animatic of storyboard

Production Company Logos

The Definition Of a Thriller

The thriller genre is a verry broard form of literature, theiter, film and television that uses suspence, tension and excitement as its key features. Thrillers are more popularly used in film and television, mainly because it is easyer to show the veiwer the directors veiw on the subject through a visual format.

Thrillers are usually fast pased and adrenaline rushed to make the veiwers heart beat faster and create a sense of excitement. This is more popularly used in the sub-genre of thriller of action.

Thrillers often use sub-genres to add even more effects to the veiwers mood e.g. phsycological, crime, erotic, mystery...etc.
use of a sub-genre can make one thriller stand  out from another, and make the veiwer/reader feel differently towards the characters and storyline to that of a normal thriller.

Rostrum Experiment Clip

This video clip is of the roster experiment we filmed inspired by the opening to the movie Delicatessen.
we filmed it by printing labels with a calligraphy styled font for the production names and then placed an array of different objects on a rotating platform to create the spinning/moving-camera effect that is used in the opening to Delicatessen. I am happy with the result although we could have been a little more careful with making sure we didn't get peoples hands in the way of the shot when spinning the platform, but other than that our result was a success.

Group thriller opening ideas.

• Production company logos and names of the producers/actors appear on screen.
• dramatic music that gives the audience an idea of the situation the main character is in e.g. scurrying strings and brass instruments only during the production company logos.
• story line about someone being trapped or or kidnapped.
• long shot of the main character lying on the floor.
• the camera slowly zooms into the characters face 
• main character wakes up not knowing where they are.
• a variety of shots, close up and mid shots showing the characters emotion and the scenery.
• the character wakes up in a room with no one else just them on their own.
• Narrative of the main character telling the story of how they got into this situation.
• an echoing children's music box is all thats heard and then falls silent when the title of the movie is shown.
• Name of the movie: Caged
• The scene changes to and establishing shot of Wem Town Hall then cuts to the character 2 weeks earlier at a time when things were much more normal for them.
• character kidnapped because they know something they shouldn't.

Questionnaire.

Questions for a thriller questionnaire:

Name: Josh Zeiler

Do you watch thriller movies very often?  
not too often

What sub-genre of thriller do you like to watch e.g. Horror, psychological or action?
action.

What do you look for in a thriller?
action, good stories and great characters.

Where/how are you most likely going to watch a triller?
at home.

Would you prefer to watch a thriller on your own or with company?
with company. 

What is your favorite thriller movie you've seen so far?
World War Z.

Name: Kieran Roberts

Do you watch thriller movies very often?  Ish

What sub-genre of thriller do you like to watch e.g. Horror, psychological or action?

Action, horror, sci-fi, 

What do you look for in a thriller?

Action, deaths, shooting, fight scenes, 

Where/how are you most likely going to watch a triller?

Usually on t v if its on and sounds interesting or i'd go to a cinema to watch it if the movie looks good.

Would you prefer to watch a thriller on your own or with company?

I'm not really bothered, but who doesn't want to watch a movie with someone eh? ;P 

What is your favorite thriller movie you've seen so far?

either inception or World War Z

Name: 

Do you watch thriller movies very often?  

What sub-genre of thriller do you like to watch e.g. Horror, psychological or action?

What do you look for in a thriller?

Where/how are you most likely going to watch a triller?

Would you prefer to watch a thriller on your own or with company?

What is your favorite thriller movie you've seen so far?

main character representation

Thriller character representation.

Character distinctions e.g. accent, and dialect: The characters use of language will determine where they are from and create a loose idea of where the characters back story is based.

Proxemics: The positioning of the main character to other people in the shot will be a key aspect to making the character stand out from the crowd, and make it obvious to the viewer that they are seem more important than the more insignificant extras. 

Camera effects and positioning: To give the character a sense of importance, the camera must use different angles and positions to show a visual hierarchy between them and the other actors around them. An example of how to do this would be to use a variety of low shots looking up  at the character to make them seem important, and also to use high shots over the top of the other people in shot to make them look less significant. This would be achieved using a Jib to get both the shots from high and low angles with ease.


Mise en scene: costume and make up are some of the key things that will be needed in the making of a thriller. due to the intense action in a typical thriller, there is more than likely going to be allot of fighting and use of guns or weapons. this means that in the makeup department, there will be need of makeup to create cuts, wounds and bruises on the main character or others around them. Also, in the wardrobe department, there will need to be costumes that will slowly after time become tattered and dirty later on as the film progresses ( a suit in this case, as this main character is a formal, male agent/assassin. ) . Hair would also be a big part of presenting the character, using a neatly styled hair to give a sense of formality and show the characters personality. The colour of the hair would need to be a dark colour e.g. dark brown or black, to give the character a mysterious look and keep with the dark story line/ setting.
Another key thing to mention is the setting of the movie, most likely to take place in a busy city or a more crime ridden area (most likely a dark part of New York or another American or Russian city). This dark setting and area which the main character will spend rather allot of time at will reflect onto the main characters own personality/appearance, giving them the image of being tough and to not be messed with.
Also, to enhance the image of being tough or feared by those who are his enemies, the performance of the actor playing will need to convey a dry whit and a stern look, and to make the character seem cool and collective in tricky situations e.g. a fight scene or them trying to get to a certain place that's heavily guarded or dangerous.
When in a dark area to add mystery, the character will need to be almost hidden in the darkness but with enough light to keep them visible. Thats where specific placing of lighting, either natural or forced,    becomes a issue. In order to keep the main character in focus and visible, while looking dark and mysterious, the lighting will need to be produced form a certain angle as to create a form of contrast and shadow on the characters face, but at the same time, the light needs to come from a position of a source that is believable e.g. a street light or a cars headlights as it passes in the street.


Sound: When it comes to adding tension and to make the main character seem as though they are in a dangerous situation, one of the key things that give emphasis and build tension is sound. one of the main aspects of sound is the music, to make this characters situation seem dangerouse and fast paced, the music will need to match what the main character is doing and feeling. for this an orchestra works well. the use of strings and brass at a fast pace/beat fit well with most thrillers as they are a popular way of creating suspense, especially at the start of a movie building up to the reveal of the main character and establishing shot.
Another element of sound that will need to be used is diegetic sound, this is the sound that comes directly from what is happening on the screen, and is a key element to use when trying to emphesise action or what the character is doing.

North by North-West



• The production company logos go past

• Heavy use of lines converging on the screen shows us that this is a part of a theme for the movie.

• The text for the beggining credits follows these converging lines either up and down or left and right including the most important name "Alfred Hitchcock" tthis ells the audience that this is a film made by the famouse Alfred Hitchcock.

• There is emphasis on the title of the film through use of more lines. They have used arrows pointing north comming off the word "north" and arrows both pointing north and west on the word "north-west". This has been done to enhance the the tltle of the film and also to fit in with the theme of lines.

• A high pitched, loud, orchestral soundtrack used with the scurrying noise of strings and the rather overpowering sound of brass trumpets with the low deep bass drums that carry through the rate of the music which also makes the veiwer excited as the bbet is faster that their heart beat. This gives us a sence of rush and hurry to the movie and creates tension.

• The visuals then change, and the converging lines at the beggining turn out to be windows of the side of a tall building or skyscraper, reflecting the fast moving traffic on the road below with yellow taxi's - Establishing shot of New York e.g. skyscrapers and yellow taxi's.

• The text at this point is still moving in lines, this time mainly following the direction of the moving traffic, giving emphasis to the sence of rush to the film.

• the scene then dissolves to pedestrians walking of the pathway in a rather similar order to the fast moving traffic on the road previously. - this shot was filmed from above by using a peice of equiptment called a Jib.

• The next shot is of a vortex of people walking down to the sub-way, formally dressed going somewhere. they all swarm together chlostrophobicaly carrying out this sense of haste and rushing.

• the shot cuts to more people walking down a different street as a bus goes past. with everything still rushing arround.

• The shot then changes again to people walking down stairs continuously making giving us a sence of  rush happening everywhere.

• in the next shot people are made to look like animals, using uncivilised behavior e.g. two women fighting over a cab.

• And even an appearance of Hitckcock himself missing a bus.

• the soundtrack then becomes diagetic ( from the actions on the screen).

Trombone shot, Vertigo shot.

A vertigo shot is when the camera moves forward and zooms out at the same time to give the effect of the person or item in focus stays the same size but the background and everything behind the subject warps and creates a really interesting effect.

these pictures are of me having a go at filming a "vertigo shot".





here is a video of what a vertigo shot should look like and how it is done.

conitnuity exercise

This is the final video that our group filmed for our continuity exercise. I am happy with the shots we were able to get and the way that they all link together really well. There are some things I would do different if I were to make another opening to a thriller movie. one thing I would improve upon would be to get everyone to wear the same clothing throughout, we did have some problems with that but they were hardly noticeable. also I would increase the amount of dialogue used in the opening.

10 Thrillers

10 thrillers.

The Purge, 2013 horror/sci-fi/thriller. A family is held hostage for harboring the target of a murderous syndicate during the Purge, a 12-hour period in which any and all crime is legalized. 

Saw. With a dead body lying between them, two men wake up in the secure lair of a serial killer who's been nicknamed "Jigsaw". The men must follow various rules and objectives if they wish to survive and win the deadly game set for them.a horror/thriller made in 2004

District 9.2009, action/sci-fi/thriller. An extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth suddenly finds a kindred spirit in a government agent who is exposed to their biotechnology.

Taken.2008, action/crime/thriller. A retired CIA agent travels across Europe and relies on his old skills to save his estranged daughter, who has been kidnapped while on a trip to Paris.

The Conjuring. 2013, horror/thriller. Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse. 

Zero Dark Thirty, drama/history/thriller. A chronicle of the decade-long hunt for al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden after the September 2001 attacks, and his death at the hands of the Navy S.E.A.L. Team 6 in May 2011.

Shutter Island, 2010, drama/mystery/thriller, Drama set in 1954, U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniel's is investigating the disappearance of a murderess who escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane and is presumed to be hiding nearby.

The Dark Knight Rises. 2012, action/crime/thriller. Eight years on, a new evil rises from where the Batman and Commissioner Gordon tried to bury it, causing the Batman to resurface and fight to protect Gotham City... the very city which brands him an enemy.

 

Clover Feild. 2008, action/sci-fi/thriller.Revolves around a monster attack in New York as told from the point of view of a small group of people.

Chronicle. 2012, drama/sci-fi/thriller. Whilst attending a party, three high school friends gain superpowers after making an incredible discovery underground. Soon, though, they find their lives spinning out of control and their bond tested as they embrace their darker sides.

Font Comparison.

 

Analyzing se7en

Analyzing 'Se7en'

Opening scene

Effect of the sound used

There is a montage of sound used in the opening of 'Se7en' however the sound is very mixed and gives off an eerie feeling and a creepy atmosphere. It starts off slow with a constant beat and quiet to set the mysterious scene however shortly afterwards the sound begins to grow and becomes loud which is comfortable as it fits with the actions shown. The music doesn't really fit well together but, because of the eeriness,  creates suspense and an uncomfortable feeling as it sort of pierces through you. At the end of the opening the sound all of a sudden stops suddenly like something has happened. We know this is the end of the opening because the silence signifies that it is the end of the opening scene when nothing happens.

The image above is the opening scene to the film 'Se7en'.

Effect of images used

The opening scene to 'Se7en' gives the audience a mysterious feel to the film as the shots shown go well with the eerie sound. It creates a scary atmosphere with the dark shots being constantly shown which sort of gives a subliminal message for the feeling of uncomfortableness. The scenes flash between each other a lot which gives a spooky atmosphere with the constant flicker of images however these images make the viewer unaware of what is exactly going on in the opening scene which creates an enigma. There are various amounts of shots in this opening scenes like various distances of close ups and overlays of shots which adds to the mysteriousness to the scene.

The shot here shows an overlay of the same shot but at different angles.

The shot here shows a close up which gives the viewer an enigma to what this might be about.

I Am Legend Analysis

I Am Legend Notes.

• starts off with production company logos.
• no music, only the sound of a TV news report as the company logos are shown.
• TV news report starts off normal until the picture suddenly cuts to a woman at the news desk interviewing a woman about her cure for cancer- camera uses a sot reverse shot method.
• The next scene cuts to the establishing shot of New York three years later, with empty abandoned streets.
• Next shot is a birds eye view of the road where we can see a single car driving through the empty streets.
• The shot then cuts to the inside of the car and we see a close up of a rifle being picked up, the close up shot pans upwards to reveal a mid shot off Will Smith.
• there is use of shot reverse shot when Will is looking at his dog in the passenger seat of the car.
• a shot of the drivers point of view from behind the steering wheel and windscreen.
• music- very dramatic violins create a constant pase  for the scene and build tension.
• as the deer jump out the music suddenly stops using only diegetic noises.
• the music builds up again as the main character speeds off to chase the deer, the use of big bass drums gives off a feeling of the wild to fit in with the chase or the hunt for prey.
• when the deer seemed to have escaped down the subway the music changes back to the calmer, dramatic violins, but when the deer come back out and the chase picks up once more, the music changes yet again to the bass drum chase music.
• more use of the camera work from inside the car looking out of the windscreen.
• as the deer escape the camera pans up to show cars all abandoned blocking the way forward, as this is shown the music changes to a sudden burst of brass trumpets to give suspense- orchestral music.
• the shot then changes to the main character and his dog walking through the tall grass. the use of deep bass strings in the orchestra makes the scene feel tense and give the sense of danger.
• then, as the shot changes to a  mid shot of the main character about to shoot the deer, the music picks up with flickering flutes to give the unsettling feeling that something is about to happen but as the deer goes behind a wall the music dies down to a quiet version of the tense violins music.
•  as the shot changes to the main character running to where the deer is hiding, the use of a tense orchestra (strings and brass) and the shaky camera movements give us an idea of what the main character is experiencing.
• the music stops dead when the deer is spotted, then starts up again slowly and quietly.
• when the main character gets up to take a shot, the music picks up once more to a scurrying of violins.
• as the character was about to shoot a lion jumps out and takes the deer down, clever use of over shoulder camera movements mirroring the main characters line of sight are used to convey to the audience what he is seeing and feeling at this point.
• close up of watch beeping.
• character looks over his shoulder at the sun setting
• music gets louder as the tension builds.
• 1st bit of dialogue from the main character calling the dog to come to him and leave.
• long shot of the main character and his dog running away as the camera pans up.
• the music stops and the title of the movie is shown with dead silence "I Am Legend".

Extended notes on the opening to the film Marnie

Extended notes on the opening to the film

Marnie.

• Firstly, the film starts off with the production company logos
• As the film begins the beginning titles and company logos are shown through the use of visual effect, in this case the use of turning pages of a book gives the viewer the hint that this story is based on a novel.
• The use of pragmatic music builds suspense with short bursts of orchestral violins.
• This pragmatic music calms when the actual title of the film is shown then picks up and calms again, this is continued for a while to build tension.
• suddenly, all music stops and the film picture begins. From this point onward there is only diegetic sound coming from the actions seen on screen.
• This diegetic sound is begun with the sound of high heels from a woman walking. This sound also gives us the idea that this woman is all on her own seeing as though there are no other noises to be heard from all around.
• In the next shot we can see everything in the scene, giving  us a full view of the mise en scene.
• The use of the hand bag prop tells us that it is a significant object in the scene. This significance is emphasised from the visible bright yellow colour of  the bag, and the tight grasp the woman has over the bag she's carrying.
• We know that the character visible to the audience is a woman from the clothing e.g. the hat, coat and also judging by the sound her high heels.
• The camera movement is also a key element to drawing attention to the woman and the bag e.g. using tracking to follow the woman/bag tightly and then slowly stopping to allow her to get further ahead and to show some of her surroundings for and establishing shot.
• The establishing shot shows us that this character is in a train station in the city. we know that she is in the city because of the gas shutter clearly visible in the background that would be found commonly in large community's, in this case the city. Also this shot has converging lines to aid with drawing the viewers eye to the woman slowly walking away from the camera. furthermore, we could also determine the weather and maybe even the season of which this scene is set, we can do this by looking at her clothing, she is wearing a tweed coat and scarf which are tell-tale signs that the weather is cold, meaning it could be Autumn/Winter time.
• The woman looks to be going somewhere at this point as she stops and puts down a suit case and is waiting at the train station.
• At this point the scene changes to a man behind a desk pointing at an empty safe that has been robbed of the money inside. This then gives the audience an idea of what could be in the woman's yellow bag from the first scene and that she stole it from him.
• There is then a cut scene to the empty safe with an eye line match to the office man behind the desk.
• The next scene show us that the office man is talking to two policemen and his secretary in the background. We can easily see from this scene the significance of each of these characters e.g. the most important person is the older policeman who is centred in the shot and also the one speaking to the office man. The younger policeman is less important than the first policeman as all he is doing is taking notes. And last but not least the secretary in the background is most insignificant to the scene as she has been pushed to one side out of the way.
• As the office man is  talking to the police he tells them the name of the culprit, Marianne Holland, knowing who she is. While doing this he repeats the name of the woman three times. by doing this he is addressing the audience directly making sure they know that its a woman that stole the money and to apply a name to the female character from the first scene (even though we do not see her face). Also his description of the woman who stole the money to the police suggests that him and her had some form of relationship or that he has (had) some form of crush on her.
• During these conversations, there has been use of a shot reverse shot format (which is often used for dialogue).
• Also there's use of a close up shot on the office mans face to show his facial expressions when a taller man enters the room and the eye line match of the office man looking up at him.
• When the office man walks across the room to talk to the taller man the camera pans across the room following his as he goes.
• As the office man talks to the taller man there is clear use of visual hierarchy which makes the taller man look more important and the short office man more insignificant, this is shown by their sizes being big and small and also by the taller mans attitude toward the office man as he doesn't look at him that often and looks around the room checking out what's going on.