We, as people, like to experience thrills, some would try things like B.A.S.E jumping or skydiving, but most try the experience it in the cinema. Thrillers show us dangers, that in real life would terrify us greatly. People rarely get to experience the sort of things they see in thrillers for real, and rarely walk away after wards if they do, so for a well made film, people don't watch it as much as experience it as the camera work often places the audience in the danger zone. The other part of a thrill is where the character, who has won our sympathy, is in danger, like when Charlie drowns in Lost.
Neither of these can be as fully achieved on stage as they can on screen with the simple fact that the cinema can do more. On stage you can only hint at danger, as for the danger to be seen by the audience it would have to be real, while the screen has many more tricks up it's sleeve, such as CGI and green screen.
Thrillers and horrors are two different things, both place characters in danger, but horrors do it so much more violently, not trying to thrill the audience as much as terrify them, the problem with this being that, although we like to be scared a little, most healthy minded people don't want to be completely terrified, so most horrors need to tone it down a tad, which removes some of the scary and exciting elements, where as a thriller doesn't. As a thriller can go all out they will always survive longer than horrors.
Sunday 30 January 2011
Saturday 29 January 2011
Location Photographs
Kitchen
The kitchen location is where the mother will be washing up and singing, contrasting with the kidnapping scene where the girl will be. Here are some photos from our found location...
The kitchen location is where the mother will be washing up and singing, contrasting with the kidnapping scene where the girl will be. Here are some photos from our found location...
Kidnapper's place
This is the location where the girl is being held. It's darker and less inviting than the kitchen. This are some images from the location we'll use (we'll move some of the stuff out of the way).
Thursday 27 January 2011
Shot list.
BARN. KITCHEN. EDITING.
Compose
1. Black screen
2. Black screen with added pale blue coloured text (Tiger Door productions)
16. Long shot of kitchen, mother at sink washing up, inside, turns radio up
17. Match on action radio turn up
Compose
1. Black screen
2. Black screen with added pale blue coloured text (Tiger Door productions)
3. CU Jade's muddy bare feet
4. Black screen, with text (directed, edited and produced by....)5. CU knees
6. Black screen, with text (Holly playing Jade)7. CU of bound hands
8. Black screen with text (Michaela's mum) 9. CU of the corner of her mouth
10. Black screen with text (balaclava actors)11. CU of eye
12. Final Black screen 13. Mid-long shot of girl on floor
14. Mid shot of torso, phone in shot next to face ("pickup, pickup")
15. Mid Long shot of kitchen, mother at sink washing up, outside of house16. Long shot of kitchen, mother at sink washing up, inside, turns radio up
17. Match on action radio turn up
18. Mid shot torso of girl, phone in shot, distressed
19. Long shot kitchen from hallway, phone ringing, mother singing20. CU of the phone lighting up as it is ringing and shot of it beeping and voice mail service
21. Over the shoulder shot of girl on the floor, with the phone in view
22. Mid close up of girl from the front, leaving a voice mail.
23. Half way through the voice mail message, cuts to kitchen CU of phone.24. Over the shoulder shot of Jade looking at kidnappers in doorway.
25. CU tracking shot of kidnappers feet moving towards mobile phone.
26. CU of kidnapper's foot crushing the mobile phone.
27. Black screen with title 'Disconnected'Thriller Pitch Feedback
Tuesday 25 January 2011
Thriller Pitch - Disconnected
Disconnected is a crime thriller film, the story line follows a daughter who has been kidnapped by two men and a mothers struggle to find her child, with the seemingly useless help of the detectives.
Camerawork
The scene opens with a black screen with titles, with low bass tones with the sound effect of a house phone ringing. The title sequence fades in and out of close up shots of the girl, Jade, on the floor tied up in a dirty empty barn. The girl is lying on the floor with a battered phone close to her face. The scene then cuts to a shot of the girls mother in a clean colorful kitchen, washing the dishes with her back to the camera. It cuts back to the girl in the barn, who is trying to call her mother and is whispering to herself 'pick up, pick up, pick up' and a close up of her fingers crossed. Back in the kitchen the house phone is ringing but it's clear the mother can't hear as she's singing to Bob Marley on the radio, and the audience can hear the voice mail that the girl is leaving her mother. The voice mail cuts short when one of the kidnappers walks into the shot of the girl on the floor and crushes the phone while the girl is halfway through saying 'i love you'. The screen quickly goes black when the boot crushes the phone and the lyrics in the song 'everything little thing is gonna be alright' echoes and then the sound effect of a disconnected phone service.
Location:
The kidnappers are based in an abandoned barn, and the mothers scene is held in a family home kitchen.
Costumes/Makeup:
Jade:
-bruised and bloody face and body, bags under her eyes to suggest she hasn't had much sleep.
- her clothes will be ripped and stained.
-no shoes
-white top and black leggings.
Mother:
-yellow rubber gloves.
-apron
-glasses
-slippers
Kidnappers:
-balaclavas
-black clothing
-big, black boots.
Props:
-house phone
-mobile phone
-hand gun
-rope
-washing up & dishes
-radio
Soundtrack:
the soundtrack throughout the opening will be of low bass tones except in the Mothers kitchen where diagetic music is playing (bob marley - three little birds). sound effects include: phones ringing, radio static and disconnected phone service.
Camerawork
The scene opens with a black screen with titles, with low bass tones with the sound effect of a house phone ringing. The title sequence fades in and out of close up shots of the girl, Jade, on the floor tied up in a dirty empty barn. The girl is lying on the floor with a battered phone close to her face. The scene then cuts to a shot of the girls mother in a clean colorful kitchen, washing the dishes with her back to the camera. It cuts back to the girl in the barn, who is trying to call her mother and is whispering to herself 'pick up, pick up, pick up' and a close up of her fingers crossed. Back in the kitchen the house phone is ringing but it's clear the mother can't hear as she's singing to Bob Marley on the radio, and the audience can hear the voice mail that the girl is leaving her mother. The voice mail cuts short when one of the kidnappers walks into the shot of the girl on the floor and crushes the phone while the girl is halfway through saying 'i love you'. The screen quickly goes black when the boot crushes the phone and the lyrics in the song 'everything little thing is gonna be alright' echoes and then the sound effect of a disconnected phone service.
Location:
The kidnappers are based in an abandoned barn, and the mothers scene is held in a family home kitchen.
Costumes/Makeup:
Jade:
-bruised and bloody face and body, bags under her eyes to suggest she hasn't had much sleep.
- her clothes will be ripped and stained.
-no shoes
-white top and black leggings.
Mother:
-yellow rubber gloves.
-apron
-glasses
-slippers
-balaclavas
-black clothing
-big, black boots.
Props:
-house phone
-hand gun
-rope
-washing up & dishes
-radio
Soundtrack:
the soundtrack throughout the opening will be of low bass tones except in the Mothers kitchen where diagetic music is playing (bob marley - three little birds). sound effects include: phones ringing, radio static and disconnected phone service.
Friday 21 January 2011
Analysis of the use of sound in different thriller openings
1. Memento Opening:
the title sequence in Memento is made up of stringed instruments, such as violins to build up tension towards the opening scene. The slow pace of the music brings out the very tragic and mournful tones in the minor key, the music gives the feel like soemthing traumatic has happened. As the opening progresses the music supports the scene smoothly with bass and timely beats.
The sound effects include: The Polaroid picture being shaken, the camera taking the photo, the gun being shot and loaded, the sound of the blood mving up the wall, things that have fallen to the floor (such as glasses) moving backwards, a man shouting, the narrative of Leneard speaking, the movement of the key in his hand, the picture sliding off the countertop, the man chewing gum, the door opening, background dialogue and distant cars.
2.
the title sequence in Memento is made up of stringed instruments, such as violins to build up tension towards the opening scene. The slow pace of the music brings out the very tragic and mournful tones in the minor key, the music gives the feel like soemthing traumatic has happened. As the opening progresses the music supports the scene smoothly with bass and timely beats.
The sound effects include: The Polaroid picture being shaken, the camera taking the photo, the gun being shot and loaded, the sound of the blood mving up the wall, things that have fallen to the floor (such as glasses) moving backwards, a man shouting, the narrative of Leneard speaking, the movement of the key in his hand, the picture sliding off the countertop, the man chewing gum, the door opening, background dialogue and distant cars.
2.
Our Thriller Film Plot
Our Thriller conforms to the subgenre of Crime thriller.
Our film opening starts with an eerie, slow and mournful soundtrack, there is a black screen with titles, which cuts quickly between that and shots of a girl bound with ropes, she is dirty and slumped against a shed wall, she looks distressed. Then the scene is of a houseproud woman cleaning her kitchen, doing the washing up, the music is happy and cheerful. then her phone rings, however she does not hear it straight away, there is then parralell editing with both the mother getting on with the washing up and the the girl (her daughter) in distress with loose ropes on her in the shed with a phone to her ear, she is whispering, begging her mother to pick up the phone, there is no one else in the room. by the time the mother eventually hears the phone the phone has gone to voicemail and it stops ringing, so she goes back to the cleaning. shot of the girl scared when the voicemail comes on. then there is a shot of the phone, with the voicemail coming from it, with the mother in the background, however she cannot hear the phone. the shots cut between the mother washing up and the girl in distress.
Our film opening starts with an eerie, slow and mournful soundtrack, there is a black screen with titles, which cuts quickly between that and shots of a girl bound with ropes, she is dirty and slumped against a shed wall, she looks distressed. Then the scene is of a houseproud woman cleaning her kitchen, doing the washing up, the music is happy and cheerful. then her phone rings, however she does not hear it straight away, there is then parralell editing with both the mother getting on with the washing up and the the girl (her daughter) in distress with loose ropes on her in the shed with a phone to her ear, she is whispering, begging her mother to pick up the phone, there is no one else in the room. by the time the mother eventually hears the phone the phone has gone to voicemail and it stops ringing, so she goes back to the cleaning. shot of the girl scared when the voicemail comes on. then there is a shot of the phone, with the voicemail coming from it, with the mother in the background, however she cannot hear the phone. the shots cut between the mother washing up and the girl in distress.
Use of sound in our own opening sequence
In the opening to our thriller film we plan to use a variety of both diagetic and non diajetic sound effects as well as soundtracks.
The possible sound effects we will need include:
- a phone ringing,
- a disconnected phone tone,
- distant birds ,
- gun sound effects,
- voice mail,
The sound tracks we will use are:
- An eerie, mournful and slow sound track at the beginning of the sequence, behind the titles and shots of the girl suffering,
- An upbeat and cheery peice of music for the scene where the oblivious mother is cleaning in the kitchen,
- Followed by a very contrasted soundtrack to accompany the traumatic scene with the girl and the two men after she leaves a message for her mother.
The possible sound effects we will need include:
- a phone ringing,
- a disconnected phone tone,
- distant birds ,
- gun sound effects,
- voice mail,
The sound tracks we will use are:
- An eerie, mournful and slow sound track at the beginning of the sequence, behind the titles and shots of the girl suffering,
- An upbeat and cheery peice of music for the scene where the oblivious mother is cleaning in the kitchen,
- Followed by a very contrasted soundtrack to accompany the traumatic scene with the girl and the two men after she leaves a message for her mother.
Thursday 20 January 2011
Thriller Opening Sequence Ideas, Alistair.
Insert name here- A scientist, pouring chemicals, have shorts of liquid dripping down, on to the camera. Basically he's trying to find a cure for something, but ends up making a chemical that makes people go insane. The whole sequence will be him, in a lab, mixing chemicals and doing tests and things like that. At some point throughout he'll answer a call on his mobile.
PDS-(psychological) follows a survivor of a terrorist attack at an airport in which his brother was killed. He is needed to find the identity of the terrorists, but suffers from post dramatic stress and selective amnesia (he's blanked parts of the attack). The opening sequence will be him, in a small room, sitting behind a table, alone. There would be a couple of flashbacks showing him and his brother in an airport, and people in balaclavas come in.
PDS-(psychological) follows a survivor of a terrorist attack at an airport in which his brother was killed. He is needed to find the identity of the terrorists, but suffers from post dramatic stress and selective amnesia (he's blanked parts of the attack). The opening sequence will be him, in a small room, sitting behind a table, alone. There would be a couple of flashbacks showing him and his brother in an airport, and people in balaclavas come in.
Thriller Opening Secquence ideas
Idea 1:
A woman is at home in her kitchen making soup, there is then a close up of a bottle of blue liquid labled, toxic, she pours it into the soup. the scene then cuts to when her husband gets home and serves himself some of the soup, the wife peers around the door to spy on him eating the soup. the opening ends with him dead on the kitchen floor. the wife then rings the police but doesnt say anything on the line, before fleeing the house.
Idea 2:
The scene starts with a normal family, a wife and two children, eating dinner around a table, the wife is clearly worried, but tries to act normal to the children, after the meal is finished we see her peering ut the window, and clutching her phone, the scene ends with a shot of the missing husbands phone in a drain on a street with loads of missed calls from 'The Mrs'
A woman is at home in her kitchen making soup, there is then a close up of a bottle of blue liquid labled, toxic, she pours it into the soup. the scene then cuts to when her husband gets home and serves himself some of the soup, the wife peers around the door to spy on him eating the soup. the opening ends with him dead on the kitchen floor. the wife then rings the police but doesnt say anything on the line, before fleeing the house.
Idea 2:
The scene starts with a normal family, a wife and two children, eating dinner around a table, the wife is clearly worried, but tries to act normal to the children, after the meal is finished we see her peering ut the window, and clutching her phone, the scene ends with a shot of the missing husbands phone in a drain on a street with loads of missed calls from 'The Mrs'
Thriller Opening Sequence Ideas
Idea 1
- A Runaway - A girl runs away from home and finds mysterious gypsies on the outskirts of the city. There would be hand held camera running through the town center and through alley ways, with fast cuts back to her family and home showing her mother and the police in panic. This would be a Action Thriller as she is going on a journey to a new and scary life with gypsies. The music would be mainly a loud drum bass, building up tension.
Idea 2
- Skitsofrenia - A girl would be talking to her friend having a normal conversation, when someone else comes up and asks her who she is talking to, when she looks back around her friend is gone/disappeared in to thin air. Her friend then gets her to do dangerous and stupid things but her friend was never really there, she had died five years ago. This would be a psychological thriller as it is all in the mind and the flaw is that she is seeing her past friend.
- A Runaway - A girl runs away from home and finds mysterious gypsies on the outskirts of the city. There would be hand held camera running through the town center and through alley ways, with fast cuts back to her family and home showing her mother and the police in panic. This would be a Action Thriller as she is going on a journey to a new and scary life with gypsies. The music would be mainly a loud drum bass, building up tension.
Idea 2
- Skitsofrenia - A girl would be talking to her friend having a normal conversation, when someone else comes up and asks her who she is talking to, when she looks back around her friend is gone/disappeared in to thin air. Her friend then gets her to do dangerous and stupid things but her friend was never really there, she had died five years ago. This would be a psychological thriller as it is all in the mind and the flaw is that she is seeing her past friend.
thriller opening ideas
1. a girl is captured by two men wearing black masks over there faces, the girl is taken to a shed/barn and they force her to call her mother saying she's fine and shes just staying at her friends house. her mum then calls her friends mum who tells her that she isnt there.
2. a postman discovers a door is open and inside the house is dead body in the hallway, and an investigation is launched.
2. a postman discovers a door is open and inside the house is dead body in the hallway, and an investigation is launched.
Tuesday 18 January 2011
Analysis of previous students thriller openings
'Out of the loop' Thriller opening by: P1-03
Positive comments:
-well used mise-en-scene. Appropriate use of costumes, classic looking suit. Silver locked briefcase adds a serious atmosphere. appropraite use of location, grand arcade.
-The titles that overlay are quite appropriate for the clip, digital looking.
-match on action is used frequently and well.
-use of fast forwarding very effective.
-steady shots held when appropriate.
- use of hand held camera really effective.
really appropriate soundtrack and effects.
Criticism:
-Use of scope view effective, but it doesn't match to the prop gun used as there's o scope on the gun.
-the gun prop is brightly coloured becuase it's a toy gun and makes the opening appear a little less serious and in-effective.
-Laughter is heard while filming the character walking throught the grand arcade, ruins the atmosphere.
Positive comments:
-well used mise-en-scene. Appropriate use of costumes, classic looking suit. Silver locked briefcase adds a serious atmosphere. appropraite use of location, grand arcade.
-The titles that overlay are quite appropriate for the clip, digital looking.
-match on action is used frequently and well.
-use of fast forwarding very effective.
-steady shots held when appropriate.
- use of hand held camera really effective.
really appropriate soundtrack and effects.
Criticism:
-Use of scope view effective, but it doesn't match to the prop gun used as there's o scope on the gun.
-the gun prop is brightly coloured becuase it's a toy gun and makes the opening appear a little less serious and in-effective.
-Laughter is heard while filming the character walking throught the grand arcade, ruins the atmosphere.
Marking Criteria
Level 3: (36-47 marks)
There is evidence of proficiency in the creative use of many of the following technical skills:
-Holding a shot steady where appropriate.
-Framing a shot including and excluding elements as appropriate
-Using a variety of shot distances as appropriate.
-Shooting material appropriate to the task set.
-Selecting mise-en-scene including colour, figure, lighting, props and setting.
-Editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer.
-Using varied shot transitions and other effects selectively and appropriately for the task set.
-Using sound with images and editing appropriately for the task set.
-Using titles appropriately.
Level 4: (48-60 marks)
There is evidence of excellence in the creative use of most of the following technical skills:
-Holding a shot steady where appropriate.
-Framing a shot including and excluding elements as appropriate
-Using a variety of shot distances as appropriate.
-Shooting material appropriate to the task set.
-Selecting mise-en-scene including colour, figure, lighting, props and setting.
-Editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer.
-Using varied shot transitions and other effects selectively and appropriately for the task set.
-Using sound with images and editing appropriately for the task set.
-Using titles appropriately.
There is evidence of proficiency in the creative use of many of the following technical skills:
-Holding a shot steady where appropriate.
-Framing a shot including and excluding elements as appropriate
-Using a variety of shot distances as appropriate.
-Shooting material appropriate to the task set.
-Selecting mise-en-scene including colour, figure, lighting, props and setting.
-Editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer.
-Using varied shot transitions and other effects selectively and appropriately for the task set.
-Using sound with images and editing appropriately for the task set.
-Using titles appropriately.
Level 4: (48-60 marks)
There is evidence of excellence in the creative use of most of the following technical skills:
-Holding a shot steady where appropriate.
-Framing a shot including and excluding elements as appropriate
-Using a variety of shot distances as appropriate.
-Shooting material appropriate to the task set.
-Selecting mise-en-scene including colour, figure, lighting, props and setting.
-Editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer.
-Using varied shot transitions and other effects selectively and appropriately for the task set.
-Using sound with images and editing appropriately for the task set.
-Using titles appropriately.
Friday 14 January 2011
Crime Thriller Conventions for Fargo.
Conventions included:
-Events in the film revolve around a crime.
-The main character is an ordinary man in extra-ordinary situation.
-Following the criminals story rather than the 'good guys'.
-Something goes wrong with the original plan.
-One approach to crime thrillers is containing two henchman and adding a slightly humourous element by having inadequate pair of henchman with an especially dodpey henchman who is clearly subordanate to the other.
Characters:
-Jerry Lundegaard is first introduced and is the main character, he has an ordinary job at a car dealership and is need for money. This need for money has caused him to see two dogdey henchman to kidnapp his wife for ransome from her father.
-Carl Showater is the dominant henchman and appears to get a little aggitated by the other henchman. The two henchman are introduced in the bar.
-Gaear Grimsrud is the second more dopey henchman who is always smoking.
-Jean Lundegaard is then inttroduced when Jerry comes home, she is first seen in the kitchen and is seen alot in the kitchen, most likely to depict her as a very stereo-typical wife.
-Wade Gustatson is Jerry's Father in Law and he's first introduced watching the ice hockey on the television and appears to be detatched from Jerry as he says hello.
-Scotty Lundegaard is the teenage son of Jean and Jerry and comes across like he doesn't really care much for being with his family as he leaves his dinner to go to macdonalds.
-Events in the film revolve around a crime.
-The main character is an ordinary man in extra-ordinary situation.
-Following the criminals story rather than the 'good guys'.
-Something goes wrong with the original plan.
-One approach to crime thrillers is containing two henchman and adding a slightly humourous element by having inadequate pair of henchman with an especially dodpey henchman who is clearly subordanate to the other.
Characters:
-Jerry Lundegaard is first introduced and is the main character, he has an ordinary job at a car dealership and is need for money. This need for money has caused him to see two dogdey henchman to kidnapp his wife for ransome from her father.
-Carl Showater is the dominant henchman and appears to get a little aggitated by the other henchman. The two henchman are introduced in the bar.
-Gaear Grimsrud is the second more dopey henchman who is always smoking.
-Jean Lundegaard is then inttroduced when Jerry comes home, she is first seen in the kitchen and is seen alot in the kitchen, most likely to depict her as a very stereo-typical wife.
-Wade Gustatson is Jerry's Father in Law and he's first introduced watching the ice hockey on the television and appears to be detatched from Jerry as he says hello.
-Scotty Lundegaard is the teenage son of Jean and Jerry and comes across like he doesn't really care much for being with his family as he leaves his dinner to go to macdonalds.
Thursday 13 January 2011
Memento Analysis
Thriller Conventions of Memento:
-Stream of conscioussness: unreliable narrative of Lenard's internal thoughts talking to the audience, asking questions.
-Set of Intrigues: Leonard tattoo's himself with the important information of his wife's murderer all over his body because he has no other way of remembering and so has to follow these clue-like enigma's.
-The protagonist has an Achilles heel of not being able to store new memories, which makes him vulnerable and easy to manipulate as well as being potentially dangerous. There is writing on his hand which indicates that he needs to remind himself of important information, which links to the title 'memento'. He also has cuts and bruises on his face indicating that he could either the victim or the attacker and he will be unaware of these cuts unless he glances in a mirror.
-The perception of time is distorted by being played in reverse and the scenes are placed in reverse order to create a point of view effect on the viewer as if they are seeing life how Leonard would.
-The close up of Leonards hand holding the photograph of a dead man in the beginning scene creates a voyeuristic feel, as if the viewer is being let in to something secretive.
-The black and white scene indicates the clip is a flash back which is technical device used in thrillers.
At the beginning of the title sequence there is a blank screen with moving titles coming in and out of view, suggesting how new memories come in and out of Leonards mind.
The music that introduces the scene is quite tragic and dramatic which represents the tension that builds straight away in the opening sequence.
The disorientating opening signals to the viewer what to expect in the rest of the film.
-Stream of conscioussness: unreliable narrative of Lenard's internal thoughts talking to the audience, asking questions.
-Set of Intrigues: Leonard tattoo's himself with the important information of his wife's murderer all over his body because he has no other way of remembering and so has to follow these clue-like enigma's.
-The protagonist has an Achilles heel of not being able to store new memories, which makes him vulnerable and easy to manipulate as well as being potentially dangerous. There is writing on his hand which indicates that he needs to remind himself of important information, which links to the title 'memento'. He also has cuts and bruises on his face indicating that he could either the victim or the attacker and he will be unaware of these cuts unless he glances in a mirror.
-The perception of time is distorted by being played in reverse and the scenes are placed in reverse order to create a point of view effect on the viewer as if they are seeing life how Leonard would.
-The close up of Leonards hand holding the photograph of a dead man in the beginning scene creates a voyeuristic feel, as if the viewer is being let in to something secretive.
-The black and white scene indicates the clip is a flash back which is technical device used in thrillers.
At the beginning of the title sequence there is a blank screen with moving titles coming in and out of view, suggesting how new memories come in and out of Leonards mind.
The music that introduces the scene is quite tragic and dramatic which represents the tension that builds straight away in the opening sequence.
The disorientating opening signals to the viewer what to expect in the rest of the film.
Tuesday 11 January 2011
Evaluation of Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window
Alfred Hitchcock's 'Rear Window' is a Classic Thriller that is based around voyeurism. The protagonist character 'Jeff' has been made temporarily immobile from an accedent that occured whilst he was photographing for his work. As he cannot leave the house he becomes obssessive with observing his neighbors through his window and is convinced that one his neighbors has murdered somebody and is trying to undercover it, putting himself and others in danger in the process.
Sound Effects include: a cat's 'meow', an alarm clock, kids laughter, passing cars and birds.
Camera Work: the opening begins with an establishing shot of three windows opening which hints at the theme of the thriller. It then goes on to another establishing long shot that is slowly tracking a cat as it walks up the steps where the camera then lifts up and pans across the building scanning through various windows, almost like a point of view from the main character. The speed and movement of the shots are quite slow.
Editing: The titles fade in and out over the first establishing shot and the words dissolve into eachother. continuity editing is being used with simple cuts for transitions.
Mise-En-Scene:
Location: the opening scene is of apartments.
Costume: the costumes show that the weather is very hot as the characters are wearing little for example a woman in her apartment wearing shorts and a bra, the children in the streets playing are in their swimwear and Jeff, the main character has his pj shirt un-buttoned. The costumes also show that it's morning because their are people in pj's and an early milkman in his uniform.
Props: The alarm clock that goes off that is tied to the balcony indicates it's the morning as well as curtains being opened and morning tasks are being carried out such as shaving, eating and listening to the radio. The thermometer reads at 94*F showing it's really hot. There is evidence that the main character's profession is photography with the various props around his apartment such as the large photographs on the wall, several camera's including a broken one that indicates his accident evolved around his work and a negative of a picture that appears on a cover of a magazine that is placed on the table.
Body Language/Positioning: Jeff is very slumped and reclined as he is wheelchair bound and he is clearly unhappy about it, beads of sweat are on his forehead which help show the audience it's hot.
Conventions:
Voyeurism is a convention of classic thriller films, where by a character witnesses something they shouldn't, in 'Rear Window' Jeff witnesses his fellow neighbors perform their daily business, something which shouldn't usually be observed by onlookers outside the home. For instance when the camera is panning round the flats from the window, to resemble the man spying on the neighbours. It point of view shots momentarily pauses to watch a lady in a window brushing her hair then later on in the clip, the camera again looks in the woman's window, to show her making her breakfast, however she is portrayed as a sex object as she is shown making her breakfast in minimal clothing an with her leg stretched on the worktop. Also when she enters the room her top comes off and she bends over to retrieve it, again objectifying the female character, as the man spying in the window is looking at her body, she is shown in the kitchen, this is a typical representation of gender. A second convention of thriller films is that the protagonist is fallible and often has an 'Achilles heel' that is exploited by the antagonist. In 'Rear window' L.B.Jefferies (Jeff) is portrayed as helpless as he lays sweating in the heat in his wheelchair, he has a broken leg, this could lead to clues in the narrative, furthermore on his cast written words read 'Here lie the broken bones of L.B.Jefferies' this death reference could relate to the later narrative as well, it also shows an element of humour in the film. Additionally the film conforms to the convention that there is an everyday situation in which something extraordinary happens, for example, in this film, the narrative is set in an ordinary town setting.The protagonist is fallible and has an 'Achilles heel' that is exploited by the antagonist.
Micro-Elements:
Sound:
Soundtrack: the soundtrack is quite fast and consists of a minor keys which are played by string instruments with loud random drum beats. The soundtrack is quite light and creates an atmospherical image of a person tip-toeing, to be unseen; like the main character who is spying on his neighbors through the window unseen.
The music lowers and a radio show hosts voice dominates over the scene until a man fiddles with the radio and static is heard which fades into a similar piece of music as to what was playing before.Sound Effects include: a cat's 'meow', an alarm clock, kids laughter, passing cars and birds.
Camera Work: the opening begins with an establishing shot of three windows opening which hints at the theme of the thriller. It then goes on to another establishing long shot that is slowly tracking a cat as it walks up the steps where the camera then lifts up and pans across the building scanning through various windows, almost like a point of view from the main character. The speed and movement of the shots are quite slow.
Editing: The titles fade in and out over the first establishing shot and the words dissolve into eachother. continuity editing is being used with simple cuts for transitions.
Mise-En-Scene:
Costume: the costumes show that the weather is very hot as the characters are wearing little for example a woman in her apartment wearing shorts and a bra, the children in the streets playing are in their swimwear and Jeff, the main character has his pj shirt un-buttoned. The costumes also show that it's morning because their are people in pj's and an early milkman in his uniform.
Body Language/Positioning: Jeff is very slumped and reclined as he is wheelchair bound and he is clearly unhappy about it, beads of sweat are on his forehead which help show the audience it's hot.
Psychological Thriller Conventions
- Central theme of identity - an example of how this theme is explored include mistaken identity, amnesia, stolen identities, duel identities.
- Memory is another key theme. The torture of an individual of bad or traumatic memories. The trauma of a lost memory.
- Reality and perception. A persons perception of what is and isn't real is also explored. Events are shown from the viewpoint of multiple characters.
- Stream of conciousness. - Voice over / Internal thought.
Thursday 6 January 2011
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