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.