Thriller Questionnaire

This is the questionnaire I devised as part of my primary research. This questionnaire is made up of eight questions which will provide me with a large amount of information.

Practise Filming

Our group practised filming a variety of different shots. We took these shots by using a HD video camera and a tripod. These shots consisted of extreme close up, close up, panning, tracking, extreme long shot, long shot, tilt, mid shot, low angle, high angle, bird eye view and more. Overall I thought the filming went very well because we had detailed knowledge of all the shots, which meant we knew what to do and completed them with ease.

What determines a certificate 15 from an 18?

There are differences between a certificate 15 film and a certificate 18 film.

There are many rules a certificate 15 film needs to follow. A 15 film must not endorse discriminatory language or behaviour. Drug taking may be shown but the film as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse. Strong horror threat and menace are permitted unless sadistic or sexualised. Imitable behaviour such as dangerous behaviour for example hanging, suicide and self harming should not dwell on detail which could be copied. Easy accessible weapons should not be glamorised.

In a certificate 15 film there may be frequent use of strong language. The strongest terms may be used but only if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is very unlikely to be acceptable.

Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no limits on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context. Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour, but yet again the strongest terms must be justified by the context. Works whose main purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.

No theme in a 15 film is prohibited, provided the treatment is appropriate for 15 year olds.

Violence may be strong but should not focus on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal references to sexual violence but any portrayed of sexual violence must be discreet and have strong contextual justification.

An 18 film has no limited unless it is in breach of criminal law, has been created through the commission of a criminal offence, where material appears to the BBFC to risk harm to individuals and where there are more explicit images of sexual activity which cannot be justified by context.

Information obtained from - http://www.bbfc.co.uk/

Adobe Premiere Pro

Over the last few lessons my group, who consists of Mairead, Charlie and myself, have been using Adobe Premiere Pro software on the MacBooks to edit film clips. The software is very good to use because it edits to time by using frames per second.

Stages of using this program includes -
1. Import.
2. Ordering (re-naming).
3. Editing.
4. Adding transitions.
5. Adding titles.
6. Adding effects and animating (Which consists of positioning and setting key frames).
7. Adding sound effects and overlaying.

I had not previously used this program before and developed many skills in the lesson. In the lesson we were given a collection of old A-level media studies film clips which we had to edit as if making a movie.

Thriller Analysis Conclusion

I have research and analysed the beginning of five thrillers. These thrillers were Sin City, Hostage, The Birds, Se7en and Cape Fear. From my research I have found many similarities between the five films.
The sound in all of the films adds a horror effect and adds tension. Out of the five films three of them use large amounts of non diegetic sounds to set the scene and to add a certain amount of adrenaline. The non diegetic sound is made up of music. The music is quite low and sudden. This effect is common because it builds up the audience for what is to come in the rest of the film and is symbolic that something bad is going to happen. The other two films use vast amounts of diegetic sounds. This is also effective because it sets the scene. In ‘The Birds’ high pitched tones are used to represent danger where as in ‘Sin City’ the tone is very quiet but the audience is aware of the danger present because of the city sounds which shows crime and violence.

The use of dark colours is also a common element in the thriller genre. Large amount of black and white are used. The black is used to highlight the white. The black is symbolic for evil and darkness. This tells the audience that the film may contain violence and bad scenarios. The colour white is symbolic for innocents and purity. This commonly shows that bad thing will happen to innocent people hence the black and white effect. The colour red is also frequently used. This is because red is associated with blood therefore with violence and death. Red is used to prepare the audience for what is to come in the film and to set the scene.

The use of titles is another common element. The titles are generally well spaced out and are positioned so they are visible. This presents a clear effect and draws the reader in. Most of the films which I analysed have white titles on a black background. This makes the titles clear and straightforward to view.

A final common element is the MES. Four out of the five films are set in a busy environment. This is symbolic for danger and crime. This tells the audience that something bad will happen in the rest of the film therefore setting them up for what is to come.

Cape Fear Analysis

Martin Scorsese's Cape Fear, 1991, sets the genre of thriller from the start. This is because he uses a variety of techniques to set the genre and scene. The clip starts off with the rippling of water. This shows that the water may have been disturbed in some way hence the movement of it. This is an indexical sign. The water is very dark and the scene is at night. This is symbolic for evil and mystery. The colouring is used for this genre because it sets the scene and makes the audience keep watching. It does this because it interests the audience and makes them wonder what the mystery of the film maybe. A reflection in the water shows an eagle flying. An ea9gle is symbolic for death because it is a bird of prey. The eagle swoops down as if to kill. This tells the audience that there will be a presents of death and violence in the film.

Throughout the clip there is a large amount of rippling water. This adds an unclear and mysterious effect to the clip. Images are shown behind the water to add mystery and to make the reader wonder what they are off. An extreme close up of the man’s teeth is used. This is symbolic for violence and biting could be involved in the film. This sets the audience up for violence and also creates tension. A close up of the man’s torso yet again adds mystery this is because his face is not being shown and the audience is drawn in. This may also be used to highlight the man’s arms. This adds an aggressive appeal because from the man’s build we are lead to believe he could easily harm someone. An unclear image of the man’s bowed face behind the rippling of water is used, and then his head rises so he is looking at the camera. This almost scares the audience because the man has a mean look about him and this makes the audience keep watching because they wonder what he may have done. Another extreme close up of the characters eyes are used to etherise his character. His eyes are dark telling the audience that he has a mean personality and is cruel.

The pace of the clip is quite slow because many fades are used. This contributes to getting the genre of thriller to the film because it builds tension and fear. The non diegetic sound used throughout the clip also adds to the pace of the film. The music is calm but also sudden. When the title of the film appears on the screen an unexpected noise occurs, transforming from calm music to a loud, low key piano. This establishes the genre because it adds adrenaline which is a symbol that the film is a thriller. Parts of the music are also ear piercing which makes it uncomfortable to watch. This builds tension.

The titles are white on a black background and a basic font is also used. This highlights the titles and makes them clear. The titles fade in and out producing a slow pace. They are placed half way down the screen. This is done to make sure the audience defiantly seeing the titles. The title of the film appears in the centre of the frame. This highlights the films name.

The colour red is used to a reasonable extent in the clip. A small amount of red appears in the reflection of the water symbolising blood therefore violence and death. There is also a full screen shot of the colour red with a drop of blood in the foreground. Towards the end of the clip the man’s face is yet again seen, it transforms from red to blue. The red symbolises blood and violence and the blue symbolises a cold atmosphere and may link onto the man as having a cold, cruel personality. This sets the genre of thriller because it promotes anxiety and excitement.

Se7en - Thriller Analysis

In my opinion the opening of David Fincher's Se7en, 1995, sets the genre of thriller extremely well. This is because of a variety of reasons. The scene is very busy and almost cluttered. The person in the scene is completing a variety of tasks including photo development, reading and writing, sewing and using precise instruments. The person in the scene is mostly likely carrying out an investigation. This shows the audience that the movie is from a crime thriller as police officers tend to carry out investigations to solve crimes.

Few colours are used these including red, black and white. The red is a light shade this is symbolic to blood which also presents death and violence. Red is limited throughout the scene being used in the photo development stage symbolising that the person in the photograph may be dead or is involved in violent behaviour. This adds mystery because the audience starts to wonder how the man in the photo may have come to death or how he is involved with violence. Flashes of red lasting for approximately have a second are used through the scene to add the existence of death. This effect builds up tension and draws the audience into the scene. A drop of blood is also included in the scene. The blood falls from the persons hand onto a picture of a dead man. This highlights the fact that death is a key aspect in this film. There is a high amount of the colour black used in the scene. This adds a mysterious effect. This is because black symbolises evil and darkness. This draws the reader in and encourages them to keep watching for the thrill. A high amount of white is also used. This is to make the darkness of the film stand out and may also represent the innocence of maybe the victims in the film.

The music adds even more tension to the scene and establishes genre. The music is non diegetic but includes sounds from a fire, a record scratching and from heartbeats. The sound from the fire symbolises danger which contributes to establish the genre of thriller. The sound from the record scratching adds an ear piercing effect and provides an awkward atmosphere making it almost uncomfortable to watch. The effect of the heartbeat promotes horror and the heartbeat is beating fast which shows nerves and promotes tension.

The props used, in the scene, also establishes the genre of thriller. Scissors are used which could be used as some sort of weapon promoting violence. A large amount of words are also used in the scene. This adds a complicated, busy feeling to the film. This makes the audience wonder what the character is investigating. This means it draws the audience in and makes them interesting in the film. The character is also using a black marker to cover pictures. This adds a mystery effect because the audience wonders why the character is doing this and what the involvement of the person in the picture has with the film.

The titles are white and are placed on a black background. This highlights the titles and makes it very clear. The titles are dotted around the screen throughout the clip and are well spaced out this shows that it is a cluttered atmosphere maybe the investigated has been going on for a large amount of time resulting in a lot of paperwork. The font of the titles is a note taking font. This adds the effect of mystery and quickness of note taking.

The editing also establishes genre. There are a large number of cut shots in the scene this builds up tension because it give the scene a fast pace. There is also a great deal of flashing. This almost shocks and thrills the reader building them up for what is to come in come in the rest of the film and establishing genre.

The Birds - Thriller Opening Analysis Sheet

Hostage - Thriller Opening Analysis Sheet

Sin City - Thriller Opening Analysis Sheet

What is a Thriller?

Thriller Films are types of films known to include intense excitement, suspense, a high level of anticipation, uncertainty, anxiety, and nerve-wracking tension.

A genuine thriller is a film that restlessly pursues a single goal - to provide thrills and keep the audience at the 'edge of their seats' as the plot builds towards a climax. The tension will usually arises when the main characters are placed in a menacing situation or mystery. Life itself is always threatened, usually because the character is unsuspecting or unknowingly involved in a dangerous or potentially deadly situation. Plots of thrillers involve characters which come into conflict with each other or with outside forces.

There are many different types of thriller. These include suspense-thrillers, action or adventure thrillers, crime-caper thrillers, western-thrillers, film-noir thrillers and even romantic-comedy thrillers.

A close related genre to thriller is horror. This is because horror film are designed to uphold tension and suspense, taking the viewer through agony and fear like thrillers do.

Suspense-thrillers come in all different shapes and forms: there are murder mysteries, private eye tales, chase thrillers, women-in-danger films, courtroom and legal thrillers, erotic thrillers, surreal cult-film soap operas, and atmospheric, plot-twisting psychodramas. Thrillers keep the emphasis away from the gangster, crime, or the detective in the crime-related plot, focusing more on the suspense and danger that is generated.

Characters in thrillers include convicts, criminals, stalkers, assassins, down-on-their-luck losers, innocent victims (often on the run), prison inmates, menaced women, characters with dark pasts, psychotic individuals, terrorists, cops and escaped cons, fugitives, private eyes, drifters, duplicitous individuals, people involved in twisted relationships, world-weary men and women, psycho-fiends, and more. The themes of thrillers frequently include terrorism, political conspiracy, pursuit, or romantic triangles leading to murder.

Examples of a Thriller includes - The Godfather (1972), Pulp Fiction (1994), The Dark Knight (2008), Fight Club (1999), Psycho (1960), The Unusual Suspects (1995), The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and The Matrix (1999).

Information obtained from -
http://uk.imdb.com/chart/thriller
http://www.filmsite.org/thrillerfilms.html