme fetal, cops, spys, lawyers, drifters, private eyes, police chiefs, loiterers, gangsters, clowns, final girl, innocent children, evil children, hitmen, abused children, sexy tempting women, doctors...

Typical thriller iconography:

shadows, street lights, guns, binoculars, smears, weapons, artificial lighting, metal, dens, attics, basements, alleyways, graveyards, knives, bars, gambling/casinos, mist, money, banks, briefcases, drugs, photos, masks, water, bridges, rain, neon lights, underwater, glass, woodland, candles, low lighting, tunnels, wells, cliff edges, derelict buildings, blinds, cars, fumes, mirrors, CCTV....

Typical thriller narrative events, sounds, actions:

voyeurism, being followed, talking, car or foot chase, scamming, screaming, gunshots, dying, sex scene, sitting in bars/clubs/pubs, creeks, snapshots, polaroids, corpses, stabbing, kidnapping, heists, shouting, recording/footage/CCTV, bin rattles, wind, smashing furniture, glass smashing and tredding, money changing hands, peeping, tied up, searches, phonecalls, meeting, skidding, car engines....

Highlighting key characteristics of the thriller genre within 'SCREAM':

Themes in 'Scream':

stalk and slash, spying, vulnerability, love, obsession, complex relationship, danger, murders, pleading, trickery. I'm not sure if comedy is a theme but because i have also seen 'scary movie' which is a take on this film, along with others, i couldn't help but laugh

Characters in 'Scream'

policemen, victims, news correspondant, best friends, boyfriend, parents, psychotic serial killer(s), confused males, innocent people...

Iconography in 'Scream'

knives, smears, blood, garage, suburban house, alcohol, rope, underwear, glass, action set mainly at night time, cars, CCTV/live camera, microphones, news vehicle, ducktape, a gun, school building, mobile and house telephones, speakerphone?, black gown, gloves, a mask, glass

Narrative events, sounds and actions within the thriller:

voyeurism, false villain, foot chase, friends dying, killing victims, romance scene, stalling villains, killing villains,
gunshots, stabbing , doors slamming, glass smashing, shouts, psychotic laughing, speakerphone voices, car crash noises, popcorn popping, glass bottles smashing and cluttering, body slicing (friend in garage door), draggin across the floor noises, news reporting, punching noises, doors breaking down, running, tripping, phone calls,

Applying narrative theories

2007-10-29T14:47:00.000-07:00

I am going to apply the narrative theories i have researched, into two thrillers that i have recently watched. The thrillers i have chosen are 'Disturbia' and 'Fatal Attraction' as i enjoyed both these films. I am doing this so that i can make sure i can recognise and therefore use these theories successfully in my thriller.

Disturbia:
Levi-Strauss - Binary Oppositons:

There are binary oppositions in this film narrative such as..

good v evil
authority v anarchy
society v situatio
adult v youth
fear v happiness
light v dark
freedom v entrapment
deliberate v acciental death
family v individual
warm v cold
conviction v casual

Roland Barthes - action/enigma codes:
In this film there are many action and enigma codes which is one of the reasons i thought the film carried so much suspense throughout.

Examples of action codes (we see an action and want to know what's next):

Kale (main character) and his Dad crash. Are they still alive?

Will Kale's bad behaviour in school lead to something?

Why is Kale put under house arrest?

When Kale and his friend are caught watching the girl next door, is she going to confront them?

When Kale is caught watching Turner (the villain), is he going to be in trouble?

When Kale's mum goes to Turner's house, what is going to happen to her?

When Kale goes over to Turner's house, is he going to die?

Examples of enigma codes (raises questions in the audience's minds):

Why is there a secret room in Turner's house?

Why was Turner buying a shovel?
Why was Ronnie (Kale's friend) in Kale's closet?

Why was there blood on Turner's window?

Why was Turner's car damaged?

Why did Turner kill the rabbit on his lawn?

Tzvetan Todorov’s- narrative structure: (main examples of the narrative structure)

• a state of equilibrium (the normal) - Kale and his dad went out for a normal days fishing.
• a disruption by an event -the car crash led to the death of Kale's father
-Discovery of the killer living next door
• recognition of the disorder -Kale punched his teacher

-Kale witnesses blood splattering on the window.

an attempt to repair the disruption -put on house arrest

-tries provide evidence of Turner's killings (technology)
• a new state of equilibrium -death of the killer

-Kale's release from house arrest

As the theory shows, the new equilibrium is very different from the first as his father has died and he has a relationship with the girl next door.

Vladimir Propp - Character types:

1. The villain -Robert Turner
2. The hero - Kale, and he is motivated because he is stripped of all of his priveleges when on house arrest and so he turns to voyeurism.
3. The donor- Kale's mum- she gets close to the villain and takes away Kale's priveleges.
4. The helper- Ronnie and Ashley
5. The princess- Ashley and Kale's mum (it was Turner's plan to kill Kale's mum but Kale saved her).
6. Her father- Kale's mum rewards him in new equilibrium
7. The dispatcher- Kale's dad and Ashley. Dad's death urges Kale to make his dad proud and Ashley encourages his voyeurism.
8. The false hero- the police officer

Fatal Attraction:

Levi-Strauss - Binary Oppositions:
There are binary oppositions in this film narrative such as...

good v evil

family v individual

freedom v entrapment

social well being v loneliness

psycho v housewife

guilt/fear v obsessivness

life v death

sex v love

marriage v fling

forgivness v revenge

innocence v conscience

light v dark

jealousy v contentment

responsibility v reliability

Roland Barthes - action/enigma codes:

Examples of action codes (we see an action and want to know what's next):

Alex has a knife behind her back- is she going to stab him?

Alex and Dan go back to Alex’s flat- are they going any further?

Alex is following Dan home- is he going to see her?

Alex takes the child home from school- is she going to kill the child?

In the climax to the film who is going to be killed, Alex or the wife?

Examples of enigma codes (raises questions in the audience's minds):

When Dan is at Alex’s flat, what is she going to do to get him to stay?

Will Dan’s wife find out about their affair?

Is Dan going to continue with the affair?

Why did Alex kill the bunny?

Why was Alex following him home?

Why did Alex want to buy Dan’s old apartment?

Why is Alex’s bedroom so plain?

Will the wife forgive Dan for his affair?

Is Alex really pregnant?

Tzvetan Todorov’s- narrative structure: (main examples of the narrative structure)

· The state of equilibrium- the idyllic yet normal family life Dan possesses.
· The disruption- the introduction to a tempting female, Alex.
• Recognition of the disorder –they have an affair
• An attempt to repair the disruption – Dan tells his wife of the affair
• A new state of equilibrium –The family remain together and Alex is out of their life, although the relationship between Dan and his wife, Beth, is affected by this disruption.

Examples of thwarted attempts to try and restore the equilibrium:

Disruption- Alex tells Dan she is pregnant

Recognition of the disorder- Dan wants an abortion

Attempt to repair the disruption- Dan intrudes Alex’s flat to find evidence which proves she is actually pregnant

Disruption- Alex kills the child’s bunny

Recognition of the disorder- the family is very upset and finds the rabbit boiling over the cooker.

An attempt to repair the disruption- Dan finds Alex and threatens to kill her if she interferes with his life any longer.

Vladimir Propp - Character types:

1. The villain –Alex Forrest
2. The hero –Dan Gallagher, and he is motivated to stop Alex from ruining their stable family life.
3. The donor- Beth (the wife), as she meets with Alex, which highlights the severity of this affair and how dangerous Alex really is.
4. Helper -?
5. The princess- Beth (it was Alex's plan to kill her).
6. Her father- Beth – rewards him with a stable family life once more
7. The dispatcher- Alex! She is so obsessive that she drives Dan to kill her.
8. The false hero- ?

2007-10-29T13:30:00.000-07:00

Here is a brief summary of four key narrative theories, which I’m sure will help me to improve many aspects of my own thriller:

Claude Levi-Strauss- Binary Oppositions

Levi-Strauss introduced the theory of binary oppositions, believing they were a useful way to help understand the production of meaning within narratives. He trusted that these opposite elements helped to construct meaning. To clarify, he felt that for every meaning connoted there were connotations of its opposite meaning within the film narrative.

Common examples of binary oppositions in film narratives include:

good v evil

hero v villain

rich v poor

fear v happiness

male v female

dirt v cleanliness

Binary oppositions are clearly unique to each specific film, but binary oppositions also vary within film genres . E.g. Westerns have binary oppositions such as, sheriff v outlaw and Homesteader v ‘Red Indians’.

Roland Barthes - action/enigma codes

Barthes decided that films are made up of narrative codes. He stated specifically that action and enigma codes were used to create suspense in the narrative.

Action Codes are just the actions which lead to other events. The suspense is created by the action in the film as we want to know what will happen next. In ‘Scream’, for example, we see the villain with the knife and want to know if the victim is going to escape.

Enigma codes are those elements of the film that raise questions in the audience’s mind. The suspense is created as the audience asks the reason for such an event. In ‘Memento’, for example, the main character has ‘find him and kill him’ tattooed on himself. We as an audience want to know why he wants to find and kill this person.

Tzvetan Todorov’s- narrative structure:

1. The fictional environment begins with a state of equilibrium, (the normal).

2. Then it suffers a disruption, known as the disequilibrium.

3. The end of the narrative sees a new equilibrium produced.

Below are the five stages the narrative follows, however this structure is non linear-more a circular structure:

• a state of equilibrium (the normal)

• a disruption by an event

• recognition of the disorder

• an attempt to repair the disruption

• a new state of equilibrium

The narrative of the film is driven by efforts to restore the equilibrium, (there is always more than one disruption). However, the final narrative equilibrium is much altered from that of the original equilibrium due to the impact of these disruptions. For example, the death of a character or the blossoming of a relationship will affect the final equilibrium. Todorov also states that the disruption is usually outside of the normal social framework – ‘out of the ordinary’, for example a murder or a serial killer living next door.

Vladimir Propp - Character types:

Vladimir Propp identified eight common character roles:

1. The villain

2. The hero -or character who seeks something, is motivated by a lack of something such as money. The hero doesn’t have to be conventionally heroic; they can be bold or cowardly, male or female etc.

3. The donor- provides something significant

4. The helper- aids the hero

5. The princess (not just female) - the heroes or heroines reward, and part of the villains plans.

6. Her father- rewards the hero.

7. The dispatcher- sends the hero on their way

8. The false hero

Propp’s theories provide a greater interest when these rules are broken, and this is when an audience particularly notices them. The best example that comes to mind of this rule breaking is in ‘Psycho’. We are lead to believe that Marion Crane is the heroine but she is then killed midway into the film!

2007-10-29T12:38:00.000-07:00

Syd Field’s Three Act Plot Structure

Field explained that films were conventionally compiled by three dramatic acts/plots. These consist of; the setup, the confrontation and the resolution.

A ‘Plot point’ is the name Field gave to pieces of the plot which moved the action on. For example an event which greatly affects the lives and relationships of the characters, which in turn reflects on how we, the audience, perceive the film. Field states that there are many different points however there are two key points which fall between the acts.

Act One– The setup
Field highlights how crucial this act is to the audience, specifically the opening 10 minutes, as this will ‘set up’ the audiences expectations of the remainder of the film, and establishes there thoughts. Field believes this first ten minutes should express, an expectation for the rest of the storyline, anchor the main character and why the audience should bias towards this characters views, and some of the themes that will be displayed.

Act one is roughly 40minutes long and in this time Field suggests the audience should become aware of the heroes main problem.

Act Two– The Confrontation
Field states that this act conventionally shows the main character facing many obstacles in his/her search for a resolution and this act provides the main content of the film. In particular the hero is confronted by the villain and this hero seems the underdog.

The first plot point sees the hero beginning to show signs of the underdog that has a purpose and can maybe defeat his/her obstacles.

The second plot point is when the hero begins to form equilibrium, but becomes aware of the fact that their way of finding this resolution needs to be altered.

Act Three– The resolution
The hero defeats the villain in a dramatic climax to the film.

Applying this theory to ‘Fatal Attraction’

Act One– The setup
The opening 10 minutes shows Dan Gallagher (one of the main characters) in his idyllic family life, (with a wife and kid). We as an audience can anticipate that something is about to turn his lifestyle around. In the remainder of this act, the audience witness Dan Gallagher risking his normal life as he begins an affair with Alex Forrest.

Act Two– The Confrontation
At the end of the first act/beginning of the second, the first plot point is experienced. Dan realises the consequences of this affair when Alex slits her wrists. He has fallen for a psychopath, who will seriously hinder his lifestyle forevermore.

From here on in, the confrontations steadily unravel as Alex desperately tries to be part of Dan’s life. Alex expresses voyeurism by stalking Dan to his house, even though he has made his intentions clear-that he does not want to be with her, the affair- over. She becomes a huge obstacle and the extremity of her actions reinforce Dan’s wish to move away to the suburbs and so along with this he also changes his contact details. Alex Forrest, the villain, confronts Dan at work, meets his wife almost like an ultimatum, and even pretends to have fallen pregnant. These are all connotations of how much power this villainous character has. Dan confronts these obstacles, he tells Alex that he will come around to talk it over, warns Alex to leave his family alone, and goes to her flat to search for evidence of her pregnancy.

The second plot point follows shortly after. Once Alex Forrest has located their new home, she intrudes and boils the (child’s) bunny. From this Dan understands that his attempts to stop Alex are not severe enough and so takes further action - he threatens to kill her, and tells his wife of all his wrongdoing.

Act Three– The resolution
A resolution is made as Dan Gallagher takes matters into his own hands once more. Alex tries to kill Dan’s wife and so Dan suffocates Alex. However this ending is made more dramatic because after thinking he’d suffocated Alex in the bath; she jumps up, only to be shot by Beth, Dan’s wife.

The Problematic of ‘Fatal Attraction’
The problem/disruption in ‘Fatal Attraction’ is the appealing and tempting woman, Alex Forrest. This female will cause devastation to his normal lifestyle, as she is psychotic. This main problem in the film is introduced close to the start, and this provides the core narrative. Also by stating this problem early in the film this keeps the audience interested –“is the problem going to be solved”?

However, before the problem is established, the narrative starts in a state of equilibrium. For example we are introduced into Dan Gallagher’s idyllic home and family. This enables the audience to get a sense of life before the problem and therefore the audience can see the impact this problem causes. Even more than this, it gives the audience a desire for the good characters to reach this state of equilibrium once again.

On the contrary, some film-makers decide to go straight for the problem as this makes the film more enigmatic to watch.

The ideology of ‘Fatal Attraction’
According to Steve baker, ‘Fatal Attraction’, ‘Basic instinct’ and ‘Aliens’, all provide a very anti-women message.

In the first act of ‘Fatal Attraction’, during the films state of calm equilibrium, married life to a good housewife (Beth) is shown. The affair to the single, psychotic woman, Alex, then produces the main problem. This implies that marriage is good and affairs are bad. More than this, the problem is resolved by the villain being violently killed as a consequence of her own actions (trying to kill the wife). This therefore also suggests that unlike the married, single women are evil.

2007-10-27T11:47:00.000-07:00

Here is just a little play around with some conventional thriller iconography:

black shirt -connotation of evil and mysteriousness
white overalls - signifies a clever villain as evidence can be easily thrown away
blood smears- suggests he has just killed someone or something.
bat- this weapon signifies he has violently injured someone or something. A very hands on approach, connoting he is psychotic or wants painful revenge for something
direct address- causes the audience to feel the victim and they feel very much involved
night time- implies he is being secretive and doesnt want to be seen. Also the element of surprise(although you cant miss him wearing that outfit!! haha.) Dark reflects his character, and signifies evil
lack of background- the audience cannot see exactly where he is which adds suspense
mask-connotation that he is trying to hide and doesnt want to reveal his identitf to teh audience-all the more freightening!!

Photo 1, due to the high angle and distancing (LS), is almost as if the audience are onlookers but are now more involved as we have caught his attention. It signifies that we should not have been watching his actions.

Photo 2 is a mid close up and at eye level. This makes the audience much more involved in the action.

Photo 3 is almost a mid long shot of a slightly high angle but as we can see he is walking towards us with a bat, it seems he is the more dominant in the photo. The shot implies that now we have alerted him he needs to kill us also.

Possible Actress

2007-10-19T13:45:00.000-07:00

Possible Actress

Name- Lily Tello
Age- 17
Body type- 5' 5" / Slim / Slender
Ethnicity- White / Caucasian
Education- 6th form student at Kingsmead School
A-levels- Drama, Music, Dance, Media
Experience- Has been in many school productions, played Charity in the west end musical ‘Whistle down the wind’ and been an extra in countless British films.
Personality- friendly, fun, usually willing to help, co-operative, good improvisational skills, not overdramatic.
Appearance- long blonde hair, blueish green eyes, ‘baby face’, innocent looking, youthful yet her age is not strictly defined.

I think this actress would be great as a main female character in my opening of a thriller. She would play a perfect stereotypical female victim due to her appearance. Also I think she would be able to cope with the groups’ demands of filming as she has been part of much more professional productions. Also she lives very close to me, in which case there would be no problem for her to be punctual to filming sessions. I will show this picture during pre-production planning to the rest of my group. We will then take it from there…

2007-10-17T11:24:00.000-07:00

Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock

Date of Birth
13 August 1899, Leytonstone, London, England, UK

Date of Death
29 April 1980, Bel Air, California, USA (renal failure)

Began directing career
In the UK, 1922

Case study notes:

Regarded as one of the most iconic and highly influential directors and producers who created many techniques in the thriller genre. He is one of the most well known and successful directors of all time.

Moved from the UK to Hollywood.

He directed more than fifty feature films within his career which lasted six decades.

Famous for his specialist and unmatchable control of pace and suspense through his films.

Drew upon the society’s fears and fantasies and preferred suspense thrillers rather than surprise thrillers.

Usually portrayed innocent people caught up in circumstances beyond their control or understanding.

Hitchcock attended St. IGNATIUS COLLEGE in Enfield, London! Regarded his childhood as lonely and sheltered.

Pondered on personal experiences and incorporated aspects into his films. For example the idea of being harshly treated or wrongfully accused is a common feature in Hitchcock's films. As punishment his mum would make him stand at the foot of her bed for hours. This waiting upon his mum is reflected by the character Norman Bates in Psycho.

Often had a trademark cameo role in his films.

Apparently he preferred female blondes in his films.

Achievements:

Won ‘Academy Award’ for Best Picture with Rebecca

Four others were ‘Academy Award’ nominations

Won ‘The Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award’ for lifetime achievement, 1967.

Won ‘American Film Institute’ Life Achievement Award, 1979.

http://www.imdb.com/
http://www.wikipedia.com/

2007-10-14T12:51:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few examples of how i think masks are used successfully in films.

2007-10-12T11:32:00.000-07:00

Research- Disturbia Website- www.disturbia.com

The homepage is the iconic DVD cover, which is very piercing to the audience. The direct address really grabs your attention and the red colour of the binocular lenses compared to the black and white of the homepage turns our attention directly to this part of the page. –This is important as it gives generic signifiers such as, the knife, the black cloak and silhouette, the blonde haired female wearing white etc. This helps to set up the audience’s expectations of the film.

The music on the website is very eerie through the use of string instruments and gets louder and includes crescendos which heighten the audience’s suspense. This is typical of the genre. Also the fuzzy television sound is unexpected which surprises the audience and along with the technology shown in his bedroom, this suggests digital technology may be very important in the film.

The flash background is of Kai’s bedroom which suggests that this is the setting for most of the action in the film. We as an audience are looking from his point of view.

The site gives lots of information about the film through photo galleries and videos yet more importantly there is a ‘Disturbia suburbia’ section. This allows the audience to enter their own ‘zip code’ and find out dark secrets about their own neighbourhood. The audience can read about people in their neighbourhood who have committed serious crimes. This is a very unique and effective way of involving the audience and brings a sense of realism to the film’s ethics which I feel strongly adds to the success of the website.

2007-10-09T02:05:00.000-07:00

Explore the narrative image of 'Hannibal' and the way it is constructed through the DVD cover.
Camera:
'Hannibal Lecter' acted by Anthony Hopkins, is shown on the DVD cover by a big close up of his face, shot at eye level. This distancing instantly grabs the attention of the audience and signifies that the narrative of the film is based around him. More importantly this hides the characters identity as his action codes, dress codes and surroundings are withheld from the audience, which overall makes the cover more enigmatic.

Mise en scene and characters:
Only half of Hannibal's face is visible due to the shaft of light which is a strong connotation that this character is hiding and is evil, almost as if he is on the loose. The lack of lighting, producing heavy shadowing on his face also distorts his face, signifying how unusual yet menacing this character is. This is reinforced by the slight tilt of the face which also creates a feeling of confidence which makes the audience feel more threatened by him. Hannibal Lecter’s smile signifies that he is getting pleasure from hiding and acting evil which shows the audience just how twisted his character is. Both the tilt of his face and the smile suggest that he is confident because he has planned out the forthcoming events and these combined add to the desired enigma code. The age of the character and overall facial expressions make him seem confident and very knowledgeable, therefore very enigmatic – all the more frightening for the audience.

Colour is also very prominent within this cover. Black is dominant which signifies evil and hides this unknown characters identity. More importantly this hides his setting which frightens the audience more as we do not know where this evil character is hiding. The direct address also plays on the audience’s fears as this signifies that the character is possibly coming after ‘us’. Hannibal Lecter’s iris is bright red, which provides a strong connotation of blood and suggests to the audience that this man is highly dangerous. This feeling is supported further by the predominant red text. Linked to this, the black cover also highlights the film’s official rating of 18. This along with the rest of the cover really implies that this is a great thriller. The title itself ‘HANNIBLE’ is a take on the word ‘cannibal’ which is defined as ‘one who eats human flesh’. This therefore implies that the character featured on the cover is therefore this person. This adds an element of fear, for that reason making the cover more enigmatic. Similar to other text, this word is bold and in red, signifying danger and heightening fears.

In typical American thrillers, the heroes are conventionally attractive, whereas the villains usually ‘unattractive’. Having an unattractive character on the cover (sorry Anthony!), this conventionally tells the audience that this is more than likely going to be the villain of the film. Another convention of the thriller genre is that the villain is very normal and accepted within society. Adding to the enigma codes of the cover, this character is seemingly normal (for example clean shaven and clean appearance) which makes him even more fearful, leaving the audience feeling more vulnerable as he is accepted and normal. The audience is left to ponder on what exactly this character is capable of.

2007-10-04T10:53:00.000-07:00

Analysing my own thriller stills
Instead of jumping straight into the deep end and creating my 2 minute opening thriller sequence, i think its best to start on the stills so as to build up my knowlegde of the genre.

With this shot i, along with my group, were trying to achieve a moment of immense suspense, just before the climax to the thriller.

In this shot i imagined that…
this character is the ‘hero’/ detective, who knows the killer that he is looking for is in this house somewhere and so is forced to search the house. The shot is taken at a long distance and a high angle from the serial killer’s viewpoint. This signifies that the killer is hiding and watching the detectives every move- waiting for his chance to kill him. The high angle is a connotation of vulnerablility whilst the long shot gives teh audience much more information about the location.

This image represents thriller because this shot is very realistic. It features a normal person with a bathroom location in the background, which provides a very familiar surrounding for the viewer. Also the chain signifies a really typical thriller way of killing which helps anchor this genre. Enigma codes such as a natural beam of sunlight and the consequent shadows the provide the connotations of danger and mystery. Also the lack of lighting adds to this feeling. Along with the feeling of vulnerability, i think the black walls and tight doorway surrounding this 'detective' really help to signify this sense of being trapped and pinpointed.

The gesture codes of this character, for example, the 'detective' peering round the corner and leaning forward with one foot in the doorway suggests that this 'detective' is being very brave however he looks quite tense and wary implying he is scared of something, (that we as viewers know he is going to face).

I think this shot is successful as there is a real sense of thriller due to the gesture, lighting, prop, angle and distance, location and framing.

This shot could be made more successful if a more appropriate costume was worn by the character, if the characters shadow was present and if the chain was not directly covering the characters face. The lighting is good however the sink in the background is a slight distraction and so probably would have worked better if there was just a wall in its place or even a mirror. Also it seems the detective is quite obviously able to see the killer and so it may have worked better if there was something in the foreground to highlight the fact the killer is hiding. For example if the killer was looking out the slit in the middle of cupboard doors.

2007-10-04T03:43:00.000-07:00

Close analysis of 'Film Noir' still

Camera Work:

Two shot- this shows a realationship between two characters in the film.

Over the shoulder shot- we see the view point of the character facing away from the camera. As this point of view is the 'villain's, the audience are made to feel guilt, whilst connotations of further suspense are provided for theaudience as 'we' do not know this character's appearance and facial expression.

Low angled shot- this connotes that the chatacter whose point of view the audience are experiencing, is most dominant in the image and is shown further by the fact this makes the character look taller.

Medium distance shot- this distance allows the audience to see the facial expression of the character involved in conversation as well as providing more information for the audience by way of dress codes.
Focus- the camera is focussed on the character who is more in shot. This reinforces the fact it is this characters reactionswe should be observing.

Mise-en-scene:

Black and white- connotations of the time period (1950's) and signifies it is a poorer quality early thriller. However this could also have just been an effect used by teh director so as to make the film seem more classical (but doubtful as the film is an oldie!).

Natural stream of light- the lack of lighting adds to the enigmatic code of being very mysterious, secretive and produces negativity. The lighting reveals only one of the two characters' faces which signifies that the unrevealed character is more villainous and mysterious as the audience do not know exactly who this character is. Also this imples the unseen character has an evil side. All of these points add to the image's enigma code. The lighting looks ambiant such as the sun and the fact it is shining brightly through a small window signifies to me that this is a very cramped room, such as a prison cell.

The strong background shadow- The long shadow on the background wall accompanied by the strong ambiant lighting contribute to the enigma code. These features highlight the dimensions of the room (boundaries), connoting a great feeling of claustrophobia.

The plain room and lack of furnishings- these are connotations of an undercover place without character or a place with a lack of emotions.

One character is wearing a dark
suit.-This dress code implies superiority and authority, and connotes a clever and swarve character. The dark colour of this suit is also a connotation of evil character.

The other character is wearing a rainmac/overalls.-In contrast to the above character this dress code signifies a normal 'down to earth' male which we as an audience can predict is probably going to 'save the day'. This could also be a sign of innocence. The rainmac is also very light-appearing white which connotes a good character. -This character is possibly the hero in the film.

People:

Gender and race- from this image it is clear that the characters are caucasian and the character in focus and more in shot is male. The out of focus character's gender is not clear due to the lighting and camera angle which shows this characters' mysteriousness implying he/she is the 'villain' in the film. Obviously other enigma codes such as the shadows and lack of expression etc. add to the connotations of this character being villainous.
age of characters- another enigma code is the fact the 'villains' age is unclear. The 'hero's' age is between 25-35 however the distortion from the lighting makes this harder to identify. Although this could imply he is more youthful and stronger than the 'villain' i think that this feature along with the dress codes, suggests that he does not have as much knowlegde as the 'villain'.
The villain is taller- although this is influenced by the angle of the camera, this is a signifier of dominance and control.
The characters appear to have no facial expressions or gestures. These gesture codes imply the relationship between the two characters is emotionless. A feeling of hatred?
The characters are looking at each other. This connotes the seriousness of the scene and could reinforce their dislike for each other. As we see the hero staring at the villaim this could also suggest the hero is planning something and gaining information from the villain.