scene 1- Main character going on a run
1.1 P.O.V of main character looking into the distance of the forest and the pond. Also diegetic sound of the character's heavy breathing. 1.2 Main character starts running on her own through the woods. Scene 2- Strange couple spotted in the park 2.1 P.O.V of main character running past the pond and sees couple sitting on the bench. 2.2 Main character runs past an ordinary couple and everything is fine. 2.3 Main character looks back and sees couple acting strange and suspicious on bench. 2.4 Main character turns to look forward and then back again at the couple who are acting normal again- main character is left confused and frustrated. Scene 3- Another strange incident with an owner and his dog 3.1 P.O.V of main character running away from the couple and sees a man with a dog. 3.2 Main character is weary of the man. She trips and falls over, the man notices but just ignores and walks away. 3.3 When main character looks up, the man and dog are aggressively shouting in her face. 3.4 Main character shakes her head from frustration. She looks up and sees man being normal and walking away from her. Scene 4- Main character blanks out feeling confused 4.1 P.O.V of main character's vision going blank. 4.2 Main character's friend appears and the setting is back at the start where the scene began. 4.3 Main character and friend run past the couple, with the main character trying to stay calm. 4.4 As they run past the couple, the main character runs around and sees couple acting normal. 4.5 Main character and friend run past the man with dog and everything is normal- the main character's face is looking confused. 4.6 Long-shot of main character and friend running away into the distance.
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Most Psychological Thrillers use normal locations to provide realism. This is so there can be contrast between the main characters psychological world, and the real world. Certain locations are often not used. For example, the country side is not often used, because it could then be confused with horror. One of the main sets in "Would You Rather" is the villains dinner room. Here, he hosts a dinner and invites people who are told that the person who stays the longest will win money. The entire movie mostly revolves on this set. A normal, every day setting like this is common in Psychological Thrillers. It seems that if a movie is set in a very average setting, the the aspect of Psychological Thriller is a lot more effective. Another Psychological Thriller with a normal location as its main set is "The Boy". "The Boy" is about an American nanny who goes to England to look after what she thinks is a child, but when she gets there, she realises the parents are two elderly people who are in fact looking after a doll. In the end of the movie, we find out that the boy is in fact the elderly couples son, who now is a grown man and lives in the walls of the house, after he started a fire and killed a neighbourhood girl when he was young. This makes the house a very key part of the movie. Again, a large family house - in this case a mansion, is very common in Psychological Thrillers as they are not seen in everyday life. The third Psychological Thriller which contains a very day-to-day location is Orphan. This is about a couple who suffer a miscarriage and then decide to adopt a child, but after living with the girl, they realise there is something mentally wrong with her. Although there are many different locations in this movie, the main one is the home of the family - different rooms in the house/the garden to be more accurate. By using a family home as the main location in a movie focused on a mentally challenge child, there is a much bigger shocked out come, as a family home is suppose to be a place of warmth and love. The Black Swan: Mise-en-scene - When the scene opens, there is an obvious distinct character which the lighting glows over. The rest of the set (which seems to be a stage) is dark, and the light seems to be glowing off the character (white swan) as the scene progresses. The characters facial expression and body language seems to be very elegant, but as the scene progresses and she is approached by a man in black, her facial expression becomes more serious and concerned, as though she can sense danger. She wears a white dress, which implies that she is pure, and almost angelic, to juxtapose this the men wear black, in a way to foreshadow that they are dangerous. While she is dancing with the man we can see an obvious distressing in her face, and when she begins to dance with the larger man in all black, who seems to represent some kind of danger to her, her facial expression becomes frightened. Towards the end of the scene, her body language and facial expression are saddened, and the light which was earlier emitting from her dims. The set is very simplistic (just a stage) and there are any significant props. This is to accentuate the characters emotions and body language. Sound - The sound seems to be diegetic, as the characters are dancing to it. There is no dialogue in this opening scene either. However, the main use of sound is through music. The music almost follows the dancer. For example, when the man in black approaches her, the pitch becomes lower, foreshadowing in the music that he is not safe for her. When the dancer picks up speed, so does the music, but when she slows down, it does the same. This score works very well in this scene as it makes the audience feel as though they are there, listening to the music with the characters. Editing/ Camerawork - There is a slight fade in as the light shines onto the main character, and then at the end there is this same fade out (both done with in a long shot). The shots in between are quite quick (each being approximately 20-30 seconds long), but they do not have harsh cuts in between, therefor the separate cuts can just sync together. This opening sequence contains a lot of close up and medium shots to create a connection between the audience and the characters world. The first close up shot we see is a tracking shot in which the camera follows the feet of the dancer. This is about 20 seconds long, then the camera stops moving and zooms out from the girls feet, so we can see her sitting down in a medium shot. The next few shots are mostly medium shots/close ups in which we can see the characters from their torso up, or from there shoulders up. Both shots are used to show the characters facial expression and emotions, but also to show their body language which is key as they are dancing. The Machinist:
Mise-en-scene - There are two main locations in this opening sequence. The beach/near the sea, and the characters apartment. Although, the majority of the scenes are shot nearby the river as it must be key to the plot. The scene opens with the main character looking quite anxious. He is looking out of his apartment window - as though he is trapped, and he is smoking. It seems as though he is about to begin to cry, this is when the scene cuts to the next shot of him parking his car onto a beach next to the pier. The location at this point is very gloomy, and the sky is cloudy. He begins to take out what seems to be a body wrapped in carpet out the boot of his car and throws it into the sea. During this the characters body language is very shaken up, and his facial expressions make it seem as though he has some sort of remorse for what he has done. At the end of the opening sequence, the man is approached by someone, and as he turns to look at the unknown character, he looks shocked, and then the scene cuts here. Sound - The first sound we hear is the diegetic sound of the lighter clicking, but the main type of sound is non-diegetic music which begins straight after the sound effect of the lighter. The music is quite eerie and hints to the audience that something strange is about to happen. The next diegetic sound we hear is of the car parking, and the waves of the sea, also the wind blowing - these last two sounds are constant through out the opening sequence as they make it seem more real. We can also hear the man struggling to carry the body. The pitch and volume is pretty consistent, and it does not cover up the diegetic sound often, but when the main character pushes the body into the water, the non- diegetic music increases in pitch, and is a very little bit louder than the diegetic sound. This happens just as the camera moves onto the characters facial expression, making it seem more intense. Editing/Camerawork - The first shot is a close up shot, used to introduce the main character to the audience and also so the audience can see the emotion the character is feeling, then there is a cut into the next shot. The next shot is a long shot of a rough looking beach with a pier, where the man parks his car. This shot is used to establish the location and surroundings of the character. The camera then pans in closer, to the man, but is still rather far so you can see the location, car and also the man, then there is another cut into a close up shot of the man carrying the body. From here on, most of the shots used are either close ups of medium long shots, so they can capture the mans facial expression, but also his body language. The editing has been done so there are no long or harsh cuts in between which have a massive jump between shots, this means it easily syncs in together, and flows really well as the start of a film. Panic RoomAt 0:01, panning out of the shot reveals the main focus of the opening sequence. The use of non- diegetic sounds of a thunder storm immediately sets the mood of the film and draws the audiences attention. The colours in this shot are royal colours such as blue and gold, which connotes that this film company is very successful and higher up than most film companies. At 0:19, this shot starts to fade out, which is showing the audience that a different shot will be appearing soon. At 0:22, the scene fades in to show the stat to the actual opening sequence. It is an establishing shot that shows the audience the over view of a city; which is showing up that this is where most of the action will take place. The non-diegetic music begins which has a positive effect on the audience as it is very grand and possibly payed by an orchestra. The text is bold which is highlighting the importance of the text. In this case the text is showing the companies name which is also shows in the first part of the introduction. The sunset in the background is showing the audience that the city is getting dark. This could show the audience that there is a distressful atmosphere and a negative aura of the film. In the third shot, at 0:30, a sudden change in shots shows the different moods of the people in the town. This is a wide shot which is showing the same area as the last shot but zoomed. This shows the audience that the setting is around a mysterious city, which may be revealed later on. The sky has hanged and the lighting is brighter to show the audience that the day has changed. This could have the positive effect of the audience as the day is new and hardly any dark shadows. At 0:32, the camera is panning from left to right with a soft light and breaks of shadows connotes that dramatic storyline that the audience may be seeing thought the film. However the soft lighting contrasted with the idea of the story line therefore leave the audience confused and intrigued. At 0:41, the advert on the building of the model giving the audience a glimpse of the city and realism. The advert also could be representing the fact that women are going to be the main focus of the overall film. At 0:49, there is a wide shot which is panning from left-to-right. This is a very important shot as it reveals the title of the film. The film title was delayed which adds suspense to the audience as they will question why the tight with not been inserted at the start of the title sequence. At 0:56, this is an aerial shot looking down on the city. This gives the audience a glimpse of what they should expect whilst watching the film. the text is also very bold and displays Hollywood actors name. This is highlighting the importance of the role of the actor plays and could signify that this particular actor plays a very important part in the film. At 1:00, the text in this shot is slightly tilted which could be telling us that the plotline is very twisted and unexpected from the title sequence. The shot is again a wide shot which reveals more of the story line with showing things such as the billboard. In contrast with the last billboard this one has a woman and a man on. this could be telling us that it is a love story but with a twist. At 1:04, this wide shot automatically tells the audience that the film is set in America do you to the familiar surroundings. The text blends with the buildings which could be suggesting that the names are not important to what the film is about. the dog collars on the building contrast with the colours on the billboards, which could be could Connoting that the buildings are just props and the people in the city do you not realise that the billboards have a huge impact on their lives. Shutter IslandThe film starts with a slow fade in from the back of an empty corridor. The film is by Martin Scorsese which makes people think of the film is going to be a big budget box office hit, as Martin Scorsese had previously done film sceptres taxi driver and Goodfellas, and this would drive people to go see it. At 0:04, the shot quickly fades into a 360 degree pan of a spiral staircase that is moving at quite a fast speed. This almost orientates the audience as it is so fast and almost confuses them as it is like they are being hypnotised At 0:08, this then feeds into another shot of an empty car door with water dripping down from the ceiling. The opening titles are appearing all through the shots. The titles are in the red letters and this represents the theme of thriller as red can signify blood. It therefore shows that something bad could happen which is key to a thriller film. At 0:13, the shop then quickly fade into a close-up shot of hands struggling to move a tile of some sort. By using a close-up it doesn't give too much away of what's happening and leaves the audience to wonder what is happening and gives them the opportunity work it out for themselves. The title moves out of the way to reveal what is uncovered when the scene cuts to another shot. At 0:16, it cuts through an extreme long-shot of a gate opening, with the camera on a track moving towards the gate as if walking through. This gives the viewer a better sense of what is happening in this shot, which contrasts completely to the previous shot and therefore doesn't give the audience time to adjust to what they're saying which makes the convention more like a thriller. The framing of most of the shots used in the opening sequence are quite symmetrical which is quite hard as perfect framing isn't something you would see in the thriller film. At 0:22, the shot is a lot longer than the previous ones in the opening sequence which adds to the suspense as to what will be behind the gates and what the audience will find. At 0:32, this fades quickly to a big close-up shot of a foot gently standing on a gun and dragging it away. This adds a sense of crime or danger, one that intrigues the audience. The colours in this scene are all quite dark and with the writing still in white, which contrasts more. Gledhills star theory-relates to this as well as the actors in the film are quite famous Ben Kingsley and Leo DiCaprio about is very well known and people would go see a film with them as renowned actors. At 0:52, the final cut is an establishing shot of an island that looks extremely gloomy. It then cuts to complete darkness again and the title comes up. The music in the opening sequence is the only sound heard. The music is an orchestra piece of music that sounds quite sinister and the tone of it gives a very edgy feel as though it is building up to something big happening. Finally at 0:57, the film title comes up at the end of the opening sequence. It takes up the whole screen which is shown in big bold red letters, ones that stand out. The title then appears like it is veering towards the audience, which adds to the visual tension and creates a disorientated feeling for the audience as it is like they're being taken through to this place. The background is black, and these two colours ( black and red) signify that bad things are going to happen as a connotative meaning of red as death and a connotative meaning of black as death. For our opening sequence we have decided to use:
Peer and Teacher Feedback:
After receiving our feedback we found out that the name of our film was liked. We were also told that the location was admired and that it made our peers and teacher want to watch the film, as it seemed to foreshadow the darkness amongst the plot. Our teacher told us that by being so specific and particular about our opening sequence, we demonstrated good decision making. However, we were also encouraged to make some changes and think about how we shot our opening sequence. For example, it was brought to our attention that we would have to check the weather while filming, and make sure that it was capable of being part of our opening sequence. To over come this, we will film everything on the same day - in the same atmosphere or (if we decide to shoot on different days) we will make an effort to make sure that the weather matches how we shot the scenes before. Since the entire opening sequence is in one location, we were encouraged to use a variety of different shots, and different types of camera work in order to keep the audience engaged. * Toby Ingram was not part of the final production. Primary Research - Vox Pop Primary Research - Questionnaire The results from our Primary Research Questionnaire showed what interests people in Thriller films. Secondary Research: After looking at a series of different websites which analyse Psychological Thrillers and their typical audiences, we have found that both men and women of various ages enjoy Thriller movies, but depending on the sub genre and the theme of the film, the target audience often focuses more onto a certain age group. For example, Inception is a movie that appeals more to adults because the storyline is much more profound and intense, therefor it is difficult for people of a younger age to understand and interpret. It also contains mild violence, and is therefor classified as a 12 on the BBFC, so children below the age of 12 are not meant not be able to access it. However, a Psychological Thriller which does appeal to a younger audience is Coraline. This is because the main character is a young girl around the age of 11 and this means that a younger audience (mostly young girls), can relate to the character. Coraline is a cartoon, which means that it is harder for adults to hold focus on the movie, and possibly makes it harder for them to imagine the possibilities and relate or envision Coraline as a real girl. The age rating is PG - from this we can suggest that the movie was made to be approachable to younger children. Some Thrillers focus on making their audiences being 18+, not only because of the ratings, but because of the aspect of violence and psychological issues, which can be disturbing for younger viewers, but older viewers may enjoy the stimulation they receive from watching Thrillers. |
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