GROUP NARRATIVE
The purpose of a narrative is a story that is constructed in different media formats such as text, pictures, writing, speech. To create a group narrative we all shared our individual ideas for a narrative post. We discussed the advantages and aspects that we liked from each one. We decided that we wanted a new idea that hadn't been done before. This included a unique narrative and characters.We need to use conventional thriller techniques but we didn't want a typical story line for example, a house in the middle of the woods as that has been made many times before. After this, we put all the ideas together to create an idea that we liked and that was original.
Group member one, Lily:
Can be read here
Narrative idea: A burns victim who was bullied as a child. He spends years of his life plotting revenge, and years later he kills his victims in ways that effected him for example, burning them. The opening sequence would contain images from his childhood such as toys and the theme of clowns.
The idea is original as the character is unique, however, films such as this one have been done before such as Saw and Orphan. Also, the film contains a masked killer, adding suspense into the opening, which is a positive point. Although some of the opening frames such as filming music boxes and toys would be easy to film, filming the theme of fire that runs through the narrative would be difficult to do, especially as the killer sets fire to houses. Fundamentally, finding a large number of people to act in the opening, playing characters such as the little boy and the killer's family would prove difficult.
Group member two, Amber:
Can be read here
Narrative idea: Amber's narrative is about a woman's husband leaves her. She becomes extremely angry and lashes out on her family and friends. She decided to kill him for all he has put her through. The opening sequence will contain the wife killing all the wedding guests and husband's family with the use of low key lighted flashbacks.
Overall, Amber's idea is original and interesting as the plot is unique and the characters are different and unique, also. However, the killer acts as a victim which may confuse the audience as apposed to engaging them. The idea is easy to create as the opening is conventionally set in alley ways and dark rooms however, the narrative may not be completely clear in the opening, further confusing the audience.
Group member three, Jazz:
Can be read here
Narrative idea: Jazz's idea contains a mad scientist who builds an obsession for insects and used them to kill different victims. The scientist has a negative mental state. The opening sequence will contain low key lighting, and different insects can be seen crawling over the dead bodies of the victims, however their faces will be hidden.
This idea is very unique, this includes the narrative and a unique killer however, the storyline is un-realistic therefore, the audience may not engage with the narrative. This idea also includes conventional elements such as blonde victims however, the opening sequence will be difficult to film in a short amount of time.
Within our group we decided that Amber's was the strongest idea however, we will change the narrative a little to fit more of the whole group's ideas. Our idea includes a couple that are about to be married but the man runs away on the wedding day and starts new life. The "bride" doesn't deal with this situation well and her mental state deterarates. She decides to blame all the guests and his family and sets out to murder them. Her identity is unknown to them as she wears a veil and wedding dress. This links back to my original idea which we incorporated. The audience and the bride herself are unaware if she is going to kill her "groom." Furthermore, adding elements of shock and suspense.
Overall, we came up with this final idea from incorporating all different points that the group had in their individual narrative. Also, we discussed are inspirations such Scream containing a masked killer, Orphan having an unsuspecting killer and unique plot and Prom Night as the event is meant to be a positive one, this creates a false sense of hope, leaving the audience feeling tense.
The opening contains the bride sat in her wedding dress and veil in a dark setting (either a dark basement/shrine to the wedding or the location where her "honeymoon" was going to be). This frame will include low key lighting, which is conventional to the thriller genre as it creates a eerie and tense atmosphere and portrays the bride's negative emotions. She is flicking through the wedding album (this is where we were going to include credits) and is crossing off all of the faces with a knife or sharp object (the audience is unaware why but mostly guesses that she has killed these people, further creating suspense) she has flash backs of killing each person she crosses off and flashback of her wedding to highlight her mental state. We will use hand held camera work to do this, to make the audience feel includes and the frames seem shaky and uneven. Through the opening, different sounds would be used for example church bells and the vicar saying wedding vows would be played to create an eerie atmosphere also, contrapuntal sound would be used as a song would play in the background, confusing the audience and shows the bride's deteriorating mental state.
NARRATIVE THEORY
In this post, I will be discussing the three different theories that are argued to create a positive narrative.
Vladimir Propp:
Propp analysed many different fairyctales and split them up into sections to identify different sequences. From completing the research, Propp identified that there are seven main characters that can appear within other media works.
1) A villain who stands against the hero.
2) The donor who prepares the hero.
3) The hero who reacts to the donor and marries the princess.
4) The princess who, because of the villain, is difficult to marry. In the end, the hero typically marries the princess and triumphs against evil.
5) The false hero who takes credit for the hero's successes.
6) The dispatcher who sends the hero off.
7) The helper helps the hero in their quest.
Erving Goffman:
Goffman suggests that there are four main characters within his theory that are used in many different narratives.
1) The protagonist who is the main and leading character within the narrative.
2) The deuteragonist is the second most important character within the sequence.
3) A bit player who is a character of less importance.
4 A fool who is the less serious and uses jokes and other humorous elements to communicate.
Tzvetan Todorov:
Todorov believed that within all narrative contained five stages:
1) A state of equilibrium which means 'all is well' and everything is as it should be.
2) A disruption that effects the first event.
3) A recognition of the disruption.
4) An attempt to repair the disruption.
5) A restoration/return of equilibrium.
The narrative theory that relates to our narrative the best is Erving Goffman's theory. This is because the narrative contains a protagonist which is the killer/bride, who appears throughout. A deuteragonist is also included, who is the main victim/groom who is the main target. The bit player (players in this case) are the grooms friends, and the fool is the bridesmaid who soon gets close to the main victim/groom and they become a couple. This theory fits to our narrative the most as Todorov's theory is popularly used however, would not fit our narrative as there is not a restoration as the end or an attempt to repair the disruption. Following from this, our narrative does not fit Propp's theory as that certain theory is used within fairy tales.
Friday, 25 October 2013
Thursday, 24 October 2013
Questionnaire Analysis -Miss Miller
After creating a narrative and having different ideas, as a group we created a questionnaire for others to complete. The answers to the questions will help us change or add to our idea to make it appeal to a larger number of people. Once the questions were answered, we gathered the results and ordered them into a pie charts which are displayed below.
From the results of this question, we can see that the majority of people asked are aged fifteen to seventeen. This is positive information as our thriller film is age certificated 15+, therefore information following on from this will be useful, as we will want to make our sequence appeal to our target adience. Overall, our thriller sequence should appeal to our audience (which is the majority at 57%) and possibly the 28% 18+, showing that the audience can be assorted.
Stereotypically, men are known to prefer thriller films over women. These results have shown that our idea could work as the killer within our sequence is female. Therefore, women would be more interested in the thriller but men would be too as that is what is typically known. The characters within our sequence and the narrative is unique, and from the results shown above, this will appeal to a wide ranging audience, including different genders.
Again, this highlights what we can add to our opening scenes. It shows how restricted it could be by not going as far as an eighteen certificate. These results also show that a certificate aged twelve is not an option as a lack of people prefered that aged certificate. This also shows that we can still add conventional thriller aspects such as violence and death, we do not have to appeal to the age of twelve/make the opening childish. Lastly, these results are extremely helpful as 65% prefer to watch a certificate 15, which is our chosen certificate for our thriller, therefore it will appeal to the audience.
The large amount of answers linking to 'good plot' and 'element of shock' fits well with our idea. This is because our is quite fresh and new unlike the typical thriller plot. Although our plot is unique, it still included the element of shock, which is conventional and is what the audience want included. This will interest a wider audience as it contains a twist/element of shock.
Alike the other question, this has added to our idea and helps us link in what others want to see. This is because our thriller sequence contains shock and surprise, a unique plot and a hidden identity, contributing to 78% of this pie chart. From this, we realised the strength of our idea and the importance of the audience. The audience needs always have to be taken into account to make a successful thriller film.
From this we can see that sequels are not always vital. Therefore, we do not have to worry about the ending of the film being a cliffhanger and then have to make a sequel to gain popularity. Overall, people would only watch sequels if it appealed to them and if the first film was enjoyable. This shows to me that a sequel is not crucial which is a positive point as a plot like ours, would be difficult to make into a sequel therefore the first film should be quite detailed.
This has extremely helped us in thinking about the different sounds that can be used in our opening. The opening will contain the killer/bride reminiscing over her ruined wedding day and her mental state. This shows that dialogue isn't vital and that we should focus on creating the atmosphere by using different sound effects such as eerie wedding bells and a typical thriller soundtrack. From this, we can incorporate non-diegetic sounds to appeal to the audience, and make our opening sequence more successful and full of suspense.
Luckily, our thriller will contain all three of these types of characters, appealing to a large number of the audience. The killer will be a woman/bride which is original, referring back to the female gender. From this, we have decided that families/friends should be incorporated in the opening sequence, and possibly made victims, appealing more to the audience. From this, we have seen that characters can be conventional and we do not have to worry about creating hugely unique characters, as long as the audience feel empathy towards characters and bond with them, through the use of different techniques such as mise-en-scene and cinematography.
From the last question I find that typical characters can be used for example victim/killer however I can link this question to that and allow those characters to be unconventional. The victim did a negative thing, and that's why he has become the victim and the killer is in a negative frame of mind and has faced negative situations therefore, the audience's view is unapparent. This is because the victim status continues to cross over, causing the audience to engage with the narrative.
These results luckily link to our desired setting of an attic in a house, causing our idea to strengthen and appeal to a wide ranged audience. This chosen setting is domestic as the audience feel a sense of normality, which contrasts to the typical thriller mood of creepy and frightening, this causes the audience to feel uneasy as they are awaiting for a negative event to occur. This specific setting also links to the dark and mysterious answer as the audience are left wondering what will happen next. Also the dark room highlights the bride/killer's emotions, causing the audience to engage with the characters and their bond to strengthen Lastly, the setting would be isolated highlighting loneliness and the idea that the setting is not safe.
As the main character is at a mental state, the actor playing the killer would have to be committed to the role and make the audience believe what they are seeing. Overall, this links to the character playing the role well, and should be discussed before creating our opening sequence. Lastly, the attractive female result, can be contributed as a conventional, blonde victim can be added, to make the audience feel emphasise with her and their bond to strengthen.
This shows that sub-genres are not vital to a thriller. Therefore, we can focus on the thriller aspect and conventions that we can use for that genre without having to add a sub-genre. From these results, we can focus on thriller elements, causing our opening to strengthen and appeal to the audience as different conventions are added.
This questionnaire will be extremely helpful with further planning of our opening sequence, as the audience's ideas can be added, appealing to a range of different people. For a thriller to succeed, it needs to be watched and liked by a large amount of people. By making this questionnaire, it has been helpful to fulfill that. Below, a video of a person answering the questionnaire.
To conclude, the questionnaire helped to find what can be added to make out idea appeal to more people, and a wide ranged audience. Also, we discovered that the audience wanted to see an idea that is unique/original. Therefore, we need to make sure that our opening sequence will fulfill this. Following on, we need to make sure that our opening sequence contains the aspects of the thriller genre that the audience would prefer to see (such as shock, surprise and suspense.) The questionnaire results also helped us think about our chosen age certificate, and what to add in the opening sequence to stay true to that certificate (a 15+.) To conclude, we plan on incorporating as many different elements that the audience would like to see as possible, to make our opening sequence more successful.
Monday, 14 October 2013
Research into sound- Miss Miller
In this essay, I will be analysing the use of sound within the thriller genre and I will be using an example from the opening of Scream Four. Sound is used in thrillers to create a certain atmosphere. An example of this could be a tense atmosphere. The thriller genre thrives to gain a response/reaction from the audience. I wanted to use this clip as it is the opening of the film, therefore shows how the audience would want to watch on from the sounds used. Overall, without sound, a thriller film would be pointless.
The first type of sound I will discuss is diegetic. This means that the audience can see where the sound is coming from. An example is the sound of the knife when pulled out of the rack by the victim. The sound of knife is loud, highlighting's it's importance and introduces the conventional iconography to the film. This would frighten the audience as the use of iconography and sound is used at once, and the sound highlights the importance of the weapon. This shows a sense of foreboding, possibly inferring danger and death, which makes the audience uneasy. This is conventional to a thriller film as the knife is addressed by the sounds, causing it to appear more strongly and shows it's authority within the sequence. Lastly, it is ironic as the victim holds the knife at this point, foreshadowing her death later on in the clip. This further causes the audience to sympaphise with the characters, therefore they are more engaged with the narrative.
Off screen sound is used when we hear the killer on the end of the phone. This is because the audience cannot see where the voice is coming from, this further shows that the killer is hidden, making the audience feel fear and empathy towards the characters as something negative can occur. It is added so we can hear what he says therefore, we understand what is happening in the scene. This shows iconography again, with the use of a phone and is conventional to this thriller as in all the Scream films, the killer teases/threatens the victims by using phone calls. This is conventional to a typical thriller as the audience would be left in suspense. They see the phone runs through like a motif and they overall sympathise with the victim, as the killer's threats can be heard and nothing positive can occur from this situation, therefore the audience believe that the characters will die.
Another type of sound used is off screen sound. This means that the audience can hear the sound but cannot see where it is coming from yet, it makes sense to the film or scene. This happens when the doorbell rings. We cannot see the door as the camera focuses on the two girls but the sound makes sense to the scene as the setting is a house. This is conventional to the thriller genre, as the noise surprises the audience. Before this, there was silence and talk of the killer being at the door. Again, the audience feels empathy for the characters as the killer is playing tricks on them and their fate is highlighted. Lastly, this thriller storyline is quite realistic, this relates to the use of the doorbell, showing a sense of normality and frightens the audience, possibly showing that this could happen to them.
One of the victim's asks who is at the door, and when the phone starts to ring, eerie and tense music starts to play. This sound technique is added in afters, therefore is non-diegetic and makes the ambience of the scene negative and filled with suspense, causing the audience to feel the same. This music is played at 2.50 and ends around 3.13 when the door is opened. Firstly, the music is more quite and tense and once the door is opened, becomes louder and creeper. This shocks the audience, as the sound of the music increases. This is conventional to thriller genre as non-diegetic, creepy music is common and is used in scenes that are leading up to death. This highlights the suspense that should build within the scene, causing the audience to feel afraid and fear the character's safety.
To conclude, the use of different sounds in this thriller film are effective to the scene and gain a response from the audience which links to the typical 'shock, suspense and surprise.' These sounds have influenced me in making my own thriller opening as they are typical to the thriller genre as they show that without sound, the scene would be pointless and would be much less effective. An idea that I could incorporate is the eerie/tense music, as it builds suspense and shocks the audience if placed before a death.
The first type of sound I will discuss is diegetic. This means that the audience can see where the sound is coming from. An example is the sound of the knife when pulled out of the rack by the victim. The sound of knife is loud, highlighting's it's importance and introduces the conventional iconography to the film. This would frighten the audience as the use of iconography and sound is used at once, and the sound highlights the importance of the weapon. This shows a sense of foreboding, possibly inferring danger and death, which makes the audience uneasy. This is conventional to a thriller film as the knife is addressed by the sounds, causing it to appear more strongly and shows it's authority within the sequence. Lastly, it is ironic as the victim holds the knife at this point, foreshadowing her death later on in the clip. This further causes the audience to sympaphise with the characters, therefore they are more engaged with the narrative.
Off screen sound is used when we hear the killer on the end of the phone. This is because the audience cannot see where the voice is coming from, this further shows that the killer is hidden, making the audience feel fear and empathy towards the characters as something negative can occur. It is added so we can hear what he says therefore, we understand what is happening in the scene. This shows iconography again, with the use of a phone and is conventional to this thriller as in all the Scream films, the killer teases/threatens the victims by using phone calls. This is conventional to a typical thriller as the audience would be left in suspense. They see the phone runs through like a motif and they overall sympathise with the victim, as the killer's threats can be heard and nothing positive can occur from this situation, therefore the audience believe that the characters will die.
Another type of sound used is off screen sound. This means that the audience can hear the sound but cannot see where it is coming from yet, it makes sense to the film or scene. This happens when the doorbell rings. We cannot see the door as the camera focuses on the two girls but the sound makes sense to the scene as the setting is a house. This is conventional to the thriller genre, as the noise surprises the audience. Before this, there was silence and talk of the killer being at the door. Again, the audience feels empathy for the characters as the killer is playing tricks on them and their fate is highlighted. Lastly, this thriller storyline is quite realistic, this relates to the use of the doorbell, showing a sense of normality and frightens the audience, possibly showing that this could happen to them.
One of the victim's asks who is at the door, and when the phone starts to ring, eerie and tense music starts to play. This sound technique is added in afters, therefore is non-diegetic and makes the ambience of the scene negative and filled with suspense, causing the audience to feel the same. This music is played at 2.50 and ends around 3.13 when the door is opened. Firstly, the music is more quite and tense and once the door is opened, becomes louder and creeper. This shocks the audience, as the sound of the music increases. This is conventional to thriller genre as non-diegetic, creepy music is common and is used in scenes that are leading up to death. This highlights the suspense that should build within the scene, causing the audience to feel afraid and fear the character's safety.
To conclude, the use of different sounds in this thriller film are effective to the scene and gain a response from the audience which links to the typical 'shock, suspense and surprise.' These sounds have influenced me in making my own thriller opening as they are typical to the thriller genre as they show that without sound, the scene would be pointless and would be much less effective. An idea that I could incorporate is the eerie/tense music, as it builds suspense and shocks the audience if placed before a death.
Sunday, 13 October 2013
Research into the history of thriller films- Miss Georgiou
Thriller is a broad genre which includes film. The use of suspense and tension are typically known as the main elements of the thriller genre. Thriller films cause the audience to feel a certain mood in this case, anticipation and fright. Thriller films are known as being fast pace to gain adrenaline from the audience but, can also include slow sequences to add tension and build suspense. The Wikipedia definition included that the thriller genre causes the audience to have a sudden rush of emotions and includes constant cliff hanging scenes to create suspense. The full definition can be read here.
In this essay, I will be analysing the history of thriller films. I will research different thriller films over the years, create a timeline and show how thrillers have changed over the years.
Part One
The 1960s
Psycho
A blonde, pretty victim leaves her home town to live with her boyfriend in a different state (set in America). While on the way, she stops off at a hotel, where she meets a strange man, who tells her stories about his mother. She decides to go back to her home town, as she realizes that it's a better decision and this includes her job. However, she stays at the hotel for the night and then is missing for a sufficient amount of time. Her disappearance is investigated, and it is discovered that she has been murdered. (Full summaries can be read here)
Psycho is an extremely popular thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It is known to be one of his most popular films of all time. The film is in completely black and white which limits effects. This shows that the film is very old and how the famous shower scene could not be violent. If in colour, the nudity of the woman would have been highlighted even more and the blood would have been even more visable. The shower scene contains fast editing, causing the scene to appear more hard hitting, and dangerous. Over 100 shots are used within that specific scene.
The 1970s
Halloween
This film begins with a child killer who sets out to murder his sister, and succeeds. 'Michael', the killer, escapes from prison years later, targeting a teenage babysitter and her friends.
Halloween is a very well-known thriller film that has been re-created many times. The first film was made in 1978 and is the first in the popular Halloween franchise. This film has been linked to the hugely popular 'Psycho.' Showing that at this time, thriller films hadn't changed much over the years. This film includes the actress Jamie Lee Curtis, the main victim who is now a well known actress. This causes the films popularity to rise as fans of the actress, would want to watch the film. The film uses music and sound effects, especially in the opening scene. Loud, quick sound effects are used to create surprise, linking to the shower scene in 'Psycho'. Low key lighting is also used which is conventional within the thriller genre to create a tense and creepy atmosphere. An example of this is when the killer murders a man and stabs him against the wall. The scene still stays reserved and not so gory, which links to how hugely violent scenes could not be shown at that time. This also links back to target audience as a certificate of 15+ should not include high levels of gore. The full analysis of Halloween can be read here.
The 1990s
Scream
Scream is about an unknown killer that kills off teenagers in the local area. Sidney, the main victim, is reminiscing over her mother's death when these negative events start to occur. She needs to fight for her life, and realises that the killer is too close for comfort, as when the film comes to a shocking conclusion, the audience find out that her boyfriend and friend are the killers.
Scream is an extremely popular franchise, the first film being made in 1996. The films have some of the popular actors known including, Courteney Cox, Drew Barrymore and David Arquette. The film includes the killer having a hidden identity which is conventional and contains violence that films likes Halloween made popular. The film could be considered inspiring to other thriller film makers as the film was credited for being true to life. The writer, Kevin Williamson was inspired by the film Halloween, showing the lack of differences between films or how they can link together.
The 2000s
The Cabin In The Woods
The Cabin in the woods, filmed in 2009 is linked to the slasher film genre much like Scream, Halloween and Psycho. These films show that elements used in slasher films are conventional to the thriller genre and are very successful. The film stars Chris Hemsworth, a now popular actor which further causes the audience to bond with the character he plays, if they enjoy the way he takes on the role. The film is known as having a cliche thriller story line as five best friends wander into a mysterious cabin in the woods. This links to the theme of houses as settings as they're secluded and lonely. However, this setting can be a success, if use with a unique storyline. This shows the use of mise en scene, which is conventional to the thriller genre and dark, secluded settings are successful within the thriller genre.
The 2010s
The Conjuring
The Conjuring is based on two paranormal investigators that help a family left frightened by strange events taking place in their new home. The investigators realise that the spirits are targeting the new family, therefore they set out to stop them, however, this will have negative effects on everybody involved.
The Conjuring is a supernatural thriller film. This shows a direct change from the others as they are known as slasher films. This shows a change in the genre, as the film is rumored to be a true story which frightens the audience, therefore can influence other writers and directors. The Conjuring is overall a new film released in July 2013 and promoted as being the 'scariest film' and the most 'anticipated' thriller of the year. The film has received positive views from both critics and audience.
This research has helped in planning my own thriller film as the storylines are all different and interesting. These films are all very popular, and I think this is because all of the story lines and conventions used are interesting. The use of music is extremely important, and helps create the typical thriller atmosphere. Nearly all of the film chosen include the killer having a hidden identity which isn't essential but makes the storyline much more tense and constantly creates suspense.
Part Two
The top ten most popular thriller films of all time are listed in the chart above. As well as this, the table includes how much the money has earned overall and how much was earned when first opening to theaters.
Hannibal is ranked number one and has earned over $165,000,000 overall, making it the most popular overall. Hannibal is the sequel to The Silence of the Lambs (rated number two), and overall incorporates a narrative that has not be seen before in other thrillers. Seeing that the first film was extremely popular, the audience is drawn to watch the second film. The film's popularity is shown through how much money was earned from the opening weekend, meaning that this sequel was highly anticipated.
Seven is ranked at number four, earning over $100, 000, 000 overall and $13, 000, 000 through the opening week. This could be because of the unique plot in which the killer murders through using the seven deadly sins. The film also contains a strong opening sequence that has had a great influence on many other thriller films. As well as the use of popular conventions, the film contains famous actors such as Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt, which may be a key factor to why the audience was so large and effected the amount of money made.
In this essay, I will be analysing the history of thriller films. I will research different thriller films over the years, create a timeline and show how thrillers have changed over the years.
Part One
The 1960s
Psycho
A blonde, pretty victim leaves her home town to live with her boyfriend in a different state (set in America). While on the way, she stops off at a hotel, where she meets a strange man, who tells her stories about his mother. She decides to go back to her home town, as she realizes that it's a better decision and this includes her job. However, she stays at the hotel for the night and then is missing for a sufficient amount of time. Her disappearance is investigated, and it is discovered that she has been murdered. (Full summaries can be read here)
Psycho is an extremely popular thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It is known to be one of his most popular films of all time. The film is in completely black and white which limits effects. This shows that the film is very old and how the famous shower scene could not be violent. If in colour, the nudity of the woman would have been highlighted even more and the blood would have been even more visable. The shower scene contains fast editing, causing the scene to appear more hard hitting, and dangerous. Over 100 shots are used within that specific scene.
The 1970s
Halloween
This film begins with a child killer who sets out to murder his sister, and succeeds. 'Michael', the killer, escapes from prison years later, targeting a teenage babysitter and her friends.
Halloween is a very well-known thriller film that has been re-created many times. The first film was made in 1978 and is the first in the popular Halloween franchise. This film has been linked to the hugely popular 'Psycho.' Showing that at this time, thriller films hadn't changed much over the years. This film includes the actress Jamie Lee Curtis, the main victim who is now a well known actress. This causes the films popularity to rise as fans of the actress, would want to watch the film. The film uses music and sound effects, especially in the opening scene. Loud, quick sound effects are used to create surprise, linking to the shower scene in 'Psycho'. Low key lighting is also used which is conventional within the thriller genre to create a tense and creepy atmosphere. An example of this is when the killer murders a man and stabs him against the wall. The scene still stays reserved and not so gory, which links to how hugely violent scenes could not be shown at that time. This also links back to target audience as a certificate of 15+ should not include high levels of gore. The full analysis of Halloween can be read here.
The 1990s
Scream
Scream is about an unknown killer that kills off teenagers in the local area. Sidney, the main victim, is reminiscing over her mother's death when these negative events start to occur. She needs to fight for her life, and realises that the killer is too close for comfort, as when the film comes to a shocking conclusion, the audience find out that her boyfriend and friend are the killers.
Scream is an extremely popular franchise, the first film being made in 1996. The films have some of the popular actors known including, Courteney Cox, Drew Barrymore and David Arquette. The film includes the killer having a hidden identity which is conventional and contains violence that films likes Halloween made popular. The film could be considered inspiring to other thriller film makers as the film was credited for being true to life. The writer, Kevin Williamson was inspired by the film Halloween, showing the lack of differences between films or how they can link together.
The 2000s
The Cabin In The Woods
The Cabin in the woods, filmed in 2009 is linked to the slasher film genre much like Scream, Halloween and Psycho. These films show that elements used in slasher films are conventional to the thriller genre and are very successful. The film stars Chris Hemsworth, a now popular actor which further causes the audience to bond with the character he plays, if they enjoy the way he takes on the role. The film is known as having a cliche thriller story line as five best friends wander into a mysterious cabin in the woods. This links to the theme of houses as settings as they're secluded and lonely. However, this setting can be a success, if use with a unique storyline. This shows the use of mise en scene, which is conventional to the thriller genre and dark, secluded settings are successful within the thriller genre.
The 2010s
The Conjuring
The Conjuring is based on two paranormal investigators that help a family left frightened by strange events taking place in their new home. The investigators realise that the spirits are targeting the new family, therefore they set out to stop them, however, this will have negative effects on everybody involved.
The Conjuring is a supernatural thriller film. This shows a direct change from the others as they are known as slasher films. This shows a change in the genre, as the film is rumored to be a true story which frightens the audience, therefore can influence other writers and directors. The Conjuring is overall a new film released in July 2013 and promoted as being the 'scariest film' and the most 'anticipated' thriller of the year. The film has received positive views from both critics and audience.
This research has helped in planning my own thriller film as the storylines are all different and interesting. These films are all very popular, and I think this is because all of the story lines and conventions used are interesting. The use of music is extremely important, and helps create the typical thriller atmosphere. Nearly all of the film chosen include the killer having a hidden identity which isn't essential but makes the storyline much more tense and constantly creates suspense.
Part Two
The top ten most popular thriller films of all time are listed in the chart above. As well as this, the table includes how much the money has earned overall and how much was earned when first opening to theaters.
Hannibal is ranked number one and has earned over $165,000,000 overall, making it the most popular overall. Hannibal is the sequel to The Silence of the Lambs (rated number two), and overall incorporates a narrative that has not be seen before in other thrillers. Seeing that the first film was extremely popular, the audience is drawn to watch the second film. The film's popularity is shown through how much money was earned from the opening weekend, meaning that this sequel was highly anticipated.
Seven is ranked at number four, earning over $100, 000, 000 overall and $13, 000, 000 through the opening week. This could be because of the unique plot in which the killer murders through using the seven deadly sins. The film also contains a strong opening sequence that has had a great influence on many other thriller films. As well as the use of popular conventions, the film contains famous actors such as Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt, which may be a key factor to why the audience was so large and effected the amount of money made.
The Saw films are rated high up also, at number six, seven and nine. This is because they are a popular set of thriller films which also follow on to a number of different sequels, causing the audience to keep interesting in them. Also, the plot is extremely unique and contains the killer having a back story. This is an influence for me as the audience would be engaged with the different characters. Lastly, these set of films appeal to their chosen audience as the certificate is an 18 and they contain many different thriller aspects and a high level of gore.
Monday, 7 October 2013
Conventions of a Thriller- Miss Miller
In this essay I will be discussing and analysing conventions of a thriller and I have used a scene from the film 'The Shining'. I decided to use this film, as the clip is iconic/well known. Also 'The Shining' is arguably known to be the most scary thriller known. The clip builds suspense and adrenaline because of certain conventions used.
Firstly, I found that the setting is extremely secluded as the woman is alone in the bathroom with no way of escape, as her possessed husband is trying to murder her. The secluded setting links to the the character being alone and fearful. The setting also highlights the situation to the audience and that she has lost her family. This relates to a conventional thriller as typically, the setting is dark and secluded, highlighting that something negative could happen.
The next convention I will analyse is the use of sound. Eerie, excitement building music is used when the man is looking for his wife as she is trying to escape before he breaks through the door. This builds up adrenaline and scares the audience as they are worried if the woman will escape or not. The music is typical to the thriller genre as it excites the audience as they know it is going to lead up to something. Also, without the music, the sequence will not leave a huge effect on the audience as the scene would not be as scary and overall, the audience would not know what was happening.
Also, a mid-shot is used when the victim is sitting next to the door screaming and the audience can also see the hammer smashing the door. This scares the audience as we see the victim's facial expressions, worry and desperation. We can also see the weapon smashing the door with the victim next to the occurrence, highlighting the significance and possibly her fate. This is conventional to a typical thriller as there is usually clips of shock and suspense, where the victim is next to danger and the mid-shot highlights that to the audience.
Lastly, Iconography is used when the audience see a prop/weapon which is the hammer slicing through the door. The audience worries about the victim as the hammer smashing through the door is visable to us therefore we hope her fate isn't the same. The weapon is also large and powerful, making the scene more frightening and the whole situation seems more disturbing as the possessed husband wants to murder his wife in such a brutal way. Iconography such as this, is used in a typical thriller to show the victim's fate to the audience and to symbolise death and danger.
To conclude, conventions are used in a thriller to build a relationship with the audience and make them feel something from what they are seeing or hearing. Conventions, from this clip too, build surprise, shock, and suspense.
Low key lighting
Firstly, I found that the setting is extremely secluded as the woman is alone in the bathroom with no way of escape, as her possessed husband is trying to murder her. The secluded setting links to the the character being alone and fearful. The setting also highlights the situation to the audience and that she has lost her family. This relates to a conventional thriller as typically, the setting is dark and secluded, highlighting that something negative could happen.
The next convention I will analyse is the use of sound. Eerie, excitement building music is used when the man is looking for his wife as she is trying to escape before he breaks through the door. This builds up adrenaline and scares the audience as they are worried if the woman will escape or not. The music is typical to the thriller genre as it excites the audience as they know it is going to lead up to something. Also, without the music, the sequence will not leave a huge effect on the audience as the scene would not be as scary and overall, the audience would not know what was happening.
Also, a mid-shot is used when the victim is sitting next to the door screaming and the audience can also see the hammer smashing the door. This scares the audience as we see the victim's facial expressions, worry and desperation. We can also see the weapon smashing the door with the victim next to the occurrence, highlighting the significance and possibly her fate. This is conventional to a typical thriller as there is usually clips of shock and suspense, where the victim is next to danger and the mid-shot highlights that to the audience.
Lastly, Iconography is used when the audience see a prop/weapon which is the hammer slicing through the door. The audience worries about the victim as the hammer smashing through the door is visable to us therefore we hope her fate isn't the same. The weapon is also large and powerful, making the scene more frightening and the whole situation seems more disturbing as the possessed husband wants to murder his wife in such a brutal way. Iconography such as this, is used in a typical thriller to show the victim's fate to the audience and to symbolise death and danger.
To conclude, conventions are used in a thriller to build a relationship with the audience and make them feel something from what they are seeing or hearing. Conventions, from this clip too, build surprise, shock, and suspense.
Low key lighting
Research into age certificates and the BBFC- Miss Georgiou
In this essay, I will be analysing the importance of the BBFC (British Board of Film Classifcation) within the film industry. The BBFC is an organisation that is responsible for choosing the correct age certificates for films. The BBFC is important within the film industry as the organisation selects the suitable age certificates for films. More information about the BBFC can be viewed on their website: http://www.bbfc.co.uk/
Overall, this is extremely important as without the BBFC, somebody could watch a film that is not appropriate for their age. For example, a younger child watching a popular thriller film that contains the correct/typical conventions.
U
The first age certificate is 'U' which stands for Universal. This means that the film would be suitable for the age four and over. This means that the film would be classified as suitable for a young age, therefore the film would not contain strong language or violence, for example. However, sometimes the characters may be in a danger but the problem is quickly resolved to excite younger children and keeps the film suitable. http://www.bbfc.co.uk/what-classification/u
An example of a classification 'U' film is Disney's Aladdin. This is because, there is next to no violence but if there is, the film contains small fight scenes between the good characters against the bad. The audience views the good overthrowing the bad which makes younger children happy as their heroes would not be in any danger. Overall, the film intrigues children by the usage of bright colours also, catchy and cute songs are used as well as the typical Disney, lovable characters whom add humor. Lastly, linking to the clip below, the film includes the typical Prince/Princess love story that young children would be interested in and is also suitable as the film, and the clip below, teaches children morals.
PG
PG stands for Parental Guidance. PG films are for general viewing but sometimes may contain aspects that could upset young children and could be unsuitable for them. For example, small amounts of violence could occur and possibly some curse words. Also, films use characters that can be deemed more scary that those used in a film with the classification 'U'. http://www.bbfc.co.uk/what-classification/pg
An example of a film with the classification 'PG' is the first Harry Potter film, 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's stone'. Of course, this film is based on the child's book therefore, the classification could not be too high as children would want to watch the film. However, the motion picture rating is PG as there are some moments that children may find scary and some mild language is used. The clip below validates this as the hero is in danger and the audience is worried if he'd escape from the scary, powerful villain. The villain also talks about death and says 'kill him' which could possibly frighten younger or more vulnerable children.
12A
The classification 12A means that people the age 12 or over can view the film but anybody under the age of 12 would need to be accompanied by an adult. The BBFC introduced the 12A rating as some scenes may be seen as inappropriate by parents. Films like this could contain sexual language and strong language. http://www.bbfc.co.uk/what-classification/12a-and-12
An example of a 12A film is Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire which is the fourth in the set of films. This film was classified more violent and darker than the three before. The last scene especially, contains violence and violent language which could scare younger viewers. There are scenes of threat and horror but a low level of blood and injury. An example I can give is the clip of one of the last scene below. It's the first time the audience would truly meet the ultimate villain. The scene is quite dark and contains an element of death and torture which more sensitive viewers may be scared by as the scene can be seen as quite intense.
15
No one under 15 is allowed to see the film at the cinema. They also cannot purchase or rent a 15 rated DVD. These films are not suitable for children under the age of 15 as these films could include sexual nudity, strong references to sex, strong violence and strong language.The film could contain sexual nudity, drug taking and discriminating talk and violent behaviour http://www.bbfc.co.uk/what-classification/15
18
Films rating 18 are likely to include everything above. This includes sexual nudity and language, a high level of strong language, gore, horror aspect and huge fight scenes. There is no limit to strong language, anything can be added also, strong/detailed sex acts can be added and strong aspects of sexual language. http://www.bbfc.co.uk/what-classification/18
An example of an 18 age rated film is 'The Shining'. This film has been rated 10/10 for intense and frightening scenes. This film has been arguably known as the scariest film ever made and contains hugely frightening scene that younger children may be disturbed by. This film also contains drug and alcohol use and while drinking, a man abused their son. Also, the film contains curse words and racial comments that could easily offend younger children. The film is hugely violent and gory.
To conclude, from this research, I believe that my film would be rated a 15. This is because of the narrative, strong violence can be explored (due to the character's negative past, family abuse and mental state). Lastly, the opening sequence would not contain a high amount of gore/hugely scary scenes, only frightening/confusing scenes of flashbacks and sequences that relate back to childhood, that may scare anybody below the age of fifteen. My individual narrative can be read here.
Overall, this is extremely important as without the BBFC, somebody could watch a film that is not appropriate for their age. For example, a younger child watching a popular thriller film that contains the correct/typical conventions.
U
The first age certificate is 'U' which stands for Universal. This means that the film would be suitable for the age four and over. This means that the film would be classified as suitable for a young age, therefore the film would not contain strong language or violence, for example. However, sometimes the characters may be in a danger but the problem is quickly resolved to excite younger children and keeps the film suitable. http://www.bbfc.co.uk/what-classification/u
An example of a classification 'U' film is Disney's Aladdin. This is because, there is next to no violence but if there is, the film contains small fight scenes between the good characters against the bad. The audience views the good overthrowing the bad which makes younger children happy as their heroes would not be in any danger. Overall, the film intrigues children by the usage of bright colours also, catchy and cute songs are used as well as the typical Disney, lovable characters whom add humor. Lastly, linking to the clip below, the film includes the typical Prince/Princess love story that young children would be interested in and is also suitable as the film, and the clip below, teaches children morals.
PG
PG stands for Parental Guidance. PG films are for general viewing but sometimes may contain aspects that could upset young children and could be unsuitable for them. For example, small amounts of violence could occur and possibly some curse words. Also, films use characters that can be deemed more scary that those used in a film with the classification 'U'. http://www.bbfc.co.uk/what-classification/pg
An example of a film with the classification 'PG' is the first Harry Potter film, 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's stone'. Of course, this film is based on the child's book therefore, the classification could not be too high as children would want to watch the film. However, the motion picture rating is PG as there are some moments that children may find scary and some mild language is used. The clip below validates this as the hero is in danger and the audience is worried if he'd escape from the scary, powerful villain. The villain also talks about death and says 'kill him' which could possibly frighten younger or more vulnerable children.
12A
The classification 12A means that people the age 12 or over can view the film but anybody under the age of 12 would need to be accompanied by an adult. The BBFC introduced the 12A rating as some scenes may be seen as inappropriate by parents. Films like this could contain sexual language and strong language. http://www.bbfc.co.uk/what-classification/12a-and-12
15
No one under 15 is allowed to see the film at the cinema. They also cannot purchase or rent a 15 rated DVD. These films are not suitable for children under the age of 15 as these films could include sexual nudity, strong references to sex, strong violence and strong language.The film could contain sexual nudity, drug taking and discriminating talk and violent behaviour http://www.bbfc.co.uk/what-classification/15
An example of a 15 certificate is the film 'Friends with Benefits'. This film is rated a 15 as it contains sexual nudity and language that younger children may be unaware of. Younger children watching sexual acts would be deemed as innapropriate. The film also contains strong language, however does not contain danger/high elements of gore/fighting.
18
Films rating 18 are likely to include everything above. This includes sexual nudity and language, a high level of strong language, gore, horror aspect and huge fight scenes. There is no limit to strong language, anything can be added also, strong/detailed sex acts can be added and strong aspects of sexual language. http://www.bbfc.co.uk/what-classification/18
An example of an 18 age rated film is 'The Shining'. This film has been rated 10/10 for intense and frightening scenes. This film has been arguably known as the scariest film ever made and contains hugely frightening scene that younger children may be disturbed by. This film also contains drug and alcohol use and while drinking, a man abused their son. Also, the film contains curse words and racial comments that could easily offend younger children. The film is hugely violent and gory.
To conclude, from this research, I believe that my film would be rated a 15. This is because of the narrative, strong violence can be explored (due to the character's negative past, family abuse and mental state). Lastly, the opening sequence would not contain a high amount of gore/hugely scary scenes, only frightening/confusing scenes of flashbacks and sequences that relate back to childhood, that may scare anybody below the age of fifteen. My individual narrative can be read here.
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