Thrillers - Subgenres and Audiences

Subgenres in Thrillers

• A subgenre is a genre within a genre
• A hybrid is when genres mix together

Films with subgenres:

Speed - Thriller/Action
Sin city - Thriller/Noir thriller
District 9 - Thriller/Sci-Fi
The Departed - Crime/Thriller
Stigmata - Thriller/Horror

Socio-economic class:

A - CEOs - Doctors/surgeons
B - Teachers/high manager roles
C1 - Nurses/accountants
C2 - Plumbers/carpenters/electricians
D - Retail
C - Students/pensioners/unemployed

Mise-en-scene in Thrillers

Sound in Thrillers

Shutter Island - Sound Analysis

What makes a thriller thrilling?

About Thrillers

Conventions of a thriller:

The editing is usually fast there are lots of quick cuts from shot to shot to give more of a thrilling atmosphere and more action. It keeps the audience on edge with anticipation. Music is used in moments of a thriller when there is tension or action. It makes the scene seem much more exciting. Flashbacks are used in thrillers to piece together stories and also to make the audience wonder what the flashback means before it is explained.

• Suspense
• Dark lighting
• Excitement
• Jumpy scenes
• Sense of mystery
• Gripping story lines
• Twists in the plot
• Weapons
• Violence
• Tension
• Crime
• Cliff hangers

Mise-en-scene expected in thrillers:

• The camera shots in a thriller will be fast paced, things like cross cutting will be used when there is action going on. Fast paced camera shots are used to add more excitement with shots going back and forth, it keeps the audience on the edge of their seat. 
• Camera angles are also something that adds effect to scenes. For example and low angled shot may show that someone has power, and a high angled shot shows someone may be vulnerable.
• This links with action sequences. Thriller films need action sequences to make them thrilling. They add the excitement and tension to the film if done well, using the correct editing and camera work.
• Sound is a big thing in thriller films. Dramatic music and sound effects work well to add more excitement and make the film more thrilling.
• Costume is a big part of a movie. Character's costumes need to fit with their character's persona. If someone is playing a person of high authority, say a detective, their costume needs to look professional and organised. If there is someone playing a villain then their costume may be scruffy looking, although it could look professional too depending on what kind of villain they are. The costume says a lot about the character.
• Props are a big part of a film. Weapons are a popular prop from thriller films, but props can be anything that fit with the story. 

Conventions Shown in Shutter Island:

Camera work/costume/props
This still from Shutter Island shows a low angled shot and three men dressed in smart clothing/uniform. This lets the audience know that they have authority and power. The middle character has a notebook and appears to be taking notes as the man on the right describes something to him, possibly a crime scene. This makes the middle character seem important. From the middle character's facial expression the audience may feel a sense of tension.

Special FX

In this still special effects have been used to add effect. The character his holding a woman while she turns to rubble in his arms. It shows she is a figment of his imagination but she was once a part of his life. The use of SFX here may disturb the audience because of the way the woman falls to dust. It also may sadden the audience as the man holds her lovingly as she dissappears. The aim here is for the audience to feel some of the emotion that the character feels because the audience is then engaged with the film.

Lighting and Props
In this still there is a good use of lighting and props. The lighting is very dark and this creates an eerie and creepy atmosphere for the audience. It makes the audience feel uneasy because they do not know what is lurking in the darkness. Another thing that also fills this still with tension is the character's face. He looks scared as he looks before him but we cannot see what he is looking at. This creates a sense of mystery filled with tension. The match he holds before him is his only light. This makes him looks vulnerable because the match could easily go out and he would be left in complete darkness.

Feelings when watching Shutter Island:

      

Types of characters:

The protagonist: This is the person who does something heroic. They are the one to fight the evil.

The antagonist: This is the person for is evil and causes the crime in a thriller.

 

 

Themes:

Action Thriller:

In action thrillers, there is obviously a lot more action and there is much more fighting than in the other themes. It focuses more on fighting and weapons. 

 

Psychological:

This is the type of thriller that confuses the audience with strange story lines. Usually it includes either the antagonist or protagonist on. 

Religious:

These types of thrillers usually include a devil or something being possessed. This links with religion obviously and a vulnerable being or child is usually the one to end up possessed or in danger.

Sci-Fi:

This usually features things that are out of this world. Almost all Sci-Fi films are about aliens. 

Crime Thriller:

In crime thrillers it focuses on killing, whether it be murder or suicide. It may also focus on different types crime too. The story line usually includes the protagonist trying to defeat the antagonist. 

Film Noir:
This type of film started just after WW2. It was influenced by the dark period that people went through after the war. It is black and white, as the title probably shows. Film Noir is French for 'Black Film'. 

 

Shutter Island - Sound Analysis (Stop Motion)

Preliminary Task - Storyboard

Prelim Task

Opening door

Crossing room

Sitting across from someone

Brief conversation

Match on action: One shot linking to another, shows continuity.

180 degree rule: filming guideline, shows character's positioning and gives audience orientation.

Shot reverse shot: Shows what character is supposed to be looking at, then shows their reaction.

Opening of Se7en - Timeline

Se7en - Opening Title

This is the timeline for Se7en's opening titles:

Opening titles in films and TV shows are used to introduce all the people that helped to make up the film/TV show. The credits of the opening title shows things such as the production company, the producers of certain things such as costume or music and the cast and crew members. The purpose of the opening title is to introduce the most important members of the film to the audience. 

Opening credits are not usually just rolling text on a blank screen, movies use images and the typography, music and other such things to make the opening titles link with the genre and entice the audience. 

Stills from Se7en - Opening Title Sequence

This still from Se7en's opening title sequence shows how they have effectively used typography, images and lighting. They've used a text that looks handwritten, this looks creepy and really sets the thriller genre. The image behind adds to this because the hand looks crooked and almost like it belongs to a dead person, this gives a creepy atmosphere and also adds mystery because the audience don't know the purpose of the hands being shown and why they look the way that they do. Another things that adds mystery is the dark lighting. This is because you can't see half of the screen and so this uneases the audience because they cannot see whats there. Dark is associated with evil and so this fits well with the thriller genre.

I feel that this still is very effective in terms of representing the thriller genre. It has the same typography that looks handwritten; this is used throughout. The most effective thing about this still is the word 'REPENT' scratched into the dark background. This is so effective because it looks as though someone has written it in anger because of the scratches around it. Also, the dark background again adds effect because it's gloomy and the darkness is associated with evil and generally uneases people because you don't know what's lurking or happening in the dark. The word repent means to express remorse over your own sins so the fact that this is the word written in the background tells the audience that something sinister will probably happen in the film. The word 'repent' put together with the dark background entices the audience because they want to know why someone would feel such an emotion.

Continuity Editing in V for Vendetta

 

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 In this particular scene for V for Vendetta continuity editing is shown. In these three shots, the 180° rule is shown. It shows her walking over to the object. The shots fit together and so it looks continuous when she walks from the doorway to the object. The 180° rule basically means that if the woman walks in on the right side of the object, she must stay on the right side the whole time she interacts with the object. If she is to change sides, the whole thing should be shown otherwise it would look incorrect and there would be no continuation. So, in these shots she stays on the right side as she walks to the object.

It is shown again here when the woman is on the left side, she stays on the left side and the man stands on the right. It makes the shots continue and does not confuse the audience.

 

Preliminary Task - Script

Script

English:
C:*Smirking* I've been expecting you.
C:*Spin in chair to face Leona* Do you have my money.
L:*Raises eyebrow* Of course, its all here.
C:*Hands up* Don't shoot!
C:*Crying, on knees* NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!...

German:
C: Ich habe Sie erwartet
C: Haben Sie mein Geld?
L:Naturlich, es ist alles hier
C: Nicht schiessen!
C:NEEEIIIINNNNNNNN!!!...

The Demographics and Pyschographics of District 9

The Socio-economic class scale:

A- Top management, bankers, lawyers, doctors and highly salaried professionals

B- Middle management, teachers, graphic designers etc.

C1- Office supervisors, Junior managers, nurses, specialist clerical staff

C2- Skilled workers, trade persons

D- Semi-skilled and unskilled manual workers

E- Unemployed, students, pensioners, casual workers

Demographics and Psychographics:
- Demographic information is used to classify an audience into age, gender, race/nationality, and socioeconomic class Age, Gender, Race/Nationality, Socioeconomic class (A-E) and other categories. 
- Psychographic segmentation divides the market into groups depending on a persons interests, hobbies, lifestyle, personality and their job.

District 9

District 9 is a sci-fi/action thriller. This means that it has a wide audience because of it's hybrid genres. It will have a wider audience because more people will be interested in it due to there being more genres included in it. District 9 is about an extraterrestrial race who are forced to live in a slum-like setting by the human race. They are then helped by a member of the government.


 The age certificate for District 9 is 15. The film is well fitted to this age range because of the fiction genres and the story line isn't that complex. This film may also interest those who like gaming, which stereotypically, a lot of teenagers aged 15 and above enjoy. This is because it's a very fictional film. On the socio-economical scale, this film would be rated at an E because young teenagers will still be students or maybe have a part time job. 

They are not yet fully educated and so may enjoy the fictional story line. I would stereotypically expect men to be more interested in this film because of the action and weapons. It's mostly males who prefer gaming as well and so this is why they would be more likely to watch a film of this genre and style. 

Pyscho Analysis

Psycho Shower Scene Analysis (Remake) 

 

In the start of this scene, the shots are drawn out. This gives a calm and natural atmosphere of the women doing an everyday task, showering. However, the fact that the shots of her in the shower are drawn out makes us feel uneasy and gives us the feeling that something is going to happen. Also, during these long and drawn out shots, there are low angled shots of the shower that make the woman seem vulnerable. Also, the fact that the bathroom is so white and that she is naked makes her seem even more vulnerable. At the start there are also close ups of the woman at the side, and the rest of the space is filled with the shower curtain. We see that the woman is faced away from the curtain and again, this makes her seem vulnerable and makes the audience feel as though something is going to happen in the space where she is not stood. We see when the woman is washing herself that her nails are red. This portrays danger and blood. This also foreshadows that something may happen to the woman. During this point of the scene, the only sound that can be heard is the loud sound of the shower which blocks out all other sounds to show that she wouldn’t be able to hear if someone was to intrude, this again makes her seem vulnerable. 

 

 During the scene, the camera then begins to zoom into the shower curtain and shows a blurred figure behind it. This then gives the realism that something bad is about to happen and the pause before he opens the shower curtain builds up tension for the audience. He then pulls the curtain across and you hear the sound of the knife being drawn. This sound is non diegetic. Even though the sound of a knife being drawn may be considered as a diegetic sound, the sound would have been enhanced making it non diegetic. The woman then screams and the camera zooms into her mouth as she screams. This shows the woman's terror and fear, and it makes the audience feel that too. As soon as the man starts to attack the woman, this is when the shots begin to speed up. Cross-cuts are used as the action increases and this makes the audience feel on edge and it looks fast pace. Because the scene is fast pace, it shows the panic that the woman feels and makes the audience feel it too.  

 

During this part there is also music that begins to play. The music is synchronous as it is in synch with the genre, it fits with the genre and crescendos as it gets further into the attack. The instruments in the song sound like violins. They are not played gracefully as they usually would be, they are played in a high pitch so they are screeching, almost mirroring the fear and panic that the woman is feeling. The other sounds that can be heard are the woman screaming and the stabbing sound of the knife. The knife sounds will have again been enhanced to give more of an effect and possibly to make the audience cringe at the sounds of her being stabbed. In this attack part of the scene there are a lot of close ups on different parts of the woman's body and on the killers face and the knife. The close ups showing the woman show her moving and flinching, they are from the man's point of view. We also see blood run down in the bath, this is to show how she has been injured and make the audience feel shocked and make the woman seem vulnerable and hurt.  

 

When the shots of the man's face and knife are shown, this is from the woman's point of view and it makes the audience feel as though they are the woman and it makes them feel uneasy and vulnerable. During the cross-cutting, it sometimes cuts to short clips of dark, rainy clouds and the sound of thunder is heard. This is the use of pathetic fallacy to show the darkness of the mood and the danger the woman is in. When the attack is finished, there is a blurred mid shot showing the man walking away in the background with the running water in the foreground. This is shown from the woman's point of view and shows maybe her confusion as to what's happened and it's blurred and she cannot see who the man was. There is then a Birdseye view of the woman laying dead in the bath which shows how she is weak and still vulnerable although she is dead. This then turns into a graphic match of the plughole and then her eye. This shows how her life is draining away.

Preliminary Task: Shot list

Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene in thrillers

Mise-en-scene is objects and other things that are in the scene. It's things such as clothing, props and lighting. It's things that make up the scene, it's everything within the scene and how they are placed.

Mise-en-scene is a French word. It means 'having put into scene'. It's a term to describe all visual elements in a film.

Types of mise-en-scene

• Actors
• Clothing/costume
  
• Props
• Make-up
  
• Lighting
• Setting
• Background
• Camera work
• Visual effects
• Performance/movement of character

Why is miss-en-scene important?

Mise-en-scene creates the scene and without it the scene would not look as effective. It also helps to distinguish the genre and creates an atmosphere and helps to engage with the audience. It gives an understand of the characters and helps you learn more about them and their perso

Editing

What is editing?

Editing is the stage when making a film where we hope clips can be joined together and it is how the clips are ordered and structered. Editing can have different speed/pace and special effects can be used.

Editing Terms

Transitions 
This is two ways that shots are joined together. The most common tranisition is a straight cut. This is just a simple cut from one clip to another. It goes straight to the other clip, hense the name straight cut.

• Dissolve - This is a gradual transition from one shot to the other. It fades into the next shot and shows time passing or a change of location.

• Fade to black/white - This is when a shot fades from black to white. This creates a sense of time passing within a scene or if edited with a fast pace it can show a flashback.

• Fade in and out - This is when a shot fades in or out from black. It symbolises the beginning or end of a sequence. It can show something that is peaceful. It even show a montage of separate things happening.

• Cross cutting - This is when action cuts between two sequences to create links, parallels or contrasts between storyline and setting.

• Wipe - A line moves across the screen showing a transition from one shot to another. It is a marker of change.

• Jump cut - An abrupt cut between shots. It makes things look dramatic and it also disorientates the audience.