Summary of Research -

By carrying out this research I have learnt about thrillers as a whole, and what makes it a thriller, how they have changed over years taking in new and different types of thrillers. I have concentrated on what makes a thriller using their specific codes and conventions. Thrillers use a variety of camera shots, with close ups long shots mid shots and even high shots. The director will use a wide range of shots to establish different interest points to the audience a glimpse of how the film will continue, and if they will enjoy the film. Different paces if editing and different types, for example jump cuts to fade this allows the shots to flow together under changing circumstances with in the opening.

Varied use of sound, we find there is a lot more non – diegeitic sounds used in an opening, this sets the tone of the film and helps the audience relate to the character. Generally we find the protagonist in the film.

Shown dialogue is limited as the aim for the audience to establish a connection and understanding of the characters and surroundings.

Mise - en – scene can be very heavily used, as it is what makes up the scene ranging from clothing to how the character acts. We generally find this is used to help the audience get to know the character and how they act, also with in there surroundings.

I also looked at how different types of thriller have been used. How there is a variation of both sub genres and hybrids, also how they are used in modern day thrillers. I also chose some that we would be will to use in our opening for example Film Noir, I looked at the conventions that make it, and how it is different to a conventional thriller.

I also looked at the target audience and whom a thriller aims the films at, I used a questionnaire to narrow my search down and allow me to know who mainly watches a thriller. Also whether the thriller targets men or women, this is important as it will allow us to make a film for a more broad audience or on the other hand a specific audience.

What it has taught me is how to make a good all round opening, using the conventions of a thriller. We must make sure though that we are not producing a cliché, as this would not be original and making it boring for the audience. The research has given me an idea of what type of audience would watch a thriller; this will give me an idea of how to target my audience. Looking at past students work has really allowed me to know what makes a good opening, and what things make a bad opening. Also what is standard we have to meet, also what the evaluators will be looking for when examining our work. Overall the research has taught me what makes up a good all round thriller opening, what is used to make a thriller opening, also why a thriller audience like a thriller also what it is about a thriller that they enjoy watching.

The research will change my planning, as we have been able to narrow our possibilities down to one, Film Noir. We have chosen to do Film Noir as it is something a bit different but still holds all the conventions of a thriller. We are also going to have to change the audience to make sure we stick to a 15 rated film, this is because we have come to realize that a 15 rated film would be the best all round film, especially for what we would be able to produce at school.  The 5 thriller evaluations have allowed me to know what is found generally in thriller openings this will affect my planning as we will need to take into consideration what they generally use and recreate one without making a cliché. 

Past Students Work -

Evaluation of the past students work has allowed me to understand what is expected of me, and the final product. Watching the opening scenes several times has made the mistakes noticeable. We were analysing, genre, editing, sound, mise – en – scene etc.. Using these characteristics to work out whether the group had used them correctly to make a worthwhile opening, doing this made the smallest of mistakes that would not be normally noticed seem apparent and could ruin the opening.  

Root Cause – This was one of the better thriller openings that was evaluated. I gave the opening a level 4, this is one of the top grades. I chose this because it uses all the main characteristics with some success. They were able to follow the theme of Film Noir making the audience interested and build the tension up in the opening. Camera was used to establish the characters and the setting of the opening. This is was done well getting a good variety of shots allowing us to see the characters from up close to also seeing there clothing that fits Film Noir. There was a good start of the opening for 40seconds allowing the audience to get established with the settings. This is a good period of time as it gives the audience enough time to get to know the setting, characters etc. Good transaction between the shots allowing the opening to flow. There was good diegetic and non diegetic sounds creating the atmosphere of the opening. Mise – en -  scene is crucial the group has used it very well, making the audience think they are watching something from the 50’s, where there was only black and white camera’s. Overall the group did very well in producing a good all round opening, also having only one or two mistakes like a continuity error.

Room To Breathe – Then we evaluated an opening that scored a level 3 this means that the group used the characteristics okay but not to there full extent or making some mistakes.  Camera was used with not much variety, having the same shots, angles and frames. This made the opening seem very dull making It hard for the audience to become interested, also the panning was jerky showing poor camera skills. The editing has a duel narrative which was good, but the rest where all of the same scene lengths also making the opening seem dull and perhaps boring.  Sound was used well with a sound bridge linking the scenes and shots together, this is good as it makes the opening flow however this was not used in the camera or editing. Mise – en – scene is used very well to set the scene. The opening overall is an okay one this is because it tries very hard to do more professional filming they were unable to pull it of producing mistakes which were made very apparent when evaluating.

Unrequited Love – On first view this opening looked very good, but once we began to evaluate it we realised that there were many mistakes made resulting in the opening getting around a level 2/3. This is because they did not keep to the genre of a thriller, making the opening have no purpose. There was a cliché used in the opening. Camera shots where repetitive, making the opening seem dull. Editing the transaction between shots were also repetitive so where the shot lengths this also added to the boring feel of the opening. The editing was very quick also with the typography where the audience was unable to read what was on screen. There was no real variety of sound or mise – en – scene used in the opening. Altogether this made the opening very dull and boring, also with a large amounts of mistakes producing a poor quality production.

From evaluating the past students work I realise that I am going to have to make sure I use all the characteristics well, but crucially make sure that camera, editing, sound and mise – en – scene is perfect throughout the opening. Furthermore I need to keep to the genre of a thriller but not use a cliché.  The evaluation process has been very important to me because I now know what the standard is for my group, also what I should look out for when producing my final product. 

Film Noir -

 Film Noir was used to show the corruption and betrayal in the 1950’s after the war. Generally including a physiological thriller, mystery and private eye are the three main types of Film Noir that you will most commonly watch. 

Lighting is very important in Film Noir, as there is more lighting used when portraying the women showing that they are good. Then uses either dark lighting on the male to show that they are bad/evil. Also large shadows are cast to denote something evil.

The Film will try to leave the audience unsettled and on edge. This is why the film classifies as a thriller because the elements that make the film are very similar also the fact that the point of the film is building up tension like a thriller.

Characteristics –

            – Gangster

            – Police

            – Gothic

            – Social Problems

            – Urban Setting

            – Open Roads

            – Dramatic Light Expression

            – Flash Backs                       

            – Narrator

            – Animation

Sin City is a good example of a recent Film Noir, is uses all the main codes and conventions of a Film Noir and one of a thriller. This is relevant to me as we will try to recreate a modern day Film Noir like Sin City. 

I can use Film Noir as my thriller opening; I found this information out as it gives be a brief out line of Film Noir allowing me to consider it as a possibility. I think If I use the characteristic’s correctly I will be able to produce a good opening keeping the audience entertained but not giving the film away.  Also we are able to get all the props needed to make a good all round Film Noir, furthermore we can use the school or surrounding roads as our urban environment. I personally like Film Noir as it is different and uses a variety of codes that are similar to the ones of a thriller. 

Brain Storm -

Thriller subgenres –

Action thriller

Adventure thriller

Sci-fi thriller

Crime thriller

Film Noir

These are the 5 move popular thriller sub genres. I can uses anyone of them for a more specific type of thriller, I have looked at them all in detail, but I like the effects of Film Noir uses different conventions that are not commonly used in standard thriller making Film Noir stand out as something a bit different and will keep the audiences attention and keep them excited.

Hybridization –

Action adventure thriller

Crime Horror thriller

Crime Mystery thriller

These are the three main hybrids that are used in thrillers. I have looked at the separately and now concluded that crime mystery thriller would be the best all rounder. This is because they are very similar, but also can be related to a thriller in how the make the audience feels in building up the suspense in a film. Hybrids allow the audience to get different characteristics from there own separate genre, but they come together to make a different thriller that targets a wider audience. This is why hybrids are so popular.

Thriller is a genre that I will be focusing on. However I must take into account sub genres and hybridization. In this case my group is thinking of using Film noir in the thriller. The reasons we have come to this decisions is that in Film Noir we would use all the conventions of a thriller but still have the ability of making it individual.

Basic Brainstorming –

Thrillers –

Action

Horror

Physco 

Crime

Mystery 

Editing –

Fast/slow 

Jump cuts

Camera –

LS / ELS

CU / ECU

POV

Panning

Sound –

Diegetic

Non Diegetic 

Mise - En – Scene –

Car chases

Gadgets

Guns

Knifes

Prisons

The Third Man -

There is a long intro giving important information about the film, like director, cast and editing etc. In the background we see a guitar like shape with strings going through screen, this is parallel with the music being played to the titles. Furthermore this type of music was popular in the 40’s and is used through out the film. The titles are white making them stand out to the dull black and while background.

Camera – distance, angle, movement – The actually film starts of with an ElS, establishing the film is set in the city. Then the name of the city where the film is set comes to the centre of the screen, Vienna. A series of long shots are used to denote different parts of the city to the audience. Then a series of close ups showing what life is like for the narrator. We then see close up’s of 4 certain flags, showing us how the city is split up with the 4 major zones. Long shot to show one of the commander’s being transported around, then a close up showing added important, perhaps he is a commander from one of the 4 zones.  It is important LS show us what Vienna is like after the war, and how the war has damaged the city.  A mid shot is used for one normal person, this denotes that he is important to the film, we see that he is a common citizen and coming to Vienna for a job.  The camera is used a great deal in the opening of The Third Man as it establish many different parts of Vienna, also different peoples lives within the city. Using a series of close ups and long shots to create purpose and meaning to the different features shown in the Vienna.

Editing – speed, style –
A fade is used when displaying Vienna, this draws the attention of the audience to the city name.  Then jump cuts are used for the rest of the opening, this is done to allow the audience to see what Vienna is like after the war, also how it has effect different people. The jump cuts, are a quick way to get from one shot to another, in this case a new bit of information about Vienna. How ever the shots were all roughly the same length when showing different aspects of Vienna, but then the show lengthens as a new character is introduced, this empathies how the character maybe important. This is helpful to me as I allow me to see that editing is used in different ways to portray different meanings.

Sound – effects, musical score –
Narration is the only sound that is used in the opening of the film. This is done very well as he is explaining what has happened after the war to the town and people of Vienna.  We begin to think that the narrator is the either an important character in the film due to how he explains certain circumstances using words like “ we “.  Or he has a extended purpose in the film as tells the story of what has happen and how different people come into the film. This is very important if I am trying to recreate a film noir, narration is a important factor, portraying what happens in the film as the film may jump making it hard to understand.


Mise-en-scene – props, costume, setting, lighting, colour – It has been used to set the scene, portraying the nice and perhaps iconic areas of Vienna, making it seem to be an inviting city. It then jumps straight to a different side showing the lower class people having to sell what they can on the black market. Shots of troops and military vehicles surrounded my war torn property show that this will be a common sight, and a heavy influence on the film. A well-dressed man arrives on a train, he stands out as he looks different, so far the cast is either dressed in uniform or working clothing. His attire is a statement the he’s higher class.

The Bourne Ultimatum -

Camera – distance, angle, movement – The scene starts of with a low angle of the characters feet the camera is also shaky. We see a long shot of what the character is looking at, this allows the audience to see that he is seeing allowing us to get used to his surroundings. The a POV is shown to show that the character is in pain and also need medical help, this is further emphasized by him looking at the pharmacy sign, the fact the character is in pain it allows the audience to connect with the character. A mid shot is used to show the full extent of the characters injuries, connoting he has been through an ordeal. Then we see a close up of his face, but then a straight cut is made to a vivid image or memory. The mid shot of him holding a gun to a police officer creates a different side to his character and personality, but the zoom in shows his hand shaking and then him walking away, this shows his refusal to kill the innocent. 
The camera is used well giving many different views of the man and his surroundings, giving the audience a sense of what the character could be going through.

 Editing – speed, style –
The pace of the shots quicken as the character sees the police. Fast past, straight cuts from the police to the character. The pace of the editing quickens again as the character is trying to find something. The fast pace of the shots carries on as he attacks the officer. The a breaks up the shots as we see a black screen, showing the character decides not to kill the police officer. The pace of the editing contrast with the pace of the character as he is slow and in pain. However it becomes parallel with what’s happening on scene as he sees the police and the shot of him attacking the police. This emphasises his injury and highlights that he has done something bad. However, when the police see him, his pace quickens, showing his desperation to get away. The pace is also fast with the straight cuts to the memory and the attack on the police officer. This is a good example of a quick opening using a lot of different shots to show suspense in a character and situation.

Sound – effects, musical score –
The theme tune is very up beat. We hear the diegetic sounds of him stepping on the snow, also his heavy breathing being the primary sound. We then hear the diegetic sound of the police sirens, then the we hear the police talking they have a different accent meaning the character is in a different set of circumstances. The quick pace music links with the panic happening on scene this keeps the audience tense and engaged with the character and what is happening on shot. 
Sound is used very precisely in the opening. This grabs the audience’s attention keeping them engaged with what’s happening on shot.


Mise-en-scene – props, costume, setting, lighting, colour – audience sees snow and a dark setting. We see a character walking in with a limp wearing dark clothing, the pace of the walk and his expression connotes that he has either escaped or in the process.  Then the police come into shot, we then see a sudden change in the characters facial expression as he beings to panic.  We realize he is still in a lot of pain through his heavy breathing, and panicked expression.  But there is a brief second where the character gives us hope as if he has got something up his sleeve or remembered something. When approaching the character see that the police are anxious and maybe scared. We suddenly see the police officer beg for his life, as the character has to contemplate what to do next. The lighting is quite dark in comparison to what’s taking place in the scene. However the character keeps the same facial expression throughout the scene, his body languages throughout also connotes his need to escape. 

Taxi 2 -

Camera – distance, angle, movement – Long shot used to establish the surrounding of opening scene, then swaps to a mid shot where we see the rally driver and co driver. Then swapping to another long shot there we see more of the surrounding’s, this is done because it allows is to see the pace of the opening and what the film could potentially be like. We also get close ups of the taxi and taxi driver, there are more close ups used when the taxi is in the scene, this allows the audience to see the main character and his taxi and due to the amount of close ups it tells the audience it is an important part of the film.

Editing – speed, style –
The director makes the opening scene very quick and exciting this is further shown by the shots being very quick. Jumping from long shot to close up, adding pace and a race like feel to the opening. However there was a large amount of quick shots and close ups between the rally driver and the taxi driver, this was done to show the surprised emotion of the rally driver and the urgency of the taxi driver to get past. It gives the impression of dialogue going on between them during the race.

Sound – effects, musical score –
We have diegetic sounds on the racing car, this is made to enhance the excitement of the opening scene, as it is all we hear drawing our attention into the speed and pace of the vehicle. Diegetic sound is also found with the dialogue between the racing driver and co – driver, we hear the tension in the voice as the race is important. Then we find that taxi comes into the race, where more diegetic dialogue is used as we hear that the taxi driver needs go get past, we can tell in his voice the frustration and anger building up as he is unable to get past. Non diegetic sounds is also used to enhance the sound of the vehicles, quickening the pace of the opening scene. We also hear the spectators shouting and screaming, but are not on the screen; the director has done this to make the race seem more real, this adds to the excitement that the spectators would feel when watching the race, also brings the audience closer to the film. Music is also added to build up the tension as the taxi driver is unable to get past, then we hear a drop in all sounds, then the pace quickens up to see the overtaking manoeuver. Sound has been very important in the opening as it builds up tension in the race, also brings the audience in with the film, allowing the audience to get involved with what’s happening onscreen.


Mise-en-scene – props, costume, setting, lighting, colour – Visually we are given a specked up, fully working race car with vinyl’s and an interior that is believable, this gives the audience a real feel for the film, and enhances the belief that there is a race is ongoing we switch to the the taxi, which has the appearance of being as standard as possible, but it is challenging the race car along a rally stage. .. Finally we see that the rally end with all the racing equipment as if it was an actually rally stage. Mise – en – scene is very important as it makes the opening scene more believable for the audience, however there is not much used in the opening of Taxi 2. 

Donnie Darko -

Camera – distance, angle, movement –Panning was used to show a remote view of the mountains. The we see a pan of a road, this is an object on the floor the director then zooms in to show it is a human. The director uses a mid shot of the human, as he gets up of the floor, the camera then still tracks around the camera allowing the audiences too see the character. This makes the audience think that he is important to the film, perhaps a main character but it also confuses the audience as to why he is in such a remote destination and how has the situation come about. It is then cut to a POV of the character riding the bike. Furthermore, the variety of shots, also show the characters facial expression, which connects him with the audience, and reinforces the audiences confusion. The camera work is good as it makes the audience guess keeping and pay attention when they watch the first few minutes of the film.

Editing – speed, style –
Slow pace editing links in with the music. Cuts 
from characters expression to view, to emphasis confusion. After title is introduced, screen fades out through light. Pace quickens as character rides bike,  this is also reinforced through the non-diegetic music. 

The slow pace keeps the audience guessing and also allows the audience to take in the view, and what the character could be seeing furthermore this puts the audience in the character shoes. Overall the editing has been done to show that the man could be confused, as the editing is slow and so it the non diegetic music, this allows the audience to connect with the character. Furthermore the title of the film is brought to the centre of the screen directly after a close of the character this connotes that the character is Donnie Darko. There is a change in expression as the man begins to ride the bikes, showing he’s trying to escape the situation. The editing builds up tension as we are not sure what has happened to the character and why he has found himself in the situation.

Sound – effects, musical score –
Diegetic sounds start of the film, then when the camera pans, we find that the music switches to Non diegetic, this connotes a change in atmosphere, as he starts to realise what has happened to him. The pace of the music quickens again when he is riding the bike.  But there is change in the speed and pace of the sounds, but there is not tension of yet. In fact it could be thought of a soothing lace hearing the noises of the atmosphere as the titles are shown. There is no dialogue, but the character does express humour as he looks around, which connects him with the audience and shows a side of his personality- suggesting it is something he is familiar with. When on the bike, the music changes which links in with the pace again, and also connotes a change in atmosphere. 



Mise-en-scene – props, costume, setting, lighting, colour – The lighting is dark to show early morning. The character seems to be sleepy or confused at the director slowly zooms in drawing our attention to the character, we see that he is dressed in pyjamas. The bike is also visible in the background of the shot. We then see a smile, as he realsies where he is and that thing are okay. Then new characteristics are seen like cars, houses etc, implying he is back in reality. When the character fist awakes he seems to be sleepy unsure of his surroundings, but slowly as he comes down the mountain it seems he slowly becoming more and more aware. Finally when he is back ro normal surrounding’s, you could say that he is back to reality. This is done very well as it makes the audience think that something bad and strange is happening to the character, making the audience want to carry on watching and find out. 

Sin City -

Camera – distance, angle, movement – A long shot is used firstly to show where the film is set, we have found out it is set in the city.  Then it swaps to a mid shot showing us two people, which leads us to think that they are important characters. There is a series of close up’s and mid shots to establish the characters and their emotions during their conversation, the close ups help the audience establish what the characters will be like for the remainder of the film.  This is important as I will be using close up’s to show different emotions in my opening, of different people.

Editing – speed, style –
The director uses a combination white and black throughout the opening extract however red is used to show importance in the extract, for example the women used is dressed in red this shows that the women is important to the extract and will be important in the film. The pace of the scene is slow which is a contradiction to the event that takes place in the scene where the woman is shot by what seemed to be her lover. This is used to build tension and also to keep the audience interested in the upcoming scene. Throughout the opening scenes black and white cartoon images have been used to draw the audience to a particular part of the sequence, also establishing the importance of a particular moment. The director has used a narrative to help build up and develop tension so adding emphasis to the scène. Bright lighting is used to illuminate the character showing that the main action is happening inside.

Sound – effects, musical score –
The director uses non digetic music to set the scene, this is done for many reasons as it sets the scene of inside, this means that they maybe attending a party. The music is also slow and romantic showing that they may have come together. Also to establish the scene a narrator with an American accent is used, this is relevant because it helps give us the setting of America for the film. More non digetic music is used as the protagonist is the narrator expressing his side of view, and help setting the scene for the audience.  Narration I also very important in film noir, as it generally explains the film allowing the audience to get the legist of what happening.


Mise-en-scene – props, costume, setting, lighting, colour – The main character is wearing a red dress and red lipstick, whilst the rest of the scene is in black and white. The red connotes love, danger and blood, which becomes symbolic towards the end of the extract. The director has very cleverly made it obvious to the audience that something bad will happen to the women, using red to make her stand out. Also the man is in black like the surrounding showing nothing will happen to him. The director has uses animated images to make certain parts stand out and have real impact to the audience. The director has only two people in the scene with no real surrounding making the audience pay a lot of attention to the characters and what is being said. Panning and tracking is used to establish the setting at the start and end of the opening. 

Film Classification -

15 –

Discrimination - Must not endorse discriminatory language or behaviour.

Drugs - Drug taking may be shown but the film as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse. The misuse of easily accessible and highly dangerous substances (for example, aerosols or solvents) is unlikely to be acceptable.

Horror - Strong threat and menace are permitted unless sadistic or sexualised.

Imitable behaviour - Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on detail, which could be copied. Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised.

Language - There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’). The strongest terms (for example, ‘cunt’) may be acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be acceptable.

Nudity - Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context.

Sex - Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour, but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.

Theme - No theme is prohibited, provided the treatment is appropriate for 15 year olds.

Violence            - Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and have a strong contextual justification.

18 –

No-one younger than 18 may see an ‘18’ film in a cinema.

No-one younger than 18 may rent or buy an ‘18’ rated video.

In line with the consistent findings of the BBFC’s public consultations and The Human Rights Act 1998, at ‘18’ the BBFC’s guideline concerns will not normally override the principle that adults should be free to choose their own entertainment. Exceptions are most likely in the following areas:

– where the material is in breach of the criminal law, or has been created through the commission of a criminal offence

– where material or treatment appears to the BBFC to risk harm to individuals or, through their behaviour, to society – for example, any detailed portrayal of violent or dangerous acts, or of illegal drug use, which may cause harm to public health or morals. This may include portrayals of sexual or sexualised violence which might, for example, eroticise or endorse sexual assault.

Sex education at ‘18’            Where sex material genuinely seeks to inform and educate in matters such as human sexuality, safer sex and health, explicit images of sexual activity may be permitted.

The difference in a 15 to 18 is quite large, with 18 allowing a lot more detailed language. Furthermore it also allows more detailed violence, with this we can see more drugs used in different ways. Sex in heavily used in 18 rated films as it is more acceptable whereas its not allowed to be show unless for educational reason in a 15. Also 18 uses all these things to make the film have an effect, but in a 15 they would not able to be used to the same extent also would have to be for a specific reason eg: for education.

Taking this into account I will be producing a 15 rated film this is because one we are not 18 yet so making an 18 rated film would not be viable. Also we can use more features from a 15 rated film in the school compounds, giving a easier production, making the end result a lot more realistic and better all rounder. 

Questionnaire Summary -

In my questionnaire I ask both mean and women this is to give me points of view. I also asked people of different ages, this would give me the most all-round response from the biggest target audience, my ages ranged from 15+ to 46+ hopefully giving me the most varied responses.

I also asked what people found most exciting in a thriller; there were two that mainly stood out. One was to build up in the film consequently this means that the audience finds the buildup in tension and the greater suspense thrilling and exciting. Secondly the actual action of the film the climax of the film, this is generally where you find the majority of the action-taking place. Making it a good reason to be most exciting. This means that the thriller must be able to build up the suspense yet still be entertaining, and then have a good climax making all the film make sense in one sequence.

I asked whether the audience thinks a thriller should be a 15 or 18. The most common response was 15. This is because it is more about the build up and action, making it a prime film for teenagers. This is good as it targets the largest audience but still exciting and thrilling. I will make a 15 rated film, as it is easy to make in our circumstances also I am not 18 yet.

I also asked the question about how much gore they would expect to find in a thriller. I got a response of not much, meaning that they would expect some fighting or attacking but no real gory shots. This could be because the film would be targeted at a 15 rated audience not 18 where you would commonly find gore.

We wanted to find out what is the favorite type of character in a thriller, the one the audience most enjoys seeing.  I found that an assassin was very popular this could be that it is slightly different, but also uses the conventions of a thriller very well, building up the suspense to a good climax, or ending sequence. Criminals or innocent victims on the run seemed to be popular because of the unknowing factor that is involved with either of the characters. I found out from this that there are a defiantly favorite in character but most importantly the characters need to fit the thriller genre, and use the conventions to their advantage.

Knowing what plot the audience would like to watch is important allowing me to target the thriller audience more directly. Political conspiracy was the most popular meaning that there is a sudden twist with the government rulings; this could range from police forces, to the prime-minister, Showing that there is man different variations in the plot. Then a pursuit of some sort was the second highest these can me related closely together as they leave the audience not know what going to happen next. This is important to me as I now what the audience would like to watch using a plot, but I am going to have to be careful making sure I don’t copy a previous film opening.

Hybrids are becoming more and more popular within the thriller genre; because of this I asked what the favorite hybrid was. Crime  caper thrillers was very popular choice this would coincide with the favorite characters chosen as thriller audience likes to watch something that involve a criminal or the police etc. But action and adventure thriller were also a common choice because they allow a real story to build up with tension and suspense building up with it. Producing a good all round thriller, with some different conventions combing tow thrillers together.

I also listed Film Noir in the hybrid selection, it was not very popular, and this could because it is not very known as a hybrid. Or people do not like watching films in white and black. This is useful to me as it is not very popular as a thriller meaning I should not chose it however if done correctly it does make a very good thriller. If the group goes ahead and uses the Film Noir genre we must make sure that we are targeting a much wider audience involve maybe some new conventions from other hybrids not stick to the conventional ones of a Film Noir, making film appeal to a larger audience.

Questionnaire Analysis -

Are you male or female?

•  We have asked whether they are male or female because this could help us defied whether the more of one sex enjoys watching thrillers, if so what it is about a thriller that they like.

What age category do you fit into? (please circle)

15-17, 18-22, 25-30, 10-35, 36-40, 41- 45, 46+,

• To see whether your age will effect if you would be likely to watch a thriller, and whether the thrillers attract a different age group and why. 

What part of a thriller film do you find most exciting?

• To see what part of the film we feel is the most and why it is that we think this.

How much gore do you expect to see in a thriller?

•  This is to find out what we would expect to find in the thriller; in this case it is how much gore we would expect. 

What are your favourite types of characters in thrillers? (Tick as many as apply)

Criminals

Stalkers

Assassins

Innocent victims (often on the run)

Menaced women

Characters with dark pasts

Psychotic individuals

Terrorists

Cops and escaped cons

Private eyes

People involved in twisted relationships

World-weary men and women

Psycho-fiends

•  This is to see in general what do we cant to find in our thriller, and why these types of characters are out favorite.

 What are your favourite plots of a thriller? (Tick as many as apply)

Terrorism

Political conspiracy

Pursuit,

Romantic triangles leading to murder

• We do this so it gives us an idea on why people like to see certain types of thrillers, also this should be compared with the types of characters, also we want to know what it is about the theme that we like. 

What is your favourite hybrid selection of thrillers? (Tick as many as apply)

Action- or adventure thrillers

Sci-fi thrillers

Crime-caper thrillers

Western thrillers

Film-noir thrillers

• We also have genres this is so we know what in general is the most liked sub genre, and if it would be worth it for us do produce a sub genre thriller. 

This questionnaire is good as we find out what people look for in a thriller film, with good general questions covering all aspects of a thriller film. However there need to be more questions about why, so that we can find out what it is about the specific’s of the thriller they enjoy.

Conventions of Thriller's -

Music –

Thrillers generally use slow and quite quiet music to set the scene; this is used as it builds up tension right from the start, and gives us an insight of what the characters are like. This can be more dramatic in an opening that what you actually see because this builds up the tension, also we generally find something gloomy or bad happening with the main character in the opening scenes.

Music within film is very important. Not only it helps to create the ambience of the film and its plot, it also helps to evoke the emotions of the characters, so that the audience gets to feel the same thing. Without music, the film won't have as much of an impact as it does with music. Music can be the most important part of a film to support feelings like sadness, joy, pain, tension, triumph, suspense, intrigue, patriotism, danger, fright, folly or fury.

Setting –

The setting of a thriller generally includes, time, location all the main locations of the film/story and often will set the mood for the film. There are elements used in a thriller’s also you will find a plot, character theme and style which all are used to set the scene within a thriller.

Thrillers mostly take place in ordinary suburbs/cities. Though sometimes they maybe set in exotic settings such as deserts, polar regions, or the high seas. The heroes in most thrillers are frequently ordinary citizens unaccustomed to danger. However, more common in crime thrillers, they may also be "hard men" used to danger, like, police officers and detectives. While such heroes have traditionally been men, women lead characters have become increasingly common.

Characters –

Generally, thrillers focus on plot over character, and thus emphasize intense. Characters in thrillers include criminals, stalkers, assassins , innocent victims, menaced women, characters with dark pasts, individuals, terrorist, cops and escaped cons. The themes of thrillers frequently include terrorism or romantic triangles leading to murder.

Mise – En – Scene –

When applied to the cinema, mise-en-scène refers to everything that appears before the camera and its arrangement—comparison, sets, props, actors, costumes, and lighting. Mise-en-scène also includes the positioning and movement of actors on the set.

Decor –

An important element of "putting in the scene" is décor, the objects contained in and the setting of a scene. Décor can be used to amplify character emotion or the dominant mood of a film.

Lighting –

The intensity, direction, and quality of lighting have a profound effect on the way an image is perceived. Light affects the way colors are rendered, both in terms of hue and depth, and can focus attention on particular elements of the composition.

Space –

The representation of space affects the reading of a film. Depth, proximity, size and proportions of the places and objects in a film can be manipulated through camera placement and lenses, lighting, decor, effectively determining mood or relationships between elements in the story world.

Costume –

Costume simply refers to the clothes that  thecharacters wear. Using certain colors or designs, costumes in narrative cinema is used to signify characters or to make clear distinctions between the characters.

Acting –

There is enormous historical and cultural variation in performance styles in the cinema. Early melodramatic styles, clearly indebted to the 19th century theater, gave way in Western cinema to a relatively naturalistic style.

Narrative –

A narrator is, within any movie, the person who tells the story to the audience. When the narrator is also a character within the story. A narrator may tell the story from his own point of view or from the point of view of one of the characters in the story. The act or process of telling the particulars of a story is referred to as narration, along with exposition, argumentation, and description, narration.

Camera work –

Cutting between shots is as old as filmmaking, and for good reason. The stories that the first directors wished to record might run near half an hour, but their cameras could hold only a few minutes worth of film.

To solve the problem, they shot scenes in short sections, spliced the separate film strips together, and so invented the cut from one shot to the next.           

Shot which shows all or most of a fairly large subject (for example, a person) and usually much of the surroundings. Extreme Long Shot (ELS)  see establishing shot: In this type of shot the camera is at its furthest distance from the subject, emphasising the background. Medium Long Shot (MLS): In the case of a standing actor, the lower frame line cuts off his feet and ankles. Some documentaries with social themes favor keeping people in the longer shots, keeping social circumstances rather than the individual as the focus of attention. 


Editing –

 It involves the selection and combining of shots into sequences , and ultimately creating a finished motion picture. Film editing is the only art that is unique to cinema, separating film making from other art forms that preceded it. Film editing is often referred to as the "invisible art because when it is well-practiced, the viewer can become so engaged that he or she is not even aware of the editor's work.

On its most fundamental level, film editing is the art, technique, and practice of assembling shots into a coherent whole. A film editor is a person who practices film editing by assembling the footage. However, the job of an editor isn’t simply to mechanically put pieces of a film together, dialogue scenes. A film editor must creatively work with the layers of images, story, dialogue, music, pacing, as well as the actors' performances to effectively "re-imagine" and even rewrite the film to craft a cohesive whole. Editors usually play a dynamic role in the making of a film.

Codes of a Thriller -

Camera –

CU - This shot focuses on someone’s face or something, showing very little background.

ECU - Very specific showing a specific detail like an eye. There is no background in these shots, which makes the shot more dramatic.

MS - Most commonly featured in a dialogue scene where half of a characters body is visible.

LS - This shot captures all of a characters body . Quite a lot of background is seen, generally used to set the scene.

Pov – This is used as if we are seeing that the actor would be seeing, making the scene or action a lot more dramatic and grabs the audiences attention.

CU and MS are the most used camera types in thrillers because they offer more detail making it seem more dramatic to the audience.

Camera Angles –

Low Angle - Camera positioned low down, which increases the size of the character/object as it takes up the screen, conoting power.

High Angle - Camera positioned high up, so it is lookin down on a character/object making it seem smaller and less significant.

We generally fine that protagonist's are show by a low angle, making them seem strong and powerful.

Camera Movement –

Panning - When the camera follows a moving object. This is generally done slowly to create a mysterious atmosphere.

Surveying Pan - Shows the audience the setting/scene.

Tilt - Vertically moving the camera up or down.

Zoom - Magnifying the camera to focus on something, generally to create empathies.

We find all of these generally in a thriller this is because we generally need to see the setting, zooming also helps to add empathies on a certain character or object.

Editing –

Cut - Sudden change of shot from one viewpoint.

Jump Cut - Sharply switches from one scene to another.

Matched Cut - Change in shot where the large shot was similar to the next making it seem smooth.

Cutting rate - When cuts are made frequently to interrupt action.

Cross Cut -Switches from one action scene to another.

Cutaway - intercutting shot between same scene or subject to shorten time.

Fade and dissolve - a gradual transition between a shot. In a fade, picture appears (comes in) or disapears (goes out).

Jump cuts and fast pace cut are generally used in Thriller this is because it add th tension of the film. However we find fades and dissolves as this creates suspense and builds up the tension.

Sound  –

Diegetic sound - Dialogue between characters (on screen), also it noises that happen on screen.

Non diegetic sound - Music in the background (off screen) which are used to add empathies.

Studio sound - Recorded sound the improve its quality.

Sound Bridge - Adding a continuity, by running sound from one shot to another doing the same as a matched cut.

Music - Helps the establish the films rhythm and pace. 

We find a combination diegetic and Non diegetic sounds in a thriller the variety makes the film flow. Sound bridges are also widely used, so action seems fluent.

Mise-en-scene   –

This is all the props/objects.

Props in thriller include: guns, knives, cars, boats etc

Mise-en-scene is the most important aspect of a thriller. It shows meaning, also makes the film seem more real and more believable.

Lighting  –

   Soft/ Harsh Lighting – This can be artificial or real lighting. It is used to make a setting seem more real. It is used in a thriller to make the scene more realistic and adds empathies.

   Text – This is generally used at the start and end of the film giving you a brief amount on information about the film. There is text used in the film as well for added emphasis.

Lighting is very important as it allows the audience to see key points of the scene, this is important as the director will use lighting to accent certain character’s or object’s.

I have found the codes that are used to create a film, and then I have chosen the key codes, which are used to create a thriller film. Further more I have written how they are used in a thriller also what makes them important.  I have added this because I will use this information I have gathered in my thriller opening, I will try to add as many of the codes as possible to create a exciting thriller that does not give away the plot or ability to follow of the film.