Whilst watching a clip from the film 'Halloween' I will be writing about the conventions the clip contains, to inform the audience, and also how the audience can relate to these conventions. I will write my interpretations on how and why the conventions were use and what they represent.
During the beginning, when the credits are shown, suspense music had been inputted. The music creates makes the audience feel anxiety, about the possibility that something might pop up or the reality of them watching the film and how scary it will be.
In the opening of the thriller 'Halloween' it starts with children chanting and laughing;this could be related to witches and spells, based on how Halloween was created. It does not shows the image but only the sound, this is an enigma because the audience do not know whats happening and it could be a possibility that the children chanting could not be from the modern times but the past, where it started. This allows many possibilities and catches the audience's interest.
At 2.27 the establishing shot has been used to define the location and to give the audience a perspective of what to follow and focus on. After the establishing shot, a tracking shot has been used right after, this is shows when the camera moves towards the house, the focus remains constant.
However the shot can also be interpreted as a POV shot (Point of View shot) as the camera is evidently proved unstable as it draws closer to the house; this can represent someone walking towards the house.
The conventions start when there is low key lighting throughout the entire clip. This is shown at 2.58 when there is a two shot of the female victim and her lover. The low key lighting has been used to let the audience know that they are not safe even when they are home. Darkness is often a fear of people when they were younger and the darkness is represented as evil and when monsters start to come out -the low key lighting could symbolise this.
Another convention is on the date it's set. The film is set on:celebration of Halloween. The date is the perfect opportunity for something bad to happen as the celebration starts at night, it is also acceptable for strangers to knock on doors and trick or treat. It is an opportunity for something bad to happen as it has also takes place in an American suburb area.
Suspense music is used to let the audience feel scared and become aware that something will happen; this is shown in the clip at 3.27, after silence a sudden high pitch sound is inputted. High pitch sound usually represents the full potential of thriller ( reaching its peak), however in this clip it is used to represent that something will now happen. E.g a starter pistol in a race.
Suspense music is only normally used in thrillers, horrors or mysteries - it is used to create a strong atmosphere.
Iconography is represented through the clown mask and the knife, however the mask can also be referred to a motif as it does become the main attraction a couple of times. Point of View camera shot is used when the mask is put on, this allows the audience to empathise with the killer.
Characters
A female is the victim in the clip, which is conventional, the female audiences who have a younger sibling can relate - the idea that the sibling is the killer gives a twist to the plot, and creates questions, that make the audience become interested and determined to find out the answer.
Boyfriend- to show a sense of realism, he could be a hero towards he end.
Boy- A villain, and also an unexpected character the least suspicious because of his innocence and young age.
Parents- Clueless parents, who love their children and will possibility be the reason why the villain will not get arrested. A character the audience can relate to.
Editing
I found that there was not much editing, most of the clip was camera held to make the scenes more realistic.
After the female victim is murdered the masks gets taken of and wipe editing has been used. At 6.30 a mid shot is used on the killer, it captures his clueless and guilty expression once the mask is taken off.
This is a common environment as the audience has experience in living in houses. This creates a sense of disturbance as it makes the audience doubt whether or not their house is safe from danger. The event can also be related to the real world e.g. robbery, killers, breaking in - the activities can be related and linked to the audience.
Purpose of the clip
During the clip the director has raised many questions, e.g. When the killer walks in her knows the way in the victims house, the camera does not move side to side to show a sense of lose. The man comes downstairs and directly makes eye contact with killer, the audience will question what the relationship is between the man and the killer, more questions form when the female victim sees the killer and she shockingly yells at the killer to get out with great confidence. We do not know who the killer is until the end of the clip, when the parents arrive. This has been purposely done to build up the narrative and create anticipation.
During the analysis of the clip. I found, I have given thought more in to the meaning within the camera shots and editing. I have learnt the effects the camera shots do to the audience and the message it is trying to deliver. By researching I have found new ideas and inspirations for a thriller. I have learnt from the technique and skills used.
Monday 21 October 2013
Sunday 20 October 2013
Group Narrative-Miss Georgiou
I will be discussing three different ideas based on the thriller genre. The three ideas are from my group members, we have shared our individual narrative and in the blog as we have analysed the advantages and disadvantages of each narrative
-What is the purpose of a narrative?
A narrative is a storyline which is the one of the first things directors need to be clear of before filming.
The purpose of a narrative is to give the film a guideline - a film cannot be based on nothing, the story would not make sense.
-How did you and your group discuss your individual ideas?
In our groups we told each other our narrative and shared our opinions. We talked about what improvements the ideas could use and how they could achieve these given goals.
1) Group Member
In her narrative teen girls have been reported missing. A past female victim comes home one night from a party, however she has been drinking and is tipsy, but she is aware of her surroundings - whilst she walks, on the way she is unknowingly followed by a mass killer. She then eventually arrives home, whilst she enters her house she clumsily leaves her door open which becomes an easy access for the killer. The killer however doesn't kill her but he stalks her inside her own house. For months she carries on her normal life, he lives in her house in hiding.
The summary shows a sense of mystery, and contains events which the audience can relate to. E.g. Getting drunk. The idea is different and unique which is good because it would become more memorable.
However it becomes questionable of how the two girls are related to the plot and whether the two girls will come back in to the narrative as hero/helpers.
2)Group Member 2
A group of girls go to the cinema to see a film which the victim then falls asleep, the film finishes and everyone leaves the cinema, abandoning the victim, she leaves the screening and enters the lobby to find the cinema is shut down and abandoned. She hears a cinema reel rolling she goes to analyse it where she finds a masked man, she runs away shutting the door....
The events do link and explain how the victim got to be alone and how she finds the villain, however I do not understand why her friends would abandon her, I personally feel that more detail should be added explaining the situation. The masked villain is a good idea as it is conventional to include mystery,which keeps me curious to how and why the villain is there and what sort of relationship he has with the cinema or perhaps the victim, and what will happen to the victim.
3) Group Member 3
My idea was a very ill patient is in a hospital on a life support machine after being run over accidentally. When in the hospital a doctor walks in with a mask on he scares the patient who takes off all the medical equipment and runs out, the masked villain chases her out and into a forest where she dies from not being on the life support machine the antagonist then takes her back to the hospital and experiments on her.
The idea is good because it's different as it shows her struggle to live and survive, it represents the victims growing and becoming stronger and that she gains enough confidence to run way, I believe that these actions ad events will allow the audience to build a relationship with the victim/patient. Th story becomes abnormal when the mask doctor appears which is a good idea as it again creates a sense of mystery. The audience can relate to events such as going to the hospital, which becomes more frightening. The story becomes twisted and will be disturbing to younger viewers meaning that if there was to be an age certificate given to the film it would most likely be rated an 18. This will reduce the wide range of audience. I feel that the plot should have more description explaining why the doctor has become twisted, perhaps a reason or a past event happening to him causing him to become mental.
The group narrative:
A women drives back home from work, she drives in to a car park and parks her car, whilst she locks her car and attempts to leave, her car alarm suddenly goes of and she turns around, there stands a mysterious masked man. She turns around and speeds out of the car park and in to a forest, whilst running for her life not wanting to take a chance to talk, she sees a child's teddy bear all ripped and teared with one eye missing and stuffing spilled out. Then she hears a child's cry echoing throughout the forest and she trips over a branch and there stands the masked man behind her.
Different Theories
Vladmir Propp is a Russian critic and he believed that the characters made up the narrative. He believed that a narrative must include:
-The Hero- the princesses saviour
-The false hero - a false hero who takes takes false claims.
-The villain- the villain interferes the hero's quest.
- The disputer- sends the hero to his mission
-The helper - the helper, assists the hero
-The princess- the main objective to the villain and the hero's award.
-The donor- Provides useful equipment, like weapons;swords.
These were the main characters that he had found in narratives. And according to his theory, the hero and the villain had a struggle, the hero then defeats the villain and the villain has been over come. The problem is then solved.
Tzevetan Todorov created a theory that simplifies the ideas of a narrative theory, whilst also allowing a more complex interpretation. Trodorov thought that his theory applied to almost everything, whether it be a film, a book or plays. He proposed that the narrative must contain these 5 stages:
1)A state of equilibrium; all that should be.
2)A disruption by an event
3)A recognition that the disorder has developed
4)An attempt to fix the disorder
5)A return or restore of the equilibrium
Aristotle is a Greek philosopher who though that all narratives contained a beginning, a middle and an end.
An exposition- A scene which introduces the character
Development- the situation develops, and more characters are introduced
Complication- the situation is troublesome, creating complications in the characters lives
Climax- An event happens whether it being a fight scene or a near death experience.
Resolution- A solution is made, returning the characters lives back to normal.
The group narrative seems to be following Todorov's theory, because the victim is having a normal day, driving in her car, which shows a state of equilibrium, she then suddenly sees a shadow; a disruption to her everyday event.
She realises eventually something is not right so runs as an attempt to escape, which can be interpreted as an attempt to fix the disorder.
-What is the purpose of a narrative?
A narrative is a storyline which is the one of the first things directors need to be clear of before filming.
The purpose of a narrative is to give the film a guideline - a film cannot be based on nothing, the story would not make sense.
-How did you and your group discuss your individual ideas?
In our groups we told each other our narrative and shared our opinions. We talked about what improvements the ideas could use and how they could achieve these given goals.
1) Group Member
In her narrative teen girls have been reported missing. A past female victim comes home one night from a party, however she has been drinking and is tipsy, but she is aware of her surroundings - whilst she walks, on the way she is unknowingly followed by a mass killer. She then eventually arrives home, whilst she enters her house she clumsily leaves her door open which becomes an easy access for the killer. The killer however doesn't kill her but he stalks her inside her own house. For months she carries on her normal life, he lives in her house in hiding.
The summary shows a sense of mystery, and contains events which the audience can relate to. E.g. Getting drunk. The idea is different and unique which is good because it would become more memorable.
However it becomes questionable of how the two girls are related to the plot and whether the two girls will come back in to the narrative as hero/helpers.
2)Group Member 2
A group of girls go to the cinema to see a film which the victim then falls asleep, the film finishes and everyone leaves the cinema, abandoning the victim, she leaves the screening and enters the lobby to find the cinema is shut down and abandoned. She hears a cinema reel rolling she goes to analyse it where she finds a masked man, she runs away shutting the door....
The events do link and explain how the victim got to be alone and how she finds the villain, however I do not understand why her friends would abandon her, I personally feel that more detail should be added explaining the situation. The masked villain is a good idea as it is conventional to include mystery,which keeps me curious to how and why the villain is there and what sort of relationship he has with the cinema or perhaps the victim, and what will happen to the victim.
3) Group Member 3
My idea was a very ill patient is in a hospital on a life support machine after being run over accidentally. When in the hospital a doctor walks in with a mask on he scares the patient who takes off all the medical equipment and runs out, the masked villain chases her out and into a forest where she dies from not being on the life support machine the antagonist then takes her back to the hospital and experiments on her.
The idea is good because it's different as it shows her struggle to live and survive, it represents the victims growing and becoming stronger and that she gains enough confidence to run way, I believe that these actions ad events will allow the audience to build a relationship with the victim/patient. Th story becomes abnormal when the mask doctor appears which is a good idea as it again creates a sense of mystery. The audience can relate to events such as going to the hospital, which becomes more frightening. The story becomes twisted and will be disturbing to younger viewers meaning that if there was to be an age certificate given to the film it would most likely be rated an 18. This will reduce the wide range of audience. I feel that the plot should have more description explaining why the doctor has become twisted, perhaps a reason or a past event happening to him causing him to become mental.
The group narrative:
A women drives back home from work, she drives in to a car park and parks her car, whilst she locks her car and attempts to leave, her car alarm suddenly goes of and she turns around, there stands a mysterious masked man. She turns around and speeds out of the car park and in to a forest, whilst running for her life not wanting to take a chance to talk, she sees a child's teddy bear all ripped and teared with one eye missing and stuffing spilled out. Then she hears a child's cry echoing throughout the forest and she trips over a branch and there stands the masked man behind her.
Different Theories
Vladmir Propp is a Russian critic and he believed that the characters made up the narrative. He believed that a narrative must include:
-The Hero- the princesses saviour
-The false hero - a false hero who takes takes false claims.
-The villain- the villain interferes the hero's quest.
- The disputer- sends the hero to his mission
-The helper - the helper, assists the hero
-The princess- the main objective to the villain and the hero's award.
-The donor- Provides useful equipment, like weapons;swords.
These were the main characters that he had found in narratives. And according to his theory, the hero and the villain had a struggle, the hero then defeats the villain and the villain has been over come. The problem is then solved.
Tzevetan Todorov created a theory that simplifies the ideas of a narrative theory, whilst also allowing a more complex interpretation. Trodorov thought that his theory applied to almost everything, whether it be a film, a book or plays. He proposed that the narrative must contain these 5 stages:
1)A state of equilibrium; all that should be.
2)A disruption by an event
3)A recognition that the disorder has developed
4)An attempt to fix the disorder
5)A return or restore of the equilibrium
Aristotle is a Greek philosopher who though that all narratives contained a beginning, a middle and an end.
An exposition- A scene which introduces the character
Development- the situation develops, and more characters are introduced
Complication- the situation is troublesome, creating complications in the characters lives
Climax- An event happens whether it being a fight scene or a near death experience.
Resolution- A solution is made, returning the characters lives back to normal.
The group narrative seems to be following Todorov's theory, because the victim is having a normal day, driving in her car, which shows a state of equilibrium, she then suddenly sees a shadow; a disruption to her everyday event.
She realises eventually something is not right so runs as an attempt to escape, which can be interpreted as an attempt to fix the disorder.
Monday 14 October 2013
.Research into sound in Thrillers- Mrs Miller
I will be researching in to sounds and find whether
they are diegetis: a sound which is made by or head by the characters. E.g. dialogue, sound effects: such as explosions that appears are related to the action on screen.
Non-diegetic; the opposite of diegetic - a sound which is added for the audience e.g music or a voice over.
I have chosen to use a clip from final destination 3.
Final destination 3 clip. Roller-coaster
1) 0.06
An sinister laugh is used to emphasise the idea that the ride is scary and to believe that it will lead to something bad. The audience can relate as they have heard the menacing laughter before but in cartoons mostly. The evil laughter is used after the dialogue has ended and starts after the sign shows up, in red lights. This creates a disturbing, unsettling atmosphere, which makes the audience think twice.
It is conventional to thrillers as the laughter in putted is confident and sounds quite dominant . This gives the effect of the villain becoming more stronger than the victims, which is often shown by the way the killer usually walks e.g. slowly whilst the victims are running. The sound just portrays the dominant status of the killer in a different way but delivers the same effect/ impression to the audience.
The sinister laughter is a non- diegetic sound, the laughter is only added for the audience; for the atmosphere. We do not see where the laugh is coming from, but it makes sense to the audience as they know it emphasises evil.
2)0.13
Suspense music slowly starts to play, it starts of quiet but eventually builds up as the victims sit on the roller-coaster and pulls the belts down. This is to symbolise that it is to late for the victims but can also symbolise their excitement and nervousness.
The suspenseful music starts of slowly which makes the audience become aware that something is about to happen, the music however then makes the audience wait and feel nervous which then the audience will feel empathy towards the victims unknowingly.
This is conventional to the thriller, as suspense music is normally played to create a sense of nervousness and danger. The music helps create a stronger atmosphere along with the music which allows the audience to focus more on the film.
This is non-diegetic, because we do not see where it comes from but we understand the purpose of the suspense music fading in.
3)
The sound of the chains are used and are faintly heard at some times and exaggerated louder at others. This informs the audience that something will happen on the ride involving the chain. The sound of the chain's screeching is an uncomfortable and unpleasant emotion, this is something the audience can relate to as they have experienced this feeling before, for example a metal chair screeching against the floor or a ruler scraping against the table etc... There're are many objects that create the same sound, which stir up the same emotion within people. These sound often create the skin to shiver or develop goosebumps - which makes effects of the sound more effective.
The sound of the chain is conventional to the thriller genre because is thriller films there are usually sounds that are heard through the clip to encourage the same emotion to dwell within the audience. However it has been done differently, for example thrillers have the sound of a heart beat played throughout a certain scenes which allows the audience to almost feel the same motion and have the same heart beat. The sound of the chains have almost the same effect as it is the same sound throughout until it reaches the climax the chains start to screech and the sound becomes louder, this makes the audience find the sound frightening but makes them focus even more on to the film - the effects are the same but the sound is different.
This sound can be parallel because it is a sound you would expect to hear.
4)
The screams of the victims are used when they are on the ride and the ride starts to move. The anticipated yells of excitement can be related to the audience, as they have experienced the emotion from their past events of going to theme parks and other exciting activities. However the yells and screams are then changed into screams of terror when the ride stops upside down, the victims are surprised and frightened. The sound shows how the emotion of the riders have changed in an instant. The screams which are heard are exactly what you can hear in reality: it is known as parallel sound, nothing has been changed about the sound, which makes it more believable and realistic. The audience will begin to feel fear and believe that events like those can happen to them.It is conventional to the thriller as, the screams are produced by victims in thrillers the screams shows the victims fear and their cry for help and desperation. The screams are also a representation of their status and weakness. The sound allows the audience to feel empathy, because they have probably have felt a similar emotion to produce the sounds.
they are diegetis: a sound which is made by or head by the characters. E.g. dialogue, sound effects: such as explosions that appears are related to the action on screen.
Non-diegetic; the opposite of diegetic - a sound which is added for the audience e.g music or a voice over.
I have chosen to use a clip from final destination 3.
Final destination 3 clip. Roller-coaster
An sinister laugh is used to emphasise the idea that the ride is scary and to believe that it will lead to something bad. The audience can relate as they have heard the menacing laughter before but in cartoons mostly. The evil laughter is used after the dialogue has ended and starts after the sign shows up, in red lights. This creates a disturbing, unsettling atmosphere, which makes the audience think twice.
It is conventional to thrillers as the laughter in putted is confident and sounds quite dominant . This gives the effect of the villain becoming more stronger than the victims, which is often shown by the way the killer usually walks e.g. slowly whilst the victims are running. The sound just portrays the dominant status of the killer in a different way but delivers the same effect/ impression to the audience.
The sinister laughter is a non- diegetic sound, the laughter is only added for the audience; for the atmosphere. We do not see where the laugh is coming from, but it makes sense to the audience as they know it emphasises evil.
2)0.13
Suspense music slowly starts to play, it starts of quiet but eventually builds up as the victims sit on the roller-coaster and pulls the belts down. This is to symbolise that it is to late for the victims but can also symbolise their excitement and nervousness.
The suspenseful music starts of slowly which makes the audience become aware that something is about to happen, the music however then makes the audience wait and feel nervous which then the audience will feel empathy towards the victims unknowingly.
This is conventional to the thriller, as suspense music is normally played to create a sense of nervousness and danger. The music helps create a stronger atmosphere along with the music which allows the audience to focus more on the film.
This is non-diegetic, because we do not see where it comes from but we understand the purpose of the suspense music fading in.
The sound of the chains are used and are faintly heard at some times and exaggerated louder at others. This informs the audience that something will happen on the ride involving the chain. The sound of the chain's screeching is an uncomfortable and unpleasant emotion, this is something the audience can relate to as they have experienced this feeling before, for example a metal chair screeching against the floor or a ruler scraping against the table etc... There're are many objects that create the same sound, which stir up the same emotion within people. These sound often create the skin to shiver or develop goosebumps - which makes effects of the sound more effective.
The sound of the chain is conventional to the thriller genre because is thriller films there are usually sounds that are heard through the clip to encourage the same emotion to dwell within the audience. However it has been done differently, for example thrillers have the sound of a heart beat played throughout a certain scenes which allows the audience to almost feel the same motion and have the same heart beat. The sound of the chains have almost the same effect as it is the same sound throughout until it reaches the climax the chains start to screech and the sound becomes louder, this makes the audience find the sound frightening but makes them focus even more on to the film - the effects are the same but the sound is different.
This sound can be parallel because it is a sound you would expect to hear.
The screams of the victims are used when they are on the ride and the ride starts to move. The anticipated yells of excitement can be related to the audience, as they have experienced the emotion from their past events of going to theme parks and other exciting activities. However the yells and screams are then changed into screams of terror when the ride stops upside down, the victims are surprised and frightened. The sound shows how the emotion of the riders have changed in an instant. The screams which are heard are exactly what you can hear in reality: it is known as parallel sound, nothing has been changed about the sound, which makes it more believable and realistic. The audience will begin to feel fear and believe that events like those can happen to them.It is conventional to the thriller as, the screams are produced by victims in thrillers the screams shows the victims fear and their cry for help and desperation. The screams are also a representation of their status and weakness. The sound allows the audience to feel empathy, because they have probably have felt a similar emotion to produce the sounds.
The sound is diegetic because it is a sound made by the victims. This can also be parallel
because it is what you hear. There has been no effects added it's natural.
The purpose of the sound in films, are to help us understand the film further. Without any sound, we would see movements and hand gestures. This will be confusing and difficult to understand. The sounds help us the audience to get interested in the films and build relationships with the characters. One of the main important factors are sounds e.g. music creates a strong eerie atmosphere, which influences fear and thrill in the audience, without the sound the audience wouldn't find the films scary, which makes the film lose its purpose. Sound is a key factor that makes films look and feel appealing:trailers.
because it is what you hear. There has been no effects added it's natural.
The purpose of the sound in films, are to help us understand the film further. Without any sound, we would see movements and hand gestures. This will be confusing and difficult to understand. The sounds help us the audience to get interested in the films and build relationships with the characters. One of the main important factors are sounds e.g. music creates a strong eerie atmosphere, which influences fear and thrill in the audience, without the sound the audience wouldn't find the films scary, which makes the film lose its purpose. Sound is a key factor that makes films look and feel appealing:trailers.
Tuesday 8 October 2013
Conventions of a thriller - Miss Miller
I have analysed conventions and explain why they have been added and what they create within thrillers.
Thrillers have many conventions which are added to emphasise and to create a tense strong atmosphere for example thrillers use low key lighting and slow soundtracks that eventually build up and get louder these are part of what makes thrillers scary, with out these factors the thriller will be less effective and the audience would not be able to grasp the full point.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMeR-bkC13g
Scream hides himself in a open place which makes the victim feel curious, she goes to see and suspects that he might be hiding. This is conventional in a thriller as the killer hides themselves to create a sense mystery and toys with the victims emotion. The audience will instantly feel wary knowing that the killer will pop up in surprise.
In 'Scream3' the victim is locked in with the killer in a small room at 0.10
This is conventional in a thriller as the killer is usually in the same room leaving the victim to try to find an exit to escape. The killer is always more dominant than the victim. This is shown differently as killers are usually walking slowly to show their power whilst the victim runs in fear. However he has stood still which really emphasises that he does feel a need to chase after her and that she is already in his hands.
At 1.10 the killer reveals himself to the victim which the victim then feels betrayed and lied to. This shows a sense of shock and surprise which is conventional in thriller. The audience will be able to relate to the feeling of surprise which puts them in the victims shoes. A twist in the narrative is typical in thrillers as they trick the audience and play with their mind.
Thrillers have many conventions which are added to emphasise and to create a tense strong atmosphere for example thrillers use low key lighting and slow soundtracks that eventually build up and get louder these are part of what makes thrillers scary, with out these factors the thriller will be less effective and the audience would not be able to grasp the full point.
Scream hides himself in a open place which makes the victim feel curious, she goes to see and suspects that he might be hiding. This is conventional in a thriller as the killer hides themselves to create a sense mystery and toys with the victims emotion. The audience will instantly feel wary knowing that the killer will pop up in surprise.
In 'Scream3' the victim is locked in with the killer in a small room at 0.10
This is conventional in a thriller as the killer is usually in the same room leaving the victim to try to find an exit to escape. The killer is always more dominant than the victim. This is shown differently as killers are usually walking slowly to show their power whilst the victim runs in fear. However he has stood still which really emphasises that he does feel a need to chase after her and that she is already in his hands.
At 1.10 the killer reveals himself to the victim which the victim then feels betrayed and lied to. This shows a sense of shock and surprise which is conventional in thriller. The audience will be able to relate to the feeling of surprise which puts them in the victims shoes. A twist in the narrative is typical in thrillers as they trick the audience and play with their mind.
Monday 7 October 2013
Research into age certificate and the BBFC- Miss Georgiou
The BBFC plays a vital role in the film industry; as they reviews films, and decide what the suitable age is for the audience. They need to consider and carefully view the films to prevent any complaints from parents and other companies distributing the film. Without the BBFC, children will be able to view disturbing scenes that are not appropriate at their age, this can also effect their health and safety.
Films that have been labelled 'U' means that the film suitable for all ages,, from toddlers to teens and adults - this could be because the film does not contain any irrelevant, shocking scenes, that may impact on younger viewers. Tinker bell, for example, is a 'U' rated film, meaning that it does not contain unfriendly scenes that can negatively effect a young viewer. Scenes in Tinker bell contain bright colours and sceneries, it also contains friendly looking characters including the villains. E.g a cat was portrayed as a villain by it's menacing expression, but the impact will not strike fear into the young viewers as the cat's appearance is fluffy, making it less frightening but displaying a mixture of cuteness.
PG stands for Parental guidance, this means that the film is suitable for general viewing however parents are to decide whether the film content is decent for viewing or not. PG films should not disturb a child aged 7-8.
Films that are PG usually contain small amounts of conflicting scenes, however they are mild; scenes that are not strong enough to encourage bad manner, behaviour etc..
'Spongebob squarepants the movie' is rated PG for its mild impacting scenes - towards the end of the film the hero experiences a life death situation, however the hero survives by a miracle and the films ends with happy ending. This particular film is not disturbing due to the fact it is animated and unrealistic, the events will not happen to the viewers, the film also contains humour which overpowers the inappropriate scenes.
12A- Children aged 12 and over, can go to see a film in the cinema unaccompanied.
Big momma's house is a 12A rated film which means it is appropriate to be viewed by children aged 12 and over. However the rule does not apply if an adult (older than 18) gives the child permission to view the film, although the adult must accompany the child. Reasons that the film is given the age certificate 12A could be because the film content may include infrequent swearing (e.g. f***), faint sexual scenes, moderate violence etc... These content will vary in films depending the genre.
For example in 'Big Momma's house' (12A) there is a scene which the main character removes his mask and mentions the word "f***" in a aggressive tone; which can influence a child's speech and disturb the child.
12 rated films are for children aged 12 and younger, but the film content remains the same as 12A (e.g. violence, infrequent swearing and non-graphic sexual scenes). The 12 age certificate only applies to DVDs and Blue rays. An adult 18 and older must accompany the child, as they are handed the responsibility to look after the child and decide whether the film is appropriate.
An example of this would be 'King Kong', most scenes the film contains are appropriate for a young child, however there is a scene which King Kong gets injured after fighting a dinosaur. Scenes like this can be cause the young viewer to feel sad and upset and an adult must be there to accompany and ensure the child.
15 rated films contain content which is much more stronger than 12 and 12A. Only viewers aged 15 and older are able to view the selected film because it can disturb children at a younger age, which is not natural.
15 rated films contain contents like: strong violence, frequent strong language , portrayals of sexual activity, strong verbal references to sex, sexual nudity, brief scenes of sexual violence or verbal references to sexual violence, discriminatory language or behaviour and drug taking. The film 'Friends with Benefits' is an example of a 15 rated film which mostly contain sexual references and frequent swearing. There are scenes where the characters have shown sexual references, which younger children will not understand but could use, which will give other people misunderstandings. Teens aged 15 should mostly be aware of such information and so they will not be surprised as they have learnt what is appropriate and what is not.
18 rated films are only for viewers who are 18 and over; viewers who can be referred to adults.
The age certificate 18, is the highest rating, which films can receive, this is mainly because it contains very strong content that is extremely inappropriate for teens and children. However, adults may also find some scenes disturbing even at their age. 18 rated films contain scenes which either have very strong violence, frequent strong language, strong portrayal of sexual activity, sexual violence, strong horror (blood and gore) and discriminating language and behaviour. Some films can contain a mixture of these. Adults are free to choose their films as there are no limits. For example 'The human centipede' is rated 18 because of it's disturbing scenes and physical appearances, when the bodies are sewn together, it can be portrayed as sexual violence and torture, which younger views can find terrifying and possibly scarring.
The relevant age certificate for my film would be 18.
I have chosen this age because my film will contain disturbing gory scenes which will be unsuitable for a child or teen viewer. My target audience is at teens which are aged 15-17 but regarding on what the scene will be involving it would still have impact on adults and teen viewers may get disturbed and upset.
Some scenes will contain infrequent language but will portray violence.
Wai-Lum Pang
Candidate number-3263
Research into the history of thriller films - Miss Georgiou
Thriller films have been a popular genre for many years, due to it's uniqueness and jumpy factors. Throughout the years the genre has raised our expectation and continuously increasing them - like a cycle. The contents which the genre contains have been increasing and have become more gory and frightful through time, because the limits and boundaries set have been ruled out. The genre has kept up the pace along with the generation, the population has become more modern along with the films. Nowadays most thriller films contain disturbing images and scenes.
I will research how the thriller genre has changed, by researching online and finding five films in any year, I will then research on the internet and compare the plots and covers and analyse the difference.
Include information on directors/actors/narrative that have been successful
Summery how will you research
1930- The 39 steps
Director- Alfred Hitchcock is an film director and producer. He specialises in suspense and physiological thrillers and has directed over fifty films in his life. A majority of his film contains twisted plots and thrilling narratives - this may be one of the factors of his popularity. Using a certain technique to manipulate the audiences thoughts towards his films. In Hitchcock's directed films he had often used a certain technique which follows the persons gaze, which is also known as 'point of view' According to 'MovieMaker' he was "the most influential film maker of all time".
The narrative is based on the novel 'The Thirty Nine Steps' by John Buchan.
It starts with a man located in London, he helps an agent to prevent an organisation called 'Thrity Nine Steps' from stealing top secret information. The agent is then murdered and the man is accused of murder. He escapes and runs away with a women to survive and stop the spy ring.
The narrative is fictional and the audience cannot relate to the storyline. The plot sounds more like an action rather than thriller which the audience may have liked then. The storyline has already shown conventions in a thriller. For example the main character runs away with a women and escapes.
Main Actress- Madeleine Carroll is a famous actor who has starred is a total of 44 films. Madeleine was active between the year 1927 -1950.
Main Actor- Robert Donat active in 1932-1958 and starred in over 18 films. Donat is an actor who has often starred in thriller genred films. The most successful films he has starred in are: The Ghost Goes West (1935), Hitchcock's The 39 Steps (1935), The Citadel (1938).
Director-Nick Grinde is an American film director and screen writer and has directed a total of 57 films between 1928-1945.He graduated from the university of Wisconsin. Grinde was a popular writer of short stories and articals. However he unfortunately died at the age of 86 in 1979.
Dr John Garth is a scientist who has been arrested and accused of killing his friend, however it has been revealed that Dr Garth had actually been researching a cure for ageing. He had planned to reverse the effect. During court he has been sentenced to be hanged after three weeks. During the three weeks Dr Garth continues his research during prison due to the help of the prison warden and a fellow cell mate scientist who was also interested in his experiment. The serum is completed using the blood extract of the past prisoner and has been decided to test the serum on Dr Garth, whilst is taken to another location he is uses the serum and during the exact moment, it has been announced that his punishment has changed to life imprisonment.
Later on to the narrative Dr Garth's age appearance has decreased and tests it on his scientist friend, but suddenly, it goes all wrong Dr Garth is then feeling murderous and kills his friend/ test experiment. People discover him and a dead body, and they misunderstand the situation. Dr Garth is released from prison an is labelled a hero, he then goes back to his family but then the urge to kill arises. His wife becomes victim after he demands she run away but then she refuses. The wife faints and Dr Garth is imprisoned again.
The narrative is more gory and realistic. The plot contains peopless deaths and is more frightening. The genre thriller has changed compared to 1930, however the conventions are the same the story bothe contains a female character but in this plot she faints and is a victim.
Actor- Boris Karloff plays Dr John Garth and is the main character through out the film.
Boris Karloff is his stage name and his real name is actually William Henry Pratt. Karloff is most remembered for his roles in horror films and his portrayal of Frankenstein monster(1931)
Director- Norman Foster
A man called Frank Johnson witnesses a man talking about crime in his car, Johnson also then witnesses the man getting shot in his car. The mysterious person who shoots the man also sees Johnson - the sniper aims to shoot Johnson but accidental shoots his shadow living Johnson to live. Recognising his mistake the killer flees in his car. Johnson is then taken in to testify against a gangster as a replacement for the shooting victim, however Johnson manages to escape leaving his dog whilst he is supposed to be taken into protective custody. The police then think he is running away from a mob which leads them to contact Johnson's wife Eleanor (played by Ann Sheriden). Eleanor helps to find her husband but suspects he ran away for a different reason: their unsuccessful marriage.
Later on, she discovers that her husband has a heart condition, she then receives the needed medicine and carries on searching, Eleanor is aided by a newspaper man: Danny Leggett, who explains that he is looking for a story. The two then conduct their own investigation and provides the limited information for the police, however the police stays determined. Johnson provides Eleanor help by contacting her through letter left by a mutual contact. The letter however leads Eleanor to struggle as she needs to remember a certain memory. She over comes this and remembers, it is then revealed that Danny Leggett is the killer but used Eleanor to find Frank Johnson, it is however to late. By the time she finds out they ar at an amusement Park were Johnson is and she is trapped on a roller-coaster until it stops. When the ride finishes the killer has already reaches to Johnson and thy fight for their lives, the killer is then suddenly shot by a policemen and Johnson and Eleanor embrace.
This particular narrative is manipulative and contains a twisted ending like the film ' 39 steps' in 1930. Both of the films coincidentally have an happy ending.
Actress- Ann Sheriden is an American actress who has starred in a total of five films. When she was younger Sheriden had won a beauty contest which prize was to star in a Paramount film ( a small bit). Later on in 1934 (ages 19) she made her film debut in 'Search for Beauty' and other uncredited bits in Paramount film. Paramount wanted to raise awareness of Sheriden acting and she later signed a contract with the Warner Bros.
A man called Tom Ripley has travelled to Italy to persuade his friend to come back to the US and take over his fathers business. Philipe Greenleaf however does not plan to. Tom and Philipe live in luxury and Tom falls in love with his friend's girlfriend, Philip has enough of Tom and tortures him and abuses him. Tom then gets fed up and plans to steal Philipe's identity and take his girlfriend but in order to do so he must kill Philipe. Tom kills Philipe through lies and betrayal. Tom disposes the body of shore and takes every thing. He makes an excuse to Philipe's girlfriend and travel around with her, he then comes across Philipe's friend who grows suspicious and Tom kills him as well. The body is found and the police
investigate. Tom then abuses the identity by switching to himself and Philipe's. Philipe's body is found as the decaying body got caught on to the anchor. At the end Tom is called up by the police.
Director- Rene Clement is a french film director and screen writer he developed his interest whilst attending a French art school learning about architecture called 'Ecole des Beaux-Arts'. Clement directed his first film in 1936 which was 20 minutes long. Rene Clement has won 2 awards in his lifetime - two for Academy Award For Best Foreign Film Language his winning films were 'The wall of Malapaga' and 'Forbidden game'.
Top Ripley is portrayed as a jealous, guiltless criminal. According to the plot, it seemed he had no trouble killing his friend and taking over his identity. The character is manipulative, and secretive, he is a character which holds many secrets.
A British thriller about two nurses(Jane and Cathy )who cycle around rural France. whilst taking a break Cathy grows interested in a man who sits alone on a table. They then carry on riding when a man drives past them on a scooter and stops by the cemetery, Cathy takes interest on him. They carry on cycling then argue as Cathy wants to sunbathe and Jane wants to carry on cycling. Jane goes on ahead leaving Cathy, Jane is then warned by a man that the area has a bad reputation. Jane cycles back unaware something has already happened. Jane fails to find Cathy and doubts the scooter driver, she heads on over to the police. She eventually believes that the Lambrette scooter driver (Paul) is the killer. She escapes discovering Cathy's dead body and encounters the police which is revealed Cathy's murderer. The killer attempts to kill Jane but is knocked unconscious by Paul.
Director- Robert Fuest is the same director who had partly directed 'The Avengers'. He is a film director, screen writer and production designer. He focuses mainly on horror, fantasy and suspense genre films.
Actors
1985-Terminator
1996- Se7en
2003- Kill Bill
2010- Paranormal activity
2013-Black swan
This is a list of the top ten thrillers in 2013.
This table shows the company it is from, lifetime gross/theaters and opening theaters1. Hannibal-
Hannibal consists of cannibalism, manipulation, gory death and torture.
The characters involve Clarice Starling. Who is the only surviving victim of Hannibal Lector.
Mason Verger is a wealthy man, who attempts to kill Lector by using Starling as a bait to lure him out. Verger is an elderly man who was difigured and left paralysed after Lector was hired to be his court appointyed therapist.
Verger bribes the head of justice arpartment, to blame Starling of holding a letter from Lector. The film ends with Lector at the dinner table with Starling and Krendle. Lector cuts of Krendles brain and feeds it to him. Lector ends up escaping on a plane when he severe his arm. When is wrist was cancuffed to Starlings waiting for the police to arrive.
The film become popular because of its unique and twisted narrative. Cannabilism, in thrillers were rare, as most thrillers consist of kidnaps and murders but not through cannibalism. The plot consisted of betrayal and manipulation, this would get the audience to concerntrate and try to predict the answer. The film included many conventions such as torture and death, in thrillers atleast one person will die. Cannibal, is not what the audience would like to see but it gets the audience interested, the title lures the audience in
Friday 27 September 2013
Research into editing style - Miss Georgiour
I have chosen a Thriller clip called 'Orphan', and I will be discussing about the kind of editing used and the effect that it has on the audience and how the editing styles are used within the thriller genre.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEE6jUWq6fY
In the clip there is a montage at 0.43
The nun steps on the brakes of the car sliding across the icy road. The montage is used to create suspense and excitement, as the edits are faster it will make the audience focus more on what is happening, this will also influence the audience to feel rushed and become interested into the scene as it creates excitement, and is filled with action. This is conventional in thrillers when there is a chase scene or an event is happening, the editing speeds up allowing the audience to feel a rush of excitement. The number of edits can also be interpretated as a representation of the heartbeat
Shot Reverse 0.20
A shot reverse edit has been used, when the main character is giving instructions to the little girl through hand signs ( as the little girl deaf). After the instructions have been given, the little girl has been betrayed, and is pushed on to the road, the scene immediately changed to the nun driving closer, and panicking once she sees the girl. The shot reverse shot builds tension and keeps the audience interested. Tension is built because it shows the viewers what is happening before before anything actually does - allowing the viewer to predict the event and feel mixed emotions of anger and sympathy which is typically done in thriller genres.
Reaction Shot 0.40
This shot has been used when the nun has seen the fallen victim on the road. The witness driving the car screams in terror as she sees the girl. The reaction shot has been done a more than once at this moment, to show the terrror and shock form on their faces. The audience will feel empathy towards the victim and witness, this is commonly done in thriller genre so the impact will be strong. This scene leaves a strong impression on the audiences mind as this could happen in reality.
Jump Cut 2.29
When the killer is continousily hitting the nun, there is a jump cut shot onto the hammer. This is done to show the hammer is the symbol of her death. A deep focus shot, to let the audience clearly see the weapon. The weapon is instantly given a strong, powerful status, which shows that the inanimate object is more superior than a person. From this the audience should feel fear, that a simple object can be life threatening. In typical thrillers, the jump cut shot is used to emphasise the importance of the weapon.
Timing of Shots 0.42
Timing of shots is seen when the driver has not seen the victim yet, and is still driving cluelessly. The shot goes from the car wheel heading towards the victim to the victim about to see the car. The shots start slow, then fast, this manipulates the audiences emotion, as they feel the urge to react to the clip; to shout at the driver to stop. The audience becomes attachted to the victim.
The timing of the shots are used when a character is close to death, the shots are done to bring out the emotions, which is done in thriller films.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEE6jUWq6fY
In the clip there is a montage at 0.43
The nun steps on the brakes of the car sliding across the icy road. The montage is used to create suspense and excitement, as the edits are faster it will make the audience focus more on what is happening, this will also influence the audience to feel rushed and become interested into the scene as it creates excitement, and is filled with action. This is conventional in thrillers when there is a chase scene or an event is happening, the editing speeds up allowing the audience to feel a rush of excitement. The number of edits can also be interpretated as a representation of the heartbeat
Shot Reverse 0.20
A shot reverse edit has been used, when the main character is giving instructions to the little girl through hand signs ( as the little girl deaf). After the instructions have been given, the little girl has been betrayed, and is pushed on to the road, the scene immediately changed to the nun driving closer, and panicking once she sees the girl. The shot reverse shot builds tension and keeps the audience interested. Tension is built because it shows the viewers what is happening before before anything actually does - allowing the viewer to predict the event and feel mixed emotions of anger and sympathy which is typically done in thriller genres.
Reaction Shot 0.40
This shot has been used when the nun has seen the fallen victim on the road. The witness driving the car screams in terror as she sees the girl. The reaction shot has been done a more than once at this moment, to show the terrror and shock form on their faces. The audience will feel empathy towards the victim and witness, this is commonly done in thriller genre so the impact will be strong. This scene leaves a strong impression on the audiences mind as this could happen in reality.
Jump Cut 2.29
When the killer is continousily hitting the nun, there is a jump cut shot onto the hammer. This is done to show the hammer is the symbol of her death. A deep focus shot, to let the audience clearly see the weapon. The weapon is instantly given a strong, powerful status, which shows that the inanimate object is more superior than a person. From this the audience should feel fear, that a simple object can be life threatening. In typical thrillers, the jump cut shot is used to emphasise the importance of the weapon.
Timing of shots is seen when the driver has not seen the victim yet, and is still driving cluelessly. The shot goes from the car wheel heading towards the victim to the victim about to see the car. The shots start slow, then fast, this manipulates the audiences emotion, as they feel the urge to react to the clip; to shout at the driver to stop. The audience becomes attachted to the victim.
The timing of the shots are used when a character is close to death, the shots are done to bring out the emotions, which is done in thriller films.
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