Analysis Of Student Thriller

We analysed a student thriller to see what expectations we need to consider when producing our thriller. This is what i analysed:

Camerawork: There is many repeated shots to create effect of repetition, to show the spectator that the certain shot is relevent. The shot is being emphasised to keep the spectator wondering about what is happening. The producers of this want the spectator to make relations to a certaing shot. There are close ups of peoples legs and feet to emphasis that the spectator can not see the charactors face, this also keeps the spectator wondering about who the people are in the sequence and what they are doing, it is very important to keep the spectator guessing, and unaware of what is happening. The producers do not want to give away everything before the film has started which is why this is effective. There is a close up of someones eyes, to show their emotion, to keep the spectator aware of the mood of the sequence, this is an important thing to do, so the spectator is interested and is set up for the rest of the film. the opening sequence has to set the mood for the film, and this sequence does. The shots are very dark which may sugest uncertainty whihc could be effective in many ways. The handheld camera creates the effect of movement, it keeps the spectator on the edge of the seat. The producers of this sequence has done exactly that by keeps the spectator involved and interested in what is going to happen.

Editing: There are fades and transitions used to keep the film continual, to create the effect of continuous editing. The transitions are a perfect chance to put in the titles, which in this sequence are good. In one shot of people walking, the pace is slowed down and the shot is in slow motion, this automatically makes the spectator think about the pace to come in the film, the pace is slowed down and speeded up al the way through this sequence, this can be good as it keeps the spectator interested. Some shots have been edited to be black and white, this could create the effect of darkness and uncertainty. It may give the spectator a feel of a colourless picture, which could also set the mood as the mood given out is dim.

Sound: At the beginning of the sequence the sound is really fast paced, this is an instant set for a pace but then throughtout the sequence the pace is slowed down and speeded up. This is done by a variety of shots included slow motion and change in music, in some parts of the sequence the shots are slow paced and the music is slow paced, but in other parts the music is fast and the shots are fast. This shows that the producers have really thought about what mood they want to set and done this in an effective way.

Mise-en-scene: The titles over the picture creates the effect of making the spectator read both the titles and get what is happening in the sequence, this is effective as it helps the spectator link the shots together. The titles are also shown over blank screens which could also be effective as it isolates them to help the spectator concentrate on the titles without linking them to the picture. The sequence has an over all good plot, which is presneted nicely with the shot durations etc. The cliffhanger at the end is really effective as it keeps the spectator wanting more, which is what a title sequence is supposed to do, it makes the spectator want to watch the whole film and put the pieces together. The clothing and settings are kept to a minimal, which suggests that they wanted the spectator to guess the locations, the shots were mostly close ups so you didnt see much of the locations anyway, this could be effective as the spectator is left on the edge of their seat wanting to watch more.

Overall, this sequence has been an influence, as we have an idea of how to produce our title sequence, it helps us to understand properly the point of a title sequence and what effect it can have on the spectator. We will takes points from this sequence and use them to construct our own title sequence. It has been a big influence on us.

Overall Plan

We now have a good idea of the production of our thriller title sequence.
The aims are to keep the spectator interested and involved in the sequence. The purpose of a title sequence is to establish the mood and the visual charactor or the film, to introduce the spectator to some of these elements:

• Characters
• Locations
• Narrative
• Plot
• Themes
• Genre
• Visual style

Looking back at thriller conventions we have A complex narrative structure, with false paths, clues and resolutions. Extraordinary events happening in ordinary situations. A narrative pattern of establishing enigmas which the viewer expects to be resolved. Protagonist with a ‘flaw’ which is exploited by the antagonist. Titles reflect an aspect of the pro/antagonist’s psychological state.

We plan to film like our storyboard, but in more detail. We hope that our sequence goes to plan. We will have soon uploaded images of our loacations and actual props.

Animatic Storyboard

This is our storyboard animatic...

This is our animatic storyboard, we spent a long while producing this as we put a lot of thought into it. It gave us an idea of what we were going to produce with our final sequence, it helped us get the shot durations and simply putting the sequence together. It helped us a lot as it showed us a draft of our final sequence. Although we knew our sequence would be totally different it gave us an idea of what was to be included. It made us think about how the shots were going to be filmed and at what angles. We got an overall idea of our final production.

Production Meeting 2

Today we analysed the sequence Switchblade Romance, after this we had a small chat about some more ideas we have.

We thought about where we were going to do our title sequence and we disscussed about either doing the sequence in a dark room with the lights off or a fully white room. The fully white room, is a studio on the college premisis which we will maybe have to ask permission to use and which we will visit our locations before we film to get a sense of how we will film and we could easily prepare a dark room... this would just mean turning the lights off when its dark and fixing a bulb or a lamp above the person sitting in the chair, this could keep the spectator in suspence
The other clips would be short duration so could be filmed almost anywhere... we had ideas of hands fiddling with a knife or something similar which could just be filmed on an ordinary table. All of our shots, apart from the first shot, will be short duration as this builds a bigger effect of suspense and tension. Many of our shots will be close ups, again apart from the first shot, as this creates the effect of including the spectator in the action and doesnt vary the imagination of the spectator as they have little information to start making interpretations, which helps to set the mood for the film.

We have not yet discussed what font type or style we are going to use as we feel this is irrelevant until we need to add it in, this is also the case for a soundtrack. Although we have discussed that the sounds should include scratching or screams of some sort etc, we have not fully discussed this but have some initial ideas.

We have decided we are not going to have any diagetic sound but all non-diagetic. It is easier to add a soundtrack in afterwards instead of trying to include dialogue etc.

In our next production meeting we will discuss our shot types and shot order, the roles of our group members and where exactly we are going to shoot our title sequence...

Analysis Of Switchblade Romance

Today we watched a sequence from the horror Switchblade Romance directed by Alexandre Aja. It was produced in 2005. We watched a sequence which has conventional thriller techniques such as Sound, Editing, Mise-En-Scene and Camerawork. We analysed this scene to try and get a better sense of what a thriller contains. We will then apply these techniques to our own thriller title sequence.

The Micro-elements were analysed by:
Editing: Ben
Mise-en-scene: Cassie
Sound: Scott
Camerawork: Karl

Editing: (Ben)
As the music slows in pace there is less cuts and an increase of the shot duration. As the pace and soundtrack increase you get a decreased shot duration. There is a variety of pace, sound and editing which makes the spectator feel tension, suspence and helps us to understand and take in her sense of panic. There is elements of parrallel editing, also known as spacial editing, when the shots go back and forward from the woman rushing around tidying up and trying to find a place to hide to the male walking up the stairs to find her. This also creates suspence and tension for the spectator as we are gripping the edge of our chair to find out what happens. It gives us the sense that the character is going to be found as she hides the most obvious place, which creates more suspence for the spectator.

Mise-en-scene: (Cassie)
The lighting is dark in the scene which creates a sense of fear, this is a well known convention of a thriller. There are loads of props to build up the scene, such as the blade that the male is carrying, this shows that he is the killer and he is the one looking for the woman and not the other way around, this is known as a traditional stereotype, as the male is the killer. Another prop is the telephone which plays a small part in the scene, the female trys to move the wardrobe to find a place to plug in the telephone, this links in with camerawork as it is very fast paced at this moment. The male is dressed in a boiler suit which makes him almost anonymous as it is everyday clothing, also to be compared to a convicts clothing. He is wearing a hat and big black leather boots which may suggest his masculinty and strength. It could also be used to help the spectator realise that he is after the woman as he is appeared to be more dominant in the frame. There is a close up of the males hand and you can clearly see he is wearing big rings, this could suggest that he has killed before and that these are the rings from the people he has murdered. The male has dirty hands which emphasises his impurity and carelessness. However, the females clothing is everyday clothing to prove that she could be any ordinary person, which suggests that this situation could happen to anyone The white shirt suggests her purity and innocence, which also looks like the sort of clothing a young person wears, showing she is maybe young.
The setting is in an old traditional home, which a small bathroom and small bedroom, which could emphasise the female being trapped with no escape as the rooms are small. These are the places that are used everyday and are familiar with, this is a key theme to a thriller. We see houses as a safe place to be in, you wouldnt assosiate a home with murder as it is your own personal space. This is all to keep the spectator in suspense.

Sound: (Scott)
The screams at the beginning of the scene connotate pain, anger or fear. The scuffling/dropping sounds imply a struggle The atmospheric music is very fast paces with occasional thudding noises, this could represent a heartbeat which builds tension and suspense. This has a big impact on the spectator. The spectator could even have a physical reaction to this, their heartbeat could increase as a result. This shows danger and expected action but the spectator doesnt know when to expect it which keeps the viewer interested and wondering. The spectator knows that something is going to happen/ shows off balance.
The tempo and volume increase to emphasise the danger growing, there is an uncomfortable element to the sounds that are heard and reflects what is happening in the scene.High pitched sounds are more awkward and uncomforting to listen to.
The breathing of both the male and female both reflect different things ont the spectator. The females breathing is very fast to emphasise her fear. Whereas, the males breathing is very slow and heavy which shows he is calm about his actions and suggests that he has killed before. We get the sense that the male knows what he is doing which makes the spectator uneasy. The subjective sounds from this scene, like the leather boots squelching and the floorboards creeking when he walks on them, also make the spectator feel uneasy.

Camerawork: (Karl)

The meaning is created through camerawork by the variety of shots, for example there are fast and slow pans to create effects of suspense and tension. Close up are used to help the reader to get involved with the action and put the reader into the scene. Close ups also limit the spectator to what they see to keep them guessing and wondering what is going to happen. Match on action is used to create suspense and help us to engage the two different stories as one. There are two stories happening at the same time, but the match on action helps us to separate them, but understand them as one. You never seem to see the males face, as if he has something to hide so they don't show his face. You see close ups of the props such as the blade to emphasis the danger of what is happening. It helps the spectator to join in with the action and understand the females fear. This is all to create suspense.

Thriller Conventions

Thriller Conventions we, as a group, need to keep in mind whislt filming and planning our title sequence. I decided to post this on our blog so we can easily refer back to this to make sure we stick to our aims, so we stay on track!

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 in peril.
Mise en scene which echoes/ mirrors the protagonist’s plight.

Analysis Of Seven

Our group analysed the opening title sequence of Seven to get a see how a title sequence is contructed to get an idea of how to put our title sequence together and what effect we need to create on the audience.

Camerawork = was analysed by Cassie
Editing = was analysed by Ben
Mise-en-scene = was analysed by Karl
Sound = was analysed by Scott

Camerawork: (Cassie)
The shot types do not really vary in this sequence as all the shots are close ups. There is not any long or medium shots involved to keep the viewer to a minimum on the action. This is to influence the viewer and keep them involved in the action and suspence. A metranome is used by musicians to keep in beat with the music, there is a close up of the males hand pushing the metranome which may suggest the seconds ticking away. Suggesting that the males life is wasteing away or time is ticking for some reason. It could also show the pace of the males heartbeat or pace of the film or how time is ticking away. It could even suggest that life is precious and you should use every second you have. There is many interpretations to the significance of the metranome. This keeps the viewer in suspence about what the male is doing and unaware of what is happening. Close ups through out the title sequence make the tension stronger as we cannot see any surroundings but just the specific shots. Also repetition of the shots create suspence. Oblique angles are added to confuse the viewer and make them think about what the film involves and what is to come. Moreover, zooms on the males face suggest he is the main character in the film and shows the viewer the facial expressions of the male. This may suggest the theme of gender is about to occur and be brought up.
Overall, in my opinion, this clip creates the mood of keeping the reader oblivious to what is happening in the sequence to create the tension and make suspence for the film to come.

Sound: (Scott)
At the beginning of the sequence, the male pushes the metranome to make a diagetic sound occur. This sound is the ticking of the metranome, the reader is fully aware of this sound. This has been included for a reason, maybe to suggest the male is a waste of time or time is ticking away. A metranome is used for a pianist to keep in the beat of time, maybe this sequence is suggesting the male is keeping in time, or could represent his heartbeat. Throughout the sequence, eerie sounds are used to keep the viewer interested and sat on the edge of their seat. This has an influence on the viewers as they are drawn into the clip. This is a non-diagetic sound as the clips are edited together, which makes the charactors not able to hear the sounds that are added afterwards. Slow paced music is used at the start of the flickering images to build up to the suspence, after the mood is set, the music begins to get faster in its pace to suggest that there is suspence and action in the film. It suggests that the film is fast paced.

Mise-en-scene: (Karl)

Props that are used in this scene represent a lot. It also sets the mood for the film as it creates the tension and puts the spectator in suspense and ready for what is going to happen in the film. The props include things like razor blades to represent danger or pain. There are bandages on the persons fingers show the spectator that the person has cut himself or done something that represents pain or suffering to maybe show he has done something wrong. Another interpretation of this could be that the person is trying to hide their finger prints from doing a crime or doing something wrong and does not what anyone to trace his prints etc. The persons dirty hands represent his impurity and shows that he has done something wrong. It shows the danger of the film and sets the spectator up for what is about to happen in the film. There are a range of books in the opening title sequence maybe to show the person is clever and has a lot of knowledge. It could also show he has information on people or to stalk people. this gives that person power and strength. The knowledge of the person shows the spectator they know what they are doing. There could be many different interpretations to what is happening in this title sequence.

Editing: (Ben)

At the beginning of the scene, there is long duration shots to set the scene and make the spectator wonder what is happening. This creates suspense and tension and sets the viewer up for the mood and setting of the film. After the first scene has been set, they shots turn into short duration with flickering images, which distorts the spectators views on what is happening. The transitions between the shots shows us that the shots have been deliberately edited together to create the effect of building the tension on the scene. Some of the shots are repeated which helps the spectator to try to understand and put the pieces together to try and figure out what is about to happen, although it is done to make the spectator unexpected of what the film is about, this helps to create more suspense.

Production Meeting 1

Hello,
This is our first production meeting and we would like to welcome you to our group, consisting of four members who are Karl Lambourne, Ben Tomlinson, Cassie Barker and Scott Lansdale.

This video, taken from youtube, is the opening sequence of seven and it is an inspiration to our ideas. The flashing images in this scene help us to grasp our idea for our very own title sequence.



Our ideas consist of a man (Scott) sitting in a chair rocking from back to front, like a crazy man. With flickering close up images of different happenings, this will build effects to keep the viewers interested and minimise the viewers to little action, which keeps the viewer unknown to what is happening.
The setting of our sequence is going to be held in a fully white room, to build effects of loneliness and to keep the viewer in suspense. The flickering images will be held in different settings to suggest the change in scene and atmosphere.
In this title sequence we will set the themes and moods of the film, which will be themes of loneliness, crisis and despair.
Our protagonist is going to appear as the main character being afraid of pain and death.
Our sound track will be produced later in the making, but will consist of screams, scratches and other off putting sounds and effects. Our props will also be discussed further in the process as well as makeup, lighting and camerawork.

These are only our initial ideas and changes will be made later on... :)