Waiting...

As the holidays go by I am now itching to get back to school, I really want to work on the soundtrack for our film, I have the software but i don't have to MIDI keyboard, that is ever so helpful, or even the final draft of our film. I had intended to export the film and place it onto my laptop so i could work on the soundtrack without the keyboard but making do with what i had, however, a problem arose that i didn't have a working memory stick and so could not transfer the film over from the iMac's at school to my MacBook Pro at home. I do intend to have a little play with the music software we will be using, GarageBand, having a look at how I can use the sounds to create tension and set the pace for the scene.

Update Post

Christmas Update - final lesson 

Though I was not in most of our final lesson before the christmas holidays, many problems and issues have arrose since our last edit. A Certain clip within our edited movie had somehow over night been corrupted - this issue was simply resolved by gathering our raw footage and placing our selected clip back into final cut express and editing it all over again. Though most of our final editing has been completed and we seem happy with most of our opening sequence, some problems still seem to be facing us - with our final scene - a close up of our much beloved catalyst 'the pocket watch' on the ground - going missing. With the closing scene going missing and with no work done on titles we still are not able to surrender up our opening sequence just yet. All feedback given to us from our draft piece was followed, with slow motion effects being reduced by a substantial amount and the removal of a clip that broke the 180 degree rule. Many sound problems have also come up. Thanks to the windy weather that was taking place during filming - the diegetic sound of wind picked up by the camera is overwhelming. With these suden bursts of wind making it hard to get a flawless transition between cuts we are still left with a problem when it comes to the diegetic sound in our film. Solutions have been discussed, such as the removal of all diegetic sound from our final sequence. All though this may work, there is a distinct lack of diegetic sound within our film already - with it only being used within our chase scene which is only to be covered up with our "home made" incidental music. We as a group have been playing with the sound levels to try and dampen down the extreme amount of wind in the background of our final scene. This has not worked, preventing us from turning over the edited opening sequence to Ben for soundtrack incorporation. 

Problems with our soundtrack have also arrose. As of yet we have not been able to release our pilot films to gather audience feedback on our two soundtrack options. One soundtrack being orignal - made by group members - and one of which is pre-made and was used within out draft edit. As soon as our pilots have been made they will be made public and will be released for audience feedback so that we can choose which one suits best. Solutions to the pocket watch scene have also been discussed between the group with the options of re-filming the clip or leaving it out. Even though re-filming sounds like a good idea, as a group re-filming things has always been the case. With me making the suggestion that we leave the clip out - which brought group members to point out that their would be a rather big whole left within the narrative if we did so. All though I do take narrative into consideration when I made this statement I do believe for an opening sequence such as ours it's all about asking questions. With the appearance of the pocket watch typically answering audiences questions. When reviewing the clip in which we see the murderer looking at something within his hand I find it much more affective that we do not see what he is holding. It could be argued that the clip be left out for conventions sake. Rather than seeing the pocket watch we can just see the character looking at something that lies within his hand, making the audience raise questions such as "What is he holding", "Why is he holding it" and "What does it do?". For the convention of the unknown and mystery the clip is not longer a big part of the narrative, even though it is the catalyst for our film - it does not play a vital role within the opening sequence.

Problems with our narrative have been with us since the start, with our narrative being confusing and unclear to the audience. Due to this fact I have decided to write a full treatment behind our story in the hope it would make thing more clear to our audience where narrative is concerned. I do realise that this issue should of been resolved long ago to avoid problem during filming but things have been left this way due to certain group members not taking things very seriously at the beginning of the project.

Other problems will be delivered in later posts, by for now I wish everyone a merry christmas and a happy new year.  

Making the credit sequence

Credit sequence

Right now George and I are looking making a credit sequence. To be completely honest, George is doing the majority of it, I'm just watching!

We have decided to go slightly against the usual red block writing. We have gone with a blue outline, transparent text, which is quite tall and skinny. The text flickers as it comes into the sequence, and remains flickering until it leaves. This method is quite eerie and makes it seem as though something is wrong.

The background is black and dark. We can see a very faint image of a clock in the background. Throughout the credit sequence, the image is moving around this clock, and the titles are following this. 

The angles of which we see the clocks are very mysterious and fir the convention perfectly. Despite trying to be slightly original with our ideas, we have managed to keep the sequence quite conventional, whilst adding our own little twist.

We have chosen to do clocks in the sequence, as the are very fitting to our story. When we finally get the final scene into the film, we see a pocket watch on the ground. The screen then flicks to this sequence of clocks. This leaves the audience pondering on the relevance of the clocks and if these clocks mean anything to the film. "Does this mean there are more of these killings occurring elsewhere?"

Update 20-12-12

Update 20-12-12

Teacher - Draft Feedback

Draft Feedback

Highlighted Problems

One very noticeable problem within our draft edit was the breaking of the 180 degree line rule, with our camera crossing the line and confusing our audience as to what actions are being carried out. This issue has now been resolved with the removal of the certain piece of footage that broke the rule.

Other minor things were noted before the release, such as the wind in the background, making the natural sound very distorted and loud - causing some transitional  problems between certain scenes, making them seem very disjointed. This problem has also been resolved by placing a continuous background sound of the surrounding area we filmed in at the time.

Problems with scene cuts were mainly due to the fact this draft edit was done on imovie - which is a really limiting programe when I comes to certain cuts when slow motion effects and cross-devolves are being used. Some clips require trimming which has been done - the slow motion has also been sped up so panning seems more natural and stable. 

A distinct lack of close ups seem to lie within our sequence - this problem has still not been met with a salutation due to the fact we do not wish to do more filming, which as it stands seems to be the only possibility of getting more close ups within our sequence.

Considering we did not use all the footage available to us we managed to keep a narrative going throughout the scene - using simple codes and conventions of thriller to back up the notions of mystery and the unknown. As it is our first edit there still seems to be a lot of work to be done. Despite our problems we are happy with our frist edit and found the feed back we received from our teacher extremely helpful - allowing us to take our opening sequence to the next level and develop the conventions to get an even better affect.   

Soundtrack Update

Soundtrack Problems

At this moment in time, our group is discussing the use of soundtrack within our opening sequence and some complications have arrose. Within our draft edit a pre-made soundtrack was used. All though our group had earlier decided in the planning phrase of this project to create an original soundtrack, a change of mind-set has occurred. The group has become divided - some group members wanting to use a pre-made soundtrack and some for creating one to fit the opening sequence that is currently still in production. 

Our solution to this problem has been discussed. We shall be releasing two pilot opening sequences. Opening sequence One will be making use of a pre-made soundtrack, in contrast to opening sequence Two, making use of an orignal piece of music, designed and created by members of the group. We plan to present both films within a lesson, with the aim of gathering audience feed back - the question will be simple - what works best. When this feed back has been acquired we will then be able to make our final decision on the matter.

Draft Edit - Opening sequence for 'Clockwork'

Clockwork - First Draft

Please feel free to leave feed back. This is our first edit of the footage we have collected. Due to problems with filming at the early stages of our project we were unable to post a decent first draft. Many problems have already been pointed out and work has gone into correcting them problems. Please leave relevant and constructive criticism - this would be extremely helpful in aiding us to improve our final piece.

**Fair use Notice**

 -Music has been credited within the video description.

Credited music as follows;

Hans Zimmer - Dark Knight Rises Soundtrack - Available on the Itunes store

Tracks used:

On Thin Ice - Hans Zimmer - Dark Knight Rises Soundtrack

Born in Darkness - Hans Zimmer - Dark Knight Rises Soundtrack

Despair - Hans Zimmer - Dark Knight Rises Soundtrack

Soundtrack purchased via the Itunes Store

Music used for educational purposes

**Fair use Notice**

Music used for educational purposes - All music has been credited above.

Video edited on Macintosh - Imovie.

Editor - Ryan J G Curry

Directors - Ryan J G Curry and George Matthews

Actors - Ben Cusworth and Danny Hammond

Cinematographer - Ryan J G Curry

Writers - Ryan J G Curry, George Matthews, Ben Cusworth and Danny Hammond

(Original Screenplay) no adaptations used. 

Produced by: Clockwork Productions  

Update 14/12/12

Update 14/12/12

Right, normally I wouldn't do back to back updates, or a written one for that matter, but so much got done today, I deem it completely necessary! Plus, we didn't have any time to do a video update, as today was quite hectic.

Ryan and I took main control on editing, fixing some very important issues we stumbled across. For instance, massive gusts of wind coming in, have now either been dampened or edited out, as they really were quite loud! Also, timing had to be reduced, as we went over the limit by quite a lot, getting our film up to nearly four minutes, which is definitely too long. We fixed this through both speeding up slowed down shots, and removing unnecessary shots all together. A problem we discovered was when the film is put onto full screen (this was the 1st time we had done so) the images seemed extremely grainy and a little pix-elated. This isn't a massive problem, as it was shot in the dark, and can be justified. 

Ben and George went out to shoot some shots of clocks from all sorts of different angles. I suggested to attempt a dolly zoom shot, as this is very succesful in Jaws. Unfortunately, this shot was unsuccesful and didn't come out very well. Despite this, some great angles were discovered and used, and some of the shots of the clock looked great, and could be used in the credit sequence possibly.

Overall, a very successful day. The editing is now basically done, although I am certain some minor issues will a rise when the soundtrack is put in. I am sure we will overcome these issues, as we are now all getting pretty good at using the software, and are pretty comfortable using it.

Soundtrack dilemma

Soundtrack dilemma 

We have come across a small problem with making the soundtrack, within the group. Half of us want to use a pre-made soundtrack, whereas the other half want to create one. At first, I myself was quite content with creating the soundtrack, but after a while we realised that it wasn't as easy as it first sounded, and one particular piece found on the internet worked perfectly with our film (after a little editing). 

With this dilemma being a 50/50 split between the group, I think the best way to settle it would be to get a few people to watch the scene with each of the soundtracks, and get them to vote on which one they feel is the best. After all, its the audiences opinion that is most important. 

I made up a very basic survey which really captures my creativity! All jokes a side, it gets to the point and ultimately gets the question answered.

Hopefully this survey will work effectively as a very late piece of planning and research!

Below is the survey I made ... 

Credit sequence

Credits

We have decided to stick with the traditional ending credits at the end of our film, however, we still want this to work with the thriller conventions. Tension, suspense and 'eeriness' need to be factors of this section of the film. We do not want to have a really suspense filled film, and then ruin the whole tension by sticking in a rubbish ending that kills off any bit of tension gained.

Deep, heavy monotonous sounds are needed for a thriller ending. Strings are a very important part, as they are really eerie and add tension. A fast paced sound could be going on in the background, possibly a fair bit softer and quieter so it can only just be heard in the behind the loud heavy sounds. This could even add a little tension.

Our main dilemma with all the music really, but the credits also is whether or not to create our own soundtrack. We are in the current process of making a soundtrack now, as it is a very time consuming process, and its better to have one if we decide to do it. However, we have found a fair few soundtracks from the internet which may work nicely with our film. We could easily justify our reasons for choosing that particular soundtrack as well, to avoid losing any marks!

The words coming in need to also fit the conventions of a thriller. I feel that deep red words work really well, as they symbolize danger and even death (in the form of blood). The words would be bold in a rather common font to keep things simple yet affective. I think a cross dissolve or a fade in/out transition between credits would work perfectly for them as well, as this just seems very effective to me, and I think the audience may agree (This could possibly require a survey).

Finally, the backdrop is a key part to keeping the tension up. In conjunction with the red, I believe a simple black or very deep blue would work a treat, as this is a very simple, yet effective method. The black/blue is very deep and could have a further meaning. It also could represent mystery and confusion, as it is complete darkness. Besides, if it were a really light colour, it would look absolutely ridiculous, and shoot all of the thriller conventions right down!

I have made a VERY basic credit scene, with what I had in mind.

Please be aware, I have noticed several mistakes - including the fact that the suffolk metropolitan police isn't a real thing! Also, some typo's have been noticed. Please ignore these, and concentrate more on the formatting rather than the text.

The other guys...

The other guys...

Recently as our filming has been coming to an end, I have been attempting to keep a close eye on how the other groups are progressing. 

Something I am noticing from almost every other group is the fact that they are now doing the final tweaks to their editing, which worries me quite a lot. The fact that we are still doing the 'primary' editing when others are doing 'tertiary' editing makes me think we are quite a fair way behind. We are finding out that this software is quite a challenge for us, when none of us are real IT experts. Another worrying thing is the fact that everyone else seems to have mastered the software when we are still at what can only be described as amateur level. 

We have been asking for quite a bit of help from other groups and out teachers. I hope we don't get too dependent on help from others, rather than trying to learn for ourselves. I do feel we are beginning to get there with it all. The level of which we are using the program at has improved from before, and we are even beginning to whip in some keyboard shortcuts!

Gathering opinions from others has also proved to come in very handy, because after all, the film is for the audience, so their input is vital. Some things we didn't even consider when we done some filming has been brought to the audiences attention, which they have then brought to ours. We are very thankful for everyones help on this, as it really helps us nail the editing! The main thing that has been picked up on, was the lack of closeups we used. In all honesty, the reason we couldn't do some closeups, was we forgot the pocket-watch, which is a key to our film. But apart from that, we have decided to go and do some re-filming of some close up shots, for instance my feet and the killer. These will be great shots mainly due to the fact that this will add tension; the main point of a thriller. 

Everyone has been really helpful due to the fact we are struggling. They could just have left us, but their important input and constructive criticism has been very valuable to us to help us get to where we are now - much much further than we were a month ago when everything looked like it was going to be a massive flop!

Update 13-12-12

Update 13-12-12

Here is a video update of how things are going. 

Filming: The Final Sprint

We are pleased to announce that our filming is just two scenes from completion. Following our filming last Friday we now only have to film the scenes involving the pocket watch that is central to our plot. The filming i am pleased to report went brilliantly save for a few mishaps involving a stray piece of bird feces and someone calling the police on us. We weren't in any trouble and the rest of our filming went perfectly. Main editing may be done by the end of this week with small parts of editing and the soundtrack hopefully by the end of next week. While we may have taken the longest with our filming, we are satisfied with what we have accomplished and have hopes for our final product.

My editing contribution

I have edited the middle scene of our film, in this scene we see Danny our victim running away from a mysterious man. I used a radial blur for Danny's POV shots of him running and of him hiding under the bridge this effect makes him seem fatigued and lets us know the difference between his point of view and normal camera shots, but I would say the best reason to use this effect is so that when we see the killer for the first time he is blurry and hard to see and so this give the character an element of mystery. By not directly showing the character to the audience it makes the audience more interested in what is happening in the scene, this is a technique used commonly in thriller films they always obscure cover or never show the villains face to keep the audience of edge and to create an element of mystery. Then today i helped ben with his editing of the first scene as the scene was almost impossible to recognise as it was too dark and so we worked on that together.

Editing: First Attempt

I am pleased to report that i have done my first lump of editing using final cut. I helped edit the timings of a scene where Danny's character is running and the majority of a Pipe scene. I managed to crop this scene and add some video affects with minimal problems excluding not being able to find certain scenes in the video database. I am beginning to understand how to use and implement video filters and effects and am gaining more confidence with final cut.

Editing issues

When we began to edit our videos everything was running smoothly, however when the opened our next piece of film it was way more dark than we expected and so we have to now correct it by decreasing the contrast on the video. This does cause an impact on the style of the image but in the grand scheme of our editing the impact is not a burden. The change in contrast makes the image more lively and actually visible.

Update 6/12/12

Update 6/12/12 

This is an update by myself and Ben about all the ups and downs we have encountered since the last update!

Update 30/11/12

Update 30/11/12

Even though this day has not yet happened, due to the fact that we will be filming all day tomorrow, I decided to whip up a small plan for what we shall be doing tomorrow.

We will be traveling up to a graveyard to get the final couple of shots for the film, where the victim had died. The killer will also be in this scene overlooking the dead victim. We have checked the weather forecast and all seems to be perfect for  the occasion - very similar weather to todays, which is very important for continuity.

I will update how this went tomorrow, when it has been done.

Character interview

Update 6/12/12

Quite a while ago Ryan and I went out to do a character hot seat.

Unfortunately, we changed the narrative since we done this, so its kind of wrong, so we shall go and do another one very soon!

Re-filming

Re-filming

Today whilst editing we realized that a fundamental scene was missing from today's work, so we had to go out and do some re-filming.

Luckily, the weather had not varied too much, and all of the costumes were still in tact, so continuity wasn't an issue for us, whereas in the past, it has been our major downfall. 

We used a basic tracking long shot for this scene, to really capture the movements of the victim.

Update 29/11/12

Acting

Acting

After thinking about our film, we decided that the acting is very important for a thriller film. To build up suspence, the actors must be very mysterious and weird which will instantly build up tension in the eyes of the audience. Here I have listed the actors used in scenes, and how we have tried to portray their emotions and feelings effectively.

Father (Mr Pipe) - Lots of long shots have been used so we can see his body positioning so we can strongly capture his body emotions. We have tried to make him as hunched up as possible, to portray the fact that he is insecure. Although he is a villain (The audience doesn't know this) he still has feelings and emotions. Facial expressions are the most important feature to portraying emotions and feelings. We have tried to get the most worried looking face out of our actor as possible, without making it look to unrealistic.

Victim (Myself) - Body expressions have been made to be fast and jerky. This has been done to portray the fact that he is feeling scared and very concerned for his own wellbeing. We don't see too much of this character standing still, as he is mainly running. Due to the fact that he is running, we can instantly tell he is scared and probably involved in a chase. Facial expressions used are very natrual. Mostly we see the character looking very tired and out of breathe, as well as looking completely petrified! There is not many facial expressions used by this character, until the end, where we see a shot looking directly at me, with the killer in the background. Here the facial expressions display a sense of relief, as the victim believes he is safe, but the audience know he isn't!

Killer (Ben) - This character is very hard to describe. His body and facial expressions are very limited, as he is a mysterious character. The main body expression for him is his motionlessness. The fact that he is chasing someone, yet hardly moving shows the audience that he is very good at this, and knows exactly what he is doing, although on screen it would appear he doesn't. The character is wearing a mask, meaning we never see his facial expressions. Finally, when the killer does make his movements, they are very fast and sudden, and quite jerky, which fits the conventions of a thriller well.

Update 28/11/12

Update 28/11/12

So far we have managed to get to the initial filming stage. We have tried a few different narratives, but through filming, we have decided every time that we didn't like it. Today we have pledged that the opening we done today is our definite opening, and we were all very happy with it. On the 29th we shall be focusing primarily on editing and blogging, whilst whipping up some detailed storyboards for the film work we will be doing on the 30th. The 30th we shall be traveling to our main location to get as much filming as humanly possible done, without making it appear too rushed. With the problems we have been occurring of late, I am very sure that the whole of the group will take this filming very seriously, and we will get it done to a good standard, due to the fact that everyone will be putting in one hundred and ten percent. 

Difficulties and their overcoming

Difficulties and how we overcame them

After looking over our film, we decided that the footage didn't really fit very well in the thriller genre. We thought that the narrative was quite good, just the beginning featured too much dialogue and too little shots. After thoroughly analyzing our work, and getting other to do the same, we decided to scrap the opening scene, and also add a lot more different angles for the 'new' opening. 

The next difficulty we stumbled across was the fact that none of us fitted the character requirements. To overcome this issue, we found an older volunteer who fitted the criteria almost perfectly. Our only issue with our new found actor, was he was a little bit amateur. After quite a few shots, we finally got it perfect!

Location was difficult for the opening scene. We needed complete darkness, ideally. Due to the fact it was during day time, this was next to impossible to achieve. To overcome this, we are going to have to alter the filters, making the scene darker in places, but where light is needed, keep it the same. The only issue that may occur from this is the fact it may not look very realistic. Hopefully we can edit it well enough to save it, and make it look good.

Finally, the SD came along to be our worst enemy! As a group we made a completely awful mistake being putting the wrong SD card into the camera, meaning we have had to get it all fixed, and the program to be changed over, which had to be done by a proffessional. This process can take a long time, as it is a complex task! This means for the remainder of our time, we could not edit ot do anything to our footage, meaning a lot of time was wasted. Time has been a massive problem for us, in the sense that we are not very good at managing the time wisely.

Soundtrack Analysis - The Dark Knight

Opening scene to "The Dark Knight"

Soundtrack analysis

The micro element of sound it extremely affective in any film, but in any case when it comes to a certain genre of film, sound usually has a specified role to play. In the case of thriller, conventions would have us expecting sound to help build tension and suspense within a thriller film. All the micro elements linked to the  film in question usually converge together to help reach a genre goal which allows the film to use it's other macro elements to meet it's other conventions.

Within this opening scene from "The Dark Knight" we can see sound used within the conventions of thriller. We can break down the sound used into 8 certified groups.

1) Dialogue - Conversation between characters within the film itself

2) Diegetic Sound - Things the characters can hear in the 'real world', we and the actors in the film can hear diegetic sound

3) Incidental Music - background music which adds to the atmosphere and in some cases to the action going on in the film

4) Non diegetic sound - Sounds that do not exist in the 'real world' of the film, for example, the soundtrack which the characters cannot hear

5) Sound bridges - When a sound carries on from one scene to another, or when we hear a sound ant then it cuts to the scene where the sound is coming from

6) Sound effects - Sound effects are added during the post production to build up the mood and is usually used to reinforce certain sounds actors and objects make

7) Sound track - A complete audio component to a film to include all sounds, specifically the music track

8) Voice Over - When the audience can hear a character, specifically over the top of a scene, often telling us what they feel and why they're feeling it

All though not all these elements will be incorporated in any one film, a select few are usually always used.

Dialogue Analysis

Dialogue between the minor characters in the scene is rather fast paced. The snappy conversation between the minor characters is used to support the fact they're robbing a bank and must be fast about it, keeping concentration is of vital importance. When things start to pick up the minor characters begin to shout demands - "...HEADS DOWN HEADS DOWN!" - this is used to create tension between all the characters within the film and the audience, with the helpless people within the bank being scared and surprised by the robbers' unexpected appearance. Dialogue from the main character - The Joker - is completely void, we do not hear him talking at all through out the whole scene. As we can see this meets the conventions of mystery and the unknown are met through the lack of dialogue between The Joker and the other minor characters within the scene. Dialogue within the scene is guiding the audience through the notions being performed by the characters.

Diegetic sound

Examples of diegetic sound are pretty apparent through out the scene. The glass being smashed at the very beginning of scene is the frist example of diegetic sound. Other sounds that follow such as the grapple-gun and the sound of them swinging from one building to another. These sound all fit action/stunts which is another major convention of thriller films. All other Diegetic sounds such as gun shots also meet conventions of thriller, weapons and stunts are the two main conventions reinforced by the simple use of diegetic sound.

Incidental Music

The incidental music is probably the most effective way to set the atmosphere of the film/scene. Incidental music runs through out this scene to deliver the simple connotations that are used to back up the conventions of the thriller genre. The music at the start of the film is rather quiet, with a very light ticking probably used to simulate the fact they are fighting against the clock to rob this bank. When the glass is broken the ticking becomes more clear and apparent. When the car pulls up to pick up The Joker, drums are brought in to show his importance as he enters the car. As the car pulls away the music goes quiet again, to show the change in importance. From this short few seconds of the opening sequence, incidental music has already played a massive role in delivering tension and suspense to the audience, with elements of the music also setting the vital atmosphere, allowing the audience to develop their ideas on what is happening through out the scene. Through out the scene the incidental music continues to do this, backing up the bigger underlining macro elements of the film, allowing all the themes of the film to take effect shortly after the scene.

Non Diegetic sound 

Non diegetic sound comes in the form of the Incidental music in the scene.With all other sound effects being added to clarify some actions being made during the scene. The characters cannot hear the music in the background that builds the tension and suspense behind what they're doing. 

Sound Bridges

Sound bridges only occur with the incidental music that plays through out the scene, the music carries over into different scenes with characters carrying out different lines of actions, this is done to keep tension and suspense built up within the film and to maintain the connection between the narrative of the events occurring in the scene and the audience.

Sound effects

Sound effects such as gun shots fit the thriller genre very well, with these sounds matching up with the simply conventions of thriller films. Other sound effect that were possibly added during some stunts were also used to back up the notions of what's happening in the specific scene. Other sound effects could be used to add clarity to make certain nosies more noticeable, so that the audience is better engaged with what's occurring within the scene.

There is no voice over and the soundtrack is all these elements put together. With all this combined, the scene has a certain sense of speed, uncertainty, mystery with a strange atmosphere set but the incidental music. All these fit perfectly into the conventions of the thriller genre. Putting tension and suspense at the for-front of what's occurring during the scene, making the audience question what's happening and making them think about why it's happening. The sound allows us to develop relationships with the characters, even though dialogue is short we still gather a better understanding of "The Joker". 

Movie First draft

Camera Angles in Thrillers Pt.II

In the second installment i will be analyzing some of the camera angles and their effect in the opening of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

We start off in darkness, not a dark room or alleyway but in total darkness, unknowing what is happening in the film. It then flashes close-ups of unknown items. All of these images are dark and very clear giving them a cold, dead look. This could be used for the effect of making the viewer feel rather isolated and that the film has a very dark setting and plot.
It then cuts to a view of calm water. This view is not long at all and after it has been shown it cuts back to the unknown objects, but this time it shows water flowing over and around them. This could be to provide an effect that the water is a cause of death and that the reason the setting is cold and dark is because of the water. It gives the water an almost omni-present role.
It continues like this until we reach a shot where it is a close-up of an image of a dragon. The dragon image is a silver colour on a black background which adds to the cold feel. The water doesn't run as quickly or in as much volume over the dragon causing a viewer to know that the dragon bears an importance and is a powerful symbol.

After the title which 'melts' into water it cuts to a person thrashing while tied and gagged. The person has water running all around them, it then repeats back and forth between this person and a keyboard which also has water running across it. the water in this scene runs moves slowly almost casually which gives the effect that the water is a slow, content killer that does not need to move quickly.

All of these close ups while being the same shot, all give effects to the cold nature of the water and the setting.

Thriller soundtracks - From Films

Soundtracks - Thriller films

Here I am going to present a variety of different thriller scenes, from different films. I shall analyse them, saying why they are conventional to thrillers, and how they relate to what is going on at this particular point in the film.




Here we see a great example of a monotonous sound playing to build up tension. doing this, the audience becomes 'stuck' to the screen, and are paying quite a lot of attention to the soundtrack, as it goes along with the action going on on the screen. The music then changes and more instruments are introduced, to tell us that something is about to happen most likely. This method can also be used to create a red herring, as the soundtrack makes us feel that something is about to happen, when it isn't.
In the case of this film, this piece is used a couple of times. It is most known for playing at the beginning, the boat scene. Using this heavy piece tells the audience that the location the characters are heading to is not a good place, and you don't even have to look at the screen to know this, although it is supported by the pictures which come up on screen.
The soundtrack could also relate to a boats horn. A boat will use its horn when it is in distress, to attempt to alert help. This particular soundtrack sounds very much like a horn, and could be foreshadowing the fact that the people on this boat are going to become in distress.






Here we can hear a more fast paced theme playing, as batman fits more into the action-thriller genre. The fast pace is used to fit the conventions of an action film, but in the background we can hear this repetitive drum sound and bass sounds, which fit more into the thriller conventions, making it perfect for the combinations. The cello (string noise) playing also has its thriller conventions, as it is a very mysterious sound, and it is the main thing which entices the audience and keeps them watching.
This soundtrack fits the film well, as Batman is always in a high speed chase or a fight, so having this fast paced soundtrack really fits his character.
This piece also sounds very dark, which is rather fitting, as it is the dark knight. This piece is used to represent the dark knights personality and maybe even is current mindset at the current time of the music. Is he built up with anger and hate when the fast pace music is playing? When it goes soft, is he feeling some sympathy?




If you concentrate more on the actual opening, we hear this very innocent few notes being played, with very soft wind instruments and string instruments. Along with this, we hear very young children in the background giggling. This part of the music shows innocence and youth, which we know is taken away from the main character, Hanibal. The music then changes to more aggressive sounds, which tells the audience something is going to happen, this is followed by bombs going off. The sounds in this clip follow very closely what is going on in the shot, as it is a flashback (a very 'thriller' convention).
When the innocent playful music is going on, we can tell something bad is going to happen, it just tells us children are involved, and makes the tension even greater, because audience hates to see bad things happen to children. The scenes become quite graphic and the music certainly follows this pattern. If the music had a picture, it would be very aggressive and horrible to watch, just like the scene being shown on screen.

Clockwork Soundtrack

After Danny constructed an idea for a soundtrack using pre-made loops i had my own go with my own content.

Danny is a beautiful creature...

Ben Cusworth made this on GarageBand

Parity

I have decided to take a look at another AS thriller opening called Parity.

The opening title shot i think was filmed in much more of a horror style, the font is red and black which is very much a convention of horror films the words are over a very dingy wall with a green filter but this is once again more of a thriller setting a place with dingy walls 

We then cut to a man in a bathroom standing over a dead body whilst holding a knife this makes it more of a thriller as they have not made it a really gory murder they just show that he has killed the other guy.  The soundtrack for this part is very fitting with the piece and uses the same conventions as many thriller film soundtracks.

The next few seconds consist of him washing his face and then there is about half a second of footage that is flashed in I managed to pause the film and screenshot what is in this half a second it is the murderer about to stab his victim, this is a very good technique as it makes the audience question what they have seen however I think the film could have done with a few more of these as unless i paused it i could not tell what i picture was.

He then continues to search around the toilets and begin to get rid of any evidence, at this point he kicks a knife away and drags a body into a stall. At this point I had so many questions such as why has he killed him, why has he killed someone in a toilet and why does he think by placing a body in a toilet stall that he will not be found out as the murderer, however, through this major plot holes we still see some good use of camera work and editing. One shot i particularly liked was when he kicked the knife away, he begins to pick up the body and in doing so he realises he also needs to hide his weapon so he drops the legs of the body kicks away the knife and then continues to move the victim, although you cannot see his face, therefore making it tough to read his emotions, they have used this shot very well to convey he is not used murder, from his body language you could see he almost forgot to get rid of incriminating evidence and so he clearly isn't very careful and so we assume he hasn't done this before.

He then continues to clean the toilets and go back to pick up the knife he earlier kicked now i have a real problem with this because why would he kick the knife under a toilet stall to only return seconds later to pick it up and place it in his pocket, he then continues out of the toilet and we watch as the door slowly brings itself to a close.

Problems

We have recently been out to film our actual thriller opening and in this time we have had continuity and audio errors, we found some people didn't come in in the same costumes as before so we have had to go back and re-film some parts already. We have also had the issue that people were not projecting there voices very well so in an attempted to fix this we re-filmed the audio and then i detached the audio and added it to the video, however, the original filming is outdoors and the re-filmed audio was done indoors, there is a very noticeable difference in the echo of the voices so therefore I plan to once again re-film the audio for the shot outdoors tomorrow along with filming a new scene.

Soundtrack

Soundtrack

After spending literally HOURS making this and trying to get it to work, I finally managed it!

If the video doesn't play on blogger (Which it seems to enjoy not doing), please click on the title of the video, which will re-direct you to you-tube, where it SHOULD play fine!

Camera Angles in Thrillers Pt. I

In this post I will be analysing key camera angles in select thriller films and the effects that they contain.

SE7EN:
The first camera angle used in the opening is a close up on a book. The close up is on the top of the book as it is lying on something. The close up cause shadows to be more pronounced and causes light to be distorted so that while the view of the pages may be pronounced, any image beyond that is blurred and hard to distinguish. This use of light to put extra emphasis on the book begins the film with a very dark and gloomy feel to it and sets the tone for what is to come. It may also lead a viewer to feel uncertain of just what is going to come and why so much emphasis is on a simple book.

The next scene shows a tilted close up on a diagram of two hands. The camera here is not completely stable and shakes just enough that if you are paying attention it gives the impression of shivering. This along with the shadows moving across the diagram gives the scene a sinister feel to it and that while the diagram itself may not play any significant part in the film, the connotations that it has might.

The next scene offers close ups of different pieces of machinery. The individual pieces of machinery are very hard to recognise not only due to the fact that the machinery you see is general parts such as gears and hinges, but that the scene is dark and the camera 'flashes' often. This gives the effect that these machines are supposed to be intentionally dark and enigmatic and that the viewer should be disturbed when they are near.

The next scene is a close-up of a man slicing pieces of skin off of his fingers with a razor blade. Due to the camera using the same effects mentioned earlier this whole scene becomes extremely disturbing. The mans fingers have a lot of dead skin on them and they appear rough and callused, giving the man a corpse like look. This could leave the audience wondering just why the man is mutilating himself and why he appears dead, which ties in to the film where the killer (to avoid spoilers) 'cuts' a victim with a similar item.

The scenes continue on in this fashion with each scene being dark and normally a close-up on an item. This would leave a viewer not only slightly disturbed by what they have seen but curious as to what the items and the way they were filmed have to do with the story of the film.

Link to video:
http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/se7en/

Scene From Pulp Fiction

I have chosen to analyse the scene where Jules and Vince go to see some clients whilst they are eating there breakfast. The scene begins with a few seconds of silence as the dialogue continues there are long pauses between sentences, this is a way of creating tension in the scene making in very suspenseful. Jules says that the people are business partners of "Marcellas Wallace." We have heard previously that he is not a very nice man but we have yet to meet him in the film this give him an element of mystery and an intriguing backstory. Then Jules begins to intimidate one of the people in the apartment called Brett he uses his loud booming voice as a way of making Brett feel small, he keeps asking to have some of his food although he is asking him Brett knows it is best not to refuse as he clearly knows Jules is the type of man who would kill over something that small.

 At the 3 minute mark they use the lighting very well when Jules is asking the other man a question he is in the light however when he is interrupted he turns into the darkness to shout "I don't remember asking you a goddamn thing." This shows that if you get on the wrong dark side of him he will turn on you. The next key point is when Brett begins to try and talk his way out of the situation and all of a sudden Jules takes his pistol and fires it next to the man laying on the couch, then there is a long silence the tension at this point of the scene is at it's climax we have no idea what Jules is going to do next he have recognised he is very unpredictable and makes decisions on impulse he then circles Brett making very nervous he asks him a question and when Brett says "what" Jules flips over the table and explodes into a fit of shouting, shooting and swearing he then reads his bible passage that has now become iconic and then him and his partner vince kill Brett and the man on the couch.

The costumes used in the scene are very interesting, the costumes worn by Brett and his friends are casual showing that they weren't expecting a call from Jules and Vince, however, the costumes worn by Jules and Vince are very formal this shows that not only were they very well prepared for what was to happen but that also they are not petty criminals they clearly do this for a living as they have a proper outfit for there 'job.'

The camera work is mostly close-ups and medium shots, the medium shots show what the characters are doing but aren't too far away we can't tell what is happening, the close-ups are used to show the emotions of the characters especially the anger on Jules' face and how afraid Brett is.

The scene:

Previous A-level thrillers

Here I have attempted to analyse three different A-level thrillers, examining the good, the bad and the definite avoid points of each of the films. Firstly, I would like to thank the students who made these films for creating such great films, and allowing me to analyse them and put them into this blog! They are all fantastic and are really helpful to us.

First up, we have my personal favourite, 'Heavens gift'. 

This film uses some absolutely fantastic camera techniques, experimenting with higher angles, lower angles close ups and long shots. With using all of these different techniques collaboratively, we can see how such versatility can come together to create such a good collection. Also, with all of these different cuts being used, contingency would have been a hard aspect to maintain. The directors of this film have done a fantastic job to prevent any slight mistakes being made, which I was looking out very closely for!
           Not so frequently used special effects also featured in the film, mainly being the screen being made blue, very briefly. At first, I wished this had been done more often, but I later realised that only used it the couple of times it was, made the moment more cherished and also allowed other thriller conventions to be explored.
            The location used fitted every single thriller convention possible. Being out in the forest not only created that extreme eeriness that every thriller fan loves, but also acted as a catalyst for the audiences mind, making them think up their whole own narrative as to why he is in the forest?
             The final positive I am to make of this film is the sounds and soundtrack used throughout. The scary, fast paced backing sound really added tension to the chase, making the audience really feel part of it. The additional diagetic sounds, such as the birds and the leaves, added to the realism of the film, making it all seem so possible, ultimately making the whole situation more scary!
             The main negatives I picked up from this film mainly are based around the camera quality, which is not really in the fault of the students. I thought the whole opening was a little fuzzy, losing that sense of actually being in the situation of the character. The brightness also was too high, maybe being the fault of the sun, rather than the students, so I cannot complain too much!
              Finally, I personally did not like the fact that the ending credits are in silence. I beleve that with a scary soundtrack behind it, the ending credits also could have added tension.


Next up we have a film called 'The Betrayal'.




This film has a very confusing narrative, which I actually took a liking to, very uncharacteristicly of myself. Despite the fact that personally I would never risk not having a real point to the film, I believe that this particular one actually gets away with it.
       The acting was another particualr point that I liked about this film, especially the boy with the cornrows. I think his facial expressions used in this film, and his tone of voice really fit well into the thriller conventions. I also liked the approach from the other boy, as at this point, the tension within me was raving, which is very much so the whole point of a thriller! Also, the actors and directors done a good job on keeping the contingency to a tee! This is something that if messed up, can be so costly to a film, especially a thriller, as it can completely kill off the tension, as you are thinking about that, rather than enjoying the film.
      The location of a graveyard is so very conventional of a thriller film. We see this kind of location used so often, yet it never becomes too 'cheesy'. It also allows the whole narrative to expand greatly, with lots of possibilities, and great potential for a thriller film.
      Finally, quite a strange point to make here, but I loved the fact that the title was at the end. It allowed us to watch the film, rather than trying to guess how the title fits with the film, as it is quite a confusing one. Instaed, it gives us the film, which itself is confusing, and then gives us the added confusion by giving it a crazy title. Definitely something I may look to do with our film.

      On to the bad points from this film now. Firstly, although crows are very conventional to a thriller film, and also are very effective in their appearnce, I don't believe they should be so loud! This probably isn't the fault of the students personally, but I will try and avoid too much noise, because I thought this got quite annoying, as I wanted to hear the dialouge, and the soundtrack, but was continueously distracted by these birds.
       Again, the camera quality was quite bad at points. This is not the fault of the students, but I think an important part of a thriller film is to make the audience beleieve they are there, but with bad video quality, it is quite hard to 'Get in it'.
        The filming itself is quite bad I think. A little bit of shakyness is good, and it makes the point of view shots seem more realistic, but here I do not beleive it is done intentioanlly, and I think it becomes a little irritating, as you are trying to enjoy the film. As well as this, the camera angles and movements are quite basic, and no real sense of experimentalism is shown. I love a film which is experimental with its camera work, and I believe this one is just a bit too basic.


Finally, we have a film by the name of 'False Pretensions'





I wasn't a particular fan of this film. I believe that the soundtrack ruined it completely. I think it is too chirpy and upbeat for this genre. The soundtrack would have been acceptable in a chase scene possibly, but this isn't a chase seen, and I do not believe it belongs in it.
       Also, I liked the fact that the film was in back and white. I think it broke the laws of audience preference, and it is almost saying that its not preference, more expectance, meaning that you still like this film, even though you didn't expect to! This was ruined for me when the film changed to colour. Not only was the transition weirdly placed, it didn't really have a point. One or the other would have been much better.
        I wasn't such a fan of the whole narrative either. I thought the storyline was far too confusing, and I really hope I am not the only one who doesn't understand it! I think the idea may be good, but two minutes may not have been enough to explain what the film really meant.
        A couple of sound issues I picked up on also, my main problem focusing around the telephone. Even though I didn't like the soundtrack, as the telephone rang, it really drowned out the soundtrack, not by merely making the soundtrack quieten, but by just over-powering it, making a collateral noise!
        Finally, the acting wasn't great. I know this isn't a drama piece, but a little bit of convincing acting really makes a film! The actors used as well may have been a little older than necessary  I believe that the target audiences of these films, being teenagers, relate more to those of their own age, rather than adults?

Despite me moaning a lot, I found a lot of good aspects about this film also.
        I really liked the opening titles. I think these really worked well, and fitted in nicely with the thriller genre, by being eerie and mysterious.
        I liked the idea of the interaction between the audience and the actors. This was displayed by handwriting onto paper. I think this was all very mysterious, and very conventional of a thriller. Speaking of these, I also liked the use of multiple realistic props. I think these added to the realism perfectly.

Questionnaires

Here we have a slideshow, showing various different questionnaires we acquired when doing our audience research.

Background Noise in Thrillers Pt: II

First i will being with Inception.

The first sound and image is waves on the sea. The sound here is very loud for a background noise so at first it may seem as if its just to show emphasis on the water and of Dicaprio washing up on the beach. Later on though a there is a scene similar to this which is key to the plot line of the film so the extra sound here makes you realise later on when the similar scene is playing that they are meant to be similar. The extra sound acts as an association between the two. Then there is the children's laughter. This is not as loud as the water so it seems as if the water is blocking Dicaprio and his children, which in a way it is due to the water scene later on being part of something bigger that affects his role with his children. Throughout the rest of the opening background sound appears to be normal, not too loud not too quiet which at the time may seem like they just didn't need anything special, but after viewing the film you realise that having the sound normal in that scene is too make it seem real, which is juxtaposed in the fact that that scene is actually a dream.





I intend for there to be another two parts soon.

Interview

We asked a few people to watch a clip from Taken (link below) we then filmed there reaction and interviewed them about the scene. From the interviews I have noticed A strong actor and heavy tension are the best recipe for thriller success and so i will try and incorporate these heavily in our films by using actor casting to get the best actors and using thriller codes and conventions to create suspense and tension.

Taken clip:

Interview:

Key Plot Feature in a Thriller Opening

A common feature of modern thriller films is a key plot point in the opening sequence that is key to the rest of the film. This plot point will often be a death of a character, a key phrase, a reveal (of anything) or maybe even an explosion.

My first example will be the one that will take the most explaining, the opening sequence to the newest addition to the James Bond film franchise: SKYFALL

BEWARE YE, OF THE SPOILERS BELOW...

The basic plot we are given so far is that the bad guy has stolen a hard drive which contains the information on every NATO member that is currently undercover. Naturally, MI6 wants it back and so have sent Bond to 're-acquire' it. After some happy fun times involving motorbikes, bullets and naturally a digger 'digging' a train, we get to a point where Bond is fighting said villain, atop said train, atop an un-said bridge. Minimising lesser spoilers, bond is shot and falls to his apparent death. This is a major plot twist that has repercussions throughout the rest of the film and acts as a tone setter for the film.

Unfortunately i am unable to provide a clip of the opening due to its recent release in cinemas, but the above plot is correct due to it being fresh in my memory.


Second example: The Dark Knight

I apologise for frequently using this film but it is in my eyes one of the best in most aspects of a thriller.

We open with a view of Gotham, we are shown a robbery taking place by some henchmen in clown masks who are revealed to be working for The Joker due to one of them stating ''I know why they call him The Joker''. After the henchmen kill each other off (orders from The Joker) the last one is spoken to by a bank worker he has injured, at this point in time this henchman is un-remarkable, he hasn't spoken, he hasn't kill anyone obvious and he hasn't done anything grand. Our whole view of him drastically changes when it is revealed that he is The Joker. This is the major plot twist as it sets the tone for the films main antagonist and provides an insight into how his character works.




I probably don't need to spoil anymore films by giving examples but they all share a same trait. Every bit of plot that they reveal plays a significant part on either the characters or the story throughout the rest of the film.

Background Noise in Thrillers Pt: I

Thriller films rarely have an excess of sound in each scene. In fact, for many it appears that most background sound is either quietened or gone altogether. Normally, the only sounds you will be likely to hear (excluding actors speaking or the soundtrack) would be sounds that are viewed important or sounds that will add suspense/drama to a scene.

Take for instance the opening to The Dark Knight. I am using this film again (along with the other members of my group) to provide a deep analysis into multiple parts of its anatomy. You may be thinking that there isn't a lack of sound and that you are hearing what you would hear anyway, you would be incorrect to assume this. If you listen closely, what do you hear? Strangely quiet for one of the busiest (fictional) cities in the world isn't it? This is not shoddy editing, this is great editing. The lack of sound makes you focus on the soundtrack and its effects that add to the suspense of the current situation, it gives you an idea that something is about to happen, not happened, or happening. The lack of other background sound means that more of your brain is being devoted to the other sounds you are hearing, more attention is spent on the spoken words and their emphasis, the soundtrack and its complexity and impact on the scene and finally the key background noises the editor either added or kept in.
The first i will point out is the smashing glass and subsequent sounds up until they reach the alternate rooftop. The smash is the first background noise we are given and it immediately thrusts us into the idea that we are witnessing a key event, after this there is only the sound of the two joker henchmen preparing their grapple, the lack of other sounds makes this a tense moment while maintaining a sense that the event that is happening was planned.It then cuts to another of the jokers henchmen (later revealed to be the joker himself) and all background sounds are removed again. While doing this the camera slowly zooms in on the clown mask with the chilling soundtrack playing in the background which furthers the suspense already acquired and gives a hint that this particular henchman or the symbolism of this mask is important in this event. After the close up, a car pulls up next to him. the sharp sudden sound along with the change in tempo of the soundtrack acts as a jump-start so that we, the viewers, would know that the event that is happening has just kicked into a higher gear. Then, while the two original henchmen are zip-gliding over the street to the other rooftop it does include normal city background noises. This is to show to viewers that these henchmen are doing a suspenseful event, on an ordinary day, where there are no changes to cause what they are doing.
All in all, these uses of background noise (and lack of) is to lay out an idea of what is happening to the viewer without having to say or do anything else, while also adding to the suspense and mystery of what is happening and making us curious to what happens after this.

Alfred Hitchcock Director Study Part 3

Opening Sequence Analysis

THE BIRDS

The clip above is the opening sequence to 'THE BIRDS' by Alfred Hitchcock. I have chosen to analyse this particular opening because all though it does not show a lot of the conventions used in todays thriller openings it represents how far they have come and how some small, simple micro-elements of film can have a great effect on the target audience, even if only one or two elements are used. We are all able to observe the credits, rolling throughout this selected clip but we also observe the birds flying around in the background. This instantly makes us relate to the title of the film - 'THE BIRDS' - to the images on screen. Now all though birds do not usually come with negative connotations, the micro-element of sound comes into play to change our image of them and to mould their connotations. The non-diegetic sound played in the background sets and extremely eerie and sinister atmosphere. Now because of this, us the audience no longer rely on our own connotations that come to mind when we think of birds. We have allowed the micro-element of sound to mould our view of the creatures. The music has made them out to be mysterious, negative and maybe even dangerous creatures. These connotations would of never been brought up without the element of sound playing its part in this selected clip.


Alfred Hitchcock was a big fan of 'dragging things out' when it came to opening sequences, he loved a massive build up of suspense and anxiety, between characters and the audience, his methods were extremely effective when it came to building mystery and suspense. Hitchcock would often use the frist 30-40 minutes of a film to build the suspense between the characters, narrative and the audience. Many Hitchcock films did this, one of Hitchcock most famous films 'pyscho' gave Hitchcock his well earned title - "The master of suspense".

Preliminary task

The video below is our preliminary task, we have has issues with continuity, editing, acting and lack of group members. The continuity was an issue with the 'Masked Man' as we filmed his bits on two different days but because we haven't specified times this isn't such an issue. When it came to editing we had issues that the 'Masked Man' turned his head before the dialog had finished but then in the next shot he was facing forwards again. Unfortunately for this film we did not have any actors leading to some bad acting. Also one of the members of our group has gone on holiday in florida and so has entirely missed the preliminary task.

Christopher Nolan

Christopher Nolan is creating some great and interesting ideas in the thriller film world, with his backwards filmmaking he uses revolutionary ideas to keep his audience in suspense and shock.

One of his most famous films is Memento is in non-chonological order, the entire film has been cut up into it's scenes and then plays the scenes one by one in reverse order. The story follows a man with amnesia trying to find who raped and murdered his wife, to remember important information he leaves himself mementos such as tattoos, notes and photographs. It is a good thriller because although it releases key information about the film at the beginning because it is the end in chronological order it still manages to create more mystery's.

He has also directed a trilogy of films known as 'The Dark Knight trilogy' these films follow the superhero Batman. The second film (The Dark Knight) and the third film (The Dark Knight Rises) have been very widely received. The Dark Knight is 8th on the IMDB top 250 films. Nolan has taken a new, darker approach to the Batman series with Heath Ledger playing a psychotic portrayal of The Joker in the dark knight and Tom Hardy playing Bane in The Dark Knight Rises these villains are know known as some of the greatest villains in movie history.

The Study of the Weapon

Our killer does not murder his victims by choking, poisoning or headbutting them to death. He uses a weapon. We decided it would probably be better for our killer to use a bladed weapon mainly due to it being difficult to aquire realistic guns, difficult to get the effects of the gun being shot right (we wouldn't actually shoot Danny... which is a shame...) and overall, it being a little uninteresting. Guns, unless you spend hundreds or have a unique one, have no redeeming qualities between them and so would not add much to the character of our killer, therefore a bladed weapon, be it a knife or sword, would be better simply down to the fact that there is a phenomenal amount of difference between every type. The design of the bladed weapon would also reflect on the personality of the killer, for example, a killer using a 'traditional' kitchen knife or a flick-knife would most likely not have anything truly wrong with him, or be too enamored with the murder. A more interesting one though, such as a custom made dagger could suggest that there is an unhinged quality in him or that he deeply enjoys the death he causes.

Firstly, the standard kitchen knife.
The standard weapon in 'stabbity stabbity' murders, the traditional kitchen knife has no redeeming qualities in design but is clearly recognisable and fear inspiring in its own right.

In most thriller films there is nearly always a shot where it reflects light off of the blade, traditionally with a close-up of the knife from behind. With its large blade area, black handle, and simple design the kitchen knife, while being a more uninteresting weapon of choice, would fall back on traditional values in the thriller genre.



Secondly, the Hunters Knife.
The Hunters Knife denotes subliminally that the killer may be a more intelligent, dangerous adversary, mainly because if he owns a Hunters Knife, he is likely to hunt, and hunting requires patience, intelligence and strength.

The hunters knife would primarily be used in films occurring in forests or if there are members of the army involved. While uncommon, the associated values with it do add depth to a villain.



Finally, Custom and Unique Knives.
Custom Knives show that the villain is obssessed with weapons. If the killer is using a custom or unique knife it is highly likely that he has either planned the killings or wants to make a name for himself. A custom knife's design would definitely reflect on the killers personality and his methods of killing.

Rarely used in films, although when it is, there is usually a backstory to it with the villain in question.

Codes and Conventions - Use of Black and White

Black and White

These two base colours play a vital role in the thriller genre. Black and White have been used in many iconic thriller films and to great effect. Often these colours are used to deliver important connotations to the target audience. Many connotations comes with these two colours and they can be used to create many different moods and provoke important reactions from the audience.

White - Information and connotations

The colour White is typically used to portray 'good' characters or objects within a thriller film. White can be used through out all aspects of film - Mise en scene is the main element White has a great effect in - characters, objects and maybe even locations can have a very strong affect on the target audience when this powerful colour is used.

There are many connotations that come with the colour White, and because of this it makes it a perfect base colour to use throughout film. When the audience see the colour White many connotations will be brought to mind.

Some examples:

White - Pure

White - Holy (Church wedding, wedding dress "The Virgin Bride"

White - Clean 

White - Peace - Surrender  'A White Flag'

White - Happiness 

White - Innocence - New born baby, "Wrapped in White blankets

And so on...

White is a very effective colour to use, delivering us many positive connotations while at the same time it proceeds to give the audience an aid in reading important characters, objects and locations. In future pieces I will be going in more detail to how the colour White is used in thriller films.

Balck - information and connotations

The colour Black - White's binary challenger - is commonly used throughout many thriller films. The colour Black can be seen in many different elements of film - it has relations to shadows aka lighting and costume - these elements play a vital role in the thriller films genre.

Black (being a binary opposition to White) delivers the connotations of 'Bad'. This in the genre of thriller is of vital importance as it fits in with one of the most important conventions of thriller films (the fact they always look at the world in a negative way). Black shows the audience the bad within the film within characters, objects or locations. The colour Black comes with many important connotations

Some examples:

Black - Shadow (the unknown we're all scared of)

Black - pain and suffering 

Black - Death - everyone where Black at a funeral

Black - Mystery 

Black - filth - Things that are Black can be viewed as dirty or unclean

Black - Satan - To religious people "the spawner of evil and darkness in the world"

And so on...

Black is very effective within films, but it doesn't work without a vital binary opposition, and contrasting, opposing force. Black working in contrast to White is very successful, and this is why many film makers will always involve these two colours together as binary opposition. The effect of this contrast in of vital importance when it comes to thriller films.

"Without the dark, how could we see the light? Without the light, how would we notice the Dark?"

These binary oppositions highlight the contrast between the colour connotations that come with both White and Black, if you don't have an opposing force to confront your connotations.

With these to colours working in conjunction with each other has a great impact on a thriller films target audience. I will be talking about the use of this convention in my textual analysis of thriller opening and will be highlighting why and how it's been used to affect the audiences thoughts and feelings during the films opening sequence.