Amber Gamble's AS Media Studies Coursework Blog

Evaluation

2009-05-05T12:13:00.000-07:00

Final Grading/Freedback

2009-04-23T10:42:00.000-07:00

After a days session looking through our own and eachothers thriller openings we recieved or grades and additional feedback in which will help to make up our evaluation.

My thriller opening was awarded a grade B-, which personally I was very dissapointed with, after having spent alot of time and effort it was disheartening to have recieved the lowest grade in the class, nevertheless a good grade and with it useful feedback which I will take into deep consideration in order to achieve higher in future pieces of work.

Our teacher expressed that the numerous pieces of music which we included into our opening was the main thing in which let us down, for such a short piece of work too much music detracted from the action on screen and made the piece feel bitty thus lacking flow. Additionally location choice (woods) acted too cliche and thus lost the audiences attention.

Our peers believed that our costume choice could have been considered better, they felt it confusing that a young girl would wear such clothing and lipstick, which pointed out that our intended portrayal, which was that of a disturbed, abused "emo" girl was unsuccessful. additionally they also felt from what was seen of the narrative it appeared fairly complex thus leaving them with a feeling of intrigue.

In comparison to other groups work it is evident that ours lacks in certain aspects, editing of sound being a main one, but overall I was generally pleased with the outcome of our piece, we were congratulated on the engagement we included with characters which other groups tended not to include.

Thriller opening final and personal evaluation

2009-04-03T11:49:00.000-07:00

Personal Evaluation:

On a whole I am generally pleased with the outcome of our thriller opening. It is evident that during the production we took into considersation key assesment objectives in order to produce an effective thriller opening where all significant conventions within thrillers are considered.

- Where appropriate each shot used has been held steady, aiding to a professional look and helping to hold the audiences attention. However I believe the first shot could perhaps have been slightly more steady as it did prove difficult when filming to zoom and keep the camera steady.

- Framing of shots are consistent whereby the main character (maizie) is always central. Good use of two-shot is evident helping to establish the characters relationship between one another through distance.

- I am most pleased with the use of distance within the opening, varied close ups, long shots, mid shots etc are apparent and really aid to portraying the characters emotions.

-Baring mind the opening had to be within the genre thriller after throrough research into the thriller genre and having found out more about psycological thrillers our group felt this would be an effective sub-genre to work with, our material shot works well within this genre as location choices hold an eriee feel and the narrative shown is quite unsettleing in parts.

- Mise-en-scene again I believe is effective, character and costume choice fits in with the sub-genre nicely, obviously due to lack of spenditure available surrounding objects could have been more suited but where possible we have tried to selectively choose props in order to create meaning within the shot.

- Editing, as discovered one of the hardest stages during production and it certainly took a lot of perfectioning. However after numerous amounts of feedback we finally managed to perfect the editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer, shot lengths have been considered carefully although one shot where the door handle is framed I believe is held too long before we actually see the characters hand open the door.

- Transitions proved effective in giving the opening a professional look and helping to portray different times within the narrative, generally they have been used well although I think there is one shot where a transition is necessary (shot between maizie running into the woods and then curiously looking around the woods.)

- Sound matches on screen action nicely and really emphasises different moods and feelings within the openings. It proved hard to find perfect sound due to a lack available because of restrictions on having to use copyright free music. As a group we overcame this problem and i believe our sound works well within the sub-genre of our thriller.

- Due to our groups lack of skills using programs such as premier I believe our titles lacked sophistication and were very simple, however we did our best and created simple titles which when having looked at other thriller films the type of font and colours we used seemed apparent within a lot of other openings. Transitions used between the titles work well and the length in which they have been held have been considered in order to create intrigue within the audience.
They have been placed centrally and all in the correct order in which should be found.

Rough cut video and feedback

2009-03-12T07:55:00.000-07:00

Our rough cut of our thriller recieved a fairly basic grade but with it a list of general feedback and targets for improvement.

In order to reach the highest possible grade it is necessary for us to develop the opening whereby it is made slightly more gradual. Improve use of transitions between locations for a more natural feel and re-position titles so that they can be seen properly.

It lies evident that the latter half of our opening lacks direction and narrative, so having taken on board the targets for improvement our group decided to make our titles separate from the footage, this will add in length of time so we are able to completely abolish the end half of our opening, thus improving the piece as a whole.

Changes and amendments to our rough cut

2009-03-12T07:43:00.000-07:00

With only one day left until our deadline we received our final pieces of feedback from our teacher. The changes in which had to be made were only slight, changing transitions in order to improve the flow of the narrative, i.e. cross dissolve in placement of dip to black in order to portray a change in time and location.

Additionally, there were a few sound issues where some digetic sound was not loud enough and the music which had been added in was too over bearing, therefore we adjusted the sound levels so that the sound could be heard.

Editing stages

2009-03-05T04:38:00.000-08:00

Having imported all of the relevant shots into premier in which would be used it was time to find music and sound effects. In order to meet the conventions of the task it proved difficult to find the specific type of music in which I was looking for. As our thriller is the sub genre: psycological the music I required was mysterious and eerie.

Finding the music proved very time consuming, the websites in which I located held music that was perfect for what I required but was not copyright free. When I finally found a website which offered copyright free music I searched the various styles and eventually found music that was suitable for my thriller opening.

Editing it into the specific clips proved easier than I anticipated it would be. By using the audio transitions available such as constand gain the different music blended in with eachother.

After having shown our opening to our teacher we were given numeous feedback:
- lengthen and change certain clips in order to detract from the trailer style we had adapted in sections of our opening, additionally a suggesstion was to change part of the music as it was slightly up tempo for the theme of our thriller.

Most recent filming and feedback

2009-02-26T09:42:00.000-08:00

On monday 23/02 me and my group progressed on with another filming session, within this session we aimed to shoot a variety of different shot types, e.g. close ups, POV's etc in order for our thriller opening to be telling the story through camera as currently we were relying solely on actors.

I was pleased with the shots we managed to get completed and how they looked once uploaded onto the computer. All the shots have now been placed in order onto premier and our editing stages are slowly progressing, we are still to add in sound and finalise our titles, tighten up any editing and recieve further feedback from our teacher before our final deadline.

Our piece is starting to look more and more like a thriller but I believe we are still missing some key conventions which should be added in within editing- such as certain transitions etc.

Progress to Date

2009-02-25T02:28:00.000-08:00

Although it feels like recently I have made little progress, I have gained numerous amounts of skills and a clear experience as to how time consuming practical production is.

My camera skills have improved significantly, I am now confident in using the camera meaning I am more open to experiment with different shots, whether proving succesful or not.

I am still hindering the skills on software such as premiere pro, my knowledge is limited but I can say that I have obtained the basic skills in order to start editing simply.

I feel that my progress where moving forward to new stages is still at a stand still, communication skills amongst me and the group are lacking and I personally feel dry of new ideas. To overcome this I believe it is essential to recieve help and advice from my teacher, in addition some extra research may be required in order to gain some inspiration to the thriller conventions that would be well suited to my thriller.

Hopefully the editing should start to develop at a faster pace now that we have more footage to work with.

25/02

Fourth Filming Session 05/02

2009-02-09T01:55:00.000-08:00

With our new plot formed into a new shot list we met at my house to complete our footage.

We experimented with some different shot types, low angles and POV, it was hard to shoot the low angle straight so we discounted this shot however as a group we felt the POV shot worked well in capturing both characters emotion during that specific scene.

Our previous footage lacked any scripting, so it was necessary to write some lines for the characters in the scene with dialogue because the previous shots lacked emphasis because of the poorly strung lines during improvisation.

Due to snowfall during the past week we had to be careful that we didn't capture the snow in any of the new shots in order to continue continuity.

-Feedback from third attempt footage-

2009-02-09T01:37:00.000-08:00

After having shown the shots we shoot on the 25/01 to our teacher we recieved some all important feedback:
- Flashback scenes which include Lia (acting as a younger version of Maizie) need to be changed due to lack of realism. Lia has little resemblance to Maizie which would consequently effect our final opening due to the fact that the flashback scenes would fail in portraying Maizie as being younger but rather it would make it look like a completely different person.

In order to overcome this we felt our only option was to change the plot slightly because there was no one we could think of who looked like a younger version of Maizie.

Additional feedback:
Add in an extra shot of Maizie playing with teddy bear (important prop within opening) so that the audience can engage with the main character and her closeness to the teddy bear.

Create a script for the characters for the shots that include dialogue.

Comparing my Blog to a model Blog

2009-01-29T11:29:00.000-08:00

My blog evidently lacks when comparing it to a model example.

The example blog is clearly updated on a regular basis, and when it is updated the written depth is of plenty of detail, with the inclusion of images too which is effective in presenting progress and ideas clearly.

It shows how the group went through many decision making stages which although our group has too these decisions have not been blogged and therefore there is little evidence to suggest that any progress made.

Another inclusion in which this person has added is analysis of fonts to be used for the titles- something which i will take into consideration and also do in order to find the perfect font.

Lastly, by analysing a student thriller they are able to gain an insight as to inclusions which are effective and perhaps not so.

Third Filming- 25/01

2009-01-25T08:38:00.000-08:00

@ 16:42:

Today, from feedback recieved we went out to the woods and re-shot a few of our shoots, we also finished our footage in outside locations. The weather was an inconvinience, however we still went out in the rain in order to complete footage. Unfortunately one of our group members was unable to make this filming date, however we have a scheduled a meeting where we will inform him of changes and extra footage that was shot.

We re-did shots which needed improvement i.e, steady hand, we felt today went more smoothly due to more experience and knowledge in set up of the certain shots. Luckily the english weather enabled perfect lighting creating intended atmosphere.

@ 18.30

Lia and Tad (actor and actress) arrived at my house and we shot our final bits of footage in a new location, the childs bedroom.
Unfortunately our camera ran out of battery so we had to improvise by using another camera which will hopefully produce the same quality of filming as the HD camera has. We felt the acting was perfect as was props and setting, it was helpful to have Tad there who has filming experience due to the fact he has already done AS media.
The shots were filmed efficently and as a group we feel confident that our camera skills have improved.

Second Filming- 22/01

2009-01-25T08:35:00.000-08:00

On this date we concentrated on location shots due to lack of group members.

First Filming- 15/01

2009-01-25T08:24:00.000-08:00

Our group went to our first location in order to film (the woods) here we shot numerous shots, some with more ease than others. We found it particularly difficult to shoot the high angle shots as a ladder was needed to create height and a steady hand was needed.

We also managed to shot some footage in our second location (desolate barn) which as it was getting late we were unable to continue due to poor lighting conditions.

Feedback recieved from Mr Michie:
- costume, location and mise-en-scene= good.
- improve stability of camera in point of view shots
- To add in extra shots where necessary in order to improve continuity

Our next scheduled filming date is Thursday 22nd and then again on Sunday 25th.

Evaluation of Thriller Anamatic

2009-01-05T01:45:00.000-08:00

(Unfortunately our anamatic was uncompleted and once completed deleted from the laptop in which we created, hence no video.)

After class feedback it became apparent that on a whole our group’s anamatic was of a pleasing standard. We made good use of sound so that an atmosphere was created. It also aided awareness for the audience for a sounder understanding as to what was going on during each shot. Inclusion of flashbacks within our opening proved difficult to portray in a storyboard however they were understood by the audience without explanation which we were particularly pleased with.

The anamatic has helped us to improve our opening further by being able to view whether things look appropriate and create suspense and tension in a desired manner. It showed us that we need decrease the length of particular shots which continued for an unnecessary amount of time, in addition it was evident that we had too many shots which included running, this became boring for the audience, consequently losing their interest.

Now that these problems and improvements have become apparent our final thriller opening should hopefully be one which holds suspense and tension urging the audience to continue to watch.

Progress Made to Date- 16/12

2008-12-16T05:02:00.000-08:00

Improvments from previous tasks have been cleverly taken into consideration, for example Gemma was allocated the task of drawing the storyboard as she holds the best drawing skills, therefore our storybaord is clear and easily understood.

I feel our group is slightly beind with the tasks that have been set, with only 50% of our anamatic complete and the deadline looming around the corner it has become apparent that different members of the group need to become more involved and take over certain responsibilities. To overcome this problem we have arranged for members in the group to make sure that the work is not only just being completed within class time but outside too.

Different roles have been allocated to different members of the group in which hopefully will be completed and the deadline met.

Results from Audience Research- Questionnaire

2008-12-16T04:40:00.000-08:00

Our groups formed a questionnaire in which we asked a sample of 100 people, in order for this to be a more manageable task we each had 25 questionnaires in which to get completed and to then draw upon conclusions giving us inspiration into the types of things that people like to see within thriller openings.

1. When the term thriller movie comes to your mind what are your first reactions of what would would expect to see?

This was an open question giving a range of different answers some which were similar. Most people expected to see guns and car chases, excitement, tension and suspence, it was obvious to see that many people had horror thrillers in mind as a large majority said they would expect to see gore and blood.

2. When you watch a thriller film which sub genre is your favourite?
Crime, Horror, psychological, Spy, Drama, Sci-fi, Other.

This was a closed question where one or more options could have been chosen, out of the 25 people who i asked 11 people preferred the psychological genre, in 2nd place was the sub genre crime. 6 people chose this option. On the other end of the scale nobody that i asked chose the sub genre Sci-Fi.

3. What do you think is the main part of building suspense in a thriller?
Music, setting, sound, camera angles or pace

This again was a closed question where the person filling out the questionnaire had to choose an option, 15 people thought that sound and music was the main part in building suspense, closely followed by the setting.

4. If you were to watch a thriller what would you not want to see in it?

Most people felt that to have comedy and romance scenes within a thriller was inapropriate as it would take away from the tension and suspense in which they would associate with thriller films.

5. Would you expect characters to be stereotypical in a thriller or would you like them to represent something different to their normal association?

I felt that this qeustion wasn't perhaps such a good question ton include as it didn't really help the group in deciding aspects of our opening, nevertheless people would prefer to see characters differing from their normal association in order for the plot to be less predictable.

6. What sort of conclusion do you most like to see in a thriller?

The answers recieved from this question varied from some people wanting a surprise ending, some wanting a cliffhanger and others wanting an ending which clearly ended leaving the viewer satisfyed with the outcome.

7. Do you prefer thrillers to have a straightforward plot or do you prefer plot twsits?

Everybody bar one person decided that they liked to see plot twists within a thriller narrative, however this does not apply to us as we only have to create the opening although it is useful to know and extend my audience research knowledge behind the thriller genre.

8. How much of the plot do you think would be revealed in the opening of a thriller?

Everybody asked felt that a minimum amount of the plot should be revealed during the opening, however we should be at least introduced to the protagonist and antagonist.

Filming Locations

2008-12-15T11:05:00.000-08:00

The pictures below show our main filming locations, we will also be filming in a bedroom which one exactly hasn't been decided yet:

Ideas for Thriller Opening

2008-11-27T04:47:00.000-08:00

Storyboarding: Here are a few images of our storyboard.

Actors/actresses:
protaganist- girl
antagonist- male character, father perhaps

Costume:
14 year old girl- slightly disturbed. Bright red lipstick, black boots, white and black stripy dress.

Father- male character- alcoholic: wife beater, jeans, overall scruffy look.

Props:
teddy bear
whisky bottle
toys and soft teddys scattered around girls bedroom.

Due to the nature of our chosen sub-genre and after research into the BBFC, I have decided that the best cerfiticate for our thriller would be 15, its disturbing narrative would be too complex and harrowing for children aged 12-15 but it lacks gore and horror, similarly sex and nudity thus why it wouldn't be placed into an 18 certificate.

Continuity Task

2008-11-25T05:43:00.000-08:00

Taking into consideration that it was only the third time any of the group had ever filmed anything with a continuing narrative before, I believe we were successful in many aspects of the filming. We followed the task set and included everything that was asked for: someone entering and then exiting a room after a brief conversation.

Use of sound was effective through the fade ins and outs helping to keep the piece of filming continual. In addition varied shorts such as high angle cleverly portrayed the actor as inferior which was the intended effect and mirrored the narrative.

However editing at the beginning lacked consistency meaning that the narrative lacked continuity. The filming must look natural and convincing which ours did not due to poor editing. Aditionally my poor acting skills didn't help.

Another point to take into account is that when there is a new shot, to make sure that the angle changes as otherwise it looks to jumpy and as if something has simply been cut from the piece of film.

We showed initiative in displaying the male character as inferior but it would have been good to use a low angle shot of the actress in order to then portray her as superior.

Lastly, if our group was to do this task again I would take into consideration all of the above points which would improve the overall filming. Time was not an issue within our group; we worked efficiently and completed the task within a set time.

Audience Research

2008-11-25T04:38:00.000-08:00

Classification 15- Contains strong language and infrequent bloody war violence and sex/sex references, attempted suicide scenes, horror, drug use and nudity.

Classification 18- Contains strong bloody violence, brief scene of strong sexualised threat, very strong language, sex references and strong sex.

The information above is taken from the bbfc website of recent classification decisions of a wide selection of film genres.

Thriller classification guidelines:

The differences between a 15 and an 18 certificate that would be expected within a thriller is the severity of the language, horror, gore and violence, for example a 15 would have bloody violence whereas an 18 would have strong bloody violence.

Due to this I believe our thriller should be classed as a 15, but however appeal and target a wider audience: 15 – 30 year olds.

For more information on classifications see the bbfc website: http://www.bbfc.co.uk/

Practice Anamatic

2008-11-25T04:26:00.000-08:00

(Due to technial problems I was unable to upload the anamatic)

I believe my anamatic was quite unsuccessful, although from this I learnt many valuable points. It was mainly because of the quality of drawing; we split up the storyboarding between our group so that we each had four shots to draw, the outcome of this was a lack in consistency and some of the drawings were very unclear. From this we learnt that the storyboarding should be done by one person and as a group we have allocated the best drawer this job.

However, the inclusion of sound within the anamatic was quite effective as was the timing of each shot, for example the lengthy shots creating suspense and the quick shots displaying the action. Chosen sounds fitted in well with the action on screen and at the same time helped to emphasise the action.

From this practice anamatic I was introduced to the programme premier and the different effects and settings that it had, becoming accustomed with this programme was good practice before going on to storyboard our opening the a thriller.

If I was to do the anamatic again I would drastically improve the quality of the drawings, remember to add in vital arrows showing the movement of the camera, i.e. panning and make sure the drawing was accurately in the frame to portray the type of shot that was going to be used.

Practice Filming

2008-11-05T04:11:00.000-08:00

(Video file size was too large to upload and i don't know how to compress the file)

The practicing filming task I believe was a valuable and useful experience as it helped me gain skills and become more familiar with premier, a programme I previously had no knowledge about. I learnt how to use the filming equipment safely and effectively, how to upload the video onto the computer and then how to edit it, add audio effects etc.

Whilst completing the task I came across a few problems which were mainly due to lack of knowledge on the use of premier, for example cutting a piece of music so that it’s not too long, I now know to use the razor tool. My main problem was that the finished edited piece of filming didn’t save, so when I later returned to it I had to add the soundtrack in again which I rushed and now the final piece is not up to as high a standard as it was. However I was impressed with our actual filming as our group managed not to break the 180 degree rule, although we did miss a shot which therefore meant that one of the actors appeared from nowhere in the following shot. A mistake which will be taken into consideration and mistake that will not be made again.

If I was to do this task again I would familiarise myself more with premier before starting the task, in order for the completion of the task to me more time efficient. As well as this I would take more time and care over the editing so that it’s more precise. Lastly the lighting used was very dull and made the piece of film look less professional; I will therefore pay more attention to the lighting in future.

Our group’s organization during filming was efficient and we finished our filming in good time allowing us to proceed with the next sub-task that was planned for the next lesson. However the entire group including myself needs to become more accustomed to the use of premier in order for the organization during the sub-task of editing to be more effective.

Summary of Analysis (Thriller Openings)

2008-11-04T05:01:00.000-08:00

After extensive research and analysis it has become apparent as to the different types of codes and conventions that are common within the thriller genre.

Editing, sound, mise-en-scene, titles and camera all combine together and work effectively in giving the audience an insight to the protagonist in the film rather than focusing on the antagonist. For instance fast pace music is common within most of the openings I analysed as it reflects upon the protagonist’s race against the clock which is typical of the narrative within the thriller genre.

In addition, it became obvious that in order to fully understand why codes have been used in different ways a knowledge into the sub-genre is needed, The Illusionist uncommonly displays slow paced editing because of its sub genre, drama/mystery- a genre that possesses slow unwinding complex plots hence the use of slow editing. However it still holds elements that can be seen in the genre thriller as a whole, for example the use of dark colours connoting evil and death.

To clearly summarise- Key codes and conventions within the genre thriller as a whole:

Titles which reflect the protagonists psychological state
References to images such as blood and weapons
Heightening and quietening of music to create suspense
Dark colours and tones, connoting evil and death
Mise- en-scene which echoes the protagonists plight

Thriller Opening 5- The Illusionist

2008-11-03T10:34:00.000-08:00

The Illusionist (2006)
Director: Neil Burger
Drama/Mystery Thriller

(Video as provided on VLE)

Editing throughout this extract is one of a slow pace which reflects upon the narrative in the film, one that focuses on character development and reveals several plot twists which is reinforced through the heightening and quietening of the music: common generic conventions of drama and mystery thrillers.

The chosen sound track helps the viewer to establish the time period, classical, which tends to act symbolically of the dated era, the chosen colour scheme, sepia also reinforces the old time period in which the film is set as photographs in those days came out in sepia.

Another main colour used within the opening sequence is black, connoting mystery hence the mystery genre the film possesses. It could be suggested that the chosen title font reflects the protagonists psychological state, the curviness and easy flowing font could signify the protagonist to be one who is easily manipulated.

Use of the camera shaking and chosen transitions create a sense of illusion; like everything is a blur mirroring the title of the film. The lack of quality of the images presented aids to the feeling of mystery, nothing is being revealed.

The extract closes with an extreme close up of a pair of eyes, tying in nicely with the idea that eyes are central in creating illusions and hypnotising people (form of magic) which is a main theme within the film.

Thriller Opening 4- Mission Impossible

2008-11-03T10:29:00.000-08:00

Mission Impossible (1996)
Director: Brian De Palma
Spy Thriller

Fast tempo music has been chosen, typical of spy thriller genre and also reflects upon the protagonist’s race against the clock further cemented through the extremely quick pace of editing which also creates suspense for the viewer, again common of the thriller genre. The extract opens with an explosion setting the scene for the audience on what is to come.

The titles run quickly of the screen and help to show the protagonists psychological state. There are many references to the government through the close ups of special government equipment. Many of the shots have been put into negative mirroring the type of equipment government official’s use.

Dark colour has been used helping to establish the dark and mysterious tones that are common within spy thrillers. Furthermore close ups of the characters faces help the audience to engage with characters emotions and deep concentration.

Juxtaposing images of different characters help explain the narrative and show how two rival governments are working at different stages on the same investigation.

Thriller Opening 3- Casino Royale

2008-11-03T10:26:00.000-08:00

Casino Royale (2006)
Director: Martin Campbell
Action Thriller

The opening of the extract helps the audience to immediately establish the action thriller genre through the gunshot and dripping blood which covers the screen. A main theme throughout the film is gambling which is referenced through images of playing cards; spades, diamonds, clubs and hearts and a roulette board, echoing the protagonist’s plight.

The soundtrack has been cleverly chosen as the lyrics reflect James Bond’s character, “You know my name” is not only heard several times throughout the title sequence but it is also the title of the song which mirrors a typical line in all the James Bond films “Bond... James Bond.”
Action is evident within the title sequence, shoot outs and fighting, symbolic actions defining the action thriller genre.

Use of colour helps the audience to establish James as the protagonist, he is shown in black and white; white portraying him as the “good guy” but the black shows mystery and some evil, purely by the fact he takes so many people’s lives. Contrasting, the villains have been shown in red representing their fate and death to come.

The editing quickens throughout the sequence reflecting upon the race against time (common in action thrillers).

The titles are displayed in white to stand out against the mainly red background, the main characters and directors titles have been centralised showing their importance and the rest of the titles have been placed in random places around the screen showing little significance.

Thriller Opening 2- 28 Days Later

2008-11-03T10:21:00.000-08:00

28 Days Later (2002)
Director: Danny Boyle
Horror/Sci Fi Thriller:

The extract opens with screeching violins reflecting upon the protagonist’s emotional state; sense of longing for normality, which the long drawn out notes of the violin expertly display. The chosen music also has an eerie feel to it, a typical convention within a horror/Sci Fi thriller.

Constant images of blood reflect upon the horror elements that will be evident in the film; it also plays on the theme of death, again another theme evident within this film. Special effects cleverly create the effect of mutating cells being viewed under a microscope which is shown through the twist of colour, black into red, thus acting symbolically of themes within the science fiction genre.

The conflict in horror thrillers between the main characters are not only emotional but physical and mental too, as mentioned the protagonists emotional state is displayed through the use of the sound, their mental state has been demonstrated through special effects; flickers of black and white interference that can be seen on a TV creates a feeling of madness and loneliness, this technique is particularly common of the horror genre when the TV fuzzes and switches off due to the antagonist. Moreover, the protagonist’s physical status can be depicted through the images of blood, suggesting he/she may experience near death situations.

The placements of the titles are in no particular arrangement or relevance, in random corners of the screen, perhaps suggesting twisting plots and a complex narrative.

Thriller Opening 1- Panic Room

2008-11-03T10:08:00.000-08:00

Panic Room (2002)
Director: David Fincher
Crime Thriller:

This film fits into the sub-genre “Crime”, and displays many typical conventions the audience would expect to see, defining its genre.

An establishing shot of a city opens the sequence and already the audience is introduced to a typical scene where crime commonly takes place. Editing evident is mainly cuts which quicken when the beat of the music changes and crescendos helping to create a sense of panic, mirroring what can be seen on screen; the title ‘PANIC ROOM’.

Mise-en-scene showing blocked square city buildings echoes the protagonist’s plight, block buildings representing the square room where two of the main characters have been trapped in during the film. Moreover the titles, which have been positioned in the foreground over clips, again reiterate the protagonist’s situation as the chosen font is serif signifying a sense of being trapped due to the solidness of the outline of the font.

Transitions such as fade in/out have been used at the beginning revealing to the audience what is to come. In addition low key lighting reflects upon the dark sinister feeling being created indicating that something bad is going to happen.

Non-digetic sound of police sirens can be heard at the beginning symbolic of danger and crime. Furthermore as the opening sequence draws to an end the audience is introduced to one of the main characters who later on in the film becomes the victim. Centralising the opening around the protagonists is typical of crime thrillers which tend to focus on the victims rather than the policemen and women.

Researching the Thriller Genre/Coventions and Sub-Genres.

2008-11-03T09:42:00.000-08:00

What is a thriller?

A thriller is a book or film which is designed to keep the reader or viewer on edge with suspenseful and sensational action. Thrillers have also been produced in the radio, theatre, and television media. This genre is incredibly large, and thrillers often overlap with pieces of work produced in other genres; mysteries, for example, are often thrillers. Many people find thrillers very enjoyable, and they appreciate the fast pacing and complex plots associated with this genre.

Several characteristics help to define a thriller. Thrillers typically involve sudden plot twists and lots of red herrings, for example, keeping people unsure about what is going to happen. This suspense can get almost unbearable, especially in a long piece or a television series. Thrillers also have a lot of action, which is often chaotic, and they typically feature resourceful heroes and exotic settings.

The plots of thrillers can vary widely. Some are supernatural, for example, centred around mystical antagonists. Others are scientific or medical in nature, forcing their protagonists to contend with biological agents or mysterious scientific happenings. Some are simply straight mysteries with clever, horrific, or intriguing antagonists, while others be focused on the inner workings of the legal system, environmental threats, technology, or natural disasters. One long-established thriller genre is the spy thriller, featuring an often heroic and dashing spy who must confront whichever enemy happens to be popular at the moment.

- taken from: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-thriller.htm

Typical conventions within a thriller:

A crime at the core of the narrative (often murder, but not necessarily).
A complex narrative structure, with false paths, clues and resolutions.
A narrative pattern of establishing enigmas which the viewer expects to be resolved.
A protagonist who is systematically dis-empowered and drawn into a complex web of intrigue by the antagonist.
Extraordinary events happening in ordinary situations.
Themes of identity.
Themes of mirroring.
Themes of voyeurism.
Protagonist with a ‘flaw’ which is exploited by the antagonist.
Titles often reflect an aspect of the pro/antagonist’s psychological state.
There is often a scene near the end of the film in which the protagonist is exposed to risk.
Mise en scene which echoes/ mirrors the protagonist’s plight.

-Taken from: http://thrillerproject.blogspot.com/

Sub Genres of Thrillers:

Action thriller - In which the work often features a race against the clock, contains lots of violence, and an obvious antagonist. These films usually contain large amounts of guns, explosions, and large elaborate set pieces for the action to take place. Notable examples are James Bond films.

Conspiracy thriller - In which the hero/heroine confronts a large, powerful group of enemies whose true extent only he/she recognizes.

Crime thriller - This particular genre is a hybrid type of both crime films and thrillers that offers a suspenseful account of a successful or failed crime or crimes. These films often focus on the criminal(s) rather than a policeman. Crime thrillers usually emphasize action over psychological aspects. Central topics of these films include murders, robberies, chases, shootouts, and double-crosses are central ingredients. Example, The Godfather.

Disaster thriller - In which the main conflict is due to some sort of natural or artificial disaster, such as floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes, etc., or nuclear disasters as an artificial disaster.

Drama thriller - In which the story consists of the elements of a thriller and drama film. These films are usually slower paced and involves a great deal of character development along with plot twists. Examples include The Illusionist, The Interpreter and The Prestige.

Eco-thriller - In which the protagonist must avert or rectify an environmental or biological calamity - often in addition to dealing with the usual types of enemies or obstacles present in other thriller genres. This environmental component often forms a central message or theme of the story. Examples include Nicholas Evans's The Loop, C. George Muller's Echoes in the Blue, and Wilbur Smith's Elephant Song, all of which highlight real-life environmental issues. Futuristic Eco-thrillers are of the Science Fiction genre.

Erotic thriller - In which it consists of erotica and thriller. It has become popular since the 1980s and the rise of VCR market penetration. The genre includes films such as Fatal Attraction.

Horror thriller - In which conflict between the main characters are mental, emotional, and physical. Two recent examples of this include the Saw series of films and the Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later. What sets the horror thriller apart is the main element of fear throughout the story. The main character is not only up against a superior force, but they are or will soon become the victims themselves and directly feel the fear that comes by attracting the monster's attention.

Legal thriller - In which the lawyer-heroes/heroines confront enemies outside, as well as inside, the courtroom and are in danger of losing not only their cases but their lives. The Innocent Man by John Grisham is a well known example of the type.

Medical thriller - In which the hero/heroine are doctors or medical personnels working to solve an expanding medical problem. Robin Cook, Tess Gerristen, Michael Crichton, and Gary Braver are well-known authors of this subgenre. Nonfiction medical thrillers are also a subcategory, comprising works like The Hot Zone by Richard Preston. Films such as Awake are other examples of medical thrillers.

Political thriller - In which the hero/heroine must ensure the stability of the government that employs him. The success of Seven Days in May (1962) by Fletcher Knebel, The Day of the Jackal (1971) by Frederick Forsyth, and The Manchurian Candidate (1959) by Richard Condon established this sub-genre. A more recent example is the 1980 film "Agency".

Psychological thriller - In which (until the often violent resolution) the conflict between the main characters is mental and emotional, rather than physical. The Alfred Hitchcock films Suspicion, Shadow of a Doubt, and Strangers on a Train and David Lynch's bizarre and influential Blue Velvet are notable examples of the type, as is The Sixth Sense by M. Night Shyamalan and The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith (who also wrote Strangers).

Spy thriller (also a subgenre of spy fiction) - In which the hero is generally a government agent who must take violent action against agents of a rival government or (in recent years) terrorists. Examples include From Russia with Love by Ian Fleming, The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum, and television series such as Mission: Impossible and 24 (the latter demonstrating a break from the norm by Robert Ludlum, as it is as much a psychological thriller as a spy thriller.)

Supernatural thriller - In which the conflict is between main characters, usually one of which has supernatural powers. Carrie by Stephen King and Unbreakable by M. Night Shyamalan and Torchwood are notable examples of this genre. This type of thriller combines tension of the regular thriller with such basic horror oriented ingredients as ghosts, the occult, and psychic phenomenon; the supernatural thriller combines these with a frightening but often restrained film. They also generally eschew the more graphic elements of the horror film in favor of sustaining a mood of menace and unpredictability; supernatural thrillers often find the protagonists either battling a malevolent paranormal force or trapped in a situation seemingly influenced or controlled by an other-worldly entity beyond their comprehension.

Techno-thriller - A work that usually focuses upon military action, in which technology (usually military technology) is described in detail and made essential to the reader's/viewer's understanding of the plot. Tom Clancy defined and popularized the genre with his The Hunt for Red October, and is considered to be the "Father of the Technothriller."

-Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thriller_(genre)#Sub-genres