Research: What is a thriller?

Genres

What are genres

In terms of film, genre is a term which refers to the methods in which films are constructed. Most theories of film genre are borrowed from literary genre criticism.

What is a thriller 

A thriller is a movie genre which uses several techniques to create a sense of fearful excitement amongst its audience. Thrillers often fall into the target audience of age ratings 15 and 18. Thrillers also fall into many sub-genres such as; psychological thrillers, action thrillers, sci-fi thrillers and more.

Examples of thrillers 

Final destination 5

  

This film takes place in various settings unlike. It belongs to a sequence of films which all consist of the protagonist visioning a natural disaster right before the event occurs; saving a group of people by warning them about disaster and 'cheating death' to then later encounter a gruesome death in order of how they died in the vision.

This is a thriller because it uses such gruesome and sickening deaths to create thrill amongst the audience. 

 When a stranger calls

This film takes place in large maze-like house which is situated in an isolated location which is where the majority of the film is set. This is where the protagonist, Jill, spends the night babysitting two children. She spends her time on the phone while the kids sleep only to then start receiving phone call from a strange man who is stalker her while she stays in the house. She then has to play hero and save the children as well as herself.

This is a thriller because it uses dim lighting throughout the whole film which creates a dark airy set; along side other characteristics. It also uses mystery to create suspense and tension.

What is a sub-genre?

A sub-genre is a division of a genre into smaller categories. Examples of sub-genres within the thriller genre consists of:

Crime thriller

 Crime thrillers often focus more on characters such as criminals and their activities in leading up to the crime or in retrospect the ending of the film leading back to how it all started. Crime thrillers usually emphasise action over psychological aspects. Common topics of the films include serial killers & murders, robberies, chases, shootouts, heists and double-crosses.

Political thriller

This sub-genre focuses on the stability of a government and the reliance on a hero or heroine who must ensure the stability of the government that employs them in order to prevent a bad things happening. Commonly used scenarios are the US presidential elections and the preventions of world wars from occuring.

Psychological thriller

This is the quintessential sub-genre of thriller that is implemented into all the sub-thriller genres. It plays with the audiences minds and creates suspense in film due to the fact that it reflects the main characters conflict being mental and emotional hindered. It depicts the mentality of a character and the thought processes that they go through which makes this sub-genre so suspenseful.

Common themes

 
There are many of common themes amongst the area of thrillers. These include:

• Revenge
• Obsession/ stalking
• Good vs Evil
• Death
• Kidnappings/ abduction

Audience's response to thrillers
Thriller is a genre that uses different characteristics to create fearful excitement in the audience.  There are several techniques that are used to have a large effect on the audience.

Conclusion 
In conclusion, researching about thrillers has furthered my knowledge and has given me stronger ideas of what to use in my own thriller and the kind of sub-genre I'd like to have in it and also the themes.
 

Research: Censorship

Censorship

Who are the BBFC and what is their role?

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) is an
independent, non-governmental body. They've classified cinema films since 1912, videos/DVDs and some video games since 1984. Accountable to Parliament, their primary aims are to protect children and other vulnerable groups of people from harm.

 

Why BBFC is important in the film industry

The BBFC provides a wide variety of services to the Film and Home Entertainment industry

They are committed to:
issuing trusted age ratings and content advice in accordance with their published Guidelines, drawn from large-scale public consultations and   specialist research;
being fair and transparent in how they conduct our business;
ensuring information relating to their products and services is clear and understandable;
providing cost-effective statutory and non-statutory content labelling services for business of all sizes, reinvesting income to deliver further value;
promoting and protecting the creative industries through our support to law enforcement agencies and their extensive education programme.

What things get censored

Nudity 

BBFC guidelines allow for "little or no nudity" in U rated films; "occasional nudity in a non-sexual context" in films rated "PG",  occasional "brief and discreet" nudity in a sexual context in films rated "12",  full-frontal nudity, "sometimes in a sexual context" (but avoiding “close-up detail”) in those rated "15",  And "extensive full-frontal nudity" in a sexual context  in those rated 18.

Violence

BBFC guidelines are quite detailed about the treatment of violence in films, reflecting high levels of public concern about the impact of screen or video violence on behaviour. "U" rated films require that “threat or menace” be kept to a minimum; that there should be “no focus on violence (physical or verbal) as a solution to problems”; that there should be “no focus on weapons unless in comic, historic or fantastic settings”; and that while there may be “brief moments of fighting” these must be “balanced by reassuring sequences or storylines”.

 Drugs

No drug references are permitted in films rated "U" “Mild verbal or visual references” are allowed in those rated “PG” and brief images are allowed in those rated “12”, as long as they don’t condone or encourage drug use. Drug use may be shown without detail in films classified as “15” and in detail but with “no clear instruction” on use in those classified "18". "15" rated films cannot include images that "glamorise, promote or encourage illegal drug use", while in the case of  "18" rated films the film as a whole is not permitted to directly "promote or advocate the use of hard drugs".

Conclusion

I have learned a lot about film regulation such as the fact that there is a lot of criticism that comes with it and directors have to think about what they put into their films. When making my own thriller I need to consider that I need to keep violence at a minimal and not use strong language. 

Research: Narrative themes and plots

Narrative themes

 What are themes? 

A theme is the central meaning of a narrative. It tells the reader what the film is about. The theme is expressed through what the characters say, do and think and through the actions that take place within the story. The theme also is revealed in how the plot and setting of the narrative are constructed and presented. Themes are important to identity for the audience as once the viewer identifies the films theme, he can then make conclusions about the narrative.

Common themes in thrillers 

Common themes within thrillers movies are mainly ransoms, captivities, heists, revenge, kidnappings. There are also more psychological theme such as, stalking, confinement/deathtraps, horror-of-personality, and obsession. The two major themes that underpin the thriller genre are the desire for justice and the morality of individuals. A significant aspect of a thriller is the presence of innocence in what is seen as an essentially corrupt world.
The protagonist(s) and antagonist(s) may battle themselves and each other, not just on a physical level, but also on a mental level.
Either by accident or due to their own curiousness, each character is dragged into a dangerous conflict or situation that they are not prepared to resolve.

Themes in my thriller 

In my thriller movie, I plan to use the theme of obsession using scenes such as stalking and obsession. there will also be few gruesome scenes.

Research: Narrative theory

Narrative theory

What is narrative?

Narrative theory is familiar and a relatively easy concept for teachers and students of literature. Narrative structures can be studied in works of literature, journalism, theatre, and all time based media like movies and television adverts. While many media text can be analyzed according to 'classic' narrative principles of storytelling, moving images and digital forms require also a new critical framework.

Propp's theory

Vladimir Propp, was a Russian critic. Whilst the cinema were producing many films, Propp was essentially interested in the narrative of folk tales. He noticed that often many Folk tales were similar in a variety areas. He created a theory about characters and actions as narrative functions. 

The typical characters Propp found were The Hero – a character that seeks something. The Villain – who opposes or actively blocks the hero’s quest. The Donor – who provides an object with magical properties. The Dispatcher – who sends the hero on his/her quest via a message. The False Hero – who disrupts the hero’s success by making false claims. The Helper – who aids the hero. The Princess – acts as the reward for the hero and the object of the villain’s plots. Her Father – who acts to reward the hero for his effort.In a struggle scene Vladimir Propp suggested the theory that there is a struggle between the hero and the villain. The hero is branded. The villain is overcome. The state of disorder is settled, and the recognition scene - At this stage in the film either the hero is recognised or the false hero or villain is unmasked. The false hero could also be punished in this scene, or the hero attains the reward enabling them to live happily ever after. An example of this is a fairytale.

Todorov's theory

 Izetan Todorov was a Bulgarian structuralist linguist publishing influential work on narrative from the 1960's onwards. Todorov once suggested that stories begin with equilibrium or status where any potentially opposing forces are in the balance. This is however disrupted by an event, setting in a series of events. Problems are solved in order for the order to be restored to the world of the fiction.

 Todorov suggeste that conventional narratives are structured in five stages:

1) A state of equilibrium at the outset

2) A disruption of the equilibrium by an action

3) A recognition that there has been a disruption

4) an attempt to repair the disruption

5) A reinstatement of the equilibrium

This type of narrative structure is very familiar to us and can be applied to various "mainstream" film narratives.

Aristotle's theory 

In his usual methodical way, Aristotle stated that there were six ingredients in a tragedy: "the Fable or Plot, Characters, Diction, Thought, Spectacle, and Melody." He goes on to discuss the relative importance, as he saw it, of Plot and Character.

In his treatment of character, Aristotle suggests that in tragedy the protagonist should fit certain conditions:
It follows, therefore, that there are three forms of Plot to be avoided. (1) A good man must not be seen passing from happiness to misery, or (2) a bad man from misery to happiness. The first situation is not fear-inspiring or piteous, but simply odious to us. The second is the most untragic that can be; it has no one of the requisites of Tragedy; it does not appeal either to the human feeling in us, or to our pity, or to our fears. Nor, on the other hand, should (3) an extremely bad man be seen falling from happiness into misery. Such a story may arouse the human feeling in us, but it will not move us to either pity or fear; pity is occasioned by undeserved misfortune, and fear by that of one like ourselves; so that there will be nothing either piteous or fear-inspiring in the situation. There remains, then, the intermediate kind of personage, a man not pre-eminently virtuous and just, whose misfortune, however, is brought upon him not by vice and depravity but by some error of judgment, of the number of those in the enjoyment of great reputation and prosperity.

Barthes' theory 

 Roland Barthes was a French literary theorist, philosopher, critic and semiotician. He explored a wide range of fields and also influenced the development of schools. Barthes described text to have no beginning, be reversible and that we can gain access to it by several entrance, none that can be declare by the main one. 

He meant that once unravelled, we encounter a wide range of potential meanings. He also meant that we can start by looking at a narrative in one way, from one viewpoint, one set of previous experience, and create one meaning for that text, and that you can continue to unravel the narrative from a different angle and create an entirely different meaning.

 Narrative structure in thrillers

Thriller’s narrative have often a complex structure, they like to keep the audience guessing on what will happen next and it has twist and turns. A lot of thrillers have a restricted narrative, questions and or riddles will be left unanswered until towards the end of the film. Also in narrative they can put in false clue.

Narrative structure in my thriller 

In my thriller, I want to use a simple structure where the antagonist will attack the victim and the victim will then try to escape.

 

 

Research: Mise en scene: Setting and iconography

Mise en Scene: Setting and iconography

 What is setting?

Setting is a term used to describe the location of where a film is being set, subsequently making it conventional to the genre it belongs to. Setting is vital within thriller movies due to the fact that it can create several connotations and denotations based on how a location appears. For example, if a film is being set in a forest or another isolated location, it would automatically present the film as a horror or thriller movie.

What is iconography?

Iconography is a term used to describe any object that we witness in any particular scene within a film. These items can range from the props that the characters use to any object or item that is in the setting. Iconography adds a lot of meaning to what goes on in a scene.

Setting and sub genre

Settings are very dependent on sub genres as it can make the movie what it is and also make it easier for the audience to engage with the film.

Sub genre setting examples:

Action thrillers: Action thrillers tend to be set in places such as banks, streets, underground, and other urban locations.

Sci-fi thrillers: Often set in locations such as laboratories, factories, and other forms of bases.

Crime thrillers: Usually set in streets, homes and virtually anywhere.

Psychological thrillers: Tend to be set in enclosed locations such as hospitals, churches, houses and prisons.



Typical thriller iconography


 Knives

 Knives are a typical thriller iconography and relate to the thriller genre because it's a key
 weapon that the antagonist or suspect uses to harm or kill victims making it a common convention in thriller movies. In thrillers there are some scenes whereby the antagonists stabs the victim and thrusts the knife back and forth, this sends chills down the audiences spine therefore making it fitting to the thriller genre as it really heightens the feeling of terror, certainty and suspense that is associated with thrillers. A close-up shot of a bloody knife laying on the ground is an example of how knives can be introduced into a scene. Knives are associated with thrillers as they strongly represent  blood, death, pain and brutality.



Shadows

Shadows are also a typical thriller iconography.They are used in thrillers when they show the antagonist slowly heading towards his or her unsuspecting victim. Shadows are also a great way to mask the identity of the antagonist, due to the fact that it builds up the mood of anticipation in a scene as the audience is made unaware of who the antagonists is or what he or she is going to do. Shadows in thrillers symbolize mystery and uncertainty which is why they work excellently in thrillers as they do not give away clues to the audience. In the thriller film scenes, shadows are mostly associated with really unpleasant isolated locations which helps as it builds up fear in the audience.




Typical thriller settings

Woods are locations typically used for thrillers as they show a large area of land occupied by only trees with no sign of  civilization - usually where the characters are prone to getting lost or subsequently being forced to isolate themselves from people by the villain. Woods often lead to the victim trying to figure out how to escape. Woods strongly symbolize loneliness and isolation  which strongly links thrillers as they create the sense of vulnerability and it seems inevitable that the characters will ever find any help or escape the wrath of the antagonist



Conclusion: In conclusion the information above has helped me to develop a deeper understanding of how setting and iconography helps to create different connotations and denotations by the audience. The type of setting I'm planning to use in my thriller are crime thriller settings such as streets, parks, and houses and the type of iconography are blood, weapons and shadows.

 

  

Research: Mise en scene: Costume, body language and facial expressions

Mise En Scene: Costumes, body language and facial expressions

 

 

 

Costumes:

The costume that a character uses will tell the audience a lot about the characters personality and the way they present themselves. From looking at the manner in which the character presents themselves by looking at the Costume, the audience can start to infer about the kind of job that person may be involved with.

 

Body language and facial expressions:

The body language and facial expressions of a character are very important because they portray the emotions of the character. These emotions gives the audience a clear indication of how the character must be feeling.

These are important conventions as body language can tell you a lot about the type of characters in a film. The manner in which they present themselves or act, will be conventional to many other films of the same genre. For example, characters differ but we are aware that a tear drop demonstrates that something distressing has happened. A character's body shaking can indicate the the person is frightened, indicating to the audience straight away what the genre is.
 

 

 

 



Research: Mise en scene: Lighting and colour

Mise en scene: Lighting and colour

What is mise en scene?

 

Mise en scene is a term used to describe the characteristics that are used to set a film and tell a story. There are five elements within mise en scene consists of lighting, setting, costume, body language and facial expression and iconography. 

 

Lighting 

 Lighting helps to illustrate mood and atmosphere within a film. Lighting can also be used to achieve a variety of effects such as highlighting important characters or objects, making characters appear mysterious by shading sections of their face and body, reflecting a character's mental state/hidden emotions and much more.

 

Types of lighting 

 Low-key lighting

 

 Low-key lighting is a type of lighting which is created by the usage of only the key and back lights. Low-key lighting produces sharp contrasts of light and dark areas. When low-key lighting is used, deep and distinct shadows/silhouettes are formed due to this. In a thriller, low-key lighting builds up tension and makes the audience aware that something big may be about to take place such as the protagonist/victim being attacked.

 

 

High-key lighting

High-key lighting is when more filler lights are used, making lighting appear more natural and realistic to our eyes. High-key lighting produces brightly lit sets. High-key lighting can enable the audience to identify main characters such as antagonists/protagonists.

 



Natural lighting 

Natural light is when no lighting has been added and what you see is what you expect to see. In thriller movies, natural light often comes from sources such as fire.

Under lighting

When light comes from below the person. This type of light tends to have disorting effect on character.



 

Top lighting

Lighting comes from above, highlighting the key features of a character. Top lighting often creates a glamorous look in a character.

Back lighting

When the light source is behind the person. If minimal or no light is used, silhouettes.



Low-key lighting is conventional in thriller's to connote mystery and suspense amongst the audience in themes of isolation which shows the character as vulnerable in comparison to the antagonist.

 

Research: Editing

Editing

What is editing: Film editing is part of the creative post-production process of filmmaking. The editor works with the raw footage, selecting shots and combining them into sequences to create a finished motion picture. Film editing is described as an art or skill, the only art that is unique to cinema, separating filmmaking from other art forms that preceded it, although there are close parallels to the editing process in other art forms like poetry or novel writing.

There are various methods of editing:

Fast editing: When clips are cut at a faster pace than usual. This can be utilised to build up suspense within the scene and often occurs in thriller movies when an attack is taking place which creates fearful excitement amongst the audience.

Slow editing: This is the opposite of fast editing - This is when clips are cut at a slower pace which is used to produce a build up of tension and spark action. Slow editing is often used in thriller movies to let the audience know that something exciting was on the horizon.

Straight cut: A straight cut is when one shot moves into an other in an edit without causing confusion. This allows the audience to keep track of whats happening in the scene.

Fade to black: When one shot moves into another with a black filter in between. This can be utilised to make the audience clear of the separation in the scenes.

Wipe cut: When one shot slides to move onto another.

Reaction shot: Any shot in which a subject reacts to a previous shot. This can produce suspense and make the audience feel like a bad situation was due to take place.

Montage: This is the speed of editing in which shots are rapidly juxtaposed together to create excitement.

180 degrees rule: The rule in which a camera must not shoot on the other side of a line to prevent confusion within the audience. It is often used during the filming of a conversation between two characters. This makes it clear to the audience that a conversation is taking place. in order to avoid confusion.

Shot reverse shot: This is utilised in thriller moves when a conversation is taking place. It is when one shot quickly follows another making sure that the audience is not confused and making the fact that a conversation is taking place clear.

Jump cut: This is a drastic camera movement that is very noticeable to the eye. This is when the shot "jumps" - it can be used within thriller movies to create suspense and excitement within the audience.

Conclusion: These techniques have given me a bigger idea of what I would consider to use in my own thriller, such as slow editing, fast editing and wipe cuts.



Research: Scream analysis

The opening sequence of Scream is conventional as a thriller opening in various ways which I will discuss. I will be analysing the meaning and responses that it creates within the viewer.

One of these factors is the cinematography. The first camera shot utilised was an establishing shot. This shot demonstrated the setting which was a big house located in what seemed to be in the middle of a forest. The setting looked like something negative was bound to happen due to the fact that it was set in the night which made it dark and appear isolated. Furthermore, the house is isolated which depicts the victims vulnerability. This is conventional to a thriller movie as ilustrating where a film itself is set is a vital feature within a thriller movie. This is due to the fact that in most thriller movies it is the setting which makes the movie what it is for e.g. in the film The Conjuring the vast majority of the film is set in a haunted house which is under investigation. The setting in Scream makes the audience feel that it was not safe as the victim was alone making her a target for the antagonist (Scream).

Another element of the opening sequence of Scream which made it conventional as a thriller opening was the body language/facial expressions. At the beginning of the movie, the victim picks up her phone calmly and relaxed but when Scream mentioned her name she froze and her face dropped which was illustrated via the usage of camera zoom and a reaction shot to show the victims reaction towards what was happening. This is conventional as a thriller opening due to the fact that the manner in which the characters respond to situations is a major ingredient when producing a thriller movie and making it interesting. Scream's body language also had a big effect; his body language demonstrates his power and superiority over the victim. This is vastly evident when the camera was at a low angle when focused on him. At this point it made the audience feel that there was going to be a major twist and that the victim may not be well and alive for too long after this. Moreover, the antagonist (Scream) was masked and dressed in black when he first appeared to the audience. This had a huge effect on the audience as a masked antagonist is a common factor within thriller movies. This connotes to the audience that the fact that the antagonist was masked it meant that his objective was to attack or to kill and he did not want his identity behind the mask to be known to anyone. The antagonist's hidden identity made the audience feel fearful as when the victim eventually managed to unmask the antagonist, the antagonist still did not have a face under the mask.

Another factor which made the opening sequence of Scream conventional as a thriller opening was the lighting. When the movie commenced, every light in the house was turned on such as the lamps. This made the room very bright and made it appear to the audience that the victim was safe and nothing bad could have possibly occurred. However, when the phone call starts, as I said before the lighting shows the victims safety but as she moves from room to room whilst speaking on the phone nothing bad could have been suspected by the audience. However, as she walked into the corridor low-key lighting was utilized to illustrate the darkness that was arising upon the victim. As the reaction shot was shown when her name was mentioned, she started to become frantic which made her start to panic and then decide to run. As she was running, her shadow was following her which suggests that the dark shadow could be a sign that death was creeping behind her. This affects the audience as when the phonecall started to progress, the audience begun to empathize with her fear and they were curious to find out what would then happen to the victim.

Iconography also proved to be a vital feature in making the opening sequence of Scream conventional. The victim's phonecalls were scream were very important as the first phonecall was what started the scene. Whilst the victim was on the phone to Scream she was holding a knife in a playful manner. This was very effective in the end as later on in the scene she attempts to use the knife as her defense weapon against Scream but he takes it off of her which ironically killed her. This was conventional due to the fact that knives are a common household object which links to the fact that many thriller movies are set inside venues such as houses etc where knives are easy to get to by the antagonist. As knives are mainly used in a kitchen for cooking, the audience can connote from this that the knife could be utilised as a weapon to harm the victim.

Editing in this opening sequence is utilised significantly to create deep meaning and understanding within the audience. The scene displays many straight cuts which makes it more simple for the viewer to understand what is going on. However, slow and fast paced editing is also used to create different responses. For example, when Scream stabbed the victim in her chest, slow paced editing is used to reflect the seriousness of the situation and to make the antagonist appear bolder although fast paced editing was used when Scream was chasing her. The slow paced editing represents the fact that the antagonist is heartless. This makes the audience feel even more helpless towards the victim and when the victim tries to scream to gain the attention of her parents. Moreover, this connotes to the audience that the antagonist is ruthless and that he will kill anyone that tries to cross his path or prevent them from achieving their its intentions.

The sound throughout the opening sequence of Scream also helps to make it conventional as a thriller opening. When the scene first starts there is a lot of diegetic sound such as when the victim was making her popcorn and when her phone. this sets the mood as the fact that she is making popcorn makes everything appear calm to the audience. However, once Scream says to the victim on the phone that he wants to know her name because he wanted to know who he's looking at, Non diegetic sound is playing which was slowly paced and also quite eerie sounding. There was then fast-paced music as she was running to lock all of the locks in the house. There was then diegetic sound when the doorbell rung which also proved to be very effective. This sound demonstrated the thrill and terror within the scene. This makes the audience feel that bad events were about to occur as the music then became very fast-paced which created a lot of suspense

In conclusion, I believe that the opening sequence of Scream was highly conventional as a thriller movie opening due to the fact that several of the micro-elements demonstrated within it were typical in thriller movies which created a high level of emotion within the audience. The micro-elements used helped to create fear and empathy towards the victim. All of these elements together help to produce a more frightening and shocking scene for the audience as it makes the audience relate to the female victim who is being killed. The uses of micro-elements have made this film popular amongst many thriller movies and made it one of the most successful thriller movies of all time.