Research and Planning

History Of the Thriller Genre

Thriller is a genre of literature, film and television programming that uses suspense, tension and excitement as the main elements. Thrillers stimulate the audiences moods giving them a high level of anticipation, high expectations, uncertainty, surprise, anxiety and/or terror. 
Thriller films tend to be adrenaline-rushing, rousing and fast-paced. It uses Literary devices such as plot twists and cliffhangers are used extensively . A thriller is a villain driven plot, whereby he or she presents obstacles that the hero must overcome.



Overall, the genre of thriller is used in various ways to create an atmosphere which excites, thrills and entices the audience to carry on watching a film. This is done in several ways, such as through the use of lighting, mise-en-scene and also with the added use of non digetic and digetic music. The thriller genre was a popular genre during the past fifty years and is still increasingly popular within the industry today.

• Psychological thrillers which have heavy focus on characters. They are no longer reliant on physical strength to overcome their enemies but rather are reliant on their mental resources. example. Panic room
• Crime thrillers which focus on the lives of criminals. Approaches to a crime film varies from realistic portrayals of real-life criminal figures, to the far-fetched evil doings of imaginary arch-villains. Criminal acts are almost always glorified in these movies. e.g. Along came a spider
• Mystery thrillers is a sub-genre of the more general category of crime film. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of a crime by means of clues, investigation and clever deduction.
• Conspiracy thriller in which the hero/heroine confronts a large, powerful group of enemies whose true extent only the main character can recognize. e.g. Awake
• Political thriller in which the hero/Heroine must ensure the stability of the government that employs him. e.g. The Interpreter
• Spy thriller in which the hero is generally a government agent who must take violent action against agents of a rival government or in recent years terrorists. They often revolve spies who are involved in investigating various events, often on a global scale. e.g. Casino Royale
• Supernatural thriller in which the film brings in an otherworldly element mixed with tension, suspense and plot twists. e.g. Lady in the water

Homer Odyssey is one of the oldest stories in the western world and is regarded as an early prototype of the thriller genre. One of the earliest movies was Harold Lloyd's comic Safety Last! made in 1923, with a character performing a daredevil stunt on the side of a skyscraper. Alfred Hitchcock and Fritz Lang helped to shape the modern-day thriller genre.
Thriller's came to be what they are today by starting in literature ancient epic poems such as Epic of Gilgamesh and Homers Odyssey use similar narrative techniques as modern thrillers. In the Odyssey, the protagonist Odysseus makes a voyage home after the Trojan war, battling extraordinary hardships in order to be reunited with his wife Penelope. He has to contend with the antagonists such as the cyclops ( a one eyed giant). In most cases, Odysseus uses cunning instead of brute force to overcome his adversaries.
The early thrillers began around 1920s-1930s Alfred Hitchcock was one of the main Directors known for thrillers.  He began his career with his first silent film The Lodger in 1926, a suspenseful Jack the Ripper story, followed by his next thriller Blackmail in 1929 which was his first sound film. His major films where made between 1925 and 1935. They all contained the main common conventions of a thriller.
One of the earliest spy films was Fritz Lang's spies (1928) 
Thriller on Television
There have been a couple of television series that have come out of the genre of thriller.
Examples would be 24 is a fast-paced television series with a premise inspired by the war on terror. Each season takes place over the course of twenty-four hours, with each episode happening in 'real time'. Featuring a split-screen technique and a ticking onscreen clock, 24 follows the exploits of federal agent Jack Bauer as he races to  stop terrorist threats. 
Another example would be Prison Break follows Michael Scofield, an engineer who has himself incarcerated in a maximum-security prison in order to break out his brother, who is on death row for a crime he did not commit. In the first season Michael must deal with the hazards of prison life, the other inmates and prison staff, and executing his elaborate escape plan, while outside the prison Michael's allies investigate the conspiracy that led to Lincoln being framed. In the second season, Michael, his brother and several other inmates escape the prison and must evade the nationwide manhunt for their re-capture, as well as those who want them dead.
Other examples are Dexter, Criminal minds, CSI, The twilight zone and X-files


Conventions of a Disaster Thriller

The general conventions of a thriller include are that they: 

• keep the audience alert (Fast pace)
• Protagonist is set against a problem- an escape, a mission, or a mystery
• The tension of the main problem is built up throughout the film and leads to a highly stressful climax (Suspicion shown as a common theme)
• Fight and chase scenes are common methods in all thriller sub genres (Crime)
• Has a cover-up of important information from the audience
• Enigmas
• The Protagonist and antagonist shown at some stage in the film at a confrontational scene

We as a class all got assigned different thriller genres to look at in detail in which I got Disaster thriller, which is where the main conflict is due to some sort of natural or artificial disaster such as floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes. Life and death depend less on intelligence and ingenuity and more on their luck.
conventions of the narrative of a disaster Thriller

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Typical Synopsis of a Thriller

The synopsis (plot) links to the conventions of a thriller as that what all thriller films more or less include. They usually are of a hybrid genre (which is two genres linked together) example crime thriller. The story lines would include at least one of these robberies,blood, guns, knives, kidnappings, police/detectives, murder investigations, death. Making it easy to recognize a movie of the broad thriller genre. 

But the story lines would stem off a more basic story line here are some examples of the story lines that can be used in thrillers. The protagonist being framed for something they did not do therefore they turn on their character to seek revenge on those guilty, the protagonist tempted by the antagonist therefore protagonist shown in a helpless light. By showing the protagonist in danger in some stage in the film. The antagonist is slowly revealed throughout the case of the film. The antagonist will exploit the protagonist using their weaknesses against them. Using their devious smarts in order for their plan to work.

Using the psychological thriller Misery as an example I will show how the story line comes into play in the films plot. Misery is about a famous novelist (the protagonist) rescued from a car crash by an obsessed fan (the antagonist). She uses his weakness against him in order to keep him hostage (which in this case was his injuries from the car crash). Whilst at his weakest point she uses her strength in order to break him down more (this is where the antagonist smarts comes in to use). At the end protagonist is found and the antagonist caught which is what usually happens their plan never goes down the right trell.

Iconic Thriller Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock was born 13th August 1899 in Leytonstone, London and died 29th April 1980 aged 80. He was a British film director, producer and a cameo appearance actor. He used many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. He had an successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies (a sound film). 

The making of a film culture 

Hitchcock's career lasted over fifty years. He helped film to make the transition from silent to sound, which then encouraged the eclipse of black and white films by color, and directed films which were both accessible to the general movie-going public and of sufficient depth to attract film scholars and critics. 

His career began when he started to create silent films but the Lodger (1926) stands out as the first truly hitchcock labelled film. In it he produced the themes of a thriller which he would explore in greater depth in his later, more famous films.
Working with many of the major stars of the period, Gregory Peck, Cary Grant, Joseph Cotton, Ingrid Bergman, Carol Lombard, and Talula Bankhead Hitchcock's films exhibited an increasing sophistication in both style and theme. He explored the Psychological more deeply inSpellbound, the universal nature of evil in Shadow of a Doubt, and the central place of the couple in Notorious. He even made a true screwball comedy in the now little seen Mr. and Mrs. Smith (1941). With Strangers on a Train (1951), based on the Patricia Highsmith suspense novel, he began the most remarkable decade of his career.


Stanley Kubrick

Stanley Kubrick was born July 26th 1928 in Manhattan, New York and died 7th March 1999 aged 70 years old. He was an American film director, screen writer and producer. He is regarded as one of the greatest filmakers. His films where adaptions of novels or short stories. His unique cinematography and attention to details made him achieve realism and he had  an inspired use of music scores in his movies. Starting out as a photographer in New York City, he taught himself all aspects of film production and directing after graduating high school. His earliest films were made on a shoestring budget, followed by one Hollywood blockbuster.

Some of his movies include the Shining, A Clockwork Orange many of Kubrick's films were met with mixed reviews, although they were acclaimed years later as masterpieces. He was widely admired by other well-known filmakers in the industry including Steven Spielberg. In his last six films, Kubrick usually chose music from existing sources, especially classical compositions. He preferred selecting recorded music over having it composed for a film, believing that no hired composer could do as well as the public domain classical composers. He also felt that building scenes from images great music often created the "most memorable scenes" in the best films.




Title analysis

Once upon time in the West

1.State the production and Distribution companies. How are they introduced?
Paramount pictures

What purpose do they serve at the start of a film?

2.Where exactly is the film's title placed? Beginning, middle or end of the opening sequence?

The title was never placed in the opening it just told the audience who was apart of the movie and stressed who the director was.

3.Timeline- State the information included into the opening sequence at the right times from start to end?

[Director] A Sergio Leone Film 2:44

[Actors] Claudi Cardinale 2:57

Henry Fonda 3:09

Jason Robards 3:31

Charles Bronson 3:47

Gabriele Ferzetti 4:03

Paolo Stoppa 4:14

[Guest Stars] Woody Strode 4:19

Jack Elam 4:28

Keenan Wynn 4:46

Frank Wolff 4:52

Lionel Stander 5:02

[Screenplay] Sergio Donati, Sergio Leone 5:19

[Story By/ Writer] Dario Argento, Bernado Bernado Bertolucci, Sergio Leone 5:45

[Production] Rafran, San Marco 5:56

[Copyright] Paramount Pictures Corporation 5:56

[Music by & Conductor] Ennio Morricone 6:52

[Editor] Nino Baragli 8:45

[Director of Photography] Tonino Delli Colli 8:56

[Production Manager] Claudio Man Cini 9:00

[Production Supervisor] Ugo Tucci 9:08

[Produced By] Fulvio Morsella 9:24

[Executive Producer] Rino Cicogna 9:41

[Director] Sergio Leone 9:50

Napoleon Dynamite

1.State the production and Distribution companies. How are they introduced?

What purpose do they serve at the start of a film?

Fox searchlight Pictures, Paramount pictures in association with Mtv films. To gain publicitiy and promote them and they can check how they marketed the film.

2.Where exactly is the film's title placed? Beginning, middle or end of the opening sequence?

Its placed 35 seconds in to the beginning of the film and it does not stand out that much from the other credits therefore the title did not seem to be an important part.

3.Timeline- State the information included into the opening sequence at the right times from start to end?

[Distributor] Fox Searchlight pictures 0:03

[Distributor] Paramount pictures 0:11

[Associate] Mtv Films 0:17

[Starring] Jon Heder 0:28

[Title] Napoleon Dynamite 0:35

[Actors] Jon Gries 0:40

Aason Ruell 0:50

Efren Ramirez 0:58

Tina Majorino 1:05

[With] Diedrich Bader 1:14

[Casting By] Joruy Wiile 1:24

[Music By] John Swihart 1:33

[Editor] Jeremy Coon 1:40

[Productive Designer] Cory Lorenzen 1:51

[Director of Photography] Munn Powell 1:57

[Excuetive Producer] Jory Weitz 2:06

[Producers] Jeremy Coon, Chris Wyatt, Sean Covel 2:14

[Writers] Jared Hess, Jerusha Hess 2:29

[Director] Jared Hess 2:34

What I have found common that the directors name goes last in order to be the fresh thought in the audiences mind. Also so they are remebered. The Main characters are also seen as significant as they could gain the movie publicity with well known actors.

Sherlock Holmes

1.State the production and Distribution companies. How are they introduced?

What purpose do they serve at the start of a film?

Warner Bros Pictures Presentation was put near the end of the opening sequence which would show how they wanted to be fresh in the audience mind to be remembered

2.Where exactly is the film's title placed? Beginning, middle or end of the opening sequence?

The title is placed in the middle of the sequence I think this shows how the title was not a priority in the opening sequence.

3.Timeline- State the information included into the opening sequence at the right times from start to end?

[Director] Guy Ritchie 0:08

[Screenplay] Michael robert johnson, Anthony peckham and Simon Kimberg 0:12

[Screen story] Lionel Wigram and Michael robert Johnson 0:16

[Producers]Joel Silver, Lionel Wigram, Susan Dawney, Dan Lin 0:23

[Executive Producers] Michael Tadross and Bruce Berman 0:36

[Co-producer] Steve Clark-Hall 0:40

[Director of photography] Philmore Rousselot 0:46

[Production Designer] Sarah Greenwood 0:52

[Editor] James Herbert 0:56

[Actor] Robert Downey Jr. 1:02

[Title] Sherlock Holmes 1:05

[Actor] Jude Law 1:09

Rachel Mcadams 1:13

Mark Strong 1:17

Eddie Marsan 1:21

Kelly Reilly 1:24

James Fox, Hame matheson, Greraldine James 1:29

[Casting by] Reg Poerscout- Edgerton 1:33

[Music] Hans Zummer, [Music producer] Hans Zimmer and Lemme Balfe 1:37

[Costume Designer] Jenny Beavan 1:43

[Visual Effects supervisor] Chas Jarrett 1:47

[Distributor] Warner Bros. Pictures Presentation 1:52

[Associates] Village Roadshow Pictures 1:56

A silver pictures Production 1:59

A Wigram Producton 2:03

A Guy Ritchie Film 2:08

Juno

1.State the production and Distribution companies. How are they introduced?

What purpose do they serve at the start of a film?

The distributor is 'Fox searchlight Pictures' which slides onto the screen in a large font, in the beginning which shows its significance. The reason for it to be in the credits at all is to promote to other companies that may be looking for a distributor to work with on their film. Which will gain them a higher status in the film industry.

2.Where exactly is the film's title placed? Beginning, middle or end of the opening sequence?

Its placed 28 seconds into the the sequence

3.Timeline- State the information included into the opening sequence at the right times from start to end?

Fox Searchlight Pictures [Distributor] 0:14

A Mandate Pictures, Mr Mudd production 0:20

Jason Reitman Film [Director] 0:24

Juno [Title] 0:28

Ellen Page (Juno) [Actor] 0:38

Michael Cera [Actor] 0:42

Jenifer Garner [Actor] 0:48

Jason Bateman [Actor] 0:56

Allison Janney [Actor] 1.00

J.K Simmons [Actor] 1:04

Olivia Thirlby [Actor] 1:10

Mindy Marin, Kara Lipson [Casting] 1:16

Monique Prudhomme [Costume Designer] 1:20

Mateo Messina [Music], Kimya Dawson [songs by] 1:27

Peter Aftermath and Margaret Yen [Supervisors of music] 1:31

Jim Miller, Kelli Komop, Brad Van Arragom [Co-Producers] 1:39

Dana e. Clauberman [Film editor] 1:42

Steve Saklad [productive designer] 1:49

Eric Steelberg [director of photography] 1:52

Joe drake, Nathan kahane, Daniel Dubiecki [Excuetive producers] 2:00

Lianne Halfon, John Malkovich, Mason novick, Russell Smith [Producers] 2:06

Diablo Cody [Written by] 2:11

Jason Reitman [Director] 2:17

ZombieLand

1.State the production and Distribution companies. How are they introduced?

What purpose do they serve at the start of a film?

Colombia Pictures they are the first piece of information to be presented to the viewer.

2.Where exactly is the film's title placed? Beginning, middle or end of the opening sequence?

It's placed in the middle of the sequence which can be seen as a way to refresh the audience mind and remind the movie will start soon.

3.Timeline- State the information included into the opening sequence at the right times from start to end?

[Distributor] Columbia Pictures 2:49

[Associations] Relativity media 2:57

A pariah production 3:02

[Actors] Woody Harrelson 3:06

Jesse Eisenberg 3:10

Emma Stone 3:17

Abigail Breslin 3:20

[Title] Zombieland 3:28

[Casting by] John Papsidera 3:35

[Costume Designer] Magaliguidasci 3:38

[Editer] Peter Amundson, Alan Baumgarten 3:47

[Production Designer] Maher Ahmad 3:54

[Director of Photography] Michael Bonvillian 4:03

[Excuetive Producers] Ezra Swerdlow, Paul Wernick, Rhett Reese, Ryan Kavanaugh 4:07

[Producer] Gavin Polone 4:13

[Written by] Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick 4:18

[Director] Ruben Fleischer 4:22 

Thriller Title Sequence: Vertigo

Representation in the opening scene

In vertigo we see a negative representation. The use a woman close-up gradually moving upwards until we have a full screen of her eyes in which she starts to look around her which connotes that she is worried. We do not know who the woman in the opening sequence yet but thats a good thing in order to draw the audience in more. Her lips twitch nervously, introducing anxiety and a close examination of the characters physical appearance.

The female character is clearly on edge and not comfortable with the viewers scrutiny This scene introduces some more key conventions of the thriller genre: anxiety, paranoia and the notion of looking. Being watched and being seen watching someone else are also conventions of thrillers.

Her eye is zoomed in an a illusion effect when the titles appear on screen. It helps to create the atmosphere and the feeling of the movie which is suspense and tension. Which is a positive representation of a thriller as it contains the conventions of a thriller. But the representation of the woman is negative as she is being shown as helpless, in a panic and scared. They are portraying a common stereotype of women as the victim. Their not showing her in a positive light which would be going against the stereotype and portray women as strong and independent.  It then zooms in one of her eyes which the screen goes red and the color red represents danger. Which can connote a shift in the mood linked to the introduction of the theme of identity which confirms the sub-genre of the film.

 After the zoom in of the eye, a rotating, spinning, spiral appears from the centre of the eye, enlarging after every rotation keeping the same circular shape of the eye (Iris wipe). This is clever of Alfred as it shows he has thought about his opening; (the word vertigo refers to dizziness, where there is feeling of motion when one is stationary) he has incorporated the meaning of vertigo by adding the spirals and disorientating images, focusing on the dizziness referred to the word Vertigo, and using it as his opening giving the sequence a lexical field of disillusion. This also adds to the denotation meaning, as the audience then associates the symbol of the spiral and dizziness to the word Vertigo.  The spiral images continues leaving the audience waiting in suspense wondering what is going to happen, leaving them puzzled to question themselves. The last spiral then focuses back to the eye, and the blood red color, rotating to the shape of the eye. The scene then fades into blackness, leaving the audience wanting to watch on. 

Titles of each opening look like

The titles in Vertigo are in a serif font they are bold and white which makes them clear it does not block anything out behind the writing. when the main movie title starts we see the background change  color which adds emphasis that it is the main title. The way the titles are set out makes it clear to the audience the genre of the movie. I would say these are unconventional title styles as usually you would have a black background with with a clear white font but the way it is set out is different. with a different style of background and font style but some parts of the style are conventional.

Camera, sound, editing and mise-en-scene 

In Vertigo they do not use a variety of shots. They use mainly extreme close-up which is every effective as it draws the audience in. Pan shot is used to have a close-up of only one of her eyes. The sound used in the opening is mainly non-diegetic and its a sound track. The pitch is high but when a title comes on the screen it suddenly  changes to a low pitch with a fast pace then it will fade out back to its original sound. Which built the suspense leading to the start of the movie. With mise-en-scene the woman has no make-up on which makes clearer her face and the emotions she is portraying. There are no props in the audience wonder more where she is the effect used makes it more authentic to the conventions of a thriller. With the editing it does not cut each scene it is a continuous shot that is always blended into the next shot. Even when it goes to the main sub titles it fades out from the woman's face. This adds more emphasis of the setting in each shot.

Narrative in the opening scene match the conventions of a thriller genre

The narrative in Vertigo matches the thriller genre, as it includes the conventions of a thriller like the tense high pitch to sudden low pitch music creating suspense and tension. The themes of unknowing is portrayed through the mysterious character we see in the opening. It makes people think about what is happening it is not straight forward. 

How the production company might influence what appears in the film

Paramount pictures made Vertigo it may influence what is in the film depending if that company is know for a certain style or genre of movies. Also where their name is placed whether mentioned in the ending credits or the opening scene. Also if the company is well known like paramount they will have a lot money they will be able to use to have a lot of power to say how to do something.

What may happen in the rest of the movie....

I think the woman we have just seen will have a main role to play in the movie. I also think that her character will be seen as a victim in the movie and be trapped in a position that she cannot get out of. Also from the opening sequence the movie looks like it will be filled with puzzles which are always going to leave the audience members thinking. I think the main storyline is going to involve a man also.

Thriller title sequence: Panic Room

Representation in the opening scene

It looks like its representing city life in New York. It can be seen as a positive and negative representation depending on how the audience think of it. It can be a positive representation as it shows how modern society has developed through the buildings style. What also makes it look like a positive representation is the fact it shows the park full of people enjoying themselves setting a postive scenario for the audience. Also the people on the street looked like they were going to work and the streets where busy which could place new yorkers in a way to show them as hard working. It could be seen as a negative representation as it could shown them as over working and the streets as congested. The two women at the end of the opening sequence seemed to be rushing so to the audience it could be seen as their jobs always keep them busy. They looked like they dont have time to socialise, like they have to a narrow day to day rountine.

Titles of each opening look like

The credits in this film are all moving in different angles by the camera doing pan shots. This is an interesting and unconventional way to show the credits as its in a way for the audience to engage with as it moves along the page. I would say typography was used as a silver, bold writing, embedded in the scene and buildings of the city being showed in establishing shots. The style of writing is modern which fits with the modern buildings therefore it relates to the setting of the movie giving it an authentic look. Also the way the writing is set can possibly relate to the storyline. As the writing is bold and in capitals it could indicate the style of the film possibly having a strong, action filled storyline. I like how the titles emerge whith the buildings and skyline as it shows that they have thought about every aspect of the movie. Sometimes with the titles they cut to the next title or they use a pan shot skimming the title for the audience to have enough time to read it. The non-digetic music used when this was happening added tot he tension and suspense building up in the audience to get them focused and readyh for the movie. Which shows it showing the conventions of a thriller.

Camera, Sound, Editing and Mise-en-scene

Panic room has tall city buildings at the bottom we see the road busy with taxis and cars which I think symbolizes to the audience the stereotypical view of New York looking at their busy life's. New York would be the establishing shot, with the first set of text appearing on screen, the text is bold and clear and is also 3D, this is an effective way of drawing the audiences attention towards the credit rather than whats happening in the background shot of the city. Also the women we see at the end of the sequence backs this view up with the way they are presented to us which were wearing suits the sunglasses suggest the feminity they still have. Also they were speed walking and talking adding emphasis on the busy scenario they are in. The non-digetic music was slow with a low pitch which made the atmosphere chilled and tense. Also effective on the audience as it draws them in. The sound was clear it was like a violin then halfway through it started to go fast paced which got the audience more alert which is a convention of a thriller.  There was a ticking sound which was always in the background of the music which rings in your ear building the suspense. For me as part of the audience it will make me feel nervous and uneasy thinking what will happen during the movie, so you get more eager to want to watch the movie. The used the jump cuts technique to jump to different titles whilst using the pan shot shot to show the title in a steady pace. The blunt cuts help to build suspense and let the transitions go smoothly into another scene. The camera angles used in the shots are extreme long shots, high and low angle shots. They zoomed out enough to show the background to help the audience interpret the setting of the movie.

Narrative in the opening scene match the conventions of the thriller genre

The non diegetic sound used in the Panic Room really portrayed the conventions of thriller which could get the atmosphere more clearly across to the audience. The characters set as regular people helps the audience to relate to the movie. For example the music was creating tension. Along with the steady slow movment of the camera creating suspense. Also the fact that they do not give away alot in the opening credits helps to focus and draw the audience in therefore making them think of whats to come next. Also the themes they seem to portraying I would say is crime and death which are common themes used in Thrillers. Which I got from the title of the movie.

                  How Production Company might influence what appears in the film

Colombia pictures corporation contributed to the making of Panic Room They could influence the movie in a positive or negative way. Which they influenced the movie in a positve way as they are a popular production company which means they have a lot of links in the film industry therefore they have people that can help gain the movies they are working on popularity. Colombia pictures do diverse movies from comedy to action and they've been around for a long time therefore they have expeirience working different types of movies and have understanding on how to make it success. So they might help suggest things to help the movie give the boost it needs to succeed. From the movies they've worked on they will of been bound to pick up fans which will then help attract people to watch the movie and that will result in them gaining more money back than what they spent making the movie.

What may happen in the rest of the movie....

I think those women in the start of the movie will be put in a situation that is abnormal to their day to day rountine. I think it's going to challenge the people involved to find oput what kind of person they really are. The situation will be filled with suspense filled moments where there in danger. It's going to involve more than one antagonist with jumpy scenes to create the suspense for the audience.

Thriller Title Sequence: Jaws

Representation in the opening scene

Jaws shows a negative representation of teenagers as they are being careless and wild which is presented through the way they act and the setting their in which was night time suggesting it was late considering they where the only ones on the beach at that time which suggests they should not be there at that possible time at the bomb fire they where drinking alcohol and smoking. Which is negative representation of them as it looks like they are not supposed to be doing that at there age. Also when the girl goes skinny dipping in the sea no thinking it would be dangerous. Shows teenagers as having a carefree nature. It looks like they've sneaked out. Its not in their favour especially because she ends up dying. The setting seems to be an American beach town. You can tell this from the opening sequence because of the accents of the characters. The opening sequence tells us that the film will most likely be set on the beach most of the time because it is to do with a shark. It is also shot in the ocean as the opening credits spent a majority of the time underwater.

Titles of each opening look like

Jaws opens with a black screen then it is followed by the production company which gives a sense of institution then there is typography of the credit's. The colour red used connotes danger and blood which foreshadows what is going to happen later on in the film. The opening sequence of Jaws is a Linear Narrative which means their is a clear sequence of events. This narrative is driven through the communication of characters and the events that unfold.

Camera, sound, editing, and mise-en-scene

The shot types used at the beginning the camera pans along the characters. This creates a great establishing scene amongst the teenagers. The director is trying to create an atmosphere one of a predator picking it's prey. The shots consists of various close-ups, great for the audience to analyse and establish the surroundings and characters. The opening contains a shot reverse shot, which engages the audience into the film as they feel that they are involved through the use of psychological camera positioning. With the camera positioning the most effective shot that is the point of view shot from the shark. The female character is positioned as vulnerable object therefore the audience knows that something is going to happen beteewn the binary oppositions. The opening sequence all has some long shots to help create the setting for the audience. Continuity editing is used throughout to help with the flowing of one scene to another. Match shots and shot reverse shot are used between the girl and the boy to show the sexual attraction between the two. Cross-cutting is used during the attack scene when it cuts back to the boy laying peacefully on the sand. This gives the audience a slight glimpse of hope that the boy might actually rescue the girl. Also, at the very end of the sequence two shots are dissolved into one. An early night shot is dissolved to a late shot to show the passing of time.Graphics:The title is in block capital for emphasis. They credits are on screen as the film is playing and are centered in the middle of the screen. With the sound the beginning starts quietly, then the middle part where the tension becomes gradually louder and louder until the climactic ending becomes silent again. The silence at the end is a good representation of death. The screaming ans splashing about when the attack is happening is a great contrast to the boy lying peacefully on the sand near her. You kind of expect the boy to hear her struggle and the audience get a glimpse of hope that the boy will come and rescue the girl, but when that doesn't happen, the shark successfully kills the girl and the scene becomes silent once more. The sound non-digetic music used at the beginning is icongraphic. Which makes the audience be introduced into a sound motif which is alarming to the audience as it is played the shark is in the scene or nearby creating the suspense to make it a thriller. We see that the director thought about the conventions of a thriller when deciding the setting and background and props and what effect it would have on the audience as we see that the setting is dark therefore we cannot see everything which makes it tense for the audience. Causes suspension and leaves the audience thinking what is going to happen next.

Narrative in the opening scene match the conventions of the thriller genre

I think one of the reasons we can categorise Jaws as thriller movie is because of the suspense it makes the audience feel. This is present in the . Jaws features alot of stereotypical thriller conventions: this being the tension filled music, the female character being the victim, having the other character – who could possibly save her- being unaware that anything is wrong. The girl, thinking she is safe when she swims to the boy but is infact going to be eaten. Enigma codes feature strongly is this scene, this is from the sharks perspective closeing in on the firl, automatically ask, 'what is watching the girl?', 'Is it dangerous?' Also never seeing what is attacking her is an example of partial vision this fear of the unknown a typical convention of a thriller.

What may happen in the rest of the movie...

I think later on that more people will end up dying and near to the end people will try to get rid of the shark. But before they know what is causing the deaths they will put restrictions in for the teenagers and they will start to see the seriousness of the situation. Also as the movie goes on the audience will grow tense we will start to figure out the pattern and be more drawn into the movie as will wont be able to stop the characters. (Its strats to get the audience involved)

Thriller Title sequence : Se7en

Representation in the opening scene

In the opening credits we see a pair of male like hands. The man is being represented as the antagonist.This starts off the film well as it brings mystery straight into impact as we find ourselves wondering why this person ids doing it. The credits then blank out into showing 'An Arnold Kopelsan production'. This then reminds you that the film has not got actually started and we are not established with the characters yet. The credits then move onto what looks like a book with a picture of someone's disfigured hands resting on a page. I feel this is used in the opening credits because it brings again a sense of mystery and almost confusion as we are wondering what this picture has to do with the film. The opening credits then cut to a scene where it looks like tools are being cleaned or sharpened to be used in some way. Then there is a freakish scene where there looks to be a man skinning his own finger with one of the tools he was sharpening, This brings the gore factor into the thriller and makes the viewers skwint and even look away in some circumstances. After a few more distorted scenes we see the man start to write in that book or journal we saw earlier. This reminds you that the book must have a major part to play in tis film and all these scenes are showing him preparing to write in the book. The last scenes of the opening credits just show this man adding more and more to his book in the means of pictures, more writing and even passages of work being stitched into it. The sequence consists of hint's about the characterisation of the film's antagonist. For example, the audience is shown the word 'God' being cut out of a dollar bill. This single image conveys a lot about the antagonist and what the film will be about which is the theme of God.

Titles of each opening look like 

It then shows the two main actors names in small bold white writing which flickers and stays on the screen for 3 seconds each. The film title , Se7ev then appears in the same font. From then on it shows names  of the actors/actresses which have the smaller parts but only shows them for a smaller amount of time. The way it comes in is very flashy which gives the chilling thriller effect. The font of the writing is quite weird and spooky looking to create a thrilling effect on the audience showing the clear conventions of a thriller. The style of the credits reminds me of the type of thriller sub-genre crime and things like investigation.          

Camera, Sound and Mise-en scene

The music (non-diegetic) in the opening credits sounds distorted and the typical thriller music as it builds up suspense and confusion and brings the scenes into another dimension. camera angles consists of close-ups that are put together like a montage. This serves to intrigue the audience with minute detail and distance the audience by not showing any wider shots means not given a clearer view of the character. Which therefore focuses them on the movie when it begins. There are also a loads of matched cuts, just skipping a bit of time, and this again, get inside the audience' head creating a tense atmosphere.

The music in the opening credits is very slow, you can hear a heartbeat, it sounds very machanical, very echoy. then it sudenly picks up its pace and the suspense and tension rises. 

Narrative in the opening scene match the conventions of the thriller genre

The music used in the opening connotes the suspense and tension of a thriller movie. In one of the frames we see someone drawing a line through some eyes this connotes a bad situation and gives a moody sense to the opening. 

What may happen in the rest of the movie....

I think during the movie the character we see in the opening credits will be revealed and I think they will have a main role to play in the movie. Also I think the movie will be based around a some kind of serial killer or murderer that will be hidden until he is found by the police or detectives that his killings that will be infamous and that will dangerous towards the public. I think it will be a movie that will build a lot of suspense with the theme of times running out.

BBFC- British Board of Film Classification

There are different age rating films and depending on the moral of the film in which it is portraying and the type things included in the scenes decides what age group it should be suitable for in order to be shown at the Cinemas. So i researched the different age groups in order to think what common age ratings thriller movies get including the main sub-genre movie we are focusing on which is political thriller.

Films rated 'U' are suitable to be shown to the audience four years and over. But it does not have that strong enough belief to know what would upset a particular child. But ususally the majority of kids that have watched a universal rated movie have been happy with the outcome.

Films rated 'PG' are usually suitable for general viewing but some scenes maybe unsuitable for young children. BBFC have stated that a 'PG' film should not disturb a child aged around 8 or over. But they advise the parents to consider that some of these movies could upset young or sensitive children. So when going to watch a 'PG' rated film in the cinema the child would have to be accompanied by and adult 18 or above.

'12A' is recommended for people aged 12 years and above people under the age of 12 must be accompanied by and adult. But they are not recommended

for peoples under the age of 12 as they are most likely to include atleast one of these topics but they have to follow the guidelines for BBFC if to include these topics aggressive discriminatory language or behavior which is unlikely to be acceptable unless clearly condemned. Drugs which would be misused, Horror which would be physical and psychological threat may be permitted and providing disturbing sequences are not frequent or sustained for a long period. Imitable behavior (which is basically dangerous behavior) for example suicide and self-harming. It should not dwell on the detail of the behavior which could be copied, or appear pain or harm free. Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised. Language which is that the use of strong language (swear words) but it must be infrequent. Nudity is allowed but in a sexual context and it has to be brief and discreet. Sexual activity can be shown in the film as long as its brief and discreetly portrayed. So it's suitable for young teenagers. Mature themes are allowed but the way they are addressed in the movie must be suitable for young teenagers. Violence must be discretely shown and they must not dwell on the violence in that scene. An adult may take a younger child if, in their judgement, the film is suitable for that particular child. In such circumstances, responsibility for allowing a child under 12 to view lies with the accompanying adult. The ‘12A’ category only exists for cinema's. No one younger than 12 may rent or buy a ‘12’ rated video work. With '12' rated films Recommended for 12 years and older. Nobody younger than 12 may rent or buy a '12' rated video. (Until 31 August 2002, this mandatory certificate used to apply to cinema exhibitions as well).


Suitable for people of the age 15 and above. Nobody under the age of 15 will be able to watch the film in the cinema or be able to by a DVd with this age rating. These films may contain offensive or emotionally harrowing scenes or strong language and violence.

Suitable only for adults. Nobody younger than 18 may see an '18' film in a cinema. Nobody younger than 18 may rent or buy an '18' rated video (These films may contain extreme gore/violence and/or sexually explicit content).

Audience Research Questionnaire


To obtain a reliable target audience, we created a questionnaire on the subject of thriller to help us to determine a specific target audience. The questions were sent to a variety of individuals so that the result was not biased. We also asked questions relevant to trailers and posters as to have more research to help us when we plan our film.


1. What Gender are you?

Male           Female


2. How old are you?

10-14     15-19    20-25      30-35    40-45      46+


3. How often do you visit the cinema?

Never     Once a Week       Fortnightly       once a month        once a year     other

4. What sub-genre thrillers do you prefer?

Political thriller      Disaster thriller       Psychological thriller     Crime thriller    Conspiracy thriller

Supernatural thriller     Other (please state) ...........................................



5. What types of Iconography would you expect to see for a thriller movie?

Weapons      Blood      Death     Car chase      Police (e.g. F.B.I)    


6. How much information should a film opening contain?

No information      The title      The title and main actors    title, main actors, production company

title, main actors, production company, crew names


7. What type of shots catches your eye?

Scenic shots      outdoor shots      indoor shots     other

Here are the Results:

Question 1: What gender are you?

Which shows that we tried to ask and even number of male and female people. To keep the results fair and reliable.

Question 2: How old are you?

This Shows the majority of people we asked where around are age group.

Question 3: How Often do you visit the cinema?

This Result shows that the cinema is not popular these days. This could be due to the fact that there is easier access to films from blockbuster rentals to the internet. So if they gop to the cinema the movie has to live up to a high standard in order to rake in a high rating. So it shows that we need to think about the audience we are focusing on in order for are opening sequence to be something to catch there eye.

 Question 4: What Sub-genre thrilers do you prefer?

This result shows that crime thrillers eem to be the most popular sub-genre at this moment so I think when planning are opening sequence we need to think about basing are opening on a popular genre right now in thriller.






Question 5: What Iconography would you expect to see in a Thriller?

 As you can see that death is the common thing people said they would see in a Thriller I think we as a group should include an element based around death into are opening.

Camera Angles/Shots/ Composition

Camera angles

View more PowerPoint from Lawreeta Grant

I researched different camera angles to get an idea what shots would be effective to be used in a thriller movie also what shots are commonly used in thrillers. Which help my group decide how we will film are opening sequence and it help with the planning of each scene in the opening.

Iconography of Thriller

With this Image it is portraying the Iconic Symbols/ Images that portray that of a thriller. Some images are from well-known thriller movies example would be  psycho which we have a classic image from the photo.  With other images that people think of when they think of a Thriller which was knives, blood, police, helpless victims which are often women. This task of making a collage of images together to present Iconography help me understand what thriller movies are all about so it will help me to understand what to include when brainstorming ideas for are main task also it will help me to have a base for the planning bit.

Poster & Font Analysis

As we have decided for are opening sequence to be a Political thriller I decided to do the font analysis on Political thrillers so it can link in to the planning for are actual movie. Also I looked at different sub-genre thriller to see the conventions that the font has in order to see the differences.

The first movie I looked at was The Interpreter (Political Thriller) : 

With The interpreter poster cover the font used was Adobe Ming Std L which gave a broad look to it to make it stand out especially with the writing being in all capitals. The style of the writing reminds me of the way an important document like classified by the government would be written like. This shows the font used in the movie gives a lot of information to what the movie will be based around or if there’s effects used also that can portray what the movie will be like throughout. As their is only two people on the poster shows how they are the main characters but having Nicole Kidman's photo bigger than Sean Penn's shows how she is the main character. The different country flags up suggest the sub-genre of the thriller which is political as when seeing the flags the first thing I thought of was the government. The way the composition of Nicole kidman in the photo shows her in a higher position. The way her eye stands out and the color of her eye blue represents to me pureness and innocent which makes me think the movie will be about some kind of injustice. Especially how most of the poster is covered in faded green color shows how the government or something holding people down. It also reminds me of a code or a crime thriller which can be suggested from the poster. the way sean Penn is dressed in a suit suggests business man but what looks like a walkie talkie in his hand suggests a security/ detective thinking of how he may be trying to protect someone from something serious about to go down during the film.

(Spy Thriller) Casino Royale: 

I think the thing I found is similar with both of the posters is that the main title is in white which I think is used in order to make it stand out from all the other pieces of text. The titles size is bigger than the rest of the text in which I think they put the important texts in a bigger font. Which they did with the date the movie comes out as well as the title of the movie. Thats exactly what they did with the Interpreter in which instead of the date the movie comes they put the main actors names in bold font and a big size font but not as big to up stage the title as the title is the most important. The trademark 007 used in bond movies has been contrasted to merge with the title in order to show the importantance that being shown. As its a trademark that could get the movie more audience members to make the film get more film ratings from increasing the audience going to watch the movie. I think everything about the way the poster is staged suggests oo7 but for people who have maybe never heard of the merchandise of films the genre will have to be shown more therefore from camera angles, mise-en-scene and lighting will matter to attract a wider audience. The way Daniel craig is dressed as well as the girl behind him suggests glitz and glamour of the higher class people will be portrayed more in this film. The way he has a gun in his hand and his facial expression is shows him as fearless. Linking him to a job of some kind I would not say detective as he looks dressed up to be that but more of an agent also how they enhanced the lighting around his face shows determination and it looks like he is walking towards the camera which addresses the audience directly. Making them more intrigued to know more about the film.