In our preliminary task, we used the idea of someone being forced to break someone's neck to fit the storyboard we were given. I suggested the idea because in our theatre lesson earlier in the day, we'd learnt how to fake it as part of a stage combat session and as it's such a violent action I thought it fitted the genre: thriller.
We chose to use the set of a house which was set up in the studio because it had deliberately been made to look derilict and abandonded, a theme of setting which often crops up in thriller films. The set also gave the atmosphere of the sequence a fair amount of tension before any action occurred.
We used three actors so that all of our group could experience being behind the camera and we each had a try at being different roles, such as director, continuity person and cameraperson.
Firstly, we filmed a wide shot of the whole room, being careful to frame the shot correctly so as not to show any of the studio (the room only had three walls). We did this to have a full view of all the action occurring; all three actors started offset and entered through a door so it was essential the audience can see this.
After we'd filmed the wide shot, we moved the camera to to our right and filmed the action from a low, inferior, angle. We framed the shot so that we could see the face of the people in the foreground and tried to film the person in the background out of focus.
We also filmed a close up of the victim's face while we were at this angle, which meant we could see her expressions and reactions fully.
Next, we used the 180 degree rule and moved behind the right shoulder of the character who was in the background. We filmed it from a superior angle to show that they have more power than the other two. I also suggested we use the use of levels to show the status of the characters and I think this worked well as the victim was on sat on her knees, the person holding her was kneeling up and the person in control of the situation was stood.
The first time we got to film a short sequence, I was in a group with three other people. This meant that we all got the opportunity to try out the different roles involved in filming.
Firstly, I was acting, so I learnt that continuity is very important and it makes the experience much easier if the actor is switched on and remembers continuity details.
Secondly, I was the director, which meant I had to call "Standby" to which the other members had to reply "Standby". The director says "Roll over" to the cameraman to signal them to start the recording.
Then the cameraman called "Rolling" and I followed with, the famous, "Action!"
We explored a variety of shots and while I was the director I got to choose the type of shot we used and how it was framed. I really enjoyed doing this and it was a fun challenge to try to introduce aspects such as the rule of thirds when framing a shot. As well as this, we all checked the exposure, focus and zoom were all in check and each time we set up a new shot, we readjusted the focus (and obviously zoom)
We filmed one wide shot, a few medium shots and a few close ups.
Our sequence was of a girl picking up a phone from a chair, looking at the time, chucking the phone back on the chair and walking away. (everyone had the opportunity to play the girl.
We filmed one wide shot of the whole sequence, to show the location and proxemics; a medium shot of the chair, for which we lowered the tripod to get the chair and camera at the same level; a close up of the actor's face, to show her reaction and a close up of the time, which was the focus of the sequence. This close up is what delivers the information.
I really enjoyed every part of the whole process and I found it to be quite simple. I learnt that continuity is very important and it is something I now strive to pay attention to.
We can tell this film is a thriller by the colour scheme; the red signifies blood and violence and the dark purple and black colours connote negative activity such as crime, both of these things are typical of thriller films.
Una Thurman lying seductively, with her face dead centre, appeals very much to a male audience as she is seen as a sex symbol. The fact she’s wearing black connotes she’s involved in some criminal activity and the idea of her being bad is reinforced by her cigarette. Her red lipstick connotes passion and sex, but matched with her black hair and clothes suggest violence.
Her hair is short, sleek and black, which insinuates she’s a concise character who does her job neatly and efficiently, similar to a gang who plan their crime in order to perfectly execute it.
The gun in the centre of the poster very obviously tell us there’s lots violence and gun crime involved in the film which often occurs in thrillers. This is another aspect of the poster which is heavily aimed at men.
The way her hand is splayed over the magazine suggests she’s hiding something which again signifies crime but also looks very seductive, which appeals to a male audience.
The look on her face is like her poker face, she doesn’t give much away however she’s clearly not smiling which tells us she’s a seductive character who’s hiding something which creates curiosity. We can tell from her expression the film is a thriller because conspiracy is often a major role in this genre of film.
As she’s lying on a bed in a dimly lit room with the blinds closed, we get the impression she’s not meant to be there. Also, the dark lighting connotes romance, but not the romance we’d see in a happy love film, so we know she’s a seductive, sexual character who is possibly using herself to distract from whatever she’s hiding under the magazine.
From the 28 Days Later poster we can see it’s a thriller, firstly due to the heavy use of which signifies blood, death and violence. The sketchy black cityscape suggests something sinister is going on in the location, London, and the sketchy effect suggests the city is breaking down and society is falling. The centre of the poster is a man walking alone and he is the only character we see in the whole poster, suggesting he’ll be the only person we see for a lot of the film; he’s completely alone and has been left to unravel the mystery of what happened to the city. This idea of discovering a mystery and of being deserted is a classic characteristic of a thriller. The symbol placed in the centre above the man’s head is the international symbol for a blood-borne biohazard which very clearly tells us there is some sort of epidemic involved and this idea of ‘something which could happen’ is often used in thrillers. Also, the symbol is shown in the same sketchy design as the city which links the two together, insinuating some biohazard has infected the city.
The large eyes placed on two of the hotspots are tinted red insinuating blood and the pupil has the biohazard symbol in the centre suggesting the man is being watched by a much bigger force than himself which has been infected by the biohazard. This idea of being watched often occurs in thriller films so this is another way we can tell the genre of the film.
The film appears to be aimed at a male audience due to the heavy insinuation that blood and gore plays a large role in this film. Unlike the Pulp Fiction poster there’s no sex appeal, however the connotations of violence are much more prominent so the audience this film is aimed at still remains male, although I think it’s aimed at younger males as the plot seems less complicated and more focused on the violence.
In this clip from Hanna, both the diegetic and non-diegetic sounds are used very intelligently to increase the sense of panic we feel for the character, to build tension and therefore build suspense.
These are characteristics of Thriller films so by listening to the sounds used, we can tell the genre of the film.
The diegetic sound of the door locking is juxtaposed to the diegetic sound of the enemy's dialogue "You're in a safe place sweetie." This tells the audience there is something amiss and hints that the people who're containing her are not trying to help her. This idea of secrecy and sneaky enemies is typical of thriller films.
The lack of non-diegetic music means the audience focuses on the words and the atmosphere of the interrogation is therefore intensified; this clearly creates empathy for Hanna. When the synchronous sound of woman A's voice is echoed and then shown through woman B's mouth, the moment is marked. This insinuates that Hanna has detected a fault and the use of stylised sound shows the switch in Hanna's situation.
Plus, to add shock, the heightened diegetic of Hanna whimpering suggests she's a weak character, so when she suddenly breaks her captor's neck and beats up 5 guards we see that she's not atall weak; this intensifies the action which is typical of a thriller. She instantly starts crying, which is the start of her plan to escape.
The diegetic speech "I think that might be necessary." shows that woman B has now realised she's in danger and this triggers the, quick paced, non-diegetic. The non-diegetic sound increases in tempo and pitch which quickly builds suspense and in conjunction with the visual of a guard preparing a large needle, we begin to feel desperate for Hanna to escape.
In addition, the heightened diegetic of the lock ticking as it spins unlocked acts as a coundown to the action. The audience can clearly tell that violence is to follow so they're further drawn into the action. Finally, the suspense is broken by the heightened, synchronous sound of the neck break which kicks of the action and the fight scene really begins.
This scene is a prime example of how sound can be used to effectively portray underlying subtext and can create the suspense needed to take the audience on a thrilling journey.
In a recent Media lesson, we learnt about The Rule Of Thirds and The 180 Degree Rule.
The Rule of Thirds is used within posters and is used to lead the eye around the poster in the way the designers wanted.
For example, the poster for The Holiday uses The Rule of Thirds very obviously.
Each of the characters faces are on a 'hotspot' which means the eye is naturally drawn to these places on the poster. The title of the film is in the centre square, so the eye is also drawn there. The 180 Degree Rule is that when filming a person you can only move the camera 180 degrees in one direction. Here you can see that the camera moves to the right of the pair. If the camera were to move in the other direction and cross the line, it would appear that the subjects are facing the wrong way and the shot becomes disorientated.
However, you can break The 180 Degree Rule as long as you show the audience it's happening.
For example, in this clip from Children of Men, at 1min 19, The 180 Degree Rule is broken and the audience sees that it is broken so are not disorientated.
The rule here is broken so that the audience can follow the footsteps of the character and can therefore see the action.
The poster for the thriller film 'Children of Men' has many aspects to it which denote the genre of the film. These points also suggest to the viewer hints of the story line and the main ideas involved in the film. For example, the simple use of deep red for the writing denotes danger, blood and violence. These ideas correspond with the other uses of colour; the white suggests a glimpse of innocence, however the majority of the colouring is deep grey, which suggests a sombre tone. I noticed that on the left, the background fades from white to black, which insinuates something positive is fading into something negative. The stencil-type font used is quite regimental and army-like, which suggests the protagonist is on some sort of mission. This also hints to the viewer that the film has quite a serious tone. The smashed class is quite a clear pointer to the fact that the film is a thriller, as glass is fragile and you often expect it to smash with the smallest of harsh movements, therefore creating anticipation, and tension, which relates to the feelings conveyed in thriller films. I noticed the jagged piece of glass is sticking out next to the character's throat, which suggests he's in danger or under threat. Often, within thriller films, the protagonist has to face some sort of danger, so this communicates the genre of the film.
The expression on the man's face is of determination and also frustration so we get the idea he's got an important task to complete. The overall colourscheme is dark and cold and the glass looks frosty. This connotes physical coldness and therefore death, but also psycological coldness and the idea that he's alone in his mission.
In the background of the poster, there appears to be a shadow, however it's not very clear. From this, I got the impression something sinister is following the protagonist which could hint at the storyline.
The title of the movie 'Children of Men' is written in white, which suggests the children are innocent and positive and the font is more rounded which also symbolises a more positive perspective of the children.
When analysing the poster for The Shining, I noticed a few details which cleverly hint at the story line and other such details.
We can easily determine who's the 'goodie' and who's the 'baddie' from this poster. Quite obviously, the man on the left is the antagonist and the woman on the left is the victim. However, there are more aspects of the poster that, in a more subtle manner, show that he's chasing her.
For example,his eyeline is directly level with the women's face, which shows he's in persuit of her and this idea is further reinforced by the fact that he's on the left and she's on the right. This film was aimed at people in the Western World, where we read from left to right, so; due to the direction in which our eyes travel in conjunction with the placement of the characters, the poster seems more animated- he's chasing her.
Furthermore, we gleen that he's the 'baddie' due to the lighting he's placed in. The background is dark and has a hint of red, suggesting he has evil, violent intentions. In contrast, we connote that the woman is the heroine because the side of the poster where she's situated is light. Plus, only the man's face is in view whereas we see the whole body of the woman-and she's pressed against the wall. This heavily signifies that he has the intention to move forward and she's moving away... rather hastily I'd imagine.
Another thing that shows the woman is, obviously, on the recieving end of the violence is the fact that her weapon is loosely held by her side, and is not in use. She appears to be very inexperienced holding the knife and it's not raised atall.
Also, the rule of thirds is used within this poster.
My grid isn't brilliant, but his face is on hot spot number one and hers is hot spot number two and the axe crosses over the centre to the side nearest the woman which shows the motion of the weapon.
And finally, very obviously, their facial expessions say a lot about the situation and the general plot of the film. The way he's baring his teeth compares him to an animal and creates the impression he's the hunter chasing his prey.
I chose to analyse the introduction to the film “Catherina”
because of all the clips I watched on YouTube, this one interested me the
most.
The first section, where the car is travelling along a road
into a village, I thought to be well filmed. I thought the mise-en-scene was
interesting and well thought out, with lots of small connotations. For example,
the fact that the camera was attached to the car makes it clear to the audience
that the vehicle is the point of interest, which also helps the audience to
feel like they’re on a journey with the car and more to the point, the person
in it.
I noticed the car is expensive and black, which gives the impression the driver
is wealthy and, due to the colour, important. Usually in thrillers, people in
black shiny cars have some high status; however it is not yet clear whether the
character is good or bad so the audience is drawn into the story.
Furthermore, the car and surroundings are wet and the sky is bleak and white.
This could be an example of pathetic fallacy, where the weather relates to the
mood of the scene. So here, we know this intro isn’t for a happy film. The
music, which is slow and eerie, also heavily contributes to this idea.
The use of cross-cutting (to the woman in the room) creates
the impression it’s a hasty sequence of events, a characteristic usually found
in thriller films.
The accompaniment begins to increase in intensity- a beat
comes in and the tempo increases, creating a feeling of anticipation.
As the car arrives at the location, the beat stops creating
an intense atmosphere and marking the moment. The beat continues to mark
several key moments such as when the, now apparent, gun case is put on the bed
and when the man gets out the car. As well as marking these moments, the use of
music links them together.
As the woman begins to aim, the original quick beat starts
again, however the visual aspects contrast with this quick beat.
In this section, the woman is filmed in slow motion aiming out the window. The
contrast of the fast music and the slow motion gives the audience the
impression it’s a race against time, sparking curiosity- what could spoil her
plans? This intensity is continued due to the sights of her rifle being lined
up with the man for 5 seconds, so the audience is anticipating the shot. I
really like this section. I think the mise-en-scene is well thought out and the
attention to her femininity (two flicks of her fair, red lips and red nails)
makes her seem powerful and dangerous.
Then, the previous question, ‘what could spoil her plans?’
is answered when the camera view cuts to a man stealthily approaching the room.
We know he’s outside the correct room because early on in the introduction, the
room number (1) is made very clear, with a high contrast shot. (The dark door
and the light number)
Just as we think she’s going to go pull the trigger, the
third character bursts in brandishing a hand gun and the woman reacts by
quickly drawing a second weapon. She looks directly at him, which creates
tension. Three lives now hang in the balance, whereas before it was only one.
The situation has been taken up a level and the audience further drawn into the
action.
The screen falls black and “Catherina” is displayed in the centre, a cliff hanger,
typical of a thriller and very enticing.
However, I would’ve made one change to the ending.
While the title is displayed, and the music is fading out, I
would have added a single gunshot sound.
This finally makes the audience jump when they’re not expecting it, however it
doesn’t give anything away.
Three people were held at gunpoint, but the audience still doesn’t know who
fired, if the shot was accurate or who the ‘goodie’ and the ‘baddie’ is.
As well as creating curiosity and a shock it makes the end of the ending more
punchy and memorable.
Heya, I'm Lydia and this blog is for my media coursework :)
I'm currently studying Theatre, Media, Sociology and English Literature at Hurtwood House in Surrey and in my recreational time here (there's no such thing as 'spare' time at Hurtwood really) I do Ballet and Contemporary classes, an acting lesson and a singing lesson. I've also just successfully auditioned for the school's Dance Company.
I love musical theatre and one of my aims is to become a leading lady in a musical; either in the West End or Broadway.
I'm Cornish and have lived in Cornwall all my life (until now) AND it is not true what they say about the Cornish... I am not inbred and I do not have a tractor.
But I do love pasties.
Thanks for taking a look at my blog and I hope you enjoy it:)
Au revoir x
The 180 Degree Rule is that when filming a person you can only move the camera 180 degrees in one direction.
Here you can see that the camera moves to the right of the pair. If the camera were to move in the other direction and cross the line, it would appear that the subjects are facing the wrong way and the shot becomes disorientated.
