Analysis of Thriller Sub-Genre Opening Sequences
A subgenre is a subcategory within a particular genre, for example, Rom-Com, which is of a romance genre, although it has many conventions to also say it is a comedy, an example of this subgenre film would be ‘This means war’ or ‘Friends with benefits’. I’ll be analysing 3 different subgenres from 3 different clips from students’ past work. Reflection: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LKBaxc1Tsw&safe=active One of the subgenre is a crime thriller, this opening sequence is called ‘Reflection’ which relates to the story line very effectively. This subgenre is represented through the use of micro-elements such as cinematography, mise-en-scene, sound and edit. For example, a close up camera shot of a male character closing the door in front of him looking directly into the camera conforms that it is a thriller, as you can see a clear expression of his face that connotes a bad event is to occur, however, this also conforms it’s of a crime genre too as the male character is a police officer, although he seems like an antagonist. Mise-en-scene is also used as a representation of crime/thriller as the use of props and performance conforms this. For example, the mirror in the kitchen shows a reflection of the ‘Police Officer’ going through the woman’s drawer without permission, this of course is a suspicious behaviour of a police officer which shows that this is a thriller genre as police are usually the one’s to solve crime, not create them. Non diegetic music is also played when the police officer closes the door, the music is slow paced and quite spooky, it helps build up tension and creates confusion for the audience on whether the police officer is an antagonist or protagonist. This conforms the subgenre crime and thriller as at first audiences will think that a crime is going on as a police officer shows up at a woman’s door although the thriller starts coming along when the door is shut and the music starts playing. Long duration takes of the police shows what he’s doing around the house whilst the female character makes him a hot drink. This shows the audience that he’s up to something as he’s looking around things that is an invasion of privacy. This conforms that it’s a crime/thriller as it is a crime to invade people’s houses without permission. Pathogen: - http://www.youtube.com/watchv=E7A0FUvzM4&list=PL426C4E4F7D73EE3A&index=5&safe=active An example of a different subgenre is medical thriller, this opening sequence is called ‘Pathogen’ which audience can assume that it is a type of virus or disease. Cinematography represents the subgenres as we see a tracking shot of a few dead bodies lined up on the floor with white sheets over them, this creates an enigma for the audiences as they will wonder what could have caused this. This however, doesn’t conform that it’s medical, as it looks more like it could have been a crime scene, although it does conform thriller as it’s thrilling to the audience. Props are also used to represent the subgenre, like for example, we see a shot of a sign that says “Mask up” on a door, and behind that door we see a dead body covered in a white sheet. This conforms the idea of it being a medical thriller as the dead character could have died from a contagious disease or virus, which is why people entering the room must wear a mask to prevent themselves from catching it. Micro element sound is rarely used in this clip as we only hear non-diegetic music and nothing else. However, although we don’t hear much except from the music, the music strongly conforms that this clip is of a medical/thriller genre as it’s a sharp and eerie soundtrack. We hear sharp sounds within the music that can make the audience think of sharp objects used to operate the body with. Edit plays a big part in representing this subgenre as the effects used in the opening sequence clearly conforms the clip being a medical thriller genre. For example, we would see very quick and flashy shots of blood and cells which has to do with the human body, which relates to the whole genre. Firewall: - http://www.youtube.com/watchv=UP5ZBp4Pxr0&list=PL426C4E4F7D73EE3A&index=17&safe=active A third example of a subgenre of a thriller would be technical thriller, which has to do with computing, secrecy and agents. This subgenre was represented by the use of cinematography, we see a tracking shot of the computer wires which conforms the fact that it relates to technical. Mise-en-scene micro element is also used by props, for example, we see a written letter to the president, and an agent bringing the president into a safe setting. This also conforms the subgenre of it being technical as this has to do with secrecy and agents. However, this gets the audience thinking of how a computer hacker can have relevance to the President, this could conform the thriller genre as it’s more serious than any other computer hacking schemes before. The non diegetic music in the background whilst having shots of the computer, wires and keyboards on screen conforms that it’s a technical thriller as the music sounds techno-like, a simple song that could easily be made on the computer which has relevance of what they’re trying to show us.
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The opening sequence of Sixth Sense is mainly made up of non-diegetic sounds, as the credits are shown introducing everyone who was involved in the film. The music is quite calm, but it also has a mysterious feel which will make the audience feel that, that is what the film is about. The credits start off with the studio name, at this point the music is really quiet and started to crescendo as it went on. When the title is introduced it is very quickly, in a Mexican wave sort of style across the screen along with very quick violins making quite an eerie sound. As the sequence goes on the music becomes louder and more intense also the music begins to overlap with different instruments and pitches this could indicate that in the film it can become confusing, tense and a lot of things happening. The colours used in the opening sequence are dull, black and white this doesn't really represent anything in the film and doesn't have many annotations, although the colour black has annotations of death, and the colour white annotates purity these are two completely different annotations. These annotations could represent the child in the film as he is pure and innocent but is able to see dead people. The way they have edited the credits is quite spooky as the animation makes them flicker across the screen sometimes quickly appear and then fade away. This is a good thing to use for a thriller because it reflects the genre really well. As the credits disappear a flickering light bulb starts to appear, a flickering lightbulb can indicate something bad about to happen which also helps to show that the genre of the film is thriller. There is now only diegetic sounds as a squeaky door opens and you hear footsteps walking down old stairs into a basement. A woman in heels and a dress appears and walks towards a shelf full of a wine she grabs a bottle and then slowly turns around to look at something on the other side of the room this adds mystery to the scene as it makes you wonder if there is something down there with her. The camera angles used is one starting with a close up of the light bulb to show the audience the flickering, then changing to a wide shot of the basement but the camera is 'hidden' behind the shelf of wine. The camera slowly starts to zoom in to the woman's face which shows her pulling a confused facial expression, you then hear what sounds like someone stepping on glass which then changes the angle of the camera to a midi shot of the woman standing and turning around, it then changes to another wide shot this time the camera is quite low down by the stairs and shows the woman begin to shiver, she then begins to run out of the basement and up the stairs. I decided to use the opening sequence to the film Final Destination 5, I chose this because it is completely different to The Sixth Sense also the type of thriller is also different.
The sequence starts off with introducing the the title of the film with dramatic music. The title is made to look like it bursts through some glass, making it shatter and there is a also a huge explosion with fire. These are all indications of a thriller. There are also lots of different props and objects also involved in the sequence for example skulls and other strange things smashing through glass. The opening sequence is made completely up of non-diegetic sounds, the music is very dramatic which makes the audience feel like this will be a dramatic and intense film. The way they have edited the credits is by making sure that each name, explosion and object all come into sequence at the same time as the beat of the music, also the credits keep repeating themselves this could indicate that something in the film keeps on repeating itself. As I have already watched Final Destination I know that the film is full of visions, death and a lot of repeating of scenes. The opening sequence is full of blood, water, weapons and other strange things these could all be indications of how some of the characters die in the film. This also prepares the audience for lots of death in the film. The camera angles in the opening sequence are different in every shot, this adds variation to it. Sometimes there are close ups of the glass being smashed and the object flying through, sometimes the camera is far away. Also the camera is sometimes behind the glass but then sometimes in front of it, this adds variation and makes it still interesting to watch although it is basically doing the same thing. U Universal – Suitable for all A U film should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over, however a child could get upset by the smallest of thing so parents should be warned. If some films are suitable for preschool, this could be shown in BBFCinsight. DISCRIMINATION - Discriminatory language or behaviour is unlikely to be accepted in a U film if not completely disapproved DRUGS - References to illegal drugs or drug misuse must be infrequent and innocuous, or have a clear educational purpose or anti-drug message suitable for young children. IMITABLE BEHAVIOUR - Any potential bad behaviour that children could copy is should be disapproved of. No emphasis on realistic or easily accessible weapons. LANGUAGE - Infrequent use only of very mild bad language. NUDITY - Occasional nudity, with no sexual context. ( for funny purposes mostly) SEX - Only very mild sexual behaviour (for example, kissing) and references to similar behaviour. THREAT - Scary or potentially unsettling sequences should be mild, brief and unlikely to cause undue anxiety to young children. The outcome should be reassuring for the children to understand. VIOLENCE - Violence will generally be very mild. Mild violence may be acceptable if it is justified by context (for example, comedic, animated, really unrealistic) PG Parental Guidance General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children A PG film should not unsettle a child of 8 years and older. Unaccompanied children of any age may watch, but parents are advised to consider whether the content may upset younger, or more sensitive, children without an parent. DISCRIMANATION - Discriminatory language or behaviour is unlikely to be acceptable unless clearly disapproved of, except historic or educational context that has no appeal to children that will have mild references. DRUGS - References to illegal drugs or drug misuse must be innocuous or carry a suitable anti-drug message. IMITABLE BEHAVIOUR - No detail of potentially dangerous behaviour which young children are likely to copy, if that behaviour is presented as safe or fun. No showing of easy accessible weapons such as knives. No focus on anti-social behaviour which young children are likely to copy. LANGUAGE - Mild bad language only. Aggressive or very frequent use of mild bad language may result in a work being passed at a higher category. NUDITY - There may be nudity with no sexual context. Sex Sexual activity may be implied, only kissing a similar actions. THREAT - Frightening sequences or situations where characters are in danger should not be prolonged or intense. Fantasy settings may be a mitigating factor. VIOLENCE - Violence will usually be mild. However there may be moderate violence, without detail, if justified by its context (for example, history, comedy or fantasy). 12/12A - suitable for 12 ages and over Films classified 12A and video works classified 12 contain material that is not genuerally suitable for children aged under 12. no one younger than 12 may see a 12A film in cinema unless accompanied by an adult. no one younger than 12 may rent or buy a 12 rated video work. DISCRIMINATION - Aggressive discriminatory language or behaviour is unlikely to be acceptable unless clearly condemned. DRUGS - Misuse of drugs must be infrequent and should not be glamorised or give instructional detail. IMITABLE BEHAVIOUR - No promotion of potentially dangerous or anti-social behaviour which children are likely to copy. No glamorisation of realistic or easily accessible weapons such as knives. LANGUAGE - Strong language may be permitted, depending on the manner in which it is used, who is using the language, its frequency within the work as a whole and any special contextual justification. NUDITY - There may be nudity, but in a sexual context it must be brief and discreet. SEX - Sexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed. Moderate sex references are permitted, but frequent crude references are unlikely to be acceptable. THREAT - There may be moderate physical and psychological threat and horror sequences. Horror sequences should not be frequent or sustained. VIOLENCE - There may be moderate violence but it should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context. 15 – Suitable only for 15 years and over No one younger than 15 may see a 15 film in a cinema. No one younger than 15 may rent or buy a 15 rated video work. DISCRIMINATION - The work as a whole must not endorse discriminatory language or behaviour, although there may be racist, homophobic or other discriminatory themes and language. DRUGS - Drug taking may be shown for educational purposes only. The misuse of easily accessible and highly dangerous substances (for example, aerosols or solvents) is unlikely to be acceptable. IMITABLE BEHAVIOUR - Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on detail which could be copied. Easily accessible weapons is acceptable will depending on factors such as realism, context and setting. LANGUAGE - Very strong language may be permitted, depending on the manner in which it is used, who is using the language, its frequency within the work as a whole and any special contextual justification. NUDITY - There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context. There may be nudity in a sexual context but usually without strong detail. SEX - Sexual activity may be portrayed, but usually without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour. Works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable. THREAT - There may be strong threat and horror. A sustained focus on sadistic or sexual threat is unlikely to be acceptable. VIOLENCE - The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable. Strong sadistic violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal references to sexual violence but the depiction of sexual violence must be discreet and justified by context. 18 – Suitable only for adults 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 work. 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 us to risk harm to individuals or, through their behaviour, to society. This may include portrayals of sadistic or sexual violence which make this violence look appealing; reinforce the suggestion that victims enjoy sexual violence; or which invite viewer complicity in sexual violence or other harmful violent activities • where there are more explicit images of sexual activity in the context of a sex work or where the primary purpose of the images in question is sexual arousal In the case of video works, which may be more accessible to younger viewers, intervention may be more frequent than for cinema films. Sex education at 18 - Where sex material genuinely seeks to inform and educate in matters such as human sexuality or safer sex and health, explicit images of sexual activity may be permitted. Sex works at 18 - Sex works containing clear images of real sex, strong fetish material, sexually explicit animated images, or other very strong sexual images will be confined to the R18 category. Material which is unacceptable in a sex work at R18 is also unacceptable in a sex work at 18. R18 - To be shown only in specially licensed cinemas, or supplied only in licensed sex shops, and to adults only
The R18 category is a special and legally-restricted classification primarily for explicit works of consenting sex or strong fetish material involving adults. Films may only be shown to adults in specially licensed cinemas, and video works may be supplied to adults only in licensed sex shops. R18 video works may not be supplied by mail order. Sex works in an R18 - Sex works containing clear images of real sex, strong fetish material, sexually explicit animated images, or other very strong sexual images will be confined to the R18 category. Material which is unacceptable in a sex work at R18 is also unacceptable in a sex work at 18. I chose to use the opening sequence to The Purge: Election Year and I noticed they use contrapuntal sound, they did this by adding fun, happy music to a scene about death, murder and full of blood. The music was also a diegetic sound which means the characters and the audience can hear it. I know this because in the opening sequence it shows the iPod playing and the murderer in the video dancing to it. Also there were voices and muzzled screams in the background coming from the victims. The opening sequence also includes some dialogue, of the murderer talking to his victims and explaining his choice of music and what they mean. The victims are a family and the murderer then asks the mother to choose which one of her children she wants to survive. For the second evaluation I decided to use the opening sequence for Spectre and it is just non-diegtic sound throughout the scene. It is of a sound track, it includes lots of different instruments and it has a Mexican feel to the music too. In the scene there is a weird death/skeleton festival or parade going on, everyone wearing masks and carrying skeletons and things that represent death. Which gives me the idea that the music is also contrapuntal because it seems too fancy, happy and festive to be used in a parade full of death represented things and mystery.
The opening sequence doesn't include any dialogue, which probably means that the scene is supposed to be focused on what is going on in the scene rather than any speaking. The movies two movies I chose were Mad Max: Fury Road which is an action-thriller and, Fight Club which is a psychological-thriller. The two movies start off very different. The beginning sequence of Mad Max: Fury Road starts off with the sound of dialogue (Max introducing himself) and then the sound of news reports and gun shots are herd in the background whilst the credits start coming up in a rock textured font and a blood font, to emphasises the thriller genre with blood font. Then it goes pitch black with dialogue (max thinking out loud). Then it cuts the beginning scene, a long shot of a man standing next to a rusty old car in a desert – using a long shot it shows the how lonely it is in a dessert and really reflects the dialogue being said. A girls voice echoes in the background as the camera pans down to a two head lizard running of a rock, keeping the man and the car in the shot. The dialogue starts to get very intense and then you see the man pick up the two headed lizard that he has just caught and the camera cuts to a close up of him eating it. Shortly after the sound of roaring engines from cars and motorbikes coming closer from the distance start to arise and then the man (max) gets into his care and drives off. This is when the action genre comes in to the film, the many cars and motorbikes start racing after him and his car, following with a long shot of the whole chase. Then it cuts to a close up on a car explosion with the slow motion of the car rolling over and over and dessert sand covers the whole screen. The scene then cuts to a close up of the car turned upside-down and a man crawling out of the smashed car window, while dialogue starts of his thoughts. the scene then cuts fast flashback to a young girl getting ran over and hurt. this beginning sequence is very fast and is a bit hard to follow because their is so much going on. In the beginning sequence of fight club, the first thing you hear is cracking and fast pace intense music as the camera explores quickly around the inside of a brain, where you can see all the cells as the credits come up with flashing electrons. this continues for most of the opening. then the camera come out of the brain using an extreme close up as the camera pans down the face going down in-between the eyes and down the bridge of the nose and to the top lip where the camera starts to travel down the barrel of a shot gun. The camera then goes out of focus and an establishing shot, which shows a man holding a gun into another mans mouth.
Different genres have different conventions that are shown in media pieces, which individualises each genre and this is how audiences can separate genre from genre. The thriller genre has many conventions that other main genres do not have. For example in a Romance Film, there is never dark scenes, dark colours or low music. They have more of a whimsical aesthetic to them with light colours bright scenes and high light music.
These are some main thriller conventions:
In the beginning sequences of Cabin in the Woods and Don’t Breath, the first shot is very similar with the credits being dark and relates to the theme of the movie, with the cabin in the woods the opening credits have blood seeping over pages revealing old Egyptian images while string percussion plays in the background and carries on while the camera pans round to more pictures and more blood. In don’t breathe the setting is in a town with trees and large houses, more ambient sounds to match the surroundings. The first people who are seen are a woman and a old man- the man is dragging the girl by her hair down the middle of the road, the woman looks like she has been seriously abused as there is a trail of blood where she has been dragged down the road. These scenes make the audiences think what’s happened? They ask questions about the blood on the Egyptian pictures, and why the man is dragging the girl down the road. Then the both movies cut to a dialogue scene with bright lighting. In 'The Cabin In The Woods' the scene cuts to two men in suits getting a coffee in an office whilst having a about women’s fertility while quiet elevator music plays in the background. Much of this scene doesn’t relate to the theme or pattern. Shots used: medium shot, close-up. Unlike don’t breathe where the opening scene is a flashback of 3 people the girl from the beginning and 2 young men, they are shown breaking into a house – robbery. There is a race against the clock music as the girl counts down from 30, so they don’t trigger a security alarm. The woman then goes through a young girls wardrobe and tries on some clothes, the boys are talking and smashing things at the same time. Shots used: overhead shot, extreme close up Both opening scenes use similar shots like: close ups, long shots, two shots. Both films have thriller conventions in the opening sequences which shows the audiences that it is a thriller genre piece of media. they both include low key lighting, jump cuts and creepy diegetic sounds. A thriller is a genre of film, TV, book or play it typically contains lots of action, excitement and suspense. Thrillers have many sub-genres which means different categories/types of thriller come together to create a two-toned piece of media. Within the Thriller genre, for example there can be an action thriller, psychological thriller, horror thriller and many more. This expands the thriller field and gives more inspiration and depth for film directors to get more creative and extend all the different to create a thriller. Preliminary Task Evaluation
The first step we took to create our preliminary video was to plan what camera angles we were going to use and how we wanted to corporate them into the video. We then made a story board which showed each clip and angle step by step, this included drawings of the character and the environment. We decided to film it in a corridor and a "gangster" conversation inside the schools art room, for the dialogue part of the task we used over the shoulder shots from each character that way the audience is able to see each character separately and be able to judge each character and their comparisons, and then we used a wide shot to show both characters and the "intense" part of that scene that way the audience is able to see both characters expression and the way they react. As we only had 3 days to plan, film and edit the Preliminary Task it isn't that impressive and the editing isn't that neat, we also weren't able to create a scene using props and have good costumes to help the audience identify the characters, but we were able to include every camera angle we wanted to and gave the best effort we could. |
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