Thriller Moodboard

 

This is my mood board that I have created of all my ideas and thoughts on the thriller genre. The mood board includes images as well as words and phrases that I would use to describe a thriller. Some my images used are from thriller films which further my research of the genre. These films include Se7en, Batman, Shutter Island, The Purge and Silence of the Lambs. The words I have chosen to put on my mood board reflect the genre. The stereotypical thriller has suspense, fear, excitement, mystery, shadows, weapons and an unpredictable storyline.  I have incorporated various elements of a thriller to my mood board such as lighting, mise en scene, setting, camera work e.g. stereotypical shots used within a thriller film and props used by the characters. I have built costume into the mood board as costume is a good indicator of the type of genre as thriller costumes are usually dark, torn and covered in blood as some point of the film.

Analysis Of Opening Credits Using A Time Line - Se7en

I have recorded on a time line the most important parts of the opening credits such as music starting, title appearance, actor’s names, producers and Film Company. I have documented the time and length that the element appears to enable me to find patterns within the thriller genre. This research will help me plan for my opening sequence as I can use conventions of opening sequences from thriller films to influence my choices on where and when to add my credits and titles. This will ensure that my opening sequence is as professional as possible. Time lines are an important part of research as they help find similarities and differences within the chosen genre. 
  

Production & Distribution Company Research

I have researched various production and distribution companies to help me decide which company is most likely to produce and distribute my opening sequence that I will be creating, filming and editing. This research includes what films the companies have produced and distributed as well as background information on the companies for example where they are based and when they were founded. The companies I have researched are Columbia Pictures, New Line Cinema, Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation, CBS Corporation, 20th Century Fox, Spyglass Entertainment and Paramount Pictures. Some of these companies are producers and distributors. 
  

Analysis Of Opening Credits

Sky Fall : Director – Sam Mendes, Film company- Eon Productions LTD, Target Audience- Male 40-54, Genre- Thriller.

The first shot is a mid-shot of a body in river. The body looks lifeless which suggests he is dead. This shows the audience some of the narrative and gives a clear indication of the genre. The shot then cuts to a waterfall of the body falling down. This shows the audience some of the setting as well as the violent flow of the water. This could be a foreshadow of the narrative as well as showing the audience that there could be scenes of violence as this is what we expect from a James Bond film. The iconic, classical James Bond tune starts when the body drops into the water. The shot zooms from a long shot to a close up to show the identity of the body of James Bond. The zoom editing is used to give a continuous shot and to also give the audience more information therefore building the narrative.

The lighting is dark and slightly dim which could reflect that this part of the narrative is dark as he has been murdered. The clothing that the body has on is a formal suit which hints to the audience that they have a good job as well as being an important person. He is wearing an expensive watch which shows that he is well paid. The body then fades into the darkness which could represent that his life has faded away. The colour fades back into the shot to show a hand grabbing the hand of the body. This suggests that the character isn’t dead as someone is going to try and save him as well as him being a person who is important and needed in the narrative of film as he isn’t allowed to die. The duration of the shots during the opening credits is long as it tries to keep the audiences attention on the important key parts of the film. The body is sucked into a black hole in the sand underneath the water. This black hole could represent the career path he is in as he can’t escape it. There are numerous fade transition shots which could imply that it is a dream.

There are targets floating in the sea with blood fading from them. This hints to the narrative of violence and death. The target turns out to have the face of James Bond and he is shot in the heart which could suggest there is a love story in the plot as well as foreshadowing his death or injury. A woman then fades onto the screen wearing no clothes. This shows the audience there is a damsel in distress type character that is a sexual symbol or object during the film. By her wearing no clothes could imply she has nothing to hide which could be her love for James. There is a wipe from the shot to a black screen and to a new shot. The new shot shows weapons such as guns and knives which are typical props for a thriller film which is a clear indication of the genre. There are also grave stones in this shot which shows the audience there is a chance of death during the film. The lighting is dark which creates shadows which is a stereotypical feature of the thriller genre. The colours change dramatically from a dull blue to a bright, deep red. This could represent the narrative as it could be calm with a huge plot twist. The colour red signifies blood and danger which could hint to the narrative.

The use of James Bond’s eye as a shot suggests there may be parts seen through the perceptive of Bond. There is no emotion on his face with this shot which could portray that he is a thick skinned person and he is not easily upset. His eye is blue which could reflect that he is calm during stressful situations. The next shot is a maze type place where he looks trapped which may suggest he is physically in difficult situations to get out of however it could also portray that he is in a mental maze which could reflect the narrative.

 

 

Mission Impossible : Director- John Woo, Film Company- Paramount Pictures, Target Audience- Male 40-54

, Genre-Thriller.

 

 The opening shot is of cliffs in a desert like place which quickly zooms into a man hanging from the cliff. There is a gong sound at the start of the opening credits which is used to grasp the audience’s attention. The fast paced editing of the first shot is used as it shows how high up he is and the surrounding quickly to keep the audience’s attention throughout the whole of the opening credits. There is a slight wind sound which hints to the audience that the character is in a desert as this is the sound that we stereotypically expect. The shots that are used to show the height and setting have a transition of a fade which could show that it isn’t reality. The shot zooms in to show the character hanging off of the cliff trying to climb up using no ropes or guiding which shows the audience that safety is not an issue for him as well as showing his bravery. This could hint to the narrative as he may have to be brave and not care about his safety during the film. By the character being so far up the cliff without help shows us as an audience that he has done similar things before which could imply that his job is to do with the unknown. There is a jump cut to show him from a different angle which shows that he is alone which could suggest to the audience that he is alone and his job means he is on his own a lot of the time. There is high angled tracking movement as we follow the character around the cliff. This also emphasises how small he is compared to the cliff.

A long shot is used to show the facial expression as well as the way his body is positioned on the cliff. The shot shows the view and it shows the audience that he isn’t gripped on correctly which may hint that something bad may happen to the character soon. The clothing is wearing is basic as he has a vest top and chinos on with average trainers. This is odd as we expect a climber to have specialist equipment as it is dangerous. The long shot zooms out slightly and the character wedges his knees against the cliff to balance as well as letting his arms dangle off of the cliff. This makes the audience on edge as he is in danger and isn’t safe however he seems to know what he is doing which portrays to the audience that he is a knowledgeable character and has a lot of experience with dangerous situations. There is a close up to show that he is using his bare hands and chalk to climb up the cliff which makes the audience surprised as well as being entertained.

The soundtrack that is used as the background music is in another language which gives additional information to the audience as it could suggest that the location is abroad or the character is well travelled.

The shot changes to a close up of his feet on the cliff to show the audience that he has a basic shoe on which implies that he is a talented man. The music and noises are louder which could portray that he is starting to struggle. This adds anticipation for the audience as they don’t know what is going to happen. There is a low angled shot which shows the character as powerful and it also shows his facial expression. This facial expression looks worried and anxious which could hint to the audience that the narrative is going to change. The camera then moves to a high angled shot which contrasts with the last shot to show the height of the cliff. The character then jumps from one cliff to another which makes the audience feel on edge as they don’t know what will happen. The editing slows down to create suspense and tension to the outcome of the jump. This is a stereotypical convention of an action and adventure film. The character successfully lands on the platform of the next cliff which shows the audience that he is skilled and has more than likely had training. The character starts sliding down the cliff as he loses balance which is shown to the audience through a long shot which switches to a close up of the character grasping onto the cliff by one hand which shows the audience that he is physically strong as well as mentally. The character turns around into a position which is like Jesus on a cross which could represent that he is looked up to like Jesus as well as suggesting that he may get killed in the film. There is a close up of his face which shows no emotion. This could suggest that he isn’t fazed by a challenge. He continues climbing up the cliff which could portray that the narrative has up’s and down’s as well as foreshadowing that there could be a cliff hanger at the end as the character was physically hanging off a cliff.

The shot changes to a long shot of the top of the cliff and the man appears which could represent that he can survive anything. The camera tracks the character in a circle to show the audience what he could possibly see which make the audience entertained as they know what he sees which could make him a role model for the audience as well as the hero in the film.

 

 

Hot Fuzz : Director – Edgar Howard Wright, Film company- Working Titles Films, Target Audience- Male 25-39, Genre-Comedy.

The first shot is a long shot of the inside of a police station. This hints to the audience that it could be serious as the lighting is dark which hints to a dark narrative. The setting is also something you would see from a crime or thriller film. The sound is natural as there are diegetic sounds from doors opening and echoes which are what we expect from an empty building. The camera then zooms slowly into the shot to reveal the identity of the person walking towards us. There is a sound of stomping feet which could indicate to the audience that the character is angry or in a rush. The character is wearing a police uniform with the police cap on. This shows the audience that he is a respected character as he is wearing a public uniform. The badge shows he is part of the metropolitan police which gives us additional information to the character without use of dialogue. There is then a close up shot which shows the expression on the characters face which shows the audience he isn’t very happy. There is an extreme close up as the policeman reveals his identity with his ID card along with his badge. This gives the audience information of the character for example his name and what role he has in the police. These all contrast with the genre of the film as it is a comedy which may make the audience laugh and be entertained as it is not what they expected.

 The sound fades into a more comical tune which now reflects the narrative and its conventions. There are lots of fast paced cuts which show the audience that is a busy job being a police man in the metropolitan. He is various different costumes throughout the montage of clips which shows he is never stopping on the job and that he is expected to do lots of different things e.g. physically training. There is a low angled shot of a group of policemen in swat uniform running towards punch bags. This shows they are powerful as they appear bigger than they are. They run through the punch bags like a pack of animals which shows that they are a team and that there is a leader. The editing then slows down to slow motion to show the determination on his face. There are fast cuts of shots with the riot team running with shields to jump cuts of a long shot the team running down a street that has guns and fire and bombs. This shows they are brave and they have a lot to do in their job role. The music is still comical which contrasts with the footage.

There is a mid-shot of an official document which turns out to be an exam. The editing is sped up when the character is answering his questions which shows that he knows the answers to the questions.  He finishes before anyone else in the room which suggest he is the best. There is ellipsis editing as the shot from the exam to graduation implies that he has passed and is ready to become a police officer. This gives the narrative a linear layout as the shots are in the order which we would expect them to be. He is holding the trophy for the team which suggest he is the best out of the team. There is another ellipsis to the officer with the general public as well as a shot with people within a prison which shows he offers help where it is needed. The serious element of working with criminals contrasted with the upbeat soundtrack creates a comical tone to the opening credits. There are shots of the character in a car at high speed which is what we expect from an adventure genre with lots of action however it is then followed by him on a bike at high speed which makes the audience laugh as you don’t expect policemen to catch criminals on a bike.

There is dialogue throughout the whole of the opening credit which adds a comical feel as he is joking around in what he is saying. By the dialogue being less serious it makes the audience feel relaxed which is what the comedy genre does. The dialogue is a speech about all of his achievements which match the shots shown. This shows the audience that he does lot of activities as well as his job and adds to the narrative as it gives additional information such as saying he is the man with the most arrests which shows that he is a valued member of the police force and that he is one of the best. These all add up to creating the comical feel however it is not the stereotypical comedy as serious jobs and elements are involved.

Forrest Gump : Director – Robert Zemeckis, Film company- Paramount Pictures, Target Audience- Female 25-39, Genre- Romance.

The main focus of the shots throughout the opening credits of Forrest Gump is the feather. The feather we follow in the opening credits could hint to the audience that we are following a specific character throughout the whole film. The feather could signify the innocence of the character as we associate feathers with freedom and peace. This could hint to the audience the narrative of the film. There is a long establishing shot which is of a high angle of the town below the feather to set the scene and show the audience where most of the film will be set.  The movement of the shot is tracking as the feather is followed throughout the entire opening credits. There are lots of close up shots to show the emotion of Forrest and also it highlights the importance of the point in the opening titles.

The mise en scene helps the audience understand what is happening and adds information. By cars being used in the film shows the audience that the film is modern however they are older models which tells the audience that the setting isn’t nowadays. The costume worn by the people in the scene are casual such as jeans and a t-shirt however the main character is wearing a suit with old, worn trainers. By Forrest wearing a suit it makes the audience think that he is a man of high class and has a good job however the dirty trainers contrasts with his formal costume.  This could connote that he has high and low points in the film as the contrast is so different. This makes the character stand out which could hints the audience the narrative as he is obviously different from the others in the scene. The bright orange bow on the box of chocolates that he moves from the top of his suitcase draws the audience in as it stands out in the scene.

The sound throughout the opening credits is a soft, gentle tune of a piano. The piano is a peaceful, classical sound that has connotations of romance. This gives the audience a clear indication of the genre of the film. The sound starts to crescendo slightly when we meet the main character of the film to highlight the importance of the person on the screen. The use of the piano makes the soundtrack light and elegant which reflects the feather.

The editing is invisible and has a continuous narrative which creates a more realistic atmosphere around the film. There is minimal editing used in the opening credits as there needs to be a focus on the feather as it is a crucial part of the narrative. The font of the credits is classical and elegant to reflect the representation of the feather.  The typography could represent the genre of the film as romance is seen as a classical genre of film. The credits are in white which links to the feather and the genre as the colour white signifies weddings, relationships and purity. This means that the credits constantly relate to the genre. The shots are of short duration to give the audience a lot of background information before meeting the character.  There is a cut from a mid shot of Forrest to a long shot of the scene. This gives the audience more information about what is happening as it cuts to show a bus which signifies to the audience that a character maybe getting off of the bus. There is a fade transition at the start of the opening credits which makes the audience feel like the film is dream like.

Introductory Task- Analysis Of Film Openings

 

Preliminary Task

This is the final piece of our opening scene task. We have included match on action, exchange of dialogue with two people, sitting on a chair, walking across a corridor, opening a door, crossing a room, establishing shot and shot reverse shot.

Conventions Research For The Genre 'Thriller'.

What is a ‘thriller’?

The genre of ‘thriller’ has an exciting plot that creates anticipation, tension and suspense. The purpose of the genre to make sure the audience are always on the edge of their seat by using cliff hangers for example, along with many more conventions to keep them entertained and interested in the film. It evokes tension as well as excitement which are highlighted elements for this genre as these are its most known qualities.

Name Of Clip: Silence Of The Lambs. This clip is the first meeting of the characters of Hannibal Lecter (Serial Killer) and Claire Starling (Training FBI Agent). The clips shows conventions of a thriller genre as the lighting is low key which could connate the dark emotions of Hannibal. In the background you can hear eerie music and silence. The background soundtrack is what you would typically expect from a thriller as it creates anxiety and tension for the audience. We expect lots of close ups in a thriller to show the emotion of the characters which makes us as an audience understand how they are feeling and also shows their reactions to what is happening in the narrative.

Name Of Clip: The Bourne Identity.  Pathetic fallacy is used in the clip as the weather is stormy which could hint to the audience that something in the narrative is going to change which is a convention of the thriller genre as the director tries to keep the audience on their toes. The soundtrack is a high pitched crescendo with lightning in the background which creates a tense atmosphere for the audience. The person on the table has holes in their back which looks like bullet holes. This is a convention of the thriller genre as fighting sequences are what we expect to see at some point in the film.

Name Of Clip: The Hunger Games. The sound in the clip is a bong of a drum which slowly starts to get louder to build the tension and suspense for this audience. The bonging of the drum is to the rhythm of a heart beating which makes the audience feel like their heart is beating faster. The use of weapons in this clip is a convention of the thriller genre as we as an audience expect violence and fighting during the scenes. The editing of the clip is fast paced, short takes and fast cuts. This makes the audience feel like there is more violence than there actually is. It also creates anticipation for the audience as they want the protagonist to be the winner of the fight which is a convention of the genre as stereotypically they beat the antagonist.

Name Of Clip: Shutter Island. The clip features lots of shadows which is a typical convention of the thriller genre as they make the audience anxious as they cannot identify whose shadows they are. They also create an eerie atmosphere as we associate shadows as being scary as we as an audience as uncertain of the character. The tracking movement of the camera is used in this clip to make the audience feel uneasy as they feel surrounded. This is a typical feeling that the director wants the audience to feel. The dialogue in the clip is a convention of the genre as the characters talk about topics such as conspiracy and politics. This creates a mind game and puzzles the audience.

Name Of Clip: Seven. There are many different conventions used in this clip from the 1995 film ‘Seven’. There are frequent changes in camera shots and angles which is a convention of genre. This makes the clip have more action and implies chaos and violence. A low angled shot is used numerous times during this clip when there is a character with a weapon such as a gun as this connotes power and authority. This is a common shot type used in thrillers as it gives the audience clear information about who is the leader and most important person in the clip.

 

After my research I found out that a thriller has many various conventions that help an audience to identity the specific genre such as costume, setting, lighting and soundtrack. The costume usually wore by the characters is dark which reflects the genre as there is normally a dark twist in the narrative. The costume helps build the narrative of the thriller which will then give the audience hints to what will happen. The setting of a thriller is usually an abandoned or creepy place to build the suspense and anticipation of the audience. For example Shutter Island is set on an island that has a psychiatric prison. This makes the audience feel tension which is what the director wants as they know that the type of people who are in a psychiatric prison are mentally ill. The soundtrack has an eerie undertone to it when watching a thriller as this creates excitement and suspense for the audience. The lighting is dark and dull in the thriller genre as it makes the audience feel on edge. The lack of light in the footage creates shadows which makes the audience feel anxious when watching the film. This eerie soundtrack is featured in most of the thrillers as this is a stereotypical convention. The Hunger Games uses sound to make the audience feel excited and tense as they use the bong of a drum to reflect a heart beating. This is a common way of creating suspense as the audience’s heart beat mirrors the bong of the drum.

 

Introductory Statement

My name is Ellis Warren. I am an Ashfield School Post 16 student who is currently studying A level Media, Biology and Accountancy.  I have a part time job at Kurt Geiger as a sales assistant.

 

 

 

I chose to continue studying media at A level after studying the subject at GCSE for two years as it was my favourite subject which meant I wanted to learn more about the world of media and extend my knowledge. I love the practical side of the course as I really enjoy editing and making film productions as I feel it is a way to express myself creatively. I also enjoy the theory side of the course as I like to understand how media works and how it can influence the world around us. I am looking forward to progressing in the field of media as I am unsure on the career pathway I want to take and I feel as though studying media for the next two years will help me decide whether it is the route I want to take in my career.

I enjoy all types of media such as magazines, TV, films and music. I like to read fashion magazines as this is something that I am interested in and I love keeping up with all the new trends for each season. I don’t have a specific genre that I usually stick to when watching films and TV but I do watch thrillers, dramas and romantic comedies the majority of the time. This means that I tend to watch films such as James Bond, The Hunger Games and Love Actually.  My favourite film of all time is Forrest Gump. I listen to a range of music such as R&B, pop and rock. My favourite artists include Arctic Monkeys, Beyoncé and Justin Bieber.