Blog Update #2

In this weeks lessons I will be:-- Analysing our planned oppening sequence
- Envisage the effect created using shooting scripts and storyboards
- Determine how to create the effect using media language techniques

Final plot

Our final plot idea has changed considerably from that of the original pitch this is because due to our feedback the idea seemed to unrealistic for us to film and edit. This is our new plot:

Now the opening sequence will hold within it a kidnap of young man who will be interrogated through violent means. The start of the film shows the prisoner getting kidnapped and been taking to the secret place of interrogation, then when he is in the chair he has numerous flashbacks of when he is in the car. These flashbacks will be edited together to create a sense of confusion. We enter the film at stage 2 of Todorov's theory where the equilibrium is disrupted. But it will soon become apparent that we are near the end of the film as the main film would progress on.

The main sequence of film shows the lead up to the events in the opening sequence. We will do this by showing the events leading up through what he and the police officers are doing. The opening is near the end of the narrative, so when the opening sequence is shown again in the latter part of the film we will understand what is going on and why he has been kidnapped (similar to what happens in Swordfish. The end will stick to the natural order of films where the narrative is resolved, this will be when the information is found out and the main antagonist is brought to justice by law enforcement officers.

Questionairre analysis

We all asked different people of different ages and gender so we could get a range of results; we will then compare all the notes we have with each other to get the better and much more accurate analysis of our opening sequence. We all asked 10 people, a variety of ages to fill in the questionnaire.

1)      What do you think of the overall plot? (This was the newest plot)

Overall the feedback was much more positive than that of which we got from our original idea, with the majority of the people ask saying that there will be a clear sense of confusion created within our opening sequence. This is exactly the idea we want to project as a sense of confusion is a typical convention of a thriller. A common response to this question was that the plot seems to fit what you would stereotypically see in a thriller film, this is great feedback as this is exactly how we wanted our film to be represented, as we will certainly hit the mark scheme with our film. One respondent, who is media literate, said that as we are doing this by hand and have only a limited amount of props available to us for use, our filming may seem to unrealistic for a task for 4 media students to do.

2)      What do you think to the point of which we join the film? (This is the fact that we join at the point where the equilibrium is disturbed)

One person who this question was asked to was clearly film literate and gave us an answer in which we wanted. The start will be similar to that of swordfish which if filmed and edited correctly which creates a great sense of confusion. This is what we aim for in our film as swordfish was one of our influenced films as our film as similar to swordfish opens at stage 2 of Todorov’s theory.

 3)      What ideas could be improved?

A response that was seen from numerous people was the idea of the gun to the head, they found it was too clichéd and an obvious way to kill someone. We do not one it to be an obvious way of killing someone as we want to create that sense of confusion still so this might be changed in the filming stages.  Overall the response was pretty positive as most of our filming is quite realistic if we have the correct props and ideas.

4)      What age group do you think our film is aimed at?

I asked all 10 respondents which age category they thought our film would be aimed at.

The possibilities were: 16-20, 21-25, 26-30, 31-35, 36-40, 40+

The results that were found I have converted into a graph form,

The graph show that the respondents believe the film is aimed at the ages of 16 to 25 year  olds which is exactly what age group we are aiming at with our film.

5)      Do we introduce characters/ plot/ setting?

The majority of my respondents agreed that the location isn’t recognisable to the character who is sitting in the chair being interrogated but not entirely to them as we do see a glimmer of the outside, but the idea is to hide the location to give the sense of mystery and the unknown, which is a convention of the thriller genre.  Also some of the respondents said the identity of the agents can seem hidden as there are not many shots where they are clearly visible, this is also the idea that we wanted to create as through progression with the main plot the identity of the agents becomes much clearer, so the audience get a certain first impression of these people but then when the plot unravels the bond with the audience and agents can be created.  

6)      Will the main sequence of the film be able to continue on from our opening sequence?

The comment that we got from the same person who made the point about swordfish agreed that the film would easily continue from the opening sequence as it leaves the audience confused which is what we are aiming for. But the point about the fact that doing it like this will make the audience want to watch the rest of the film, which as a film producer is what we want the audience to do. Some of the respondents felt that it would confuse them too much mixing all of the timeline for the film up, but after watching swordfish we felt as a group this was the idea that we would want to introduce into our film.

7)      Does our opening sequence grip you the viewer to watch the rest of the film?

As the respondent explained in the point above the idea of putting a scene that is toward the end of the entire film, at the beginning, grips the viewer and makes them want to carry on watching to see how it’s got to that point in the film and what will happen afterwards. But the majority of people interviewed agreed that they would watch the rest of the film as thriller film hit the age range of respondents (which was 16-27 years of age) so this has given a biased answer as we do not know if our film will attract an audience of an older age. But ‘at the end of the day’ our aim was towards that age range of 16-24 so if the respondents agree that they would watch it to the end then we have done a good job of creating the idea for our film.

Target Audience Questionnaire

This is the new questionnaire that we created for feedback on target audience and feedback of the film itself:

Media film questionnaire

We have already explained the plot and ideas to you now please fill out the questionnaire.

1.     What do you think of the overall plot?

2.     What do you think to the point of which we join the film?

3.     Which ideas could be improved?

4.     What age group do you think our film is aimed at?

15-18    19-22   23-27   28+

5.     Do we introduce the characters/ plot/ Setting?

6.     Will the main sequence of film be able to continue on from our opening sequence?

            

7.     Does our opening sequence grip you the viewer to watch the rest of the film?

Blog update #1

Todays lesson i will be:

-Updating my blog with the findings of my feedback

- finish my Final idea

-Explain my final idea, making reference to my potential target audience research and my audience feedback

Evaluation of our Feedback sheets

After looking at and evaluating our feedback that we got from our feedback sheets we have decided on changing the plot and approach to our film so it is less Hollywood style and less action and more thriller. We will ask more people what they think of our idea again and ask them to fill out a different and much more detailed questionnaire, which will be updated as soon as the information is all gathered up.

Now the opening sequence will give rise to a kidnap of young man who will be viciously interrogated. However due to camera work and editing the location, clothing, props etc. won't be clear until the main part of the film (through flashbacks within the interrogation). We decided to scrap the drugs raid as to pull this off with home cameras and bad actors would look extremely cheesy and would also be very difficult to direct, but the main overriding reason was the fact that within our class there seemed to be a common theme of drugs so we decided against it. Now we feel the typical convention of confusion can be created, giving the audience a more enjoyable opening sequence which keeps them on their seats.

Feedback sheets

The original questions that we handed out to every student in our class to fill out and return back so we could make changes if needed:

Mark Northcott

Tom Ryder

Tom Riley

Arthur Scholes-Furness

Audience feedback


1. Do you think this film has the potential to be an effective thriller?

 2. Does this idea meet all the criteria of the task?

3. Which ideas of the planned product did you personally find effective and why?

4. Which bits of the ideas of the planned product did you feel were not particularly good and why?

5.  What could we change with our idea to make it a better product?

 6. What age of target audience do you think that this idea is best to aim at?

Pitch to the class

IMPORTANT NOTICE: I tried numerous times to upload my PowerPoint presentation straight on to blogger, this didn’t work, so I tried the alternate option of uploading it to Slideshare but this didn’t work either. I apologise for my pitch not being uploaded onto my blogger as a presentation so I changed it in to a word document and uploaded it that way.

My pitch that was previously on PowerPoint was made up of 8 slides.

Genre

We are going to create a hybrid of the Thriller genre. It will comprise of both sub genres crime thriller and action thriller. We have chosen this hybrid because it is on the edge of your seat action.

The Plot

The year is 2015 drug related crime is at an all-time high. Law enforcement officers are struggling to keep the peace. It’s outer city Manchester, The Greater Manchester police department are out on patrol, when they are called out in pursuit of a notorious drug Lord. The film starts near the end then cuts back to 2 weeks earlier where many people have been dying due to increased drug use. Due to this increase Greater Manchester police have recognised this has to come to an end sooner rather than later leading them to tackle the problem head on. Intel suggested that there is a King pin in hiding within the local area who is the cause of the wide scale distribution of the drugs to various gangs. To tackle the problem the police put the most feared tag team on the case, there job is to go round each and every gang to collect vital information on the King pin to bring him down before it’s too late.

How will this appeal to the audience?

This will appeal to the audience, as it will be high action, none stop thrill ride, all the way through. It will keep the audience on the edge of their seats and they would not want to look away incase they miss a thing. The hybrid genre will allow the audience to experience a thriller at its best. The opening sequence has to grab the attention of the audience that is why we are doing an adrenaline filled opening to get the audience straight into the film.

Opening sequence

Are opening sequence will start at the heart of the action where the police duo have found the last gang member who has Intel on the where about of the King pin’s hideout, we are doing this because it is highly effective at keeping the audience interested and want them to keep watching to see the outcome and the events leading up to the resolution We are starting at stage two of Todorov’s theory of the story.

Introductions to the film

The opening sequence will introduce the main characters so the audience can build up a relationship with each character to help them understand the rest of the film. Also the audience will understand from the start the hybrid genre, which introduces the narrative at the same time. The narrative is introduced because having the end at the start allows the audience to know what's happened but not why, which creates confusion ( a thriller convention). The product doesn’t necessarily introduce the location because the hideout is supposed to be unknown but all will become clear throughout the rest of the film.

What are the representations?

We are representing some of the characters very stereotypically this is because the audience can decide for themselves if a character is the hero or the villain. The police duo are going to be like any other heroes but without the powers meaning they rely on their own ability whilst not appearing immortal which means that anything could happen to them at any time. The villain is very similar but doesn’t understand the right and wrongs of the law making him a dominant force.

What are we hoping to achieve?

From the opening sequence we hope to set the tone for the entire film letting the audience know if the film is suitable for them or not. The mood isn’t going to be dull or sad, its going to be excitement due to the high octane action. Also hope to set the mood in the opening sequence and keep it like that for the entire film to stop the audience losing interest.

analysis of the opening sequences

Analysis of the opening sequences

The three thriller films I’m evaluating are Swordfish, Collateral and my own choice Face Off. All three films are all sub genres of thriller; therefore will all contain different elements and conventions to each other. I’ll analysis each film against each other in sub categories.

Sound

The non-digetic and digetic sound used in all 3 of the opening sequences all follows typical conventions of a thriller in the fact that as the suspense builds up so does the music, it also gradually becomes faster with time. In swordfish the actor Don Cheadle (Agent Roberts) feels a sense of urgency to stop the police officers from taking the woman with the collar strapped to her neck away (as we, the viewer and Roberts know she will blow up) As the suspense builds up and the viewer becomes increasingly unaware of what will happen so does the non digetic, asynchronous sound. Another example of when this happens in Swordfish is when Travolta and Hugh Jackmans character leave the café just after the conversation between the officers and Travolta. As they get up and leave The café the music starts to build up in speed which leaves the viewer asking questions, which in turn makes them want to carry on watching the film as we think something could be happening already. Linking to the idea of suspense building which is a common convention of a thriller.  Whilst in Face Off the non-digetic sound of the soundtrack gives us a happy and calm mood when Travolta is on the merry-go-round with his son. This is not what you would typically expect a thriller to start out like. At the start Face Off does not follow the conventions of a typical thriller film. But then but when Nicholas Cage appears on screen this mood is drastically changed the soundtrack becomes much more sad a slower (with instrument’s playing in a style of ‘mesto’) This leaves the audience upset and wanting to see if Travolta will get is revenge on Cage, this is helped with the immediate disruption of the equilibrium straight after the equilibrium is set. The third and final film Collateral also uses synchronous sound In the opening titles of the film, we know where the start of the film will be set as we hear sounds associated with an airport (the sound of planes landing and taking off from a runway) There is also another use of diegetic sound in Collateral, just before Jamie Foxx enters his the background noise of the taxi rank is overpowering but when he slams the door shut we hear nothing and the sound is completely cut off. This shows the viewer that the inside of the taxi is Foxx’s way of escaping the outside world. In Face Off after the opening sequence of Travolta being shot, Travolta’s character talks with a fast and very stressful tone In his voice this is to emphasise the stress he has been through after his son’s death, whilst Nicholas Cage’s character seems to be much more relaxed in the way he speaks (this is typical of a thriller to have the protagonist speak in this manner and the antagonist to be more relaxed with his manner of speech) This is also a similar story for John Travolta in Swordfish because as the antagonist we would expect for him to be using foul words in a violent tone but in Swordfish Travolta does the complete opposite which shows his character as having high levels of intellectual intelligence. Whereas in Collateral we don’t really hear Tom Cruise or Jason Statham speaking for the majority of the opening sequence leaving their characters more of a mystery (which is a typical convention of thrillers, the unknown)

Mise-en-scene

Lighting

The mise-en-scene of lighting in Swordfish is very recognisable in thrillers and fits one of the conventions of a thriller genre, the dark lighting in café at the start of Swordfish makes the scene seem like it is Travolta having a monologue to us, the viewer. This causes confusion as the viewer doesn’t really know what is happening; this is a convention of the thriller genre. In contrast in Collateral the opening sequence starts with the bright lights of the airport where we can clearly establish where it is, this bright lighting suggests the idea that there is still a sense of equilibrium, unlike swordfish. Whilst Face Off the lighting is sepia coloured to give the calm and warm feel. This makes the viewer think that they are not watching a thriller film which throws them off until Nicholas Cage appears on scene. In Collateral the e is a jump cut from day to night which this is easily noticeable by the change in lighting and mood, at night it becomes more eerie and as an audience member it makes us feel as if an event is going to happen soon, this is very similar in Swordfish but the lighting changes from dark to light, but this darkness throws the viewer off what this film is about, in addition to this in Face Off when Nicholas Cage is setting what looks like a bomb the lighting in this part of the scene is very dark and sinister to match what is going on in the scene, but then when Cage is dancing around in the church the lighting changes to a very bright white colour. The colours also contrast but this could also a metaphor for the difference in good and evil.

Costumes

The main theme in these three films between the main antagonists and protagonists is smart formal dress (eg. Suits) Travolta in Swordfish, Statham in Collateral are all wearing black or charcoal to show them as powerful antagonistic characters in there film but in collateral Cruise is going against the typical villain stereotype as he is wearing a light grey suit with a white shirt leaving the viewer unsure on whether or not he is going to be the hero or the villain in the film. Whilst in Face Off the antagonist (Cage) is wearing a black priest/vicar robe which is defiantly not a typical thing we would expect the bad guy to be wearing a priest/vicar robe as these are supposed to be men who are holy and don’t break the law (which antagonists of thriller movies tend to do). Whilst in Face Off the main protagonist is wearing his police uniform which is what we expect the main protagonist to be wearing as a convention of thrillers is that it contains law. In comparison the protagonist (Foxx) in Collateral is wearing very casual clothing this is because he works in a taxi rank and would look considerably out of place in a suit and tie, this makes it easier for the audience to emphasise with him as he is taking on the role of a typical man in a film. The two protagonists in Swordfish (Cheadle and Jackman) are also wearing smart formal dark suits as they are highly ranked police/FBI officers, but the audience does not get them mixed up as an antagonist character as it is clear they are of the law enforcement.

Props

The props play a major role in the opening sequence of all three films. The prop that shows the most importance in Swordfish is the cigar and cigar cutter, these items show the high class and power of Travolta’s power, also the cigar is a phallic object which reinforces Travolta’s masculinity and power. The most significant prop in Collateral is a black briefcase that is used between the briefcase switch. This leaves confusion and the idea of not knowing with the audience and leaves them guessing on what it could be, which in turn makes the viewer want to carry on watching (This is a typical convention of thriller).  Another hidden prop in Collateral is the advertisement board used in the airport which links Foxx’s taxi and the airport where the briefcase switchover happened together, this shows the link between the characters and gives us the idea that the will meet up at some point in the film. The main prop used in the opening sequence of Face Off is the balloons that float away when Cage takes the sniper shot, the balloons being set free links with the idea of loss of life. Balloons are also childish so it makes us realise that there is a loss of a child’s life. Another main prop used is the childish drinking bottle that Cages character takes a sip from before he takes the shot, this makes the audience think that what he is doing something that seems like something normal as he is so calm before he is about to kill someone.

Camera angles/ movement and editing

Most genres of films start out setting the scene and where they are in the film with many camera techniques such as Establishing shots, pans etc. However in Swordfish we jump straight in to a close up of Travolta this is done to show a convention of a thriller which is confusion and the unknown; this is also created through editing as Travolta appears to be talking to what the audience believe to be a CCTV camera. Then once the speech comes to an end we realise it is in a café but, the audience also get a sense of confusion through all of the focus pulls onto different objects. In Swordfish the camera doesn’t move off Travolta it stays focused on him, even when Cheadle and Jackman talk, this shows that Travolta has complete power of this situation and the law has little or no power. Face off also similarly jumps us into the film with a two shot of Travolta and his child on a merry-go-round then a very fast paced cut to Cage under a tree. This then cuts to a close up of Nicholas cage face, these close ups at the start lead us to believe these two characters will play a main and significant part in this film. Just before Cage pulls the trigger for the shot we some close ups of the trigger, scope and bullet this is to emphasise that he will take the shot and these are things that we generally expect to see in thriller films. In comparison to these two films Collateral in line with other genres of film as it sticks to using an establishing shot to show Cruise walking through the airport. There is then a cut to a mid-shot tracking the movement of cruise through the busy airport, this shot is used to show his power and authority compared to Statham as no-one walks in and disturbs the path and shot of Cruise, this gives us the impression that he is going to be main character. Whilst the same shot is used on Statham it is not used with similar effect as within Statham’s shot extras can be seen walking into the foreground of the frame this I believe is to mirror what it means for Cruise (that Statham is not going to be a vital role in this film) When these two characters bump into each other there is no change of camera angle so both are presumed to be of equal power, but there is numerous cuts to the briefcases to show that they are of even more importance than the actors themselves.

Once Travolta and Jackman leave the café there are many high angle shots of Jackmans character which showed him looking around even though this doesn’t label Jackman as powerful it shows his sense of awe at the scale of which this is at. But the overriding editing technique that is used is the slow motion 360 degree pan when the explosion goes of this is used to show the audience the seriousness and scale of the situation, as the explosion effects everyone around it as we see from the 360 degree pan. This sequence is shot in slow motion as it gives the audience time to take in the scale of the explosion and so that none of this action is missed. This shows the audience that we start with what we as the audience think is the equilibrium and how it can change in a split second, this sudden change in equilibrium at the start leaves the audience in a state of confusion as they are unsure why this has happened. This makes the opening of swordfish very effective as it make the audience want to stay and watch the film as they want to know what has happened to cause this. A jump cut through time is used in Collateral to show Foxx working as a taxi driver there are jump cuts used throughout this sequence to show the change in time. This scene with Foxx in it brings back equilibrium from the briefcase change just before, this is to show that this character has no serious problems and that he is normal person whom the audience can sympathise with, but however the viewer can anticipate that there will be change in equilibrium with this character soon. After the opening sequence of Face Off it cuts to 6 years after the shooting and we can clearly see that Travolta is stressed out and tired of trying to catch the criminal this is clearly shown through the slow paced cuts back onto him. Travolta is clearly after revenge one way and one way only this is clearly shown through the focus pull into a close up of the handgun; we then cut back into the officers in the other part of the building, this shot shows the stressfulness and business of the office then when it slowly cuts back to Travolta who is taking is time putting his gun in his holster. This emphasis on the gun makes the audience believe that he wants his revenge by taking Cages life.   

Special effects (SFX)

Special effects play a large role in the opening sequence of Swordfish and are easily noticeable. The most clear and definable SFX is the explosion of the human claymore in the street. The explosion is created using CGI (computer generated imagery), using CGI has many advantages one of which is the fact that the explosion can look much more dramatic and realistic. This SFX of the explosion fits in with a convention of a thriller as the audience is unaware of why this explosion has happened. There is also CGI used in the opening of Face Off is that when the bullet leaves the gun this has to be done like this to show in slow motion a bullet coming towards the camera to give the impression that it can and will do damage to a life. There is also an example of  CGI used in collateral when the taxi is been tracked by an aerial shot driving round LA this is to give the impression that this car is being watched, surveillance  and law is a convention of a thriller.

Actors and Representations

The antagonists and protagonists characters in all three films (Face Off, Collateral, and Swordfish) are easily recognisable for playing parts in many different thriller films. In Swordfish and Face Off, the actor Travolta plays both a protagonist and antagonist character and is well known for his roles in other thrillers for example ‘Pulp fiction’ (1994) Swordfish, Face Off and Pulp fiction are similar films as they all revolve around the sub category of crime. In Swordfish Travolta is represented as powerful and well educated, this is shown in the opening sequence through his dialogue as he speaks confidently and has a wide range of vocabulary that flows smoothly when he speaks. The way the camera stays positioned on his face shows he has a high status within this film. Whilst in Face Off Travolta is represented as a tired police officer who just wants his revenge, this is shown with the mise-en-scene of his appearance as is hair is extremely roughed up. His hair could be like this to make the viewer he has been working tirelessly to bring Cage to justice. He also talks with stressfulness in the tone of his voice as he speaks very quickly and raises his voice at people who have not done anything wrong. Hugh Jackman (who plays a man role in Swordfish) is mostly recognised for his role in X-Men which an action based film, Jackman is usually associated with action based films which is why he was involved with a role in swordfish which is an action sub-genre. Jackman is represented as character that appears to have a conscience even though it seems that he is siding antagonistic character, but it seems that it is not of his own accord. This is clearly shown when he leaves the café and looks around in shock, awe and confusion (it’s as if he signed up for something he didn’t expect). Finally Cheadle (the main protagonist in Swordfish) is well known for a very short but sweet role alongside an A-list class of actors in the film Oceans 11 this is a crime based film and Swordfish has the sub-genre of crime. Cheadle is represented as a character the audience can sympathise with as he seems like most normal people due to the fact that he has little if not no control over the situation in hand, Cheadle should be one of the most powerful people as he is a high ranking police officer (as seen through the suit he is wearing) but this is not how he is represented. Tom Cruise; who plays the part of an unknown character (from the opening sequence) in Collateral, but is also widely known for his role in the film series mission impossible, which is an action thriller (a hybrid of the thriller genre). Another actor who isn’t definable as a protagonist or antagonist is Jason Statham. Statham is known for his role in the Transporter films which is another film similar to the types that Cruise acts within. Cruise and Statham are represented very similar as they are both wearing very smart and formal clothing yet are in an airport this makes them both distinguishable and gives the audience the immediate impression that they have a sense of power. Finally the clear protagonist character that is in Collateral is Jamie Foxx, who is known for his role in Law abiding citizen which is a crime based thriller which is the same sub-genre as collateral. In collateral Foxx is represented as your average man who the audience can relate to as he has a normal boring job that he doesn’t want to be in and has big dreams for the future that probably won’t happen, this dream becomes noticeable as he idolises the picture that he puts on the over-head sun guard in the taxi. Nicholas Cage who plays the role of the antagonist in Face Off has been well known for his role in the action thriller Con Air which is again the same genre as Face Off so Cage is clearly recognisable for his rolls in this genre of film. In face Off Cage is represented as a character that doesn’t feel pressure and has an inner child. Before he takes the shot at the start he sips from a childs drink bottle and as he takes the shot he doesn’t flinch and has no clear facial expression. With a set of actors who can be distinguished for being involved in certain genres makes the film appeal to a wider target audience which in turn increases the chance of success of the film.

Thriller Genre research

What is a thriller film?

Thrillers are a type of genre of film or media which uses, as it main elements, suspense, tension and excitement. They put the viewer in a high sense of anticipation, suspense and terror. These films often use the cover up of important information and cliffhangers to put the viewer in suspense and also to draw the viewer into watching the rest of the film. The director can also disrupt the equilibrium so it throws us into the action then we get a flashback of how we got into this which makes the audience want to carry on watching the film.
The thriller genre can include the following sub-genres, which may include elements of other genres, some examples of these are:

- Conspiracy Thriller: In which the protagonist confronts a large, powerful group of enemies (usually law) whose real side is only apparent to the protagonist.  prime example of a conspiracy thriller is Enemy of the Sate
Enemy of the State trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXtUjWkhbcw

-  Crime Thriller: This particular genre is a hybrid type of both crime films and thrillers that offers a suspenseful account of a successful or failed crime or crimes. These films often focus on the crimina rather than a policeman. Crime thrillers usually emphasise action over psychological factors. Two prime examples of this hybrid genre is the Oceans series and Reservoir Dogs.
Oceans 11 trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GpFKUxebH8&feature=related


- Political Thriller: These are where the protagonist must ensure the stability of the government that employs him.This is usually set against the backdrop of a political power struggle. Political corruption, terrorism and warfare are common scenarios. An example of a political thriller is State of Play also Vantage Point which is an assassination based political thriller.
State of Play trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHUbTS7B9J0


- Psychological Thriller: In which (until the often violent resolution) the conflict between the main characters is mental and emotional, rather than physical. Characters, either by accident or their own curiousness, are dragged into a dangerous conflict or situation. Characters are not reliant on physical strength to overcome their brutish enemies, but rather are reliant on their mental resources, whether it be by battling with wits or by battling for equilibrium in the character's own mind. The suspense created by psychological thrillers often comes from two or more characters playing deceptive games with the other whilst trying to demolish the other's mental state. Two examples of this type of sub-genre is Shutter Island and Panic Room.
Shutter island trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iaYLCiq5RM


What does a thriller need to achieve?

A genuine, standalone thriller is a film that provide thrills and keeps the audience cliff-hanging at the edge of their seats as the plot builds towards a climax or a big finale. The tension usually arises when the character/characters is placed in a menacing situation, a mystery, or a trap from which escaping seems impossible. Life is threatened, usually because the principal character is unsuspectingly or unknowingly involved in a dangerous or potentially deadly situation.


How has the genre developed historically?

The thriller genre has developed massively over the years, the main reason for this is the increase in technology (it has become much better) The quality and the equipment used has been improved and editing software has made it so we can do loads of different editing techniques and make films run smoother. Also an improvement that links with the software is the computers we can use now a days, back in the earlier film making years. Another way in which thrillers have changed over time is the plot/narrative, when the genre was first created it was often based on true stories, so people believed them to be much more realistic whereas nowadays it has become much more exaggerated and imaginative which captures the audience, makes them want to watch more of the film or even more of the thriller genre and lets the audience escape into the film. There is better knowledge on how the human mind works so directors can now use this to their advantage to produce better films and draw the audience in, with hybrids such as psychological thrillers which play with the mind. Alfred Hitchcock helped to shape the modern-day thriller genre, beginning with his early silent film (a film like this usually has title cards or uses gestures transmit its dialouge) labelled the lodger (1926) In the 1950s, Hitchcock added technacolour to his thrillers and also added exotic locales and glamorous stars. He reached the peak of his career with a succession of classic: an example of this is Strangers on a Train (1951) The 1970's and 80's saw a violent start in the thriller genre, with Frenzy (1972), Hitchcock's first British film in almost two decades, being given an R rating for its violent scences also Steven Spielberg umped onto the thriller scence with his low-budget early TV movie Duel (1971) Until today, thrillers do borrow themes and elements from those in the past decades. However, to cut the repetitiveness, there are a number of recent thrillers that maintain the contents of other genres to create a hybrid so the audience is still engaged within the thriller genre.

Codes and Conventions of a Thriller

The narrative centres around a crime eg. a theft or a murder.
The protagonist usually has a weakness that the antagonist exploits
The protagonist will be seen 'in peril' in one or more scenes before the resolution.
The narrative presents ordinary situations in which extraordinary things happen.
All elements of the film such as mise en scene, lighting and camera angles and movements combine in a build up of suspense.
Themes of identity are common: mistaken identity, doubling/doppelgangers, amnesia.
Themes of seeing, reflection and mirroring. Manipulation of perspectives and optical illusions are common.
The start of the film usually seems complicated but then can be resolved at the very end.