In our class we dicussed thriller film conventions and came up with a few ideas that are in typical thriller films which are:
Plot twists
Tension
Suspense- Audience knowledge (Anixous what is going to happen next)
Main character(Hero)- Villian usually a male-mysterious, females in distress
Mystery- Audience is in the dark about important information-(Secreats revealed)
Deception
Sinister plot
Music to suit the mood of film
Structure- Beginning-normal. Middle-disruption by characters. End- tension,climax,resolution.
Typical narrative
Red eye.
In this essay I am going to be looking at how red eye follows the conventions of a thriller film and follows some of the theories that people have made about a thriller film and their views of what they think one is.
In the film studies dictionary the definition of a thriller is “Thriller is a loose genre term referring to any film that generates suspense and excitement as a major aspect of its narrative” this definition describes the film red eye in a very good way all throughout of the film there are many parts that create suspense and get the person watching the film nervous and excited to what is going to happen next. In the film a lot of music is played to suit the films mood like nervous, excitement and anxiety which is done in all typical thriller films so the suspense is created for the next scene. Also the film uses a plot twist when one thing is solved something else happens for example the girl makes the phone call to the other lady telling her what to do and then the phone cuts off which is a good thing as she pretends on her part of the plan but then the man realises and butts her this is a plot twist as she thought she was getting her way of not doing something but then is all goes to mush and doesn’t work in this film there is many of the same thing continually happening as any other thriller film would do. Northrop Frye view is a heroic romance view which is: Frye argued that thrillers were stories that took ordinary people and threw them in extraordinary situations. In red eye this is a true statement as a normal girl is put into a hard situation where she doesn't know what to do and the film starts off in a kind of romantic way where the man helps her and talks about her favourite drink it looks as if they were going to go on a date and become more than friends but the he turns into something you wouldn’t except and she is put into an extremely hard situation. Another thriller theory is W.H Matthews view of mazes and labyrinths: Matthews writes about how human beings fascination for physical puzzles- often seen in Mazes and labyrinths. Thrillers often use the idea of a character who is lost or trapped and needs to find away out of their situation, throughout red eye this theory is continuously portrayed as the female character becomes lost or trapped in the film, firstly the male character tells her what he wants to do and she becomes trapped as she cannot leave the plane and has to do his dirty work, then she becomes trapped in the toilet when he is attacking her there is no where for her to turn, at the end of the film she is trapped in the house running all around as if she is finding her way around a maze and she just keeps trying and trying. The last theory show in red eye is Noel Carroll question and answer theory : Carroll argues that thrillers are structured around a series of questions for which the audience is led to want answers, in red aye a numerous amount of questions are raised and when they are answered another raised this happens all the way through the film. In conclusion Red eye follows the conventions of a thriller film and illustrates many of the theories named.
our class have watched a variety of opening scences of thriller movies and analysed what there all about, Red eye analysis.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DB3IfPks0NA Narrative structure-The story of red begins with a stealing of a wallet then you see people studying plans of a building both these thing signify things to come in the film. Then a picture of the girl is shown so you can establish the character but none of the other characters are revealed after this the last bit of the scence a crate of fish are being shipped from one place to another, all of these are important narrative strands which are established.
Thriller codes and conventions -Even in the early seconds of the film they use the typical codes and conventions for example partical vision is used we only see the hand of the theif when stealing the wallet also enigma codes are used raising questions like: -why? -who? -what? the music used in the scence builds up tension which makes an exciting atmosphere and the film is set in a modern urban/technological area which is done in many thriller films.
Camerawork-The film uses many different angles, Close-ups focusing on the main objects that people should look at for example the pictures,wallet and it is hiding the identities also slow track foward is used which draws attention to the wallet suggesting it is important and tracking shots on the crate of fish travelling. Close-up on pictures of building still consealing the identity of crooks then extreme close up on pictures in wallet. High angle shots look down on objects which shows power.
Mise-en-scence-The lighting in the film is low key lighting it creates shadows on objects alot of props are used in the scene the wallet a key prop, the photographs begin to tell the story the fish with red skin links to the title of the film (red rerrings)distracts from the real danger. costume used on theif suggests the man is a very professional person.
Sound-Diegetic sound is the keys and wallet dropping,water running, footsteps, door, car and box being loaded behind the music, paper being turned and the ice crunching all these sounds create the films realism. Non-diegetic sound opening music is intense a thumping beat which is dramtic , when the title zooms out a plane noise is used. Crescendo of sound, the boom gives us a sense that its the beginning of the journey. Orchestral music is used signifies seriousness its going to be a big drama minor key it is mysterious thoughout a constant driving rhythm.
Editing-Compressed/condensed time which is a period of many days of filming edited which is shown in 2 minutes. The film takes us to a variety of different place in a smooth way, both of these things are called montage editing. Then a dissolve is used to introduce photo's of buildings.
Graphics-Plain white sans serif font is used which gives it a modern look the words zoom out getting smaller has an aeroplane link then fades out at the end. Title in red capitials makes it stand out, Credits positioned in many different parts of the screen with a drop shadow and they start which actors names and their roles.
Strangers on a train
Narrative structure-this scence shows two men going to a train station getting on to the train they sit opposite eachother and bumps feet, indicates there paths crossing , its a linear narrative.
Thiller codes and conventions-The opening scence uses partical vision you only see the feet right up until the end of scence when characters faces are introduced. Engima codes are used to create questions,
-Who are they? -Where are they going? -How are they connected? ( Going to be?) It is a transformed city theory a ordinary city used as a location for an exciting story and a ordinary person is thrown into a werid situation( swapping murders)
Camera work-The scence starts with a establishing shot of washington. Then mid-shots from waist down showing characters feet and legs, tracking left to right and right to left following both sets of feet. Also a long shot is used where you still see no faces but showing people going towards train from behind. Point of view shot of front of the train then it begins to track foward as the train moves off two final shot as men sit opposite each other.
Mise-en-scene-The shoes are used to suggest the characters status in society, Guys shoes are plain and he wears a plain suit which suggests he is a normal casual person but brunos shoes are two-toned brogues 'jazzy' and wears a pin-stripped suit which suggests he is a strange out-going person. Also tennis rackets indicate guys occupation to the veiwers before words. The railway lines produce a X symbol which link to the criss cross motif.
Sound-Non-diegetic, Orchestral music is used the same melody played throughout for each then the character station announcer also says "all abroad" there is not much variety of sound in this opening scence.
Editing-In this scence, graphic match is used for dissolving from the station floor to the train lines also there is some cross cutting used to link two sets of feet which makes it like the two males are destined to meet eachother.
Graphics-The credits appear over the opening establishing shot then there are no graphics during the sequence.
State of play
Narrative structure-In this scence a man suddenly runs across a busy road in a panicy way and gets knocked by cars and various objects he then runs through a shop and out the back where he hides and thiniks he is safe and comes out from hiding and is shot by a gunman and this gunman shoots a passing cyclist. Done in continuity editing linear narrative.
Thriller codes and conventions-Enigma codes to create questions
-Why? -Who? Darkness is used to create partial vision and mystery of the characters, the city becomes transformed into the thriller back drop and the weather increases the doom and gloom of the film.
Camerawork-Opening establishing shot, a wide shot of washington dc, a hand held camera is used following the man across the road which creates feeling of panicing movement like we are in the scence with him all of these give us a sense of realism. it is a fast moving camera to show speed of the man panning and tracking to follow the man. Close-up on the mans face as he hides which shows us his nerves. Also the camera pans quickly after the gunshot as if it responding to it then there is a point of view shot as the cyclist goes by and of the gunman looking down on the man. The final shot zooms in at ground level to the mans dying face.
Mise-en-scence-The m.e.s is designed to produce a feeling of mystery. The lighting of the scence is at a very low key (very dark) gives it a gloomy look. The gunman wears black carries gun and a metal briefcase also is breath is very visable which has connotations of a devil, like he has the breath of a angry dragon. He also has a silencer on his gun which suggests he is a professional very secreat. the man running away is sweaty and scragging as if he has a hard life. Around this is alot of rain and puddles dull doesnt come across as a nice place to be.
Sound-Diegetic- sounds of helicopter (asynchronous), beeping and sirens all of these sound portray crime to us. Ambient sound is used for example people talking, doors and the movement of many different things. Then there are the sounds of the bad things about to happen, screams, smashing, breathing and the rain and thunder which give us a sense of the gloom and doom also there is the sound of the man bumping into things when he is running away for example the bin, there is the sound of the gunshot which is very sudden and the man on the bike passing by. Non- diegetic- In the background there is a sutal buzzing noise which called ominous and after the gunshot the sound is all distcordant the music gets louder as cyclist is killed.
Editing-In this scene there arent many shots and they are quite long takes which gives the film a sense of realism it is continuaty editing also it follows the man as he runs which is called linear.
Graphics-The credits are in blue capitals but are quite small in a very old western font and at the end the title is in white capitals
Se7en
Narrative structure - There is a montage of images which suggests some kind of story about crime, the person is putting together a dark scrap book of words and images. Thriller codes and conventions Enigma codes to create questions why? what? who? And partial vision you dont see any faces just flashing images of the scrap book the persons fingers throughout its all black,white or red colors which have dark connotations it focus on the villain and the crime.
Camera work- There are extreme close ups to place us very close to all of the nasty harsh things and the camera pans occasionally across surfaces e.g on the writing.
Mise-en-scene- In most parts you seen fingers with bandages and them cutting things e.g the dollar bills/ photos/ film strips. In the scence there is alot of pens and pencils erasing words, needles, scissors, razor blades, book and photos of nasty/ violent things.
Sound -Non-diegetic- The music is scary, distored throughout there is a heavy thumping beat it is very slow and there is lots of layers of sound like scratching,screams and creaks which reflect the twisted mentality of the character. Also builds up to a climax where words link up to the image "you got me closer to god" - religious?
Editing -It is a very fast montage using half dissolves and the images jump around on the screen and jump cuts are used Graphics The credits jump around the screen and flip about the credits are written in a white but it as if its an un-natural white they are blurry and look hand written.
Summary
According to our research opening scenes to thriller films use the following conventions:
-Important narrative elements are suggested without being made to obvious -Sense of narrative beginning in which ordinary life is distruped by threatening force -May contrast between good and bad characters -Narrative structure may be linear and non linear -Enigma codes used to raise important questions in audience minds -Partial vision with holds important information -Settings are urban, transformed place of excitment or danger -Close-ups link to point of view and extreme close-ups -Lighting low key( shadows with conotations of mystery) -Objects, costumes etc suggest ideas and characters and narrative -Montage combined images from different times and places linked to narrative -Continuity editing starting narrative off with a thrilling taster scene -Diegetic sounds combined with non-diegetic sounds -Dark serious music signifies type of film it is -Graphics may be designed to reflect the dark themes of the film
Audience Research. Rate these ten ideas 1-5 according to how appealing they are; 1 being poor and 5 being excellent.
1, Walking home alone being followed by a stranger in the dark, s/he is abducted and has to find a way out.- 76
2, Person driving, there is a strange body in the middle of the road. Driver stops to help body, and the car is ambushed by a mysterious gang- 90
3, Home alone, mysterious happenings, something/someone is playing games, and she is killed. -75
4, Man jogging, gets jumped and kidnapped, asked for ransom, man is tortured until money is received.- 75
5, Childs party, clown takes the children one by one.- 86
6, Drug taking in the hills, everything goes wrong, they begin to not trust each other and start do disappear - 111
7, Child is adopted and birth parents start to stalk and kidnap the child back. Parents have mental issues and that is the reason why the child was taken. - 83
8, Family moves to new home and scary and mysterious things happen to them which don’t allow them to leave the house.-83
9, a babysitter is in a house with a child and someone kidnaps baby, babysitter on a rampage to get it back.- 69
10, Man owes money and gets trouble throughout film. - 44
Rate these titles from 1 to 5 in how appealing you think they are: 1 being poor and 5 being excellent?
Synopsis. The idea that we have chosen as a group is a thriller about a psychotic clown who likes to kill children. The ways in which he plans his stuff out is when parents ring him up to make a booking for their Childs party , he asks for names of children .This is for his research on the children ready to plan a kill on them . The psychotic character envies the childhood of the children he murders and this is his way on revenge.
Treatment. Beggining- Starts off with the man walking down the cellar stairs. The man who is the clown gets a party booking and then beggins his ritual of getting ready, which consists of getting his suit, makeup, weapons. His face is not revealed in any of it. Middle- Attends the party, entertains for a while and then finds his victim. He kidnapps his victim and takes the child away to his lair to torture him with his various weapons. End- Neighbours overhear the young boy's cry and get suspicious, so they call the police and a raid the house and reveal all of the other children.
Character Outline.- Kieth Richardson, is a middle aged man who is very lonely and distant. He has no family and lives alone in his one bedroom house along with his cellar, where he seems to spend the majority of his time. His only source of income is from his full time job as a entertainer for childrens parties. Envious of the happy children he sees, his dark secret, known only to him, banishes him to his cellar.
Script.- Int. Cellar. Day.
A man enters the cellar through the door and turns on the light and slowly walks down the stairs. He walks over to the bowl and begins to wash his face. After he washs his face he wipes it with a towel and make-up smudges onto the white towel. As he is Looking into the mirror wiping his face the phone rings, He pauses instantly and peers at it for a moment with a sinister look. He walks over and answers.
Keith(Clown)
Hello, Justa clown speaking how may i help you?
Person on the phone speaks
Keith(Clown)
Yes im available anytime i just need to add you to my calander and get everything sorted !
Person on the phone speaks
Keith(Clown)
Yes thats fine look foward to seeing you, goodbye.
The Man(clown) hangs up the phone and writes the child's names down and the date of the party on a piece of paper and sticks it onto his wall with all of the other faces and information of children.
Q2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?
In our film it portrays children as weak and they have no control of what people do to them they have to take it as it comes, the image of the children shows this as the person is just staring at them and they look fearful where he was in control which is also withholding information like what will happen to them.
Q3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why? Our film is a low budget british thriller film and the film distribution that would have our film would be the likes of Film 4 as it is a british film company and it is associated with channel four which many teen's watch his channel and it is advertised to them so it is appealing to them and to the company it will not be expensive to run.
Q4. Who would be the audience for your media product? Our target audience is teenagers at the age of 15 + both female and males, the film isn’t gruesome but in areas makes you jump in this particular age group this is very appealing as there is many stages of excitement.
Q5. How did you attract/address your audience? To attract the audience we have aimed for we did audience research, which was a questionnaire where we asked various questions on many different film ideas and titles and the one we choose to produce was the film that had the highest number if votes. The question’s consisted of things like: Rate these ten ideas 1-5 according to how appealing they are to you;1 being poor and 5 being excellent. and Rate these titles from 1 to 5 in how appealing you think they are:1 being poor and 5 being excellent?
Q6. What have you learned about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
Producing this opening sequence i have found out many things and how difficult so aspects are, some areas of the adobe première pro were difficult to use but when you had practiced using the equipment it was easy enough there were many features to be used that improved the film being made e.g effects
Q7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learned in the progression from it to the full product? Looking back on my preliminary task i feel i have learned some much, one this i learnt was that planning is a vital part of your film making and if it isnt up to scratch you will not make your film sequence successfully, organisasion is the key with it all being ready and set 0ut you can go knowing what you are going to film then come back and do all the editing which is more efficient and quick rather than knowing bits of the film, filming that and then havin to wait for the rest to be do so you can edited it all together it wastes your time. Also i found not to re-lie on somebody else and the technology be willing to carry on be idependant and confident with what you are doing.
