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.

The use of clocks

Clocks

Due to the fact that our thriller is based on the theme of clocks, I thought I would research into how clocks are used in other films (mainly thrillers) so I can learn their codes and conventions and then we can use them in our film.

The first thriller that I looked at was actually from a television series called 24. The film is set in real time and they have 24 hours to complete their mission. The clock ticks continuously throughout the whole series, which is spread over 24, one hour episodes. Below is a video of the use of clockwork in this programme. Unfortunately there is an added bit on the end, which does not happen normally, but it is the best video I could find!

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As you can see from this clip, a dramatic, monotonous sound is used on each second. The display is also very bland, using only two colours and no background. Using this method adds effect because the audience is focusing primarily on the clock digits, and nothing else. The sound also makes each second seem a whole lot more, which to the characters, is realistic, as a second can be vital!



My next video is a short montage of films that use the phrase "The clock is ticking". I have included this film to really exaggerate how much a 'clock' theme is used in thriller films ... Enjoy.

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As made really evident, clocks are an essential part to a thriller film, both backing up our reasoning for choosing the theme of clocks, and also shows us different ways to deliver the line!

Slideshow

Slideshow

This is a slideshow of the work i did and then presented last week in media, the slideshow presentation shows many features of our thriller film opening such as in depth character studies, narrative outlines with storyboards, the themes and messages for our opening, the practical details and the codes and conventions of thriller films that we will use

Dirty Harry (1971) Opening Titles

Dirty Harry (1971) — Art of the Title

This title i think is the perfect way to open a thriller film, the first bit of the opening is a wall of tributes to police officers of San Francisco who have died, this shows us that it is a crime thriller and the setting is San Francisco. The next thing we see is a close up of the end of a gun silencer with some intense music, the next camera shot is from the scope of a gun watching a woman, they use a woman because they are supposed to be seen as the helpless victim. They then switch between shots of the man holding the gun and what is down the scope until he shoots her. We then see our protagonist Harry Callahan walk as the name of the actor that play him, Clint Eastwood, appears at the bottom of the screen he then walks over to other police officers investigating the crime scene of the murder seen previously, we then see him walking up lots of stairs and across a rooftop until we see him at the location of the killer we saw he sees a note from the killer and a shell casing these are the catalysts for the rest of the story.

The Study of the Mask

As George has already mentioned, our killer utilises a mask in our thriller. And while George has already chosen a final design (with the rest of our help) and touched upon our idea for using a mask, we have not said why we decided that our killer should have one.

Our original idea for the bare-bones of the story is that if the pocket-watch is in your possession, you must murder a person at the same time for every day. And while the pocket-watch is the key point in our storyline the mask was simply added for aesthetics. We added the mask, subconsciously, because if the killer is wearing a mask, we can create a deep psychological fear in every human that watches. The fear of not knowing. The mask, not only hides the identity of the killer but hides his emotions, his soul, it hides the very things that define us as human so that all we see is the mask, the body is unimportant but the mask, the mask symbolises the natural human fear of the unknown: the fear of what lies beyond the edge, of what horrors the mask may hide.

After including an idea of a mask and deciding which mask we were to use we gave it a story. The mask, along with the aforementioned pocket-watch, are passed down from killer to killer. When one killer cannot continue with the senseless murder and chooses to die instead, another aquires the mask and pocket-watch and becomes the next killer. The key to the story is the pocket-watch, the mask is simply an addition to the killers image that continues along the chain of murderers. This may make the mask seem unimportant, but it truly doesn't. What would you view with more fear, confusion, or simple interest: Me (we decided that i am most likely to portray the killer) and my big, dopey face devoid of any emotion as the villain, or an unblinking, unchanging view of a doorway to possible madness and murder, of a past so blood soaked and twisted that you cannot help but fear it, along with its ever unchanging, undiluted face of happyness...

The mask provides so much more conflicting emotions and interest into a killer, because who knows what hides behind the mask...?

Analysis of Thriller Music and Construction of a Thriller Song

Today we decided to analyse the music used in thriller films and produce a basic song for our own.


The first song we analysed was Hans Zimmer's Dream is Collapsing from the Inception soundrack.

This particular song utilises a simple melody to begin with on top of a deep walking bass line. The first melody then becomes a secondary melody with strings and brass taking over the majority of the melody with each addition becoming louder. The piece then slows to become a more meaty, lumbering seemingly dangerous thing that when used in the film definitely creates an atmosphere of discord and worry. The piece abruptly stops to end this atmosphere but creates a cliffhanger effect in doing so, in the film this would most likely lead onto a quieter more mysterious piece.

Musical devices and terms this piece uses:

• Crescendo - Becoming steadily louder
• Recurring bass line and melody sections
• Starts quietly
• Ends abruptly 

The Second song we analysed was another of Hans Zimmer's. this one being Gotham's Reckoning from The Dark Knight Rises.

Although this song is from the same composer it utilises vastly different musical devices and instruments, clearly showing how different music in Thriller films can be to put certain stress onto a scene or character. This song begins quietly but with only a chilling string section and a simple melody played from a quiet instrument that could be a piano. The piece then loses the string section and melody in exchange for a constant drumbeat and a deep brass 'voice' which gives the effect of 'a calm before the storm'. It then explodes into a fast paced string section and brass to show that something large is coming which is evident when all the sections seem to come together for a final flash of sound. The piece uses this recurring theme of getting louder and faster then slower and quieter to keep the suspense in the film flowing while increasing it throughout.

Musical devices and terms this piece uses:

• Crescendo
• Big brass melodies and bass lines
• Fast paced string melody
• Strong, repetitive vocal melody

After listening to these two examples of a song on a thriller soundtrack i noted that thriller soundtracks utilise a number of musical features that add to the pieces tonality and effect.
They often begin quietly to suggest a 'calm before the storm' notion, this works well in a thriller film as it builds on the tension that is needed to keep the viewers interest in the film. They then have a crescendo which massively impacts on the pieces tension levels. The pieces will often then crash into a loud, explosive melody that goes along with a sudden change in the atmosphere of the film.
Common instruments used:

• Double Bass (Provides the deep bass)
• Violins (Either playing a simple melody or a recurring theme)
• Brass Instruments (Normally playing a simple tune to the speed of the double bass)
• 
  

After listening and analysing these two i decided to try and come up with a basic song which i intend to post soon.

Credits - opening and closing

Credits (Opening and/or closing)

After doing some research into the way thriller films present opening credits. I noticed that most of them have the names of actors/actresses and other important members of the films names fading in and out to some eerie music. The most dominant colour for the words is red. Red is used as it represents danger and quite possibly death. The eerie music used adds to the tension which is being created from the actual film, which is very commonly playing in the background also. The soundtrack will very often be a very slow starting track, which gets faster and faster as it progresses, and gets closer to the climax occurring. 

During the particular opening I analysed, which was actually one from a university student who got top grades for their whole film, I realised that only one character was focused on, although another character was seen. This shows that having less characters, is primarily more effective and makes a good thriller. Behind all this, was the credits which were flashing past, which I often just looked past. This could mean two things - The credits are unimportant, and should not be too in the way, or from this particular example, the credits were too small, and in our film, we should make them more noticeable. I think the credits are not really too important, and only act as a distraction, and should not be made too big or too noticeable, as it could possibly ruin the film going on behind it.

Here is the example I analysed mainly for closing credits ...







For closing credits, it is very common for a soundtrack, or the only soundtrack to be used. The background is very often black, and the text is very often block white and fairly big and noticeable. 

During the closing scene of Inception, which is the film I analysed for this particular segment, I noticed nothing much was really going on, except from the text. This could mean that the point of the ending credits is to really not over do it, and keep things plain and simple. Personally I believe that a little story through the closing credits can be very succesful, but to keep to the codes and conventions of thriller films, it is best to stick with what the pro's do!

The text appears as a fade in, fade out. It is really simple and actually for some reason, adds a lot of tension. I think it's because we have just seen a really mind-blowing film, and we are now seeing the normal back in place, and the juxtaposition really throws us out of place!

Here is the ending credits to Inception. Unfortunately I couldn't find a brilliant copy of it, so I got one off youtube. There is a weird spinning table-top for some reason, so please skip to 1:40 to see the actual credits and soundtrack!

Storyboards

I have yet to post onto Blogger, luckily my first post is rather large.

Here is the basic storyboard design for Clockwork. It is currently still concepting so there will be no side notes accompanying it.

and the top one is upside down... great...

Ben Cusworth

Codes and Conventions - Use of Enigma code

Codes and Conventions - Use of Enigma code 

Enigma code is a fundamental attribute of the thriller genre. Enigma code can exist in many different ways, but on many occasions enigma code with be incorporated by use of flash backs. Flash backs are a way of showing the audience past events, both hero and villain alike can have these flash backs incorporated in their character background. Flash backs often give us tiny clippings of information; without giving away everything we need to know about the character but just enough to make us makes vital assumptions. Flash backs are often short and to the point, showing us small bits of information that could be useful later on in the film.

Enigma code is illustrated rather well in many thriller films. Films such as Shutter Island, Momento and Inception make great use of the convention, using it to reinforced ideas on the audience, build up tension and suspense and creating mystery. Enigma code often relates to other conventions, conventions such as "Morally complex character"and "troubled past" are often linked in with enigma code with other conventions. 

Opening Sequence Analysis - Draft

Shutter Island - Thriller opening analysis - short draft

Location 

The two major locations used in the opening sequence of ‘Shutter Island‘  have a massive contrast but are highly relevant to the characters standing in the film. At first we are met with a boat, emerging through the mist, traveling on a vast Ocean, it and the main character are surrounded by water. The environment surrounds the main character, this makes him seem small and insignificant compared to what’s around him. We also get the idea that the main character doesn’t have a really good relationship with the substance either, as when we first encounter him, we see him being sick - “sea sick”. From this many convention of thriller have already been shown. The size of the environment, and the fact we see a boat emerges from very misty Ocean can be related to Pathetic Fallacy - this could foreshadow what’s to come - we get the idea that things aren’t quite right. The relationship between the character and his environment can be seen as Narrative retardation, we know nothing about this character, we don’t know why he is so again the environment around him, raising some important questions. Why would you travel by boat if you were so sick when traveling on it? Why is he on the boat in the first place? A lot of mystery is create from this on location.

Another very important location we get to see is shutter island itself. This is highly important to the film for it is the main setting and back drop for the film. We see that the boat is traveling towards this small, mysterious island with the intentions of dropping the main characters off. The island has a massive contrast with the ocean around it, it gives the audience a sense of isolation and segregation. This can be linked with the main character and his situation.

Characters

The main character conforms to the code of conventions of Thriller films, Tedd (the main character) is extremely mysterious and morally complex. When we first see Tedd we can see he is in a very bad way, we see him being sea sick and he talks to himself - “pull yourself together Teddy”. From this we get the idea that not all is well and that he isn’t just talking about his sea sickness. What he says is a foreshadowing of what’s to come later on in the film. As he walks through the ship we see him emerge out onto the deck where he is surrounded by water. He says shortly after “I hate the water”, making the audience wonder why he hates that water. As the dialogue between another character and Tedd starts, we find out that Tedd had a wife that has died, we go to a flash-back of his wife putting a tie around him with a record player playing in the background. When he says she died in a fire we get the flash back fade to the water then back to the flash back and back to Teddy’s face. We get a vague idea the water has something to do with how his wife died and that Tedd isn’t telling the full truth about her death. 

Costume

The costume is rather simple, it’s very suited to the period, and is very historically accurate. The costume is very bland and fits with the typical idea that thriller films are more aimed to the depression things in life and never taking a positive view on things. “The glass is half empty” view on life. The costume gets a strong message of seriousness and sophistication across to the audience, making them realise that this is a serious matter and nothing to be very happy about.

Lighting

The lighting is rather natural and takes a very simple form in the film. The fact that there is a storm coming makes things very eerie and gloomy, putting a negative spin on things happening during the opening sequence. This fits the conventions of thriller because having a gloomy background is a very important part in the film. This conveys many things to the audience - the fact that their is a storm coming and that things aren’t quite right between Teddy and the other police officers around him. This can be seen a pathetic fallacy, foreshadowing that when the storm hits, things will go wrong.

Sound

The soundtrack is very fitting, with the music being broken up into sections making things seem confusing and strange, making the setting seem more effective and mysterious. As we progress through the opening sequence the music gets louder and more dramatic, this is used to build up tension, the thrilling music thrills the audience making feel like something very important is about to happen. This grabs the audience right from the start, making them feel involved and interested in what’s happening in the film. This attention is key to grab and keep a film audience interest and actively involved in the film.

Preliminary Task - Rules to continuity Editing

Continuity Editing

In this video we are given a basic understanding of how continuity editing is used to show more than one line of action in a set scene ( two people having a conversation). We notice the editing does not draw attention to itself, making the film seem more realistic and create a better connection with the audience. This video explains how and why it is used in many films to create a sense of realism and to prevent viewers getting confused or feeling disconnected from characters when more than one line of action is occurring in a particular scene. This video tell us about the set rules of continuity editing that we much follow to succeed in our preliminary task.

Alfred Hitchcock Director Study Part 2

Hitchcock talks about his experiences with film

Part One

Part Two continues on Youtube - link provided underneath

LINK TO PART TWO - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtWi3-eLQqY&feature=channel&list=UL

Alfred Hitchcock Director Study Part 1

Alfred Hitchcock "The master of Suspense"

Basic information

Born: 13th of August 1899, Leytonstone, London, England

Died: 29th of April, 1980 (aged 80) Bel Air - United States

Other names: Hitch - "The mater of suspense"

Occupation: Film director, film producer

Years active: 1921-1976

Religion: Roman Catholic

Spouse: Alma Reville

Children: Patricia Hitchcock

Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director and producer.He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, billed as England's best director, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood.
Over a career spanning more than half a century, Hitchcock fashioned for himself a distinctive and recognisable directorial style. He pioneered the use of a camera made to move in a way that mimics a person's gaze, forcing viewers to engage in a form of voyeurism. He framed shots to maximise anxiety, fear, or empathy, and used innovative film editing. His stories frequently feature fugitives on the run from the law alongside "icy blonde" female characters. Many of Hitchcock's films have twist endings and thrilling plots featuring depictions of violence, murder, and crime, although many of the mysteries function as decoys or "MacGuffins" meant only to serve thematic elements in the film and the psychological examinations of the characters. Hitchcock's films also borrow many themes from psychoanalysis and feature strong sexual undertones. Through his cameo appearances in his own films, interviews, film trailers, and the television program Alfred Hitchcock Presents, he became a cultural icon.
Hitchcock directed more than fifty feature films in a career spanning six decades. Often regarded as the greatest British filmmaker, he came first in a 2007 poll of film critics in Britain's Daily Telegraph, which said: "Unquestionably the greatest filmmaker to emerge from these islands, Hitchcock did more than any director to shape modern cinema, which would be utterly different without him. His flair was for narrative, cruelly withholding crucial information (from his characters and from us) and engaging the emotions of the audience like no one else." The magazine MovieMaker has described him as the most influential filmmaker of all time, and he is widely regarded as one of cinema's most significant artists.

Information reference - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Hitchcock

Codes and Conventions - Use of Shadows

Convention of Shadows

Use of Shadows in Hitchcocks "Psycho"

As you can see from this image, shadows are used to great effect in Hitchcock's "Psycho". We can see that the background is clearly lit, in contrast to the character in center frame, as only a silhouette of the character can be seen. We can see the silhouette very clearly, it's what we can't see that's important in this shot. We cannot see what the character is holding, nor can we see what their face looks like; we are instantly left guessing who this concealed character might be. The connotations of 'shadows' are instantly brought to mind when we look at this shot. Unable to identify facial expressions we are left in the dark about what the character's thoughts and feelings are; we are disconnected from the character. The shadows in this shot create a sense of mystery and audience ignorance, we are unable to gather any real information about this character which leaves us filling in the gaps; leading us to make assumptions. These assumptions are vital in any thriller film. 

We could assume that he's a bad character for hiding in the shadows in the first place. Connotations that back up our assumptions - Darkness, evil, danger and death and the unknown. All these connotations add to the overall effect of the shot, making us question many things about that character. Making us make vital assumptions to fit in with our logic and to make sense of things is highly common of the thriller genre.

Use of Shadows in Carol Reed's "The Third Man"

Shadows work extremely well in this shot from Carol Reed's "The Third Man". Unlike the shot from Hitchcock's "Psycho" where the shadows are mainly used to conceal the character, this shot has the character standing amongst the shadows, he is surrounded by a dark environment. He is surrounded by shadows, connotations that come with this image - Surrounded by mystery, Surrounded by Darkness, doom, evil and suffering. All these readings can be made easily, making us feel he's in some kind of danger with the darkness racing toward him. This builds tension, suspense and thrilling.

All though these feelings are created by the shadows in this shot, things are still mysterious and unclear to us. Why is the character in question in danger? Why are the shadows surrounding him? All these questions promote a sense of mystery. This allows us to make assumptions about the character, making us logically answer the questions brought up by the shot. Possible assumptions made; the character is running from something dangerous, he could be on the run from the Villain or  possibly the police. These assumptions are vital, making us read into the image in greater depth and detail.

   

Use of Shadows in Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight"

This shot from Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" uses shadows to create a sense of mystery and suspense. The shadows are used to make the Batman look powerful and mysterious. Both characters are placed centre frame, with the Batman standing in the background, surrounded by shadows and darkness, Showing that the Batman is more serious and likes to blend in with the shadows to hide his identity. The joker on the other hand is fully lit, a more positive mood is created which could also imply that the joker is less serious and more comical. The contrast between the Batman and the joker begins to appear. The binary oppositions of light and dark seem to have a head to head battle in this shot. We have the joker - the comical and comedic character who never takes anything seriously and the Batman - a very serious character, who usually has a rather pessimistic view on life which dampens his view on the jokers 'silly' humour. 

Contrasts lie between the Binary oppositions - "Light and Dark" - highlighting, not only the characters personalities but their roles in the film as well. With these contrasts between the two characters, we are easily able to use logic to read between the lines of the shot. We are able to apply our assumptions and come up with a logical response to what's happening in the shot in question. 

The Birds Trailer

The Shining Trailer

Mask Research 3

Bane Mask

As you can see this is the Bane Mask from Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight Rises".

This mask, as you can imagine is very iconic and popular these days thanks to the release of the last installment to the Batman trilogy.

PRO's

. This is a very iconic mask and easily recognised  

. The mask is painted in very dark colours, these colours help symbolise what the characters personality could be like, giving the audience a reading of the character in the mask

. The mask stands out very well, it isn't like a common mask for it doesn't cover the whole of the characters face

. The mask allowed the eyes and parts of the face to be seen, audience to character connection on a emotional level is very important; eye contact lets us "see into their soul" giving the audience a better reading of the character

CON's

. All though this mask is iconic it can also be very miss leading as audiences will view it as "the Bane mask" which could lead them to believe that the character in question wearing the mask is in fact Bane

. The mask doesn't hide all of the face, usually masks are worn to conceal identity and deliver the connotations of mystery and the unknown - this mask does deliver the connotations in question

. The mask conceals highly important facial expressions witch could make the connection between the audience and the character hard to achieve

. The mask might be hard to get hold of and or make, misleading our audience with it's unoriginality is the main concern as it has been used in a very well known 'blockbuster' film "Dark Knight Rises"

Final costume for villain

This is a graphic for the final costume of our villain including the mask 

Simple Codes and conventions - part 2

Specific Narrative Features of Thrillers

- Plot twists and turns - complex, makes the audience work

- Flash backs - darks pasts

- Narrative retardation - miss leading the audience

- Red herrings - things that distract the audience, miss-leading them to believe someone else it the bad guy or Villain

- Chase/ pursuit - action scenes to excite the audience and 'thrill' them

- Mysterious characters (shady past / duplicitous / unsure of intentions / keep audience guessing) don't reveal to much

- Deadlines (bomb timer, ransom demands...)

Morally complex characters which give us more grey areas which add to an audience Narrative retardation

- Enigma codes "Flash backs"to bring us back to a character's past

- Cliff Hangers to build tension, suspense and to play on the viewers imagination

- Misdirection, give the audience inaccurate information

Multiple lines of action, more than one story being told

General Narrative Theory references

- Todorov's Narrative theory
- Three act structure
- Beginning, Middle and End
- Happy Endings (Doesn't always happen in the thriller genre)
- Catalyst: Something that get the ball rolling so to speak
- Enigma codes (Barthes)
- Levi Strauss and Binary Oppositions

**Refer to "Simple codes and conventions part 1"**

Simple Codes and Conventions - Part 1

Codes and conventions - Thriller genre

Shadows

Shadows are closely related with 'low key lighting' and are used as a convention of the thriller genre because of the connotations that come with them. They are used to represent the inner darkness within characters, locations or certain objects. They are used to represent mystery, evil and the unknown witch so many of us fear. They are typically used to create suspense and tension either between the characters and the audience, creating a sense of eeriness and mystery between the viewers and the characters while still making a connection between the two. The main connotations that come with shadows can usually change our entire view on a character. Shadows can be used in many ways and will be referred to throughout our project. 

Obtrusive Editing

Quick shots and obtrusive editing are used frequently in thriller films to accentuate the feelings of suspense and tension to the audience. They are used during an extremely important, relavent and 'thrilling' scene the create the feeling of confusion and mystery. 

Flash backs (enigma code)

Flashbacks contribute to a sense of time, showing characters in past situations which can confuse or even feed the Narrative of the film. Flashbacks are usually short and relevant to the characters story, giving the audience some insight into the characters back ground and making them seem less mysterious and sinister. Enigma code is a fundamental part of the thriller genre and will also be referred to throughout our project. 

Black and White

The colours Black and White play a massive role in the thriller genre. This fits in extremely well with the convention of 'shadows'. The connotations often attached to the colour Black are Evilness, Death, the unknown, mysterious and ominous circumstances. White on the other hand come with the connotations of happiness, purity, innocence and elegance .These connotations can usually help the audience judge a character, location or object. If they're concealed by darkness and shadows and dressed in Black it's probably safe to say they're a bad guy, whereas in contrast to this if they were in the light and dressed in a pure White colour it would probably be safe to say they're a good guy.

Narrative Research 3

Binary Oppositions

Claude Levi-Strauss

. Social Anthropologist

. Studied myths of tribal cultures 

. Examined how stories unconsciously reflect that values, beliefs and myths of a culture

. These are usually expressed in the form of Binary Oppositions.

. His research has been adapted by media theorists to reveal underlying themes and symbolic oppositions in media texts.

Binary Oppositions 

. A conflict between two qualities or terms.

. For example 1970's Western films:

Homesteaders - Native Americans

Christian - Pagan

Domestic - savage

weak - strong

Garden - wilderness

Inside society - outside society

Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg. Probably the most well known directors of all time! He has directed films such as; ET, Jaws, Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan, Schindlers list and so many more!

Spielberg was born in 1946, and his directing career began in 1963 (Aged 17!) where he was directing television programmes and short films. His first major film was released in 1974, and was called 'The Sugarland Express' which in all honesty, wasn't a great success. 

Despite his slow start in the film industry, Spielberg is the one laughing now. Forbes recently released their latest magazine, where he was estimated a worth of $3.2 billion - Exaggerating how well he has done in the last 40 years!

Narrative Research 2

Vladimir Propp

- Russian critic and literary theorist.
- Analysed over 100 Russian fairytales in the 1920's.
- He proposed that it was possible to classify the characters and their actions into clearly defined roles and functions.
- Films such as "Star Wars" fit Propp's model precisely, but a significant number of more recent films such as Pulp fiction do not.
- The model is useful, however as it highlights the similarities between seemingly quite different stories.

Propp's Character Roles

. The Hero (seeks something or someone)

. The Villain (Opposes the Hero)

. The Donor (helps the Hero by providing a magic object)

. The Dispatcher (sends the hero on his way)

. The false Hero (falsely assuming the role of "Hero")

. The Helper (gives support to the Hero)

. The princess (the reward for the Hero, but also needs protection from the Villain)

. Her farther

As you can see, there is a massive contrast between Vladimir Propp's views and Tzvetan Todorov's theory of Narrative. Todorov's theory is also easier to apply to many films we watch today, the relevance to the Narrative theory is  easier to match and identify. 

Todorov's theory - "Narrative Research 1" - Equilibrium (Start), Disequilibrium (Middle) and New equilibrium (End).

Roland Barthes

. French semiologist

. Suggested that narrative works with five different codes which activate the reader to make scense of it.

Barths' Codes

. Action - a narrative device by which a resolution is produced through action e.g a shoot-out

. Enigma - a narrative device that teases the audience by presenting a puzzle or riddle to be solved. Works to delay the story's ending pleasurably.

. Symbolic - (connotation)

. Semic - (denotation)

. Cultural - A narrative device which the audience can recognise as being part of culture e.g a "made man" in a gangster film is part of the mafia culture.

As you can see the contrast between these theories can really be seen and notified. During our research and planning, construction and our evaluation all these theories will be taken into account and will be referred to through out our project.  

Audience research

Audience Research

The usual target audience for a thriller film is adolescence and above. With this in mind, we are able to work a bit more freely, and do not really have to consider the fact that a younger audience member may be watching - therefore we can make things a little more complex and difficult to understand. 

I decided to create a questionnaire, asking various questions about peoples preferences in thriller films. When we have 15 sheets back, we shall look at them, and take the answers into account. These answers will then model exactly how the film is made, and different editing skills/techniques we use. (Questionnaire examples will be released shortly ...)

Alfred Hitchcock

Alfred Hitchcock

Alfred Hitchcock (Born : 13th August 1899 - Died : 29th April 1980) was an American director, who specialised in Thriller films. His most famous films include; Rear Window, Physco, Vertigo and Shadow of a Doubt which were all created before the 1960's. 

The film Rear Window is rated is best ever film (http://movies.toptenreviews.com/directors/reviews/d18440.htm ) which was made in 1954. To make this film, he was given a staggering $1 million, which in 1954, was a lot of money! He shot the film in his favoured studio, 'Paramount Studios' and used a 35mm Exakta Varex VX camera, which nowadays would be laughed at!

Sir Alfred Hitchcock ended his career in 1976 with what turned out to be a huge disappointment  only achieving 2 and a half stars. The film 'Family Plot'  was given a budget of $3 Million - but only pulled in a box office of $13,200,000, compared to 'Rear Windows' $36,764,313 - and that was made in the 50's!

Todorov's Narrative Theory (Narrative Research 1)

Basic Understanding of Todorov's "Narrative theory"

Todorov's Narrative theory has a massive part to play in all films, all though with the genre of thriller, aspects can differ very much from this traditional way of telling a story.

The theory highlights the way we 'traditionally' should tell a story. Todorov's view is that all stories have a start - "Equilibrium" where every thing is happy and all is well - a middle - "Disequilibrium" where things begin to change and something has happened that has caused a problem; the world is in a different state - and a end - "New equilibrium" where something has been done about the problem and the world has returned to the way it was or it has changed for the better.

Due to the conventions of thriller films the theory is not totally suited to how Narrative works in a typical thriller film. Some simple confliction can be found. This basic theory of Narrative would still be used but in a more mixed up way.

The aspects of Todorov's Narrative theory that aren't followed by the thriller genre will be explained in future studies of thriller films.

Codes and conventions

Codes and conventions of a thriller

There are so many codes and conventions for thriller films, so here I have listed my 10 top conventions, which we shall try to include where possible.

1. Low key lighting
2. Shadows
3. Tension music
4. Flashbacks
5. Black and white
6. Mirrors
7. Obstructive editing
8. Disorientation of time and space
9. Mind games
10. Narrative retardation

Costumes

Costumes

These items of clothing are those of the victims. They are very casual, because the victim himself, is in a casual state. I think these clothes are an accurate representation of someone who is unsuspecting of an incident.

Our killer is going to be dressed in a suit. We feel this gives him more of a purpose, and also makes the audience wonder why he is in a suit? What has he been doing? The costume is very black orientated because this is very conventional of a killer.

Our second victim is a girl. These are rather casual clothing as well, because the victim is obviously unsuspecting also. There is a contrast though, between her looks and her clothing. She looks very innocent and sweet, whereas her clothing is black and dark, showing her potential conflicting personalities.

Quentin Tarantino

Quentin Tarantino has re-invented the thriller genre, he has received an academy award, a golden globe award and a BAFTA for his work, his work has been described as revolutionary, groundbreaking and that it brings a new meaning to the thriller genre.

His first movie Reservoir Dogs had an enigmatic story with plot twists, stunning acting and is full of red herring. Quentin Tarantino wrote the script in three and half weeks and armed with $30,000 and a 16mm camera he intended to make the film with a group of friends, however with an input from Harvey Keital they raised the budget to $1.5 million.

His next film was Pulp Fiction this re-invented the genre as it's non-chronological story confuses and entertains watch after watch. His use of the non-chronologic order creates an enigmatic story eventually connecting the story. The film won countless awards and is considered a great example of Tarantino's revolutionary filming. With a cast of award winning actors and actresses Pulp Fiction is a thriller fan's dream

Mask Research 2

Blank (Blanc) Venetian Carnival Mask

PRO's

. The mask follows the conventions set in my first part of 'Mask Research' - Hides identity

. This mask could also show the convention of a 'Morally complex character' White is a very natural  colour - the connotations of White for a viewing audience are purity and happiness - related happy events that involve the colour White;

Weddings - Joy and happiness (Love)

New born babies rapped in blankets - Innocence and new life

Angles - Purity and light 

But we can also see a contrast occur - the character wearing the mask could be the total opposite of all these connotations, with the character representing the so called 'Dark Side' of the mask all though it is totally White

. This mask is very clear and really easy to identify

CON's

. There's not a lot of detail on the mask

. We'd have to fight with the connotations that come with the colour White, the acting would have to be more professional to promote the contrast you would need to make this mask work

. Very basic and not very iconic compared to other masks that could be used to much greater effect without the need of high contrast between the character and connotations

Mask Research 1

Mask Research 

Conventions covered by masks in Thriller films - Hides facial expressions, the character's face would not been seen. This convention usually creates a scenes of mystery and the unknown. Some questions usually raised;

'Why is he/she wearing a mask?'

'Why is this mask important?'

'Why are they trying to hide their identity?' etc...

Conventions of this mask specifically - 

PRO's

. The mask covers the most of the face

. The dark Black colour around the edge of the mask is also another convention used in thriller; the colour Black is usually viewed by an audience as mysterious or Evil

. The contrast between the Black and Gold also follows another conventions of thriller films - 'Morally complex character' - The Gold could  highlight the good in the character and the Black contrast around the edge of the mask could highlight the Bad in the character

CON's

. This mask is more suited to a female character which limits our power in casting

. This mask does not really represent power

. The mask represents femininity and does not fit well with our Draft - "Narrative Events" 

Mask Ideas

In our thriller film we want our main character to wear a mask we believe this is important to the mystery of the character. In this post i will review 3 different masks using pros and cons to each mask.

Pros: Very mysterious, From a thriller film, Well known, Guy Fawkes mask so associated with death, Covers entire face, Easy to get.
Cons: Not very scary, Not very serious, Not our own idea.

Pros: From a thriller film, Well known, Very serious mask, Creates a mystery of why he has the mask, Portrays our character as venerable.
Cons: Does not cover entire face, Not our own idea, Not an easy mask to get hold of.

Pros: Easy to get, Covers entire face, Well known.
Cons: Not A serious mask, Mask from a horror not a thriller, Not our own idea.

Narrative Events.

Film Name: “CLOCKWORK”

PRODUCER: BGRD productions

Vague film Idea - Basic first idea’s to how we believe our film opening should work. 

Conventions that we wish to incorporate  - Enigma (Flash Backs), Mystery (Character/story line), confusion, Darkness (The Unknown), Death, Morally complex character (Is really mysterious and unknown to the audience) - “Narrative Retardation”, The use of silence - this is used to create tension and suspense between the audience and maybe characters - Pathetic Fallacy - Calm before the storm - Foreshadowing what’s to come later on in the film

Narrative Events 

1. Flash backs - We have flash backs for enigma code convention - father writing a will to his son - leaves the son a mysterious pocket watch (“Narrative retardation” and Catalyst). Note is attached to the watch with the phrase “You you know what to do...”.

“Mystery narration - Unknown to the audience - Narrative retardation

Father writing the will - Monologue in the characters head”

1. Character A is following somebody - the audience don’t know anything about character A - “Narrative retardation” - The man is wearing a mask to cover up his/her identity (Mystery, Narrative retardation, Mask “Minor Catalyst”) Character A is in a hall way - we see  character A in a hall way (Location - mysterious and unknown to audience - picked up later in the story - Narrative retardation. We see the catalyst - the pocket watch - in character A’s hand.

1. Character A - we see standing over character B’s dead body - character B’s  we see walking away from the man in the hall - character B does not notice this. Character B is dead in the next scene - “Narrative Retardation”
2. Character A (In mystery location) see a girl crying at a grave - we see character A looking at Character C crying over a grave - the man seems to interested in what she’s doing - we can’t see why she’s crying but we see no emotion from character A for the mask hides it all.
3. We see character A get out a pocket watch - we see the pocket watch and relate it to the first image we saw of the image we saw at the start of the opening sequence - links between the start and the current story start to be made. We see the pocket watch and the mask fall to the floor.
4. Character C goes over to the area where the objects are dropped to investigate - we see her approach the mask and the watch - ending with a fade out to darkness...

Location Pictures

This was our first idea for a location, as our film is called clockwork this old clock tower would work perfectly for an opening shot. I am thinking with ticking in the background getting louder to then cut to a shot of the pocket watch.

This shot shows a distinct contrast between light, and the darkness of the shadows within the tunnel. The over grown leaves also is very conventional of a thriller film. It creates an eerie effect, and adds great tension.

This is the clock tower which shall appear many times. The camera angle used in this picture will not be used in the film, as it is out of boundaries  but as we were researching, we decided to take pictures from all kinds of different angels.

This shot really portrays the potential camera angels, which could be used. We could either do a shot from where we are standing, in the picture, or go up to that spot, and use a low angle. Both would create a great thriller effect.

This shot is a key shot for our film. Our film is called clockwork, and this clock would feature several times. It is a very creepy clock, and the shadows from the trees create such a good effect.

Location, Location, Location

Last friday our group went out to find locations take pictures and analyse them however we couldn't find the location we were looking for. So today me and Danny went out to take some location pictures and found the place we were looking for and so took lots of photos.