Filming Exercise

Filming Exercise for our Thriller

In order to get an idea of what our thriller would look like, we filmed a very rough outline of our sequence and edited it together. This is a very rough idea as we were not doing it in our preferred locations or had the actors we are going to use and we did not have some necessary props (the noose, the notebook or the harness). However it did help us develop our piece, as while filming we found out that some shots worked while others didn't. This means that we can now do some more story boarding, and continue to perfect our sequence. 

Research for our opening sequence

Research for our opening sequence:

In order to get a feel for the type of shots, costume and sound used in a political thriller we researched other films that used certain techniques that might be effective in our own thriller. 

(Just looking at the first 2 minutes of this clip)

Here, the characters are dressed neatly in suits, but the three piece suits seem to be the most official looking so would be more appropriate to use one for our politician. Also, the papers are in big paper folders, which again would work well in our thriller. The hair is neatly slicked back, which again makes the men look more official. Furthermore, there are no close up shots used in this extract which creates a barrier between the audience and the characters, thus suggesting that they are of a higher status. Our group was not planning on revealing the politicians face during our extract, therefore this co-insides with the idea from this extract.

Another film we looked at was The Ides of March.

This scene helps to establish the tone of a political thriller. The quick cutting is the most effective technique used here and would help raise tension in our own thriller. 

Research for our opening sequence

Research for our opening sequence:

Looking into other aspects of our thriller there is the scene from The Aviator that includes a hand washing sequence.

Here the director cuts quickly between a close up of Leonardo Di Caprio's hands and then to his face and then back again. This establishes a link between the actions he is doing and how they are making him film. The use of soap here is key and would be a really good idea to use in our thriller. Also the birds eye view shot looking straight down into the sink is effective, and would work well in our thriller.





Another poignant hand washing sequence is in the film version of Macbeth.

Unfortunately, I could not upload the video onto my blog, but in the sequence we see Macbeth wash his hands in a basin. What was effective in this sequence, was that the speed of the hand washing became more intense as Macbeth felt he could not get rid of the blood on his hands. This would work in our thriller well and would help build tension.

Research for our opening sequence

 

 

Research for our opening sequence

 

 

 

Plunkett and Macleane is a 1999 British Historical action comedy film (directed by Jack Scott). In this hanging scene the victim escapes which links with our sequence as the girl is not actually trying to kill herself. Therefore, the fact that this character does not die shows that it is possible to hang someone without immediate death.

 

 

 

 

The music here adds to the tension and makes the audience on edge. The point of view shot of the man looking down once he has been hung is very effective as puts the audience in the victims place. The cut from this shot to a birds eye view shot shows high the victim is in the air and how much he is struggling and is again very effective.

 

 

 

 

Angle of Mercy is an American drama which includes the hanging of a young girl.

 

 

 

 

The close up of the little girl with the background of branches highlights that she is hanging in a tree. This would be effective to use as it shows both aspects of the hanging; the noose and the tree. The mid shots of the feet swaying with the stool being removed would again be a good shot to use, as it would capture the moment before the girl is actually hung. The wide shot of the tree with all the victims hanging is very disturbing and like the film Sinister, it really drives home the atmosphere of death and cruelty. 

Research for our opening sequence

 

Research for opening sequence

 

 

 

 

Carrying on our research we discovered other films that used hangings.

 

Girl, Interrupted in a 1999 drama film that uses a hanging scene.

The hanging in this scene also uses music to foreshadow the moment and it also heightens the tension. Furthermore the wide shot of the two girls standing in the door with the girl hanging in the background is extremely disturbing. Also, as the director mainly uses close ups it shows how lifeless the body is thus highlights how quick and sudden the death is.


Another example is Sinister which is a supernatural horror film, directed by Scott Derrickson.

Music here is again very useful at setting the creepy atmosphere and building suspense. The wide shot used throughout allows the audience to witness the whole event clearly. The slow movement of the bodies moving upwards and the lack lustre movements of the actors legs adds to the ominous atmosphere and makes the scene even more terrible. The slower movements of the actions is more effective instead of quick shaking of the legs which could be scene as comical and unrealistic.

Also, this is part of the opening of the film therefore it shows that there are other products that have disturbing moments from the start. This would make it easier for us to show a full hanging in our opening sequence.

 

 

Research for our opening sequnce

 

 

Research for our opening sequence

 

 

 

We continued to research our opening sequence in order to gain inspiration for camera angles for the hanging scene as well as how explicit other products displayed the hanging.

 

 

In the American Western, True Grit (directed and produced by the Coen Brothers) uses a very explicit hanging scene.

 

 

 

The wide shot used fully shows the hanging, and the sound clearly shows that the men's necks were broken. The wide shot really allows the audience to fully see the hanging and makes it hard for them to focus on anything else.

 

 

Additionally, in the 2000  American docudrama Nuremburg there is a very effective hanging scene.

 

 

The use of slow motion is very effective here as it really captures the horror of the hanging and allows the audience to fully witness the event. The low angle shot from beneath the victim is very powerful as it makes the audience feel as if the body is coming straight towards them. It also shows the terrible wait between falling and death. The combination of the this low angle shot and the slow motion makes this hanging very explicit.

 

In our opening sequence we could use both effects in order to really capture the length of time the girl falls for until the moment she hangs herself.



Research for our opening sequence

Research for our opening sequence:

I researched how other films hanged characters and how they achieved it so that I could apply certain ideas to the opening sequence of our thriller. 

For example, in the British drama Kidulthood (directed by Menhaj Huda) a young girl kills herself. 

In this scene, they use an over the shoulder shot to show her writing the suicide note, which means the audience don't actually get to see what is written. This creates a mystery and a coldness over the scene. 

Also, they don't show a wide shot of the hanging, only a mid shot of her feet dangling and then a mid shot of her face. This works as it portrays how lifeless she is the horror of what she has done. Moreover, there is not a shot showing her actually hanging herself, only a cut from the parents breaking down the door to her dangling feet. This shows the brutality of the hanging, without being over the top. 

There is a mid shot of the fallen chair as well, which gives the audience information on how she had achieved this. We had not considered this for our opening sequence, so we need to work out what she will stand on before hand. 

The background music in this scene is highly ironic as it repeats the phrase "stay positive". The music here really captures how terrible the suicide is, so it would be good to consider using music in our hanging scene.

Another example, is the hanging in the American drama The Shawshank Redemption (directed by Frank Darabont).

Here, the beginning shots are solely focused on the feet and everything else is blurred out. The close up of him scratching in the wall, makes the audience wonder what he is writing, so adds a sense of mystery to the scene. The close up of his face also shows the sadness he is feeling. 

The mid shot of the stool rocking is the most poignant shot used. The suspense as it rocks back and forth really draws the audience in and makes them want to prevent the act from happening. This is an effect I think would work well in our piece and would really heighten the tension in the scene. Also, the depth of field of the shot allows the audience to see him with the rope around his neck in the reflection of the mirror behind him. This means that audience don't directly see the noose but only slightly see it, but still get the idea of him hanging himself.

The close up of "Brooks was here" and the panning out to the mid shot of him hanging shows the audience how terrible this suicide is. The fact that the audience do not get to see his face also adds to how horrific this scene is, as it detaches the audience from the character because they no longer get to see his reaction.

Again, the music here adds to the sorrow of the suicide and really heightens the drama in the piece.


After watching these two hangings, I believe that our group need to focus on the stool/chair the girl will jump off and how we can create suspense before she jumps. Also, by adding a certain soundtrack behind the hanging we could really create a sinister and twisted atmosphere. These hangings both show that less is more, and the less you see makes the act seem even more terrible.

KYLE COOPER EXAMPLE NUMBER 3:

Kyle Cooper also helps to design adverts. 

KEY FACTORS:

• The music used in the advert is happy and uplifting thus making the product seem more desirable and intriguing. Also, as the song is about pictures it connects with the product further. 

• The setting is in a messy home environment, therefore implying to the audience that this product can be used anywhere and by anyone. 

• By bringing the frame up to his face and then the image appears, shows the skill of Cooper's editing and makes the audience believe that getting the image is instant, which is exactly the idea HP want to sell. Also, as the images are fun faces so adds to the upbeat advert.

• The large writing that comes across the screen of "You are your own photo opportunity" entices the audience in. The word "YOU" is larger than the rest as is bolder, therefore makes the advert personal to the watcher. The switch from "YOU+HP" to the black screen with the companies logo, again shows Cooper's skill of editing, and connects the product with the company. 

• Also, there are many parody videos of this advert, which shows that many people were excited by the advert and wanted to know if they could do the same thing at home. Therefore, this increases the interest in the product which is exactly what HP wanted thus Cooper did his work very well. 

I enjoyed this advert. It conveys the right amount of information in its short time period, while also being uplifting and interesting to watch. 

KYLE COOPER EXAMPLE NUMBER 2:

 

Identity is a 2003 horror film, directed by James Mangold. 

KEY FACTORS:

• The music here is key as it creates suspense and creepy atmosphere, which makes the audience begin to feel uncomfortable the moment they start watching the film. The diegetic sound of the tape recorder being wound forwards and backwards again is unsettling to hear, thus adds to the ominous atmosphere. The non-diegetic sound of the patients voice, makes the audience ask questions on what the man looks like as they never see him but only hear his voice through the tape recorder. The sound of thunder here also adds to the thrilling atmosphere and makes the audience feel on edge. You hear the thunder before you see anything, so automatically draws the audience into something eerie.

• There is a mixture of long duration shots and then a series of quick cuts to show snapshots of images in order to entice the audience. The long close up shots of the tape decks introduce the audience to two characters so the audience can piece together information on Malcolm Rivers and Dr. R. Mallick. As the tape decks are in focus and everything around them is blurred, it shows that the audience should be contrasting solely on the tape decks, thus signifying their importance. The moving shots of Malcolm's mug shot and what is implied as his childhood drawings, confuse the audience and make them assume that Malcolm has some deep psychological issues. The sound of sinister laughing combined with a close up shot of the drawings Malcolm made imply that something terrible happened to those "stick men". 

• The match between the dialogue asking about Malcolm's mother and the images of her, imply that she was not a good parent, and has added to Malcolm's issues. The close up shots on the mothers mug shot and words such as "prostitution" "possession - drugs" and "parole violation" also build up the idea of her as a terrible parent. The multiple cuts of newspaper clippings and State reports again gives background into Malcolm's childhood and the extreme close ups used allow the audience to really see and read the terrible things that happened to him. The close up on the mug shot of Malcolm is the only image of him the audience see therefore adds mystery to the character. 

• The font used for the credits is small and neat and is also the same font used in the doctors report which links them together, hinting that the film will involve doctors and they will be important to the font. The credits come up in slow succession throughout the opening scene, but it is the shots that are the main focus for the audience, therefore the credits could be missed. 

• The lighting through out is dark and muted, adding to the creepy atmosphere. The use of lightening unsettles the audience as the sudden flashes of bright light over the doctor add an edge of danger to the scene. 

• The close up shots on the photo's of the dead people bring a harsh vividness of colour to the scene thus highlights the savagery of the murders. Also, the extreme close up on the word "evil" shows the audience that someone took pleasure out of these murders, and the audience are hinted to believe that it was Malcolm. 

• The newspaper clippings titled "Renowned Psychiatrist to Testify for Defence" suggests to the audience that the doctor is trying desperately to figure out what is happening inside Malcolm's head in order to prevent him receiving the death penalty. It also shows that these images are in the present and that this case is still going on. The extreme close ups of the doctor show his interest and confusion in what he is reading and listening to, therefore hints to the audience that he is heavily involved in the case. 

I have mixed opinions on these opening credits. By combining all the horrific images of Malcolm, his mother, the murders and the newspaper clips with the voice over really creates a suspicious, creepy and sinister atmosphere. However, the opening credits are lost as the shots are far too detailed and interesting therefore the audience miss what is written in the credits.  

Example's of Kyle Coopers Work

KYLE COOPER EXAMPLE NUMBER 1:

 

 

Guy Ritchie's "Sherlock Holmes" 

KEY FACTORS:

• The font -

- Goes in tone with when the film is set. Changes colour from white to black in order to ensure that the audience can read the writing clearly. Is large enough for the audience to read easily, but does not distract from the images behind. 

• The Background

- A cream background allows the images to be seen clearly, while again keeping in tone with the setting of the film. Paper during this time would have been old and faded so fits exactly with the piece.

• Takes key moments from the film, freezes them then transfers them to drawn like images. 

- This co-insides with the time the film is set in, so matches the context of film. The muted colours of the drawings, occasionally splashed with vivid red allow the audience to consider the image and the writing beside it. Also, by taking images from the actual film the audience is reminded of certain parts that were particularly good, so leave the film with the best parts in their mind. The images are moving slightly, so gives the impression of wet ink drying so again matches the period of the film.

Example: 

- The drawings allow the audience to connect actor with what part they were playing, so if they did not know the actor before, they have time to find out. The shots are held for a long time period therefore letting the audience read the writing. 

Example:

• The main actors of the film are given their own recognition. This promotes them as the leads and also lets the audience appreciate them specially for their performance. 

Example:
 

• The music is the theme tune associated with the film, so creates the desired atmosphere of mystery and suspense while still being upbeat. 
• First credit is Guy Ritchie, so highlights to the audience who directed the film so can appreciate their work first.
• Some of the images co-inside with what recognition is given. For example, the director of Photography is shown next to an image from the film with a man with a camera.

 

I like these end credits, as they are not a dull list of the names of actors, directors and producers but instead are exciting snapshots of the film so interest the audience to actually stay and watch the credits.

 

Kyle Cooper Demo Reel

Kyle Cooper Demo Reel

Kyle Cooper Research

Kyle Cooper

Kyle Cooper was born in 1962 in Salem, Massachusetts USA.

Kyle studied graphic design at Yale School of Art under Paul Rand and achieved and M.F.A. as well as a BFA from the University of Massachusetts. 

Kyle is mainly a desginer of opening title sequences, but also of adverts and has been a director too. 

He has directed over 150 films titles and and VFX sequences, while also directing a feature film, 'New Port South'. 

His most memorable film titles have been, Se7en (1995), Dawn of the Dead and Spider Man 3

Se7en  is seen to be a ground breaking title sequence and has changed the way title design takes place today. New York Times Magazine called it "One of the most important design innovation of the 1990's".

In 1996, Cooper co-founded Imaginary Forces which is a creative agency and production company.

In 2003, Cooper founded Prologue Films from which he has created title sequences for the The Incredible Hunk, Final Destination 5 and The Walking Dead. It is where designers, film-makers and artists all come together to create something exceptional. 

Kyle Cooper has won the  Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Picture Editing For Short-Form Segments And Variety Specials and has been nominated for the following:

1. Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Design, 
2. Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Multi-Camera Picture Editing For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special,
3.  Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Film Editing for a Special, 
4. Satellite Award for Best Visual Effects
5.  Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Graphic Design

Cooper also holds the Honorary Royal Designer for Industry from the Royal Society of Arts in London. 

Beginning of Story Boarding

First Draft of Story Boarding



Our group began story boarding in order to get some idea of the shots we were going to use, and how we were going to piece them together.  

This was our first very basic draft that we started with. Here we came up with very simple ideas of how we were going to put the shots together and in what order. From this we developed our idea further until we ended with this.

Here we focused closely on each shot and what it would contain.

For each shot we discussed:

Location - where the shot will be set, which we narrowed down to three places; a bathroom, a woodland area and a corridor

Action - what occurs in that specific shot

Shot/movement - what kind of shot we are going to use, and if were are going to pan/tilt/rotate during the                                 shot

Sound - what sounds we want to be heard - diegetic and non diegetic

Lighting - how the shot will be lit - we decided to have natural lighting through out

Edit Transition - how we are going to piece together the individual shots

Timing - how long we are going to hold each shot

We will develop each of these sub topics further until we have a clear outline on what each shot will entail.

Our group was happy with our first story board as it showed that we could combine our two ideas and that they would work together well. 

Production Meetings

Our group enjoys our production meetings even though we do have some heated debates over ideas.

We finally settled on an idea. We decided to combine both mine and Archie's idea. So our opening sequence will now entail having a politician washing his hands vigorously in a sink and then walking down a corridor, signing some papers and then walking out of the shot. During this, there will be cuts to  a young girl hanging herself and writing in her diary that this is not her first attempt of suicide.

The idea for the whole film is that the politician when he signs these papers is actually giving the girl the opportunity to attempt suicide multiple times.

It took us a while to agree to combine our ideas, but now that we have we are working well together on establishing what will be in each individual shot.

Dont Look Now - Opening Sequence Analysis

DON'T LOOK NOW - OPENING SCENE ANALYSIS 

This opening scene, directed by Nicholas Roeg, creates a very mysterious and creepy atmosphere. By using mise en scene, editing, sound and camera Nicholas Roeg creates meaning which generates this disturbing atmosphere. The audience picks up hints from small details which add to their bigger understand of the piece. 

EDITING: 

Editing is used very effectively in this opening scene. There are some examples of match cuts which are used to showcase the link between the father and the children and that he has some connection with the children that his wife lacks. 

1.  The father throws the cigarettes to his wife, and then it cuts to the daughter throwing up her ball, and then it cuts back to the wife catching the cigarettes. This creates a link between what is happening outside to what is happening inside. 

2. Just after this, the girl drops the ball in the water, and it cuts to the glass spilling water over the slide. This shows that the daughter and father are linked, but also links the water of the pond to the water in the glass. This suggests that maybe the girl will be in the water soon, just like the slide is.

3. When the boy runs his bicycle over glass, it cuts to the father looking up. This implies that he senses what has just happened, which again hints at a special link between the father and the children. 

4. The wife throws the slide down just as the father submerges himself under the pond in search of his daughter. This shows the link between the slide and the father and that it also involves his daughter.

Additionally, at the beginning of the scene the establishing shot of rain is held for a long time. This leads the audience to question the significance of this bit of water, and makes them wonder if it will be important later on. After this, it cuts to a vague scene which may be of a window with light shinning through and then cuts to a new establishing shot of the daughter. These cuts confuse the audience as it drags them through three possible time periods. These cuts begin to create the mysterious atmosphere. 

Furthermore, other cuts help to build up the creepy atmosphere. For example, the cut from the red ink spilling on the side to the daughter half submerged in the water forms the idea that the girl in the church and the daughter are linked. This generates an obscure mood as the audience question that link and wonder how the father knew about it.



As well as this, the use of slow motion when the father brings his dead daughter out of the pond builds suspense and tension while also showing his grief. The cut from him cradling his daughter to the ink spill which is in the same shape as how he is holding his daughter again indicates a link between the two. Moreover, the shot duration on the close up of the book "Beyond the Geometry of Space" hints to the audience that this is important and makes them question what is beyond space; death?

CAMERA:

Camera is used effectively here to showcase the difference from inside the house to outside. The first establishing shot of the pouring rain is vague and leaves the audience with questions. However the second establishing shot introduces a character. The shots of the girl and boy suggests that they are brother and sister and the fact that they are in a wide shot shows how open the area they are playing in. This conveys to the audience that they live in a rural place with no near neighbours, this automatically hints to the audience that they are isolated with no easy help. 

The mid shot of the girl indicates to the audience how young she is and that she is quite vulnerable. Also the close up of her toy, suggests to the audience that she is different from other young girls because it is quite a unnerving looking toy that would be more suited to boys. The close up shot of the ball in the water signifies the depth of the water, and hints to the audience that girl will be reaching for the ball in that deep water. The wide shot of the girl bending over into the water with the house in the background shows the audience the distance between the girl and the house. This implies that if she needed help it would take a while for someone to come. The panning in from this shot to focus on the girl bending into the water and her reflection hints that the girl will be soon in the water, as her reflection already is. 



The establishing shot of the sitting room, conveys to the audience that there is a tension between the mother and father as she has her back to him, and the depth of field shows that they are as far apart as they can be. The mid shot of the projector allows the audience to see that the girl in the church changes position in-between slides. This adds to the mysterious atmosphere as the audience questions why the girl would move and then move back. The close up of the father looking at his wife shows his distress, as it allows the audience to witness the full extent of his emotions. It hints to the audience that he does not know what is going on between them. 

The shot of the daughter running along the side of the pond, but only showing her reflection is very clever as it suggests to the audience that at some point she will be in the water. The entire movement of this shot follows her reflection so fully gets the point across to the audience. The long shot that shows a close up of the boy but then the girl in the background implies to the audience that he is far away from her. The shot becomes unfocused on the boys face and highlights the girl, showing that she is the centre part of what is going on. 




The wide shot showcasing the father running towards his daughter, the son, the ball and the house gives the audience perspective that should have been from the daughters eyes, but instead she is under the water. The close up of the young boy shows his fear and conveys that he cared for his sister a lot. 

The high angle shot used when he brings up his daughter showcases that he is being looked down on, while also giving the audience the clear idea that he is dragging his daughter up from the bottom of the pond. The director breaks the 30 degree rule here however it works, as it highlights the grief and horror the father is feeling.


SOUND:

Both diegetic and non diegetic sounds are used in this piece to provide meaning for the audience. 

The diegetic sounds of the footsteps of the girl and the wheels on the boys bike are heard. Also the sound of birds singing are heard in the first few shots. This creates a happy relaxed atmosphere. The non-diegetic piano music which is played also creates a relatively calm peaceful atmosphere, even if it sounds rather melancholy as well. The harshness of the girl's toys voice breaks this slightly, but does not disturb the atmosphere completely. However, when the girl is leaning over the water the diegetic sound of a crow is heard. This could suggest a bad omen and that something nasty is about to happen, as crows have the symbol attached to them that they bring bad fortune. 

The non diegetic sound of the piano stops when the audience are brought inside the house. This implies that things are not peaceful inside at all. The harsh click sound of the changing of slide on the projector cut through the silence and add tension to the scene. A few chromatic notes are played (non-diegetic) and they hint to the audience that something is not natural here. The smattering sound of the glass again cuts the silence and shocks the audience. The diegetic sound of the girls doll signifies the audience where she is, so they can pin point her whereabouts in relation to her brother. 

The deep bass notes that are heard (non-diegetic) imply a sense of doom and death which hint to the reader that some dark has happened here and that the daughter has died. The drawn out sound of the fathers cry really impresses upon the audience his horror, and the low notes behind his voice really add to this. The music gets louder and deeper, signifying that something truly dreadful has happened and that she is dead. The high notes heard as she is lifted out of the water, may represent her soul leaving her body as she dies. 

MISE EN SCENE:

The use of costume, props and setting all add to the atmosphere of this opening scene. 

The rural background implies isolation from other people, which generates the idea that the family are quite self dependant and in closed. The house is relatively large with a cosy setting which implies that they have a decent amount of wealth and are comfortable. The white horse shown at the beginning again reiterates the fact that they live in the country but also the colour white has connotations with peacefulness and purity. This gives the audience a false impression as the events that are about to unfold are not peaceful or pure. 

The use of the bright red outfit that the daughter wears really draws the audience in. The colour red has many connotations, but is specifically linked to blood and violence. This already leads the audience to believe that something bad is going to happen to her, and the bright red contrasts heavily with natural surroundings. It also contrasts with the costumes of the other actors who are all dressed in muted colours, which again hints to the audience that the girl should be their main focus. The colour red is also used a lot in other areas which may imply that blood and violence are going to be key features in this film. The brightness of the fire, and the clearness of the red ink spilling all adds to the idea that death is a big part of this scene and is linked to the little girl. 

The use of the toy and the bike show the children's age and that they like to go outside and play with things. The fact that the boy can ride a bike by himself may imply that he is the older of two. 

Connotation and Denotation

CONNOTATION: 

 

Definition: the associated or secondary meaning of a word or expression in addition to its primary meaning. 

By using a name or label in which our audience has used or seen before, we create not only the meaning we intended but also allow the audience to remember where they had encountered this word or label before by diving into their own personal memories. 

Connotations depend on the person who is viewing the image/ object. 

For example, an ordinary person who sees the image of this knife will probably think of cooking and chopping ingredients, as this is a knifes primary function. However, a person who has seen someone being stabbed may associate this image with ideas of violence and cruelty. 

Producers spend a lot of time and money ensuring that the audience make the right connotations. If the audience make the connotations the producer wants, this is called preferred reading but if the audience does not make the intended connotations, then this is oppositional reading. 

DENOTATION: 

Definition: The direct meaning of a word or expression and the set of associations that most people make instead of everyone's personal associations.

In using a name or label that the audience knows and is familiar with, it is easier to create meaning for the audience. However, by putting some objects and names in a certain context, a secondary meaning can be created. 

Again using the image of the knife, in a children's film the knife will stick to its primary meaning of being able to chop cooking ingredients. However, in the context of a horror film the knife immediately has the secondary meaning of a weapon. 

EXAMPLES:

Many words have positive and negative connotations. 

For example, a gun can represent safety and protection which is positive but is can also be associated with danger, violence and death which is negative. 

Also, take something as common as a red apple. It has many positive connotations such as it being healthy and tasty. But any child who has seen Snow White will see a red apple and think of the poisoned apple that killed Snow White, which is a negative connotation. 

Producers have to be careful to evoke their intended meaning as while they may see an object and think of something, another person may think of something entirely different. This is key in Thriller films as suspense has to be maintained, so the audience needs to be able to pick up subtle hints through the connotations of images and objects used. For example, in Black Swan the main character is shown to be attracted to mirrors and glass. The connotations of glass and mirrors vary, as it can be seen as beautiful but is also sharp thus could be deadly. Therefore, both these connotations are put into the audiences mind so that in the end when she stabs herself with a piece of glass it is not unrealistic. 

Thriller sub-genres

Thriller Sub-Genres

There are many different sub-genres of thrillers: 

CONSPIRACY THRILLERS: 

The general idea for a conspiracy thriller involves the protagonist finding something that unravels a vast conspiracy. Often the protagonist has difficulty exposing the conspiracy as little believe them and rumours, lies and propaganda work against them. However, a general theme in conspiracy thrillers is that the 'bad' people cause the tragic events and the 'good' people fight against them and defeat them. 

Example:

The Da Vinci Code - directed by Rod Howard

A murder inside the Louvre and clues in Da Vinci paintings lead to the discovery of a religious mystery which has been preserved by a secret society for two thousand years and when discovered could shake the foundations of Christianity.

POLITICAL THRILLERS: 

A political thriller is set against the backdrop of a political struggle, that often contains themes of government corruption, warfare and terrorism. Normally, the political power in control have ulterior motives and often try to gain control of everything in a total fascist regime. A political thriller can be based on true events or be fiction. 

Example: 

Mississippi Burning - directed by Alan Parker

Two FBI agents, with completely different styles arrive in Mississippi to investigate the disappearance of three civil right activists. The film explores the racism that dominated the south of America during the 20th century, and the plea for the government to do something to help the Black community. 

SPY THRILLERS: 

Spy thrillers explores the subject of fictional espionage, either in a realistic way or as the basis of fantasy. The main ideal is that a government agent has to discover the secrets of their enemies without being caught.  The spy film combines the genres of action and thriller. 

Example: 

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - directed Tomas Alfredson

In the dangerous days of the Cold War, espionage veteran George Smiley is forced from his semi retirement in order to uncover a Soviet agent working within M16. 

PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER:

This is a very broad sub-genre of thrillers. Its focus is on the emotional and mental and instability of the characters with a mysterious element as well. Suspense in psychological thrillers is often created when two characters play on each others minds, usually by the way of deceptive games or trying to cripple the others mental state. Psychological thrillers often combine with horror genre as some of the elements within them are similar. For example, often the characters lives end in a gruesome way rather than justice being served. 

Example:

Black Swan - directed by Darren Aronofsky

A ballet dancer wins the role of a lifetime in the show "Swan Lake", and is perfect for the role of the delicate white swan. However, she progressively begins to lose her mind as the show beings to take its toll on her mental health and she becomes more and more like the black swan. 

TECHNO THRILLERS: 

A techno-thriller is hard to define as it blurs with many other genres. Often it combines with science fiction so that the main theme is on plausible near-future technology and how this effects the world. Also world wars are a common topic with focuses being on military and political actions, so combines with conspiracy and political thrillers. 

Example:

Minority Report - directed by Steven Spielberg 

This film is set in the future where a special unit of the police force are able to see crimes that are about to happen, thus arrest people before they commit their crimes. An officer from that unit then sees himself committing a murder in the future.

SUPERNATURAL THRILLERS: 

A supernatural thriller brings ideas of otherworldly elements into the plot as well as building suspense and tension. Supernatural thrillers can focus on ghosts, the occult and sometimes the main character has the ability to talk or see the dead. These films deal less with action, but instead focus on building tension with a series of plot twists. 

Example: 

The Sixth Sense - directed by M. Night Shyamalan 

A boy who has the ability to see and talk to dead people seeks the help of a disheartened child psychologist who does not really that he is in fact dead himself. 

What is a Thriller?

What is a Thriller?

Thriller is a type of film GENRE.

Genre is a class or category of artistic endeavour that has a particular form, content or technique.  

Genre allows an audience to know what type of film they will be seeing. For example, if the genre is comedy the audience will expect the film to make them laugh. Therefore the genre allows an audience to have some knowledge of the main ideas of the film before they see it, as all films in the same genre have similar themes. Knowing the genre of a film and marketing it as that genre is important to film institutions. For instance, a film production will not market a horror film to a young audience, as they know that the genre is not suitable for young children. Consequently, film institutions market their film based on its genre, as they can more easily appeal to different segments of the market. 

Although thriller is a genre in itself, there are many different types of thrillers. This is different from most other genres, because many thrillers look entirely different from each other. This contrasts with the Western genre for example, as the majority of Western films are very similar to each other. However, if you compare two thrillers you will find that they are very different. 

For example, Shutter Island directed by Martin Scorsese is very different to Limitless directed by Neil Burger. 

Shutter Island is physiological thriller about the U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels who is investigating the disappearance of a murderess who escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane and is presumed to be hiding nearby. The film leaves the audience in suspense, with the question of whether Teddy Daniels is actually insane, or if he has been turned insane. The film builds suspense throughout, and shocks the audience with the use of flashbacks and music.



On the other hand, Limitless is techno-thriller about a mysterious pill that enables the user to access 100 percent of his brain abilities. A struggling writer obtains the pill and becomes a financial wizard, but it also puts him in a new world with lots of dangers. In the end the writer ends up at the top, after beating all his enemies, but the question is raised at the end whether he is actually off the drug or whether it is just a front. 










However, although the plots of these films are entirely different as well as the use of camera in them, on a basic level they are similar. As a thriller, they both create suspense as well as an exciting,unsettling and intense atmosphere. 

A thriller is designed to keep the audience on the 'edge of their seats'. Usually tension arises, when the the main character of the film faces a mysterious or threatening situation. The menace is often unclear, adding to the suspense of the film as the audience are unsure of who to trust. A thriller often concludes with the main character winning and justice being served, but with a slight source of doubt on whether this is really the end.

Therefore, both the thrillers above follow this general idea of the thriller genre. So even though they seem entirely opposite they are bonded together by the basis of the word thriller. Even though the source of "thrill" is different in both films, both films create an intense atmosphere and suspense.