Conventions of a thriller

Sub-genres of Thrillers

A sub-genre can be identified by the repertoire of elements that it contains which are conventional or expected of that sub-genre.

Psychological Thrillers

A psychological thriller uses the power of the protagonist’s mind, not their physical strength.

The suspense from a psychological thriller comes from the internal battle between two characters thought processes and what is happened in in their minds such as through deception or manipulation.

Sometimes the character will be struggling with their emotional and unstable state of mind or their behaviour will appear obsessive or pathological.

Due to the fact that this type of thriller is more intellectual in terms of its content, it is usually aimed at an older audience.

A Psychological Thriller often possesses elements of drama and mystery film as well as the typical conventions seen in a thriller film.

In psychological thriller the protagonists are bale to solve the problems that a situation brings up through the use of the power of their mind.

Examples of psychological thrillers are Se7en, The Machinist and the silence of the lambs.

Supernatural Thrillers

A supernatural thriller usually involves the protagonist having psychic abilities or non-humanistic or non-naturalistic qualities.

This often leads the plot to have some kind of twist or unexpected change.

This type of thriller is stereotypically watched more by a female audience than a male audience.

Supernatural thrillers aim to put the audience on the edge of their seat and make their hearts pound and hands sweat due to the suspense and tension created.

Supernatural thrillers usually involve a battle between the protagonist and a paranormal and malevolent force.

Examples of supernatural thriller include Poltergeist, The Cabin in the woods, Van Helsing.

 Crime Thrillers

The narrative of a crime thriller usually focus on an event that breaks the law or taking part in a criminal activity.

The main focus is often on the presence of the police or the FBI.

The antagonist’s in crime thriller are usually criminals or have been involved in a criminal activity.

Crime thriller usually incorporate elements and aspects of suspense and tension and sometimes some action/violence.

They do this by creating a narrative or plot that is based upon a serial killer, murderer, robbery, or manhunt.

The narrative/plot usually puts its focus on both the protagonist and the crime that they have committed.

Examples of crime thrillers include Pulp fiction, Casino Royale and Leon: The Professional.

Conspiracy Thriller

Conspiracy thriller's involve a confrontation between the main protagonist and a larger and more influential and powerful organisation or group of people who have more authority and higher status than the main protagonist.

However, the interesting element to Conspiracy thrillers is that only the protagonist sees the potential threat from the larger group.

Conventially the protagonist has to deal with this threat and the consequences on their own.

The main conflict seen in a conspiracy thriller is the conflict between the protagonist and the proposed or suggested conspiracy.

Examples of conspiracy thrillers include JFK, The conspiracy and RED.

Disaster Thriller

Disaster thrillers usually involve the tragic consequences and the actual event of a natural disaster.

The antagonist is usually attempting to prevent the disaster from happening  or trying to minimise the devastating effects of the natural disaster.

The antagonist's objective is usually to save as many of the other characters as possible before the disaster occurs.

Disaster thrillers usually involve a lot of visual image and action.

The primary plot in a disaster thriller is the ongoing or impending natural disaster.

The calamities seen in disaster films can be from floods and earthquakes to plane crashes and shipwrecks.

Disaster thriller examples include San Andreas, I am Legend and Poseidon.

Mystery Thriller

The sub-genre of Mystery Thrillers often involve conventional elements of both the genre of a mystery film and the genre of a thriller film.

Mystery thrillers are usually quite fast paced and the action is quite intense along with the narrative.

There is often an element of the crime needing to be solved or the protagonist needing to escape in a certain time frame which creates the fast-paced narrative.

Examples of mystery thriller films include Shutter Island, Vertigo and Memento.

Romantic Thriller

Romantic thrillers often contain conventional elements of both romance and thriller films.

The narrative focuses on the development of a relationship between two characters.

Although the plot line also includes elements of excitement, suspense, anticipation and of course, tension.

A common convention of romantic thrillers are a sense of adventure or a quest to battle a threatening being.

There is often the use of the metaphorical image of a maze where the protagonists must find a solution to the problem, however this is usually difficult to navigate.

Romantic Thriller examples include Mr and Mrs Smith, The Tourist and The Loft.

Genre Definitions

Genre - is the main category in which a film is placed and it depends on its conventions and themes. An example of a genre is a thriller.

Sub Genre - is a smaller category within a genre for example a psychological thriller. 

Hybrid Genre - is two or more main categories combined for example an action thriller. 

Prelim Task Part 2

Today we completed the prelim task by editing the shots that we filmed last week and assembling them in order to create a sequence based around the storyboard that we were given last week. We learnt that editing is the process of cutting and assembling film footage to produce a finished product and that the role of a film editor includes organising the shots, transitions, shot duration and continuity.

We started off by watching back all the clips that we had filmed to remind ourselves of the options that we had of shots to use and various camera angles that we filmed and how we could use these to create connotations for the dialogue in the storyboard. We used linear editing which shows a sequence in which the scenes are in chronological order. We. chose to do a linear scene in order to make sure that audience knew what was going on in the scene and irradiate any confusion that the audience might have when watching the scene.

After watching back all the footage, we were reminded that you should always cut on action and ensure that the clip begins just as the action is about to happen and the clip ends just as the action has concluded. This is very important as it ensures that there is no footage used where there is nothing happening in the frame and it also ensures that the entirety of the action is shown in the shot and none of it is accidentally cut out.

Another thing that our teacher reminded us of is the importance of saving your work. We were advised to click 'Cmd s' in order to save our work after every 5 changes that we made. This is a crucial step as it ensures that nothing is lost or accidentally deleted. This is going to be an incredibly vital tip that we must bear in mind when we begin editing our thriller sequences.

One thing that we didn't do that we must remember to do next time is that when we edit we need to create a new bin with all the clips that we want to use so that we have duplicates of each clip. This again would ensure that no footage is lost or accidentally deleted. We forgot this step when editing this sequence and so it is important that we remember to do this when editing our thriller sequence. Another thing that would improve my editing, especially when editing my thriller sequence would be to name all of the shots to make the editing process go much faster and also to make it easier to find the clips that I am looking for.

When editing this sequence we had to think about the shot duration and how this would represent the mood of the scene. We used a fast shot duration for the clip when the phone is passed from one character to the other and we did this to convey the urgency of the scene. However, this was juxtaposed against the slow shot duration of the girl phoning the boss as this was used to focus on the subtle changes in facial expression and also to create tension and suspense. We used the technique of modified speed for these to clips in order to create slow and fast motion to vary the pace in the sequence and create various moods for the audience.

We also ran into a continuity issue when editing this sequence. We had to make sure that the shot of the character walking in matched up with the following shot which was of her completing the action of walking into the room and finding her position before remaining stationary for the remainder of the scene. We needed to ensure continuity for these shots to make sure that it looked like the amount of walking that she does matches up with the distance from the door to the spot where she is positioned for the rest of the scene. This was very difficult as we had to be very precise with when to cut the shots to make sure that the shots flowed nicely together. This is also an example of match on action as we had two different shots of the same action and we had to assemble them together making it appear uninterrupted.

Another continuity issue that we had was when the girl has the phone and she goes to click on the contact number in order to phone the boss. We had to ensure that the way her hands were positioned on the phone, which hand she was holding the phone with and which hand she was touching the screen with all matched up to ensure continuity. This was quite difficult as again we had to be very precise with the moment on which we cut on the action in order to create fluidity and continuity in the sequence.

We used many different shots and editing techniques when editing this sequence. We used the technique of eye line match with the shots of the phone. Eye line match is a common convention used to maintain continuity. It shows the audience that a character is looking at something, in this instance the phone screen with the contact information, and then the next shot is of the phone screen which gives context to the scene and also shows what the character is thinking.

One area of improvement for my editing skills would be to work on improving my audio and video cutting technique. In some of the shots that we filmed the dialogue overlapped between the characters and this made the editing of this clip very difficult to get correct. In the future I will make sure that when we are on set that I make sure that the actors don't overlap each other with their dialogue as this makes it very difficult in the editing process. In addition to this, as an editor, I wanted to remove the audio from the clip where the phone is passed from one character to the other. But in order to do this I needed to make sure that the clips on each side of this clip contained the full dialogue so that none of the dialogue was accidentally cut or missed out of the sequence, again creating continuity in the scene. I need to improve my skills of being very precise about matching the audio and video clips and ensuring that I have a careful ear when trying to assemble the video and audio clips accurately.

Another area for improvement would be ensuring that the lighting and colour balance is consistent throughout the sequence. This is in order to maintain continuity and also to ensure fluidity within the sequence. At the beginning of the sequence, we used quite dark lighting when filming and the colours were a lot darker in tone. However the last few shots were much brighter in contrast and the colours appeared more vibrant on the screen. When editing my thriller sequence I need to make sure that the lighting and colour balance is consistent throughout the sequence which will make my sequence appear more professional.

I used the editing technique of adding a fade to black and a wipe transition in order to improve the fluidity and make my sequence look more professional. In order to improve my skills for my thriller sequence I will consider using more transitions as this will make my sequence appear more proficient and polished as well as to allow the audience to pause and consider what has just happened. 

Overall the skills and techniques that I have had to utilise when completing this prelim task have really aided me in establishing how I can improve for the future, especially when filming and editing my thriller sequence. I have identified areas for improvement in my editing skills and this will help me to amend my mistakes and improve my knowledge and understanding of the filming and editing process for my upcoming thriller sequence. 

Prelim Task Part 1

Today we began the prelim task which involved us utilising the skills we have been taught over the past few weeks. The task involved listening to instructions about what the task involved, using the camera and exploring the various camera angles and movements we have learnt. We also had to consider the rules when filming a sequence and certain tips to bear in mind when filming.

We started off with an introduction given by our  teacher about what the prelim task involved and how we should carry it out. We were told about the importance of time management and also following instructions carefully. One of the tips we were given was to film the entire sequence from the moment the action of the scene started, to the moment when the action of the scene ended. We were told to do this from each angle that we filmed from as this would aid us in the editing process and also give us more choice for shots we could use when editing. It also ensured that we had backups of each part of the scene. This was a very important tip as it would also enable us to save time during the filming process and ensure that we didn't have too many shots to choose from.

One of the first steps that we had to do before we stated filming was to make a piece of paper that had everyone from the group’s name on it and get a quick shot of that before we started to film. This was very important as this will become crucial later on in the process when we have edited the clips together and created a sequence.

We were given a story board which involved a conversation between two characters and it also involved the entrance and exit of one of these characters. As a group we had to think carefully about making sure that we utilised the 180 degree rule, especially when filming over the shoulder shots to make sure that there was continuity to the shots of the conversation and to make sure that when all the shots are put together in the editing process that the characters remain on the same side throughout the conversation ensuring continuity.

As a group we had to decide which roles people would be playing; actors, camera man and director. We then had to set up the camera and frame the shot. We set up the tripod and then had to make sure that the shot was focused by zooming all the way into the shot and focusing on that zoomed spot and then zoom out to the framed shot. We also had to make sure that the camera was balanced on the tripod by ensuring that the bubble was placed in the centre of the circle on the camera and that the camera was set up correctly and that we were ready to begin filming. Throughout the time when the camera man and the director were setting up the filming equipment the actors were rehearsing their lines and trying to become familiar with the script.

Before we even filmed the first shot we did a run through of the scene to see how the scene would go and whether the camera could see all the action from the angle/amount of zoom it had.

We started off with a long shot which established who the characters were and what was happening in the scene. This also gave the full body of the characters and gave character detail to the audience. We also filmed close up shots of the characters faces, close up shots of the phone being passed from one character to the other, extreme close ups of the phone screen and some over-the-shoulder shots of the conversation. We used the skills we had learnt in class to decide on what camera angles to use bearing in mind the connotations behind these angles. We used the close ups to see the subtle changes in facial expression. We also used the close ups to allow the audience to feel a closer connection with the characters. The extreme close up angle of the phone allowed the audience to see what the character was doing on the phone and so providing context for the scene. We also used a high angle during some of the shots which made the character being shouted at by the other character appear inferior and small compared to the surroundings. We did this to show our understanding of the connotations behind the camera angles and to connote this feeling during the scene, again giving context to the scene.

One of the problems that we ran into during filming was a continuity issue. We had to ensure that there was continuity within the character positioning and that the characters’ positioning was the same each time we filmed the scene, regardless of the camera angle. We solved this problem by putting tape on the floor of the set to remind the actor where to stand and to ensure continuity within the scene. Another continuity issue that arose was making sure that the actor took the phone from the other actor with the same hand each time the scene was filmed. This was a very important detail that we needed to get correct to ensure continuity and also eliminate any confusion for the audience about who has possession of the phone at different times during the scene.

I think that we approached the task well and we worked well together in a group. We could have probably discussed the shots less and just proceeded with the filming process in order to utilise our time more effectively and therefore we could have filmed more shots from different angles, but overall I think we tackled the task well.

I think that one area for improvement that we can use when we begin to shoot our thriller sequences would be to consider planning our shots in the pre-production process to avoid the excessive discussion of shots on set as this will save us time during the filming process.

Another element that we could have done differently could have been the use of the set and we could have played around more with the character positioning how this could have affected the narrative and provided different connotations for the scene.

This prelim task has given me a lot of things that I can take into consideration when filming my thriller sequence, one of them being to plan the shots before hand to save time. Another thing that this task has taught me is that we should give the actors the script before the shooting so that they can become familiar with the lines and they can explore their character before we get on set which again will save time. Another element I can take into consideration when filming my thriller sequence is  to consider how the shots and the character positioning can work with the narrative. It might be a good idea to go and see the location before the actually starting the filming process  so that we can consider the location when planning the shots.

Overall the skills and techniques that I used when doing this prelim task will be very helpful when I come to filming my thriller sequence. I also believe that this prelim task allowed me to utilise all the skills and techniques that I have learned in my camera lessons and this has really helped me gain a deeper understanding into what it is like to be on set and begin the filming process I also learned a lot about the amount of preparation and planning that has to happen before the filming process can begin. I am looking forward to editing together the clips from today and creating a sequence that captures the connotations behind the shots that we filmed during this prelim task. 

Sound Essay

Taken 1 - Kidnapping Scene

Sound is one of the most crucial elements to film; it can make or break a film. Sound works harmoniously with emotion and senses and in this particular clip the sound works to build up a sense of suspense and tension and also works to scare the audience.

This clip starts off with the father giving his daughter instructions over the phone. The use of the diegetic sound of dialogue helps set the tone of the film and also gives the audience important and key information to help them understand the narrative. The tone that the actor has is very calming and stern which reflects that he is giving instructions and also how he is attempting to reassure his daughter that everything is going to be alright. The calm tone he has also suggests that he has done this before, so he is well trained or experienced in situations like this.

The use of the non-diegetic soundtrack which goes over the top of the father giving instructions also helps to develop the tone of the film and provides a connotation of the genre; thriller. This non diegetic soundtrack cannot be heard by the character and is separate from the world of the film. The soundtrack at this point (00:00-00.07) develops the atmosphere for the audience and tells them that something bad is going to happen through the use of the eerie and creepy non diegetic parallel soundtrack.

When the camera goes to a mid-shot of the girl on the phone under the bed, there is a diegetic sound element used again through the use of dialogue being heard through the phone. The use of the asynchronous diegetic sound  when the dialogue from the father, who is in a different location, can be heard from the shot of the girl under the bed sets the tone for the scene. This dialogue sequence has connotations of him being helpless in her situation because he is absent from her surroundings.
The non-diegetic soundtrack used throughout  the beginning of the scene gets increasingly louder and more intense when the men enter the bedroom which connotes a sense of fear which is mirrored by the audience from the fear shown in the girl’s facial expression throughout the use of mise-en-scene.
Another example of diegetic sound being used in this clip is the sound of the girl crying and hyperventilating which connotes her fear and how upset she is by the situation. This also helps the audience to believe the reality of the scene and feel sympathy towards the character. The use of the synchronous sound of the girl crying reflects the atmosphere of the scene and also connotes her trepidation and fear of the events  that are about to happen.

The diegetic sound effect  of the doors creaking and the footsteps of the men gives the audience the key information and makes the audience fearful of the girl’s precarious situation. The use of the quick sounds of creaking doors and the fact that the footsteps are moving quite fast connotes a sense of urgency and increases the pace of the scene which generates tension. The diegetic sound puts the audience on edge as they are aware that something bad is about to happen.

The use of the diegetic dialogue between the men also provides information for the audience as they can hear the foreign voices of the men looking for the girl. The use of the foreign voices provides connotation of  mystery and confusion for the audience as they don't know what the men are saying. In addition the use of the foreigners connotes a sense of danger as usually the foreign characters are associated with evil and provide the connotation that they are the antagonists.

The use of the diegetic parallel sound of the girl screaming as she is pulled from underneath the bed is supported by the look of desperation which can be seen on the father face as this sound is played over the top of this image. The use of the sound bridge linking the two images provides a connotation of the strong bond and the close relationship between the father and the daughter and this makes her scream even more distressing for the audience because of the connotations of desperation shown by the girl juxtaposed with the helpless quality of the father. The connotations behind the sound bridge create a mood of fear and connote the events to be unpredictable/ unnerving. The use of the sound bridge of the girl screaming makes the audience more fearful for her as they cannot see her but they can hear her screams which puts them in the same helpless situation that her own father is in, which in turn brings them closer to the character.

The diegetic sound of the dialogue of the father talking to kidnappers on the phone works harmoniously with the non-diegetic soundtrack. This parallel sound heightens the tension and creates suspense and provides connotations of a battle over the girl between the two ends of the phone line.

 The parallel sound works harmoniously with the dialogue which builds up until the moment when the father says "and I will kill you" at which point the soundtrack stops thus creating a silence in the background which supports the narrative and dialogue and also connotes that a sudden change is going to happen. The use of the juxtaposition of the sudden silence against the built up non- diegetic soundtrack also connotes the confusion and the whirlwind of thoughts going through the father’s head.
This is shortly followed by a high pitched violin sound effect within the non-diegetic soundtrack which again builds up the tension as the audience are anticipating what the kidnapper is going to say. The kidnapper replies with "Good Luck" which is said in a monotonous tone creating an eerie atmosphere and also providing the connotation that there is much more to come of the battle and plea for the freedom of the girl in the proceeding scenes.

The ambient sound of the phone being put on the hook connotes a sense of a bad relationship between the characters and also a sense of mystery due to the fact that as an audience we don’t know what will happen to the protagonist; the girl. The use of the ambient sound also helps to make the scene more realistic and gives the audience information about what the character is like through his behaviour being reflected through the use of sound; hanging up the phone abruptly connotes that he is impatient and he likes things to go his way, including the success of the kidnapping of the girl.

The use of the non-diegetic and diegetic sounds in this clip really capture the narrative and heighten the tension and suspense creating a thrilling and scary scene. The meaning of the clip is established well through the use of variations of sounds and the sounds cleverly shown by the editor/director work well to get across the narrative and provide connotations for the audience. The sound used in this clip works harmoniously with the emotion shown in the action of the scene and I personally believe that the sound used in this clip really supports the unnerving elements seen in the action created and the sound in this clip really makes the scene, rather than breaks it. 

Editing Lesson

Editing Sequences

During last week's camera lesson we filmed a sequence using various camera angles. In today's lesson we edited those sequences and learned about the editing process and the rules/tips relating to editing. We used the editing programme Premiere Pro CC to edit our sequences.

There are many rules that you must take into consideration when editing. One of them is that you should always mean every click. This is a very important concept as once you click the mouse you have made a conscious decision which sometimes is irreversible and so you must make sure that you are constantly focusing and you are aware of what you are doing. This concept can also be used when selecting footage to watch back. When the footage is listed under the heading of a  particular bin, in order to select the clip you must click on the icon by the name of the clip. If you click on the name or on the grey space next to the icon then the computer will assume that you want to import more footage. So you must always be very specific as to where you want to click and what you want to select.

Another rule that you must take into consideration is that you should always make duplicates of your shots so that if any of your shots were lost or accidentally deleted them you have back ups of all of the shots- this can save you a lot of time in the long run. Another very important rule is that you should constantly be saving your work to ensure nothing is lost or accidentally deleted. Saving your work will again ensure that all of your footage is safe and not at risk of being lost.

Another tip that we were given in the editing lesson is that when you duplicate your shots you should always work and make changes to the duplicated version not the original versions so that if you wanted to go back to the original shot then you have a copy of it which has not been edited at all. We were also told about how to make a log file which is a separate file for the duplicated versions of the clips which have been edited so that you can keep them separate from the original clips.

After learning the rules of editing we proceeded and began editing our sequences. We were shown how to create a new file, which is called a bin in the editing process and after creating a new bin, we watched back all of the clips to remind ourselves of the various clips that we had filmed. Following on from this we began coming up with ideas as to how to edit them together to create a sequence and in which order we would want the clips to appear.

We were told that you should always ensure that your first clip starts just as the action of the scene occurs. You don't want to waste time with an empty scene and wait a few seconds before the action happens. The action should always start was soon as the audience press 'play'. We had to watch the first clip multiple times to ensure that we had got this step correct.

We were then told about cutting and how to cut down the clip and create a sequence of clips. We watched each clip individually and then we had to decide when we wanted to cut it so that it would fit in with the other clips and look synchronised. Once we had found the start point of our clip we  pressed the 'i' button on the keyboard and then once we had established where we wanted the end of the clip to be we pressed the 'o' button on the keyboard. This cut the clip and allowed us to use just the bits that we wanted. We also had to ensure that the start of one of the clips would match up with the end of the previous clip. We then had to click on the screen showing the video clip that we had just cut and drag it down into the video and audio box with the bars of footage.

 

One of the other things we were told about was how you should always put your first clip in the middle of the video and audio box and then layer the other clips around that one so that it looks like layered bars of footage. Another thing to bear in mind is that you should alway ensure that you first clip starts at 00:00 so that there is no delay before the footage starts playing and you do this by lining up the bar of footage with the time frame given at the top.

At first I was quite nervous about the editing process as it all seemed a bit daunting. But then our teacher told us how if we didn't try to use the computer and get to grips with the editing process then we would never overcome that fear and it would hold us back. So I decided that I would just have a go with editing and try to understand how it works. In the end it was actually not as intimidating and difficult as it appeared and so I was really pleased that I had done it and that I had successfully edited my first sequence. I am looking forward to being shown how to put effects onto the footage such as adjusting the colours. I'm also looking forward to being shown how make my sequences look more professional.