Preliminary task

In our preliminary task we filmed a scene with a teacher and a student discussing coursework that has been handed in late, we used a variety of shots to create the appearance of realism and continuity.

These include:

The 180 degree rule
The 180 degree rule is a basic movement that states that two character in the same scene should have to same right or left relationship with each other. this type of angel is used to create continuity between shots, reversing the angle would appear odd looking. For example if an over the shoulder shot was being filmed, it should be filmed over the right shoulder of the character to make the scene look ordinary and normal.

Match on action
This shot if a more difficult shot to film because of the precise timing that needs to be considered; the shot is used to connect the shots together. an example would
First shot - a close up of the door handle being turned.
Second shot - a mid shot of that person walking through the door.

Shot/reverse shot
This shot alternates two shots to show a conversation between the characters in each shot; for example 
First shot - one character is speaking.
Second shot - shows the person who he/she is speaking to.

Overall we feel we have completed our preliminary task successfully with a correct and effective usage of all the required shots; we are most pleased with out shot reverse shot editing as these shots appear very clean cut, realistic and have a good sense of continuity.

Analysis of the opening sequence in Memento

 The titles in this clip are very simplistic; the light blue serif font stands out against the reds and whites in the shot of the Polaroid picture, this blue text links with the melancholy soundtrack as it connotes sadness. Over the course of the opening the instruments build up and gradually get higher in pitch which increases which heightens the emotion, builds tension and creates a sense of expectation. The string instruments create a melancholy feel to the clip, contrasting the violent imagery being shown in the shot. 

The diegetic synchronous sounds used throughout the clip of the Polaroid being shaken, the camera noises, the grabbing of the gun, the bullet rattling across the floor and the man shouting "What?" are all utilised to create an unsettling atmosphere and builds tension in the opening sequence.


Half of the clip is an extreme close up of a hand holding a Polaroid picture of a man lying dead on the ground with blood surrounding him; the extreme close up creates an intimacy with the picture and blocks the view of anything else in the shot making the viewer focus solely upon the picture. The still shot of the Polaroid picture shows it is relevant and important to the plot, it makes sure that the audience will recognise the motif of the Polaroids in later scenes. This furthers the idea of the audience’s intimacy in the murder and allows them to have a clear and detailed understanding of the murder. The key piece of editing in this clip is the fact that the entire opening is in reverse; this creates a rather surreal experience for the audience but it makes them think and forces them to focus on what is happening so that they can understand it. Every single cut is clean and quickly cut, building on tension, the simplicity of the cuts appears rather brutal; adding to the brutality of the scene.


The key prop in the sequence is the Polaroid picture, by focusing on the picture for such a long time it is clear that the picture and its contents; a dead man, something incredibly important to the plot. The picture relates to the title of 'Memento' as pictures are usually seen as mementos of events and the dead man is clearly a very important character in the narrative as well as is the holder of the photograph. The glasses of the dead man stand out against the blood spattered tiles in the location which could connotation intelligence but also of a naive innocence; this makes it appear to the audience as if the man was an innocent victim, contrasting the youthful murderer.

Memento opening sequence:

Analysis of the opening title sequence of Inception

We chose to watch and analyse the film Inception, inception is a film within the thriller genre and caught our attention within the opening sequence because of its interesting use of moving shapes and images creating the titles.



The first shot we see is a black screen with clear white writing showing the production company 'Warner bros. Pictures' straight away this gives the audience an insight of what the film may be like if they have seen previous films made by this production company and are familiar with it.


The obvious contrast between the background and the witting is effective as it allows the writing to stand out but it also useful because it means the text is clear and easy to read; suggestion the sentence given is significant, important, and also that they don't want you to miss it.

A puzzle type of effect if then created though out the next few scenes of the opening. Lines, curves and boxes are traced on to the screen which create a patterns which move throughout the rest of the credits. the credits continue in this way throughout, the puzzled effect creates a sense of conclusion, which is carried out in the opening sequence of the film.


The film starts with dramatic, tension building music which creates confusion for the viewers, it then immediately cuts to the protagonist lying face down on the shore of a beach but before hand having a strong establishing shots of the rough and noisy sea.


The first close up of the protagonists face is shown and is a low angle shot. In the distance there are small children playing in the sand, this creates confusion for the viewer as the two things don’t go together. The Protagonist then blacks out and the scene then continues to show a random unknown character finding him on the beach. The Protagonist is shown in dull, rough looking clothes in contrast to the high class soldier that greets. A low angle shot is evident to show to the viewers that the soldier has a high status.

The scene is then cut showing the protagonist being dragged into the room, this creates stress for the viewers as they still don’t actually know who or what the protagonist is trying to do or his aim. The location is also a mystery so this allows the viewers to ask questions and slowly feel further into the storyline. The low level non diegetic music is still being played while the close up of the protagonist eating, the character is hunched over the bowl as though he has not eaten for awhile, which builds more mystery. The room in which the protagonist and the new and another unknown character is released is dull but because of the low lighting with a large, grand table in the middle, this shows that who ever owns the house could be a higher class than the protagonist. There is then a close up of the spinning top which builds tension as the viewers waits for the moment in which it topples over, but never does so. 

The next scene takes place, and it shows the protagonist in another scene but the same location. He is with two new completely different characters, and all the characters in this scene are wearing smart suits all showing they are they same status. The protagonist then starts to talk, and the cuts and speed of the cuts grow faster. Over the shoulder and conversation shots are used effectively to make the viewers feel more comfortable which also makes it more natural to watch, a high angle shot is also used in this scene to show that the protagonist is more in control than any other character in the scene, the room then starts shaking which builds tension for the viewers and makes the two main characters look as though they are involved. There is then a close up of the protagonists ticking watch where time is slowed down, also creating tension the scene then changes dramatically again into a different location but with all the same characters as before. The Location is in a random hotel room/flat where another random character is released, there are diegetic sound effects used to create the bombing and shot gun noises, the music then becomes more dramatic as the unknown characters seek the main characters around the room. 

The first part of the film is very confusing and jumbled up which makes the viewer ask so many questions and are then immediately made to want to carry on watching the film and the Microelements are used to create this interesting and tension building confusion.

Analysis of the opening title sequence of SE7EN

We chose to watch and analyse crime thriller SE7EN as we thought the opening sequence followed the typical thriller conventions which made it effective, influential and memorable.



The first shot in the opening is an extreme close up of a book with the camera set at a low angle to show is has a sense of importance. The pages then start to move with a glimpse of the hand moving them which makes the viewer wonder who it is that is creating this movement. 

This grabs the attention of the viewer already within the first few seconds of the opening sequence.

Extreme close up shots are used continuously throughout the opening credits to allow the audience to recognise the detail in the shot; however a variety of other shots have been used in addition including high angled shots to create vulnerability on whatever is being filmed, for example every time a picture of a past victim is filmed high angled shot are used to represent their weakness. In comparison, when the hands are filmed a low angled shot is mostly used to show dominance, which lets the audience see a clear contrast in importance between the two. The editing used in the opening sequence is all extremely fast pace leaving the viewer enough time to see the shot but not too much of what is happening; which builds up suspension and allows the films to still feel mysterious. Fade to black editing and red, black and white and dull filters are also used to represent death, danger and mystery.

The opening sequence provides information about the production of the film including the production company 'New Line Cinema' (which has produced other thriller/crime thriller/horror films such as the Final Destination series, the Rush hour series and Friday the 13th suggesting to the audience this film will be successful because of other hits they have created) as well as the director David Fincher and actors such Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman and Gwyneth Paltrow; all highly famous, skillful actors/director reinforcing the suggestion of the film being successful. Each set of text is the same size and style of font and is only shown once, however the title of the film flashes several times in a variety of different font sizes to ensure no viewers miss the name of the film. In between each of the shots the screen fades to black to create a sense of mystery, on each black out shot this is where the text with the information regarding the actors, producers and directors is shown, this is practical because it allows the viewer to read the text with ease. The text used has been edited so it has a scratched and distorted appearance which creates a mysterious demeanor and also links to the dark shade of colours used throughout.

The mise-en-scene is not clearly shown in the opening sequence as most of the shots are filmed too close up to the action to show what is set around it, this creates a sense of mystery, a theme repeated throughout the credits. However the props being used in the credits suggest a stalker or killer with the dirty razors, pictures of previous deaths being repetitively shown, books of endless texts being wrote and read and items being cut up and stuck down in different places or forms to which they were before. The intense amount of research being done by the killer that is being presented in the opening shows he's not a menace killing for selfish reasons but is planning and plotting who to kill carefully and has reasons for doing so, making the audience wonder why he is doing this.

The music in the opening sequence features both diegetic and non-diegetic sounds; the main diegetic music chosen compliments the scratchy, distorted images and text used as it sounds rough and edgy and as if one or more songs are being played over each other to create a mixture of sounds. The non-diegetic music consists of noises that sounds as if they are being created by the movements of metal chains or manual items like machinery. There is no continuous vocal speech used throughout the opening sequence apart from one line; towards the very end of the credits when the word 'God' is being sliced out of a book the words "you've got me closer to God" are used, this suggests that the film may contain biblical references which links to the seven deadly sins represented in the film title and someone being 'closer to God' also suggests death, which gives us an insight to what the story line is about.

                                    

Props Theory

Vladimir Propp developed a character theory for studying media texts and productions. Prop discovered that all characters fall into 7 broad character types, all of which can be found in a variety of different media. 

The Seven Character Types of Vladimir Propp:

1. The villain: Locked in a constant struggle with the hero, often trying to harm princess. 
2. The donor: Gives the hero an object or a piece of information that helps them prepare for what is to come. 
3. The helper: Assists the hero with their quest, often referred to as their 'sidekick'.
4. The princess: Needs assistance from the hero, usually because they are in some form of danger, typically the princess is the victim within the narrative. 
5. The dispatcher: Is the character who sends that hero on their mission or quest.  
6. Hero: Reacts to the donor and saves the princess, often resulting in them falling in love with the princess. 
7. False hero: May appear good but has an ulterior motive, or attempts to take credit for the hero's actions. 

Todorov's Narrative Theory

Todorov's theory is a theory created by a bulgarian structuralist called Izetan Todorov, Todorov suggested that at the start of films there is an equilibrium where everything is as it should be, this is then followed up by a disequilibrium where something goes wrong and takes a turn for the worst, and finally by the end a new equilibrium is created to resolve any previous disruptions. This theory is used in many films to help the audience break down the structure of the film.

Todorov states that there are five stages in the narrative:

• A state of equilibrium 
• A disruption 
• A recognition that this disruption had occurred 
• An attempt to repair this disruption 
• A creation of a new equilibrium

Todorov states the narrative doesn't need to be linear,  but is circular.

Thriller Codes and Conventions

Codes and Conventions differ depending on what type of genre the film falls into; the thriller genre has a main focus on shadows and lighting, using a variety of effects including fade to black, artificial lighting,filters and natural lighting. These are all used to create tension and suspense which is extremely important within the thriller genre. Black and white are the main colours used in thriller films as this helps it seem mysterious and is usually used to represent the past and the dead, however when colour is used in thriller films, it will usually represent the present and the action.

Editing and sound would also be two main types of  codes and conventions within the thriller genre. These help create an atmosphere for the storyline in the film, for example if someone is getting chased, fast paced music would be added for effect, and if an explosion was added to the storyline they would add sound to create realism and to create a more effective response from the viewers.

The camera angle is generally moved at a fast pace in thriller films, as this helps create mystery for the viewers, with them not having a lot of time to see what is going on. Thrillers usually add action to the film, created by landscapes or cityscapes being added in the background; this demonstrates danger.

Props such as mirrors and stairs are regularly added to thriller films, as they can be used for various things whether this being to create confusion or to create action. The image below is a shot from a thriller film through a mirror. Mise-en-scene is extremely important within thriller films. This is because it helps the viewers identify what genre the film falls into within the first few seconds.

Music is essential within a thriller film, as it helps create the atmosphere and helps create suspense. A good example of this would be in the last scene of seven, when Detective Mills is about to shoot the killer (John). The tempo, pitch and dynamic of the music increases and decreases, this allows the audience to be more engaged with what is happening in the storyline.this is because it is allowing the audience to be more engaged and to feel the tension that is being shown.  

The Thriller Genre

The thriller genre is extremely popular.This is because it consists of tension, suspense and excitement. It is one of the only types of genre that can cause a rush of various emotions and moods.

Thrillers are extremely known for keeping the audience guessing on what going to happen next.The protagonist in thriller films are set against a mystery, a mission or an escape. Throughout the film, the main problem has tension building onto it, this makes the viewers more interested and it is also one of the main aspects that places specific thriller films into the thriller genre.

Thriller films such as The Silence of the Lambs, Inception and The Great Escape are excellent examples of successful thriller films. Each one of these films have twists, which are good to use when making a thriller film, due to it surprising the viewers and creating a sense of action and excitement.

In the thriller genre there are several different areas what each film cover, placing them into a specific type of thriller film. The different types are Action Thriller, Crime Thriller, Film-Noir, Phycological thriller, Science fiction thriller, and religious thriller.

Action Thrillers are usually very physical, containing stunts, chases, flights, races and fights. They also use props such as guns, bombs and knifes. Die hard, Kill bill, The Bourne Identity are extremely popular Action Thriller films.

Crime thriller plots usually insists of, serial killers, murderers, robbery or manhunt. The storyline also focuses on both the protagonist and the crime. The use both physocoligical aspects and action. Jagged Edge, The Fugitive, The Usual Suspects, these where all successful Crime thriller films.

Film-Noir is characterised by using black and white lighting effects, its was extremely popular in the 1940s and 1950s. the main character tends to be a cynical hero. Popular film that use this are The Maltese Falcon, Sweet Smell of Success and Sunset Boulevard.

Science fiction Thrillers insists of science based themes in them. They are noticed for using the typical villain and hero characters throughout the film using various of unexplored locations. Popular Science fiction thrillers would be Aliens, District 9 and Inception.

Thriller mood board

We have collected a group of images that we feel represent the typical conventions that you would find in the thriller genre and presented them on a mood board, these includes weapons, police equipment and evidence, victims, killers and several others.

we also looked at existing thriller films and created another mood board presenting the ones we though were successful. 

Welcome

Welcome to Paige and Leah's blog; we are currently studying AS Level Media and are researching into the codes and conventions of Thrillers. Our blog will provide you with information about this genre of film including several analysis's, animated mood boards, embedded video clips and general information.