My personal targets when filming

I think the real challenges for me during the production are going to be

-Organisation: turning up on time, equipment, paperwork, logging whats been done.
-Timing: links to organisation, i have quite a journey so i need to make sure i leave on time.
-Communication: make sure i tell people if there is going to be a problem (including miss)
-Generally be good.

Inspirational Opening Sequences

This is the opening sequence from one of my favourite films, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. I think this scene is so effective because it uses wit and action to introduce two of the central characters to the audience.

The way the titles are on their own black screen works well for me because when done well it doesn't disturb the flow of the clip but it makes sure they are noticeable. I also think that by making the music louder and louder through the clip and only bringing it to climax when the action starts it builds enjoyable tension but doesnt distract from the dialogue.

The narration anchors the London setting with the accent and directly addresses the audience which perhaps makes them feel important and makes them want to continue watching the film.

By telling the audience that one is a master of cards the direction of the film is perhaps suggested and Jason Statham's jokes suggest it will be a comedy.

i think the reason this is such a good opening sequence because it is funny, exciting and makes the viewer want to watch the rest of the film.

Past Student Thrillers

I thought this opening sequence was very impressive because it used dialogue to build tension rather than action. i thought the male character was creepy by being mock-friendly and the female was strong and, rather like the woman from Alien, more of a hero type than a victim.

i think some of the shots were very nice such as when the whiskey was poured. The lighting was also right because it gave a creepy feel with the use of shadows.

The male characters smoking and drinking made him look sinister and built up an atmosphere of suspense. Although the music was not particularly suspenseful Frank Sinatra holds mafia/gangster connotations so i think it worked well.

I think with my opening sequence i will try to use a blend of dialogue and action to create suspense. A lot of the previous years seemed to have chosen one or the other.

Past Student Thrillers

I thought this opening sequence was very impressive because it used dialogue to build tension rather than action. i thought the male character was creepy by being mock-friendly and the female was strong and, rather like the woman from Alien, more of a hero type than a victim.

i think some of the shots were very nice such as when the whiskey was poured. The lighting was also right because it gave a creepy feel with the use of shadows.

The male characters smoking and drinking made him look sinister and built up an atmosphere of suspense. Although the music was not particularly suspenseful Frank Sinatra holds mafia/gangster connotations so i think it worked well.

I think with my opening sequence i will try to use a blend of dialogue and action to create suspense. A lot of the previous years seemed to have chosen one or the other.

Experimenting with Character, Prop and Location

I used my sister in a series of photos to look at what effect expression codes, props (a gun) and the use of location had on the interpretation of a character.

In this picture Constance is running from the camera and looking behind her as if she is being chased. I think she looks vulnerable, she is very much the victim in this shot.

She has no weapon which I think makes her look unprepared and adds to the fright.

The dark location also adds to this feeling. all though it is not particularly clear she is running down an empty road.











She is in the same environment here but i have armed her with a gun. She is also standing in a much more confident way and facing the camera head on implying she is not scared.

This photo gives her a much more heroic (or perhaps villainous) look. She is definitely not the victim in this shot.

I think it is interesting by giving her a gun and changing the way she stands her character is completely transformed.










In this shot my sister is hiding behind a wall and peeking out as if looking for some sort of predator. It's quite a conventional victim shot.

She again has no weapon in this shot and this exaggerates that she is the victim and not the hero or the villain.

the picture was taken in a small estate and has quite and urban feel.











Again i have given her a gun in this photo and she has changed her stance.

she is now leaving the shelter of the wall which suggests she is now a hero or protagonist.

she has a confident expression which probably means she knows what she is doing and is not fearful.

because she is leaning out from behind the wall rather than trying to shelter i would say she has transformed from victim to hero.

Locations Used in Crime Thriller / Black Comedy Hybrids

These are locations from the brilliant film 'lock stock and two smoking barrels' which is a fantastic crime thriller/black comedy. it is set in urban east London and these quite run down looking buildings show this.


This is a location from the film Goodfellas which is another crime thriller/Black comedy. it is set in New York, Manhattan which is a typical gangster location.

The urban run down look again gives a shifty, shady look which goes perfectly with the crime theme of the film.







This is the famous Diner from pulp fiction. it has the classic 50s look despite the film being set in the 90s.

I think it is a clever setting because it gives gangster connotations and allows the film to make references to other film stars like Marilyn Monroe.

Film still from Firewall

In this still from a film called Firewall, Ford's character is apparently driving under instruction by Paul Bettany's character. From the look on Ford's face he is being taken hostage. Bettany may also be holding a gun.

In the film Ford plays a bank worker who specialises in making impenetrable computer software for security in the bank. His characters family (including his young, typically innocent-yet-streetwise, children) is taken hostage in order to get him to steal millions from the bank.

I think this shot is brilliant for narrative reasons because it portrays bettany's character in a typical thriller style of being icy cool and calm.

although this film perhaps has elements of an action/thriller hybrid, it still follows thriller conventions and i thought it was very exiting.

Narrative Image

In the foreground of the shot there is a shovel. this immediately gives connotations of death and murder as well as anchoring the title.
The shovel is dug into the ground with no body visibly holding it which perhaps gives an element of fear towards the object.

There is also an enigma around the shovel. the viewer wonders what it is digging, if it is a grave who is it for? this makes them want to see the film to find out.

The people in the background are out of focus. this perhaps suggests they are in a way out of control of the situation they are in.

the fact that there are three characters suggests they are the 'good' characters who are in an unfortunate situation. it is unusual that the murderer or villain in a thriller will be part of a team. the way they all lean on each other and look scared also makes them seem like victims or perhaps unlikely heroes.

the dress code is also mysterious. the way they are all quite well dressed is strange, the viewer perhaps wonder why they are in this situation.

The colour code in the picture is very green which has spooky connotations and perhaps suggests the story line is very dark (metaphorically and actually). the picture fades to black at the bottom and the top which suggests that it is the dead of night. this really sells the film as a thriller.

The trees in the background are also spooky and almost give a surreal unnatural feel. they are also very skeleton like which gives connotations of death which is almost certainly a feature in the film. This is making sure the correct target audience gets involved.

The way the Shovel obscures the characters and the way they all look at it indicates that they are going to have to use it but they do not want to. This further anchors that they are perhaps innocent and ads mystery to what they are doing.

Theories (using Disturbia as an example)

1. Levi-Strauss - Binary Opposites

These are 'opposites' that come up in films to create conflict.

• good vs evil
• murderer vs Kale & Co.
• adult vs youth
• normality vs abnormality
• society vs situation
• fear vs happiness
• light vs dark
• freedom vs entrapment
• deliberate vs accidental death (self defense included)
• family vs individual
• warm vs cold
• conviction vs casual
• prisoner vs captor
• order vs chaos.

All of these create conflict which is what makes films exiting and makes the viewer want to watch.

2. Todorov
Narrative structure

• disruption of normality
• thwarted attempts
  
• resolution (death of villain)
• normality can never be the same
• new equilbrium
• death of father
• punching teacher
• lack of belief
• investigation
• no more house arrest
• gets boys back
• more mature.

3. Barthes - Action and Enigma codes

• one thing leading to another
• interest suspense
• car crash
• garage
• punching of teachr
• house arrest
• ashley spots them watching her
• voyerism
• see the woman leaving thehouse
• turner spots kale
• turner kidnaps kales mum
• kale goes round
• why is the house joined up?
• why has turner bought a shovel
• why is ronnie in the cupboard
• blood smear
• death of turner

4. Propp - Character Types

• protagonist - hero - kale
• antagonist - villain - robert turner
• helper - ronnie
• princess - ashley - mum
• the doner - mum, dad
• the dispatcher - girl, dad
• father figure - dad, mum
• false hero - police man

This is a clip from a film called Heat. It shows Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino together. they are pitted against each other in the film and i think this shows how the two respect each other despite being on opposite sides. In a lot of films there is respect between enemies, such as Catch me if you can. I think this works well because it gives the film a light hearted 'cat and mouse' feel.

The film Heat is brilliant because it builds up tension through out and comes to a very exiting climax.

This clip is a meeting between Pacino's character (the policeman) and Deniros character (the villain).

The film does not have such a clear protagonist/antagonist because the viewer is Supposed to respect both central characters. Films such as Heat and Oceans 11 etc. often have the criminals as the good characters and 'worse' criminals as the bad characters. another film with no real 'bad' characters is Pulp Fiction.

i saw pulp fiction recently and thought it was very good however it is perhaps more of a black comedy than a thriller.

Certain Conventions...

There are certain things that come up in most thriller films.

They can be divided into categories or codes:

Character:

• murderers
  
• crooks
• gangsters
• hero
• victim
• protagonist
• antagonist

also included in character are the types of motives, such as revenge, greed etc.

Themes:

• mystery
• thrills
• suspense
• obsession
• paranoia
• tensity
• sexuality
• death

this is what the film is about as well as the reactions it evokes in the audience.
The themes underpin the narrative, speaking of which...

Narratives:

• death
• assassinations
  
• capture
• police interviews
• chases
• meetings with mobs etc.
  

The narrative is what happens in the plot. it includes the structure of the film and sound!
which includes dialogue sound effects and music. (diagetic sounds and non diagetic)

Iconography:

• mise-en-scene
• colour
• shadows
• everything that you see
• props

the iconography is the visual elements, including lighting, camera, setting, dress c0des and the above.


All of these elements can be altered to fit any genre and are what make up films.

Thrillers

this is a list of thrillers that i have seen and enjoyed. I have also added the link to each of their IMDB pages.

-Heat;

i love this film because the acting is amazing and it has a really exciting climax.

Heat on IMDB

-Rear Window

i think this film is good because of the way it gradually builds up tension through the film.

Rear window on IMDB

-Les Diaboliques
this film also builds up tension through out the whole film to an almost unbearable level. i think it is also original that there is no music in the whole film.

Les Diaboliques on IMDB

-The stranger

i think the acting in this film is superb!
The Stranger on IMDB

-colateral
this is not one of my favourite thrillers but i saw it recently and thought it was very good.

Collateral on IMDB



These are not all of my favourites but i will most likely add more.

xxx

Welcome

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