Opening Scene Analysis - Miss Georgiou

I will be researching the conventions within the opening scene of Halloween and how the audience are made aware of these conventions.

One convention within the scene would be the use of hidden identity of the antagonist, this is created through the use of a clowns mask which the killer uses to cover his face and the use of a Point Of View camera angle, which hides the killers face as the audience are seeing the world through the killers viewpoint, the use of hidden identity creates tension as the audience are eager to find out what the killers real identity is. Both masks within the Halloween film could be deemed as disturbing or scary which is traditional when a killer is hiding their identity, this is to create a shock factor as there can often be jump cuts the zoom in directly into the antagonist's face and the mask is can scare the audience even more as it is a motif throughout the film that is intentionally something that is disturbing such as a clown or a disfigured face. A hidden identity is a very traditional feature within thriller films an has remained as arguably one of the most important within the genre, it has remained consistent within films as it has only slightly been affected by advances within technology, as other features such as gore of suspense and the introduction of special effects which meant that several traditional feats of a film where scrapped.

Another convention within the scene is the victim, the victim is blonde and attractive which is extremely traditional within all films in modern days, the convention can be appealing to the male viewers of the film, and the actress has been intentionally cast for not only her acting but her appearance. There is often a romantic sub plot within the films between the protagonist and the victim. The killer could also be conventional as it is portrayed to be a child and children are used in several thriller films as they are seen as non violent and can be disturbing towards an audience. An audience would be able to engage with characters if they are more visually appealing and can distinguish the good people and the bad people within a film as good people in a movie are generally attractive and bad people generally unattractive.    

Within the opening there is a strong use of iconography, the knife within the opening is made a point of interest when the killer grabs the knife out of the drawer, there is a focus shot and the surroundings are blurred so that the only thing that is in good contrast is the knife, the audience can anticipate that the knife will result in somebody being murdered. A knife or blade has always been a traditional weapon used in films as they are violent and can result in several gory ways of death such as decapitation or stab wounds, an audience will always be associate a knife with murder and a murderer. Iconography is important within a thriller film and the use of motifs through thrillers can create an inevitable sense of tension.

Overall this clip uses several conventions familiar to a thriller film and resultantly creates tension and makes the audience engage with characters better.
   

Research into Sound in Thriller - Miss Miller

Sound is an important aspect of all films as without it the audience would not be able to relate with the film as they cannot hear or comprehend what is happening in a particular scene. I will be analysing the sound of the thriller clip from Saw.

A use of non diagetic parallel sound would be the music within the scene, the music creates an exciting atmosphere as it is of fast tempo, the music is suitable to the situation within the film as the people within the scene are in trouble and there is a dangerous feel, the momentum coming from the mixture of the music and the cinematography creates a strong sense of excitement for the audience. The music also starts less tense and builds up, the drums kick in and the tempo becomes faster when the victims are attempting to escape the trap, this creates suspense and urgency as the audience can anticipate that the deaths of these victims are approaching. Music is used in all movies to create a certain feelings and emotions, they are often composed and tend to either be extremely fast paced in things such as a chase scene, or slow and tense to create suspense or build up an eerie atmosphere.

A use of diagetic sound could be the conversation the people trapped are having, as it clearly correlates with what is happening in the film and the sound is made within filming, the diagetic sound may have been emphasized or amplified however to create a stronger effect or so that the audience can hear what they are saying, diagetic sound is a common feature within all movies and is very important so that the audience can understand what is happening on the shot, except animations as the sounds are all added on. Diagetic sounds are  convenient and can tell the story better as the audience can relate with the familiar sounds.

Another use of non diagetic souund would be the voiceover of Jigsaw, who is explaining to the victims the task they must complete. This sound is added on and has been affected to sound more scary to both the victims and the audience. Voiceovers are used for certain monsters or characters within films as the actual sound cannot be made without special effects. Jigsaw souunds distorted and has a low voice. 

Sound is a vital part of movies, it can create an atmosphere and sets the scene, it can be used to create a certain emotion within a scene and can get the audience to relate to the scene.

Research into the history of Thriller Films - Miss Georgiou

The History of Thriller Films

The thriller genre is one of the most popular within filmography in modern times, the use of suspense, tension and shock within the films scare and entice the audience, they are intended to stimulate an audience and give them different emotions. I will be researching how thriller films have evolved from the 1950's to the 2000's, in terms of mise-en-scene, narratives and conventions.          

The 39 Steps is a thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1959, it is a remake of 1935 version and an adaption of the novel The 39 Steps by John Buchan, it has been labelled as one of the suspenseful thriller films of all time. Alfred Hitchcock is one of the pioneers of the thriller genre, some of the conventions used within his films that are still within the thriller industry include the traditional victim and antagonist, Hitchcock usually favored to have attractive blonde females as the victim, this is due to his own mother growing up and recalling that his father would regularly abuse him and his mother, the use of a female is due to the fact that they are traditionally seen as more vulnerable than males. The use of a female victim who teds to be attractive is still a regular convention in not only the thriller genre but all movies genres, this is due to there usually being a romantic subplot between the protagonist and the victim. Alfred Hitchcock is mainly credited for being the "father of suspense," he create tension through several different techniques, there is a strong use of suspense within thrillers in modern day, however it is not as big of an aspect in some thrillers that are more fixated on gore and violence.

Portrait in Black is a thriller film directed by Michael Gordon, although the use of hidden identity had been used within several earlier thriller movies it is used very well within Portrait in Black to create mystery, the use of hidden identity is a convention  that is widely used in thriller films as it creates suspense as the eager are eager to find out who the killer is, the antagonists usually conceal their identity through the use of a mask or the dark, the masks tend to be disturbing in a sense to give even bigger shock value. The concept of being followed by a mysterious man is a popular narrative as the audience can engage with the victim/protagonists paranoia and fear.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a thriller film that was very influential within the slasher thriller sub-genre, it focused primarily on gore instead of the previously favored focus on tension and suspense, this however could be due to the previous restrictions within censorship, there were extreme limitations on what could be shown during the beginning of all movies, there could be no scenes of gore or violence and therefore when these limitations were taken away there were several films that tested the limits and tried to break barriers with controversy within the film industry. Texas Chainsaw Massacre is extremely gory and is seen as a cult thriller movie that influenced several other movie films and is still a running franchise in modern day times. The films narrative of a group of young people who are terrorized by one man with a hidden identity has been widely used and is a very popular narrative.

Dead Calm is an Australian film featuring Nicole Kidman, the film centers around a couple who are isolated and get attacked by a mysterious man, this is a very popular narrative that has featured in films such as The Strangers. This concept is popular as it is relatable to real life and the audience can engage with the characters and feel more concerned of their well-being of the victims, several films use relationships to create certain emotions within a film, such as a scene in which a sacrifice must be made such as in Saw when a man must choose to kill random people in order to save his wife and children, this creates suspense, or in which a persons partner is killed and a sad atmosphere is created.

Shutter Island has a strong use of lighting within the film to create certain effects, low key lighting can create tension and set up a shock for the audience. The film is set in a mental institution, the concept of mentally unstable is a popular one in films such as the Machinist, this is used as characters are unpredictable and the audience will not be able to guess the protagonist or antagonists next move, creating a sense of mystery.

Overall the thriller genre has not evolved as such, but been effected by things such as advances in technology and censorship, narratives are constantly being inspired by other films and there is always a recycling process in the industry, the main concept throughout the years of thriller films remains to be suspense, however in recent times gore and violence has been a factor.

Conventions of a Thriller Film - Miss Miller

I will be researching the conventions of a thriller film, there are several conventions within the thriller genre, mainly consisting around the sense of suspense, shock and surprise. I will be looking at the film Eagle Eye.

A convention used within this film is a vulnerable female and a male hero, this is common to thriller films as traditionally males are seen as more dominant and the protectors over females, whom from the influence of Alfred Hitchcock have always been timid victims. Within a thriller film it is usual that the female victim will be in trouble and it will be the male heroes duty to save her, there is most usually a romantic sub-plot, however that is a usual convention within all genres of movies as it gives the audience a relatable engagement, both characters are generally good looking and athletic. Thriller films generally always have a female victim and are most usually blonde and attractive, films such as Psycho and Texas Chainsaw Massacre use female victims and sexualise them in order to gain male and especially teenage appeal, the use of this resultantly will leads to higher viewership and a higher profit. The male audience may grow fond and form a relationship with a particular female character and thus will create a better viewing for them and they may also be more shocked and emotional if they were to be killed.




The male protaginist protects the
vulnerable female, the use of worried
facial expressions and the positioning
of the woman under the male shows
he is more powerful and in command.

Another convention within this film is the hidden identity of the villain, in thriller films the villains identity is usually kept secret through a mask or darkness, or even in a phone call as it is in this clip the main aim of this is to maintain suspense and so the audience are eager to find out who the killer is, and what their motives are, the villains mask is usually disturbing to shock the audience when there are close ups. The use of a phone call in this scene creates a sense of mystery as it makes the audience unaware of if the villain is alone or part of an organisation, it gives no clue to what the villains back story is as only a small part of information is given on their behalf as they are ordering the victims. Hidden identities within thriller films is very common, films such as Scream and Halloween both hide the identity of the killer to both create tension as the audience do not know anything about the killer and to create a shocking motif, the audience will soon relate the mask or costume both the killers are wearing and anticipate death and danger is nearing.

The antagonist within the thriller is hidden behind a
computer and thus the audience cannot tell
anything about them, thus creating suspence and
blocking the emotional relationship the film makers
woudl not want their audience to have with a killer.        

A convention within this clip is the use of tense music within the scene, this creates an atmosphere and sets the scene, the tense music used can make the audience anticipate that bad things are coming as this is a usual convention and a sign that the victim or hero is in trouble, the tense music, combined with a shocking moment can be a strong surprise for the audience as they may not have been expecting it. The tense music increases in tempo which creates excitement and a sense of adrenaline within the audience as it relates with the scene in which there is a situation where the mysetrious phoncaller is asking the female victim if she would risk her life for her son, the audience are eager to see what her reaction would be and what will happen next. Music and sound effects are an incredibly important aspect of thriller film as it can create feelings and emotions single-handedly, for example within Shutter Island the use of a repeating heartbeat that eventually begins to raise in tempo creates a feeling of urgency that can give the audience a sense of what is approaching.
In the clip the setting is very dark and there is a focus on the victim and the screen which shows the victims child, this makes these two things a strong point of focus and the audience cannot ignore these things. The use of low key lighting is very conventional  The dark setting is a very regular convention as the dark is traditionally correlated with evil and the dark is used by villains as they can hide easily and scare victims, the audience will feel scared as the setting is dark and the villain could be anywhere as they are not on screen. Lighting is incredibly important within filmography as it can create a certain perspective and adjust the audiences perception on a particular character, for example the use of bright main lighting on a character can make the character instantaneously look pure and like a protaginist, and the use of low key lighting the opposite.

The use of low key lighting instantly can give the
audience a sign that this character is evil.

Individual ideas for a narrative - Miss Georgiou

I took a lot of inspiration from several different thriller films. I took inspiration from Pulp Fiction and the way that Quintin Tarintino breaks the rules of narrative conventions, this is an experimental method of filming that interested me. Sin City's use of special effects and colour aspect is also another inspiration as it has been labelled as one of the most stylish thrillers to date and the use of black and white creates a strong focus on certain, coloured points of notice. The use of a hidden identity in films such as Scream is a good way to create tension as the audience are eager to find out who the killer is, and what their motives/backstory is. The strong use of lighting in the film Shutter Island creates suspense and sets the audience up for a shocking scene.            

                                                                             

My narrative idea is about an Entomologist who becomes obssesed with insects and uses them to kill his victims in order to use them for experiments. The scientist is a mentally unstable old man, who is tall and angry looking, his victims will be timid, mainly females who are average or good looking. The opening sequence will not be the beggining of the movie, as the film features several scenes that are not in chronological order, the scene will have low key lighting, with only silence, and the dripping of water to be heard, the scene will be black and white and the main focus will be the insects crawling around over the bodies, whos faces are hidden. Afterwards the scientist will be dragging more bodies and placing them down, throughout this part the scene will frequently skip to another location in which a detective is being briefed on a seriai killer whos murders all have insects as a pattern to link them. The main conventions within the scene will be the hiddden identity of the murderer, and the hero and villain, the hero is a male and the victims are mostly female. The blood and insects will be the main motif within the scene.

My idea will appeal to an audience for several reasons, for example the use of low key lighting is conventional to a thriller film and will keep the audience eager to find out what is happening. The use of a unique character who is creepy, the audience will be drawn in and will want to know the fate of the character as he will have a like-ability factor that the audience will be interested in. The eerie atmosphere created by the soundtrack will appeal to the audience, the music will be interesting and will correlate with the particular scenes.

Research into editing styles - Miss Georgiou

Editing is very important within cinematography, it can create specific effects and feelings through the use of different techniques. I will be analysing the Saw clip and discussing the editing methods and the effect they have. The scene uses straight cuts at the beginning when switching from scene to scene, the audience are able to follow two different sequences that are happening simultaneously. The scene progressively builds in intensity as the audience are eager to find out what the fate of the characters will be as they  Straight cuts are used to show two different locations during the same time, they are effective as it can build up suspense in a scene as the two different locations and characters edge closer and closer to each other, they are a common convention within thriller film during chase scenes or when a victim is about to get murdered.

The scene also includes jump cuts in the scene to put focus on certain things, for instance, when the cannibal is finally captured and the camera cuts directly to his face and his cut off limbs, so the audience focus on his facial expressions and the blood around him, this creates surprise as the audience did not expect to see the cannibal dead as before the shot was a close up on the cannibals face and he looked alive and fine. Thriller films use jump cuts when putting the focus on a killer's face, usually covered by a mask, this is used to create shock within a scene as the killers face is usually disturbing or holds some sort of noticeable feature.
The scene also includes a variation of timing of shots, for example when Marv and the cannibal are fighting the timing of shots varies, this creates a sense of intensity and a climatic feel, the fast timing of shots mixed with the rapid transitions of shots create a strong feel of excitement within the scene, the scene is slowed down when Marv punches the cannibal and knocks him out, this creates tension as the audience are eager to find out what Marv will do with the cannibal next. Thriller films usually use timing of shots during chase scenes or just before something shocking is about to occur. 

The scene also includes linking of a section, when Marv is carrying Wendy the scene skips to the cannibal being tied up, the audience will be able to assume that Marv has tied the cannibal up and killed him even if it is not directly said. Another instance is at the end of the scene when there is a skip to when Marv is holing the cannibals head, however the audience can easily link the previous scenes all together due to context and assume that Marv cut off his head. Thriller's use this to engage the audience into using their brains and to make their own interpretations of a scene.   

Research into Age Censorship and the BBFC - Miss Georgiou

The British Board of Film Classification is a non-governmental organisation, funded by the film industry and in charge of the classification and censorship of films in the United Kingdom. Certification and censorship has evolved from the early 1900's.

Founded in 1912 there were only 2 age certificates, U for Universal, meaning it was suitable for children and A for Adult, meaning that children had to be accompanied by an adult, this lasted until 1932.




In 1932 a H certificate was added, which stood for Horror and meant that only those aged 16 and over could be admitted into these movies.


In 1951 the H certificate was changed to a X certificate which enforced that only those aged 16 and older could watch these movies.


In 1970 the A certificate split into 2: the A and the AA. The A certificate now allowed those aged five and older to be watch these moves, but warned parents that they may not want their children under 14 to watch the film, while the new AA allowed only those aged 14 or over to be admitted. The X certificate also changed from allowing those aged 16 and above being admitted to those aged 18 and above.




In 1982 the rating system changed completely, only the U certificate remained, PG which stood for Parental Guidance meant that children could watch these films however parents should be warned about certain scenes that may be upsetting, 15+ and 18+ were introduced respectively and R18 that stood for Restricted 18 was only intended for licensed cinemas.











In 1985 the only changes made was that the R18 rating meant that could now sell in licensed sex shops and the Uc rating was established which was the same as the U rating however it was even more suitable for children and they could watch these films on their own.



In 1989 the 12 certificate was introduced due to the pressure from industry and the large gap in content between PG and 15 rated films. This rating meant that those aged 12 and older were permitted to watch these films. The first 12 rated film created was Batman.



In 2002 the 12A certificate was established, this stood for 12 advisory/accompanied and was suitable for those older than 12 however under 12's could be admitted if accompanied with an adult, the first film to receive this was Spiderman, as it is a superhero movie the makers believed it should be intended for children however some scenes may have been upsetting to them.



There are 6 censorship ratings in the United Kingdom since 2009 are: U, PG, 12, 12A, 15, and 18.

U- Standing for Universal is for all ages, there is no content within the film that is unsuitable for any audiences, and this age certificate is very common of children's movies. In terms of language only allow very mild bad language  ‘damn’ and ‘hell' Bad language such as ‘bloody’ or ‘bugger’ may be included, if justified by context. A U film may include brief fight scenes or moments where characters are placed in danger. However, moments of emotional stress or threat will be quickly resolved and the outcome will be reassuring. There will be no use of drug taking within a U rated film. Films that are U rated such as Despicable me feature some violence however overall it is merely intended for the family and thus the film would not want to promote violence.    

PG- standing for Parental Guidance means all ages admitted, but certain scenes may be unsuitable for young children, parents must decide whether the content would upset the younger or more sensitive children. In terms of language there may be mild bad language such as ‘shit’ or ‘bitch’ in a PG film, but the context and delivery are always important. There might be slight usage references to illegal drugs however there must be a clear anti-drug message within the film. An example of a PG film would be the Incredibles, this film features violence however there is no gore and the parent can make the choice whether the film is suitable enough for their audience. The viewer may also be stressed as there may be scenes in which the protagonist is in danger however the hero never faces any real danger.     

12- means that people under 12 years old are not permitted to buy or watch these films alone, however children younger than 12 may see the film if they are accompanied by an adult. There may be strong language such as "fuck" in a 12 but it must be infrequent, the context is important, there may be use of moderate language such as "shit" within 12 films. Sex may be briefly and discreetly portrayed at 12, verbal sex references should not go beyond what is suitable for young teenagers. A 12 rated film example would be the Dark Knight Rises, this film features strong violence that the BBFC believes the viewers are mature enough for particular scenes such as the sex scene however that features no nudity.               

12A- standing for 12Adult means that those aged under 12 years are only admitted if accompanied by an adult. The same language rules apply for 12A and 12 films; however no discriminatory language may be used. The same sexual content rules apply also for 12 films; sexual violence may be implied or briefly indicated, however must be sensitive. 12A films are generally very similar to 12 rated films and an example of one could be Hunger Games, this film features frequent violence that parents may deem unsuitable for their children.    

15- Means that those aged under 15 are not permitted to watch these films or buy or rent 15 DVD’s. There is no limit to strong language; sexual activity can be portrayed, as long as there is no strong or graphic detail, there may be racist, homophobic or other discriminatory language. In terms of violence it may be strong in 15’s, however easily accessible weapons must not be glamorized. A film such as Paranormal Activity features violence and has stressful scenes that could scare the audience, the BBFC believe that the audience are mature      

18- Means that people aged under 18 are not permitted to watch these films or buy or rent these movies. There is no limit to strong language or even very strong language. In 18 movies violence can be strong and be portrayed with strong detail. There may even be dwelling on the infliction of pain or injury, or scenes of strong sadistic or sexual violence, the strongest gory images are permitted at this category. Saw would be an example of an 18 movie, extremely gory and very psychologically disturbing, this film is intended for adults only.

My thriller movie will be 15 for many reasons, firstly this means that there will be a larger audience, as teenagers aged 15-18 are avid fans of the thriller and horror genre, this will be a good way to generate more box office and could result in my movie becoming a blockbuster as it does not narrow the target audience to only 18 and above. Another reason is that the film will not be gory, but depend on editing and the strong use of Mise-en-scene to create tension and suspense, for example instead of using violence within a particular scene instead I will use an intended meaning or the Kolshov effect to create tension.