Tuesday, 11 December 2012
Friday, 7 December 2012
The conventions of a thriller
Features that make up a thriller:
Maguffin
Villain
Red herring
Hero
Fast paced
Complex characters
Sub genres
Enigma (problem to be solved)
Suspense
Location - mainly based in cities
Attractive women
Male protagonist
Antagonist
Pursuit
Plot twists
Deadlines
Tension building music
Maguffin
Villain
Red herring
Hero
Fast paced
Complex characters
Sub genres
Enigma (problem to be solved)
Suspense
Location - mainly based in cities
Attractive women
Male protagonist
Antagonist
Pursuit
Plot twists
Deadlines
Tension building music
Chuck Jones and 'The Rules'
The Rules Chuck Jones uses to produce 'Road Runner' cartoons are similar of those followed when producing a thriller:
1. The Road Runner cannot harm the Coyote except by going "meep, meep."
2. No outside force can harm the Coyote -- only his own ineptitude or the failure of Acme products. Trains and trucks were the exception from time to time.
3. The Coyote could stop anytime -- if he were not a fanatic.4. No dialogue ever, except "meep, meep" and yowling in pain.
5. The Road Runner must stay on the road -- for no other reason than that he's a roadrunner.
6. All action must be confined to the natural environment of the two characters -- the southwest American desert.
7. All tools, weapons, or mechanical conveniences must be obtained from the Acme Corporation.
8. Whenever possible, make gravity the Coyote's greatest enemy.
9. The Coyote is always more humiliated than harmed by his failures.
10. The audience's sympathy must remain with the Coyote.
11. The Coyote is not allowed to catch or eat the Road Runner.
Tuesday, 4 December 2012
Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock (13th August 1899 - 29th April 1980) was an English film director and famously known for his eccentric thrillers. His creative mind conjured many of the thrillers I have studied and he truly was a very influential director, he liked using graphic matches and was a big fan of including a macguffin in each of his thrillers - this would often be a story of romance.
Where it came to romance, Hitchcock was very fond of using blonde women in his films, here we can see an influence on the more modern thrillers that we see more recently, such as James Bond. Hitchcock was a ver quirky man which helped reflect the thrillers he produced.
A quote from Hitchcock -Television has brought back murder into the home - where it belongs.
Where it came to romance, Hitchcock was very fond of using blonde women in his films, here we can see an influence on the more modern thrillers that we see more recently, such as James Bond. Hitchcock was a ver quirky man which helped reflect the thrillers he produced.
A quote from Hitchcock -Television has brought back murder into the home - where it belongs.
Opening to 'Vertigo'
Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo's opening is somewhat distorting and very hypnotising. During the credits at the beginning of the film we see one long shot of a girls face, we then zoom into her lips and read one of the names of the characters in the film. We then move up to her eyes which flicker from left to right, making her seem as if she's frightened and looking around for something - we then read another name. Then, we zoom into just one of her eyes, which are very dark and look terrified, her eyes then widen and a graphic match is introduced which fades into a hypnotic shape. The shape is rotating around and around, confusing us. The colours change bewildering us further and the same backing music drones throughout the intro getting louder and quieter in parts.
The opening to 'Zodiac'
In the opening of Zodiac, we see a slow tracking camera rolling through a dark street, with quite a few people around and lots of fireworks going off. The shot comes from inside a moving vehicle, in which we discover a girl is driving. The slow, long shot makes us wonder whats happening, we are left slightly confused and want to know more. A young man gets into the car with what looks like, his girlfriend, or perhaps a woman he's seeing. She suggests the go somewhere quiet. This instantly makes us wonder if she's up to something, however later on we discover she becomes victimised.
A red herring comes along as the couple are alone in the car, they shoot at the car before shouting abusive language at them but soon drive off. We wonder if they are going to harm the couple but they don't. Later a blacked out car comes along. It pulls up beside their car, turns is light off and sits there. This adds mystery. We see cuts from the couples faces looking at the car, to the car itself, not much dialogue is included here. The boy suggests getting out before the girl hastily tells him to remain where he is. The car drives off and we think the couple are okay. The boy asks questions about who was in the car, but the girl won't give a certain answer - then we hear a screeching as the car turns around. At this point a haunting feeling dawns upon the viewer, the headlights of the car come towards us. When the car pulls up a man steps out with a bright torch, the torch is shinning brightly on the couples face, giving us one last good look at them, the boy exclaims "you scared us!" right before he is shot, blood splatters over the girls arms right before she is too shot - we see this all in lots of quick cuts building a lot of tension. The man walks away - much like the car he was in drove away - then comes back - again like the car, before shooting the boy again repeatedly as he tries to stand and regain strength inside the car. The going away and coming back element, slightly confuses us and leaves a somewhat distorted feel to the film.
A red herring comes along as the couple are alone in the car, they shoot at the car before shouting abusive language at them but soon drive off. We wonder if they are going to harm the couple but they don't. Later a blacked out car comes along. It pulls up beside their car, turns is light off and sits there. This adds mystery. We see cuts from the couples faces looking at the car, to the car itself, not much dialogue is included here. The boy suggests getting out before the girl hastily tells him to remain where he is. The car drives off and we think the couple are okay. The boy asks questions about who was in the car, but the girl won't give a certain answer - then we hear a screeching as the car turns around. At this point a haunting feeling dawns upon the viewer, the headlights of the car come towards us. When the car pulls up a man steps out with a bright torch, the torch is shinning brightly on the couples face, giving us one last good look at them, the boy exclaims "you scared us!" right before he is shot, blood splatters over the girls arms right before she is too shot - we see this all in lots of quick cuts building a lot of tension. The man walks away - much like the car he was in drove away - then comes back - again like the car, before shooting the boy again repeatedly as he tries to stand and regain strength inside the car. The going away and coming back element, slightly confuses us and leaves a somewhat distorted feel to the film.
Conventions of a thriller
Central to plot - this is the main idea of the film - it includes to good guys, the bad guys, red herrings, macguffins and the theme of the film.
Sub genres - With the umbrella genre being thriller, all the categories that fall underneath include political thrillers, historical thrillers, action thrillers, sci fi thrillers and many more.
Characters on a dangerous mission - This is where escape usually seems impossible but is often pulled off, intensifying the film.
Edge of the seat tension - Climax, suspense, pursuits, deadlines, timing etc.
Complex characters - Troubled, multi faceted, morally complex.
Society - Seen as dark and corrupt - this helps to set the scene.
Sub genres - With the umbrella genre being thriller, all the categories that fall underneath include political thrillers, historical thrillers, action thrillers, sci fi thrillers and many more.
Characters on a dangerous mission - This is where escape usually seems impossible but is often pulled off, intensifying the film.
Edge of the seat tension - Climax, suspense, pursuits, deadlines, timing etc.
Complex characters - Troubled, multi faceted, morally complex.
Society - Seen as dark and corrupt - this helps to set the scene.
Friday, 30 November 2012
Monday, 26 November 2012
Recipe for a James Bond thriller
James Bond thrillers have been around for years and they all follow a certain chain of events and characters that signify them as what they are; Bond's character varies although he always has the same characteristics that make him the sexy, heroic, charming man he is with women falling at his feet. The role of James Bond is a secret agent or 'the good guy' helping to save people. Each Bond film includes one or more beautiful women with whom Bond would incur some sort of love affair with on his tough missions.
Each Bond film has some sort of exciting and exotic location, whether that be somewhere desireable like a beach or beautiful dessert, or even situated on top of arctic mountains - whatever the setting, they are always interesting and keep us intrigued and hooked on whats occuring with Bond.
As if all of this excitement wasn't enough in the Bond films, we cant not highlight the amazing stunts that Bond manages to pull off; jumping out of planes that fly thousands of feet above the ground and surviving, epic car chases and explosions and always managing to come out alive. Bond's unrealistic skills make him even more of an idol than what he is.
One last thing we cant forget - the bond song! Memorable songs such as 'live and let die', 'licence to kill', 'you only live twice', 'diamonds are forever' and the most recent 'sky fall' all help to make James Bond the iconic figure he is, helping to endure popularity in all of the Bond films we know.
Each Bond film has some sort of exciting and exotic location, whether that be somewhere desireable like a beach or beautiful dessert, or even situated on top of arctic mountains - whatever the setting, they are always interesting and keep us intrigued and hooked on whats occuring with Bond.
As if all of this excitement wasn't enough in the Bond films, we cant not highlight the amazing stunts that Bond manages to pull off; jumping out of planes that fly thousands of feet above the ground and surviving, epic car chases and explosions and always managing to come out alive. Bond's unrealistic skills make him even more of an idol than what he is.
One last thing we cant forget - the bond song! Memorable songs such as 'live and let die', 'licence to kill', 'you only live twice', 'diamonds are forever' and the most recent 'sky fall' all help to make James Bond the iconic figure he is, helping to endure popularity in all of the Bond films we know.
Friday, 23 November 2012
North by Northwest
Carry Grant is mistaken for someone who knows government secrets when in fact he is an innocent man. He is kidnapped before escaping and going on a fast paced mission to get away from these men and maintain survival. He meets a beautiful woman whom he begins to have an affair with, this is the macguffin, she fools us into forgetting about what is actually occuring in the film, keeping us hooked and intrigued into the film.
Birds
A young and beautiful Melanie Daniels meets Mitch Brenner by chance in a bird shop. She acts as if she works there in a bid to get to know him. She comes to a realistion that he is looking to purchase birds for his much younger sister. He knows all along that she is bluffing and is intrigued by her actions. When he leaves to visit his mother for the weekend, Melanie goes on a quest to find him and takes some lovebirds with her for his little sister. When she arrives we begin to see a romance blossom between the two of them, as she gets to know his mother and sister she also meets his ex girlfriend, a school teacher who points her in his direction.
Things begin to get strange as all types of birds start to attack, first individuals are left scarred, then the birds arrive in masses attacking large groups of people. An attack is made on Mitch's sisters parts, her school, inside his house and just all over the town in general. People begin to look to Melanie as a scapegoat because the attacks only started when she arrived. The film is fast paced with lots of quick cuts in parts that involve hightened action, to make the viewer feel uncomfortable, but at the same time drawn in.
Things begin to get strange as all types of birds start to attack, first individuals are left scarred, then the birds arrive in masses attacking large groups of people. An attack is made on Mitch's sisters parts, her school, inside his house and just all over the town in general. People begin to look to Melanie as a scapegoat because the attacks only started when she arrived. The film is fast paced with lots of quick cuts in parts that involve hightened action, to make the viewer feel uncomfortable, but at the same time drawn in.
Macguffin
Macguffin's are often used in thrillers to sidetrack the audience. It often makes us forget the reason as to why all of the events we see unfolding actually happen. An example of this occurs in the film 'Birds.' The Macguffin would be the romance that begins to blossom between Melanie and Mitch which makes us almost forget that the main theme of the film is the birds which are attacking the town.
The effect of this is that we are drawn into the film further and then surprised with the memory of what is actually happening. This automatically intrigues the audience and keeps them hanging on to what's going to happen as an outcome of these unpredictable events.
The effect of this is that we are drawn into the film further and then surprised with the memory of what is actually happening. This automatically intrigues the audience and keeps them hanging on to what's going to happen as an outcome of these unpredictable events.
The Manchurian Candidate
This film is a modernised version of the previous Manchurian Candidate made in 1962. The film shows Denzel Washington playing the role of Captain Major Ben Marco. He goes through a tough time as he begins to reminisce what really happened in the Kuwait war that he and his men fought in. Dreams unfold the past and he recalls being hypnotised with his fellow soldiers and then being forced to murder someone. As the story furthers in, we see that a plot had been formed to hypnotise one of Marco's men, Raymond Shaw and make him the first mind controlled president of the US.
Raymond's mother is also in on the scheme as she convinces him that there was no hypnotising involved and that Marco is crazy in thinking so; all the while she is controlling him and getting him to do exactly what she wants.
The film is fast paced and exciting whilst we follow Marco's agonising journey to let everyone know that Raymond Shaw isn't the man everybody thinks he is. We feel frustration for him when everyone looks upon him as crazy and often begin to wonder if he is in fact a little deluded. The film ends with Raymond and his mother being murdered by Marco, through Raymond's choice. We are left feeling slightly baffled and somewhat overwhelmed with all the turns that occur.
Raymond's mother is also in on the scheme as she convinces him that there was no hypnotising involved and that Marco is crazy in thinking so; all the while she is controlling him and getting him to do exactly what she wants.
The film is fast paced and exciting whilst we follow Marco's agonising journey to let everyone know that Raymond Shaw isn't the man everybody thinks he is. We feel frustration for him when everyone looks upon him as crazy and often begin to wonder if he is in fact a little deluded. The film ends with Raymond and his mother being murdered by Marco, through Raymond's choice. We are left feeling slightly baffled and somewhat overwhelmed with all the turns that occur.
Sound
Sound can either be diegetic or non diegetic.
Diegetic - this is sound that we see happening on the screen of the film. Example - people talking, musical instruments/radio we see being played, doors we see being closed.
Non diegetic - sound effects used that aren' actually happening on screen. Example - gun shots - guns wouldn't really be shot, so therefore the sound has to be non diegetic.
There are also on screen or off screen sounds.
On screen - sounds we see happening in front of us.
Off screen - sounds we hear but don't see happening, for example hearing people shouting off screen.
Diegetic - this is sound that we see happening on the screen of the film. Example - people talking, musical instruments/radio we see being played, doors we see being closed.
Non diegetic - sound effects used that aren' actually happening on screen. Example - gun shots - guns wouldn't really be shot, so therefore the sound has to be non diegetic.
There are also on screen or off screen sounds.
On screen - sounds we see happening in front of us.
Off screen - sounds we hear but don't see happening, for example hearing people shouting off screen.
Lighting
There are several different forms of lighting techniques used in filming to create different effects depending on the genre and scene of the film. Different atmospheres and tensions are conjured because of simple lighting changes and techniques.
The camera is usually aimed at the subject who often has a backlight behind them, a reflector/fill light to their right and a key light to their left. The key light is the brightest light and adds brightness. The back light can be used to create silhouettes or counteracts the key light; the filler light softens harsh shadows.
Techniques:
Under lighting - this is often used in horror films to create an eerie effect.
Top lighting - this is used to create a glamorous effect, making the face seem slimmer and softens the skin.
Back lighting - this is used to create silhouettes.
Low key lighting - this forms lots of shadows possibly adding an element of mystery. This is created using only key and back lights.
high key lighting - This is created using more filler lights making things seem more realistic.
The camera is usually aimed at the subject who often has a backlight behind them, a reflector/fill light to their right and a key light to their left. The key light is the brightest light and adds brightness. The back light can be used to create silhouettes or counteracts the key light; the filler light softens harsh shadows.
Techniques:
Under lighting - this is often used in horror films to create an eerie effect.
Top lighting - this is used to create a glamorous effect, making the face seem slimmer and softens the skin.
Back lighting - this is used to create silhouettes.
Low key lighting - this forms lots of shadows possibly adding an element of mystery. This is created using only key and back lights.
high key lighting - This is created using more filler lights making things seem more realistic.
Friday, 26 October 2012
Tuesday, 9 October 2012
Psycho - shower scene
The shower scene in psycho comes as a shock. What we think of as the main character, is taking a shower when we see the shower curtain is pulled back as a shadowed figure of an elderly woman attacks her with a knife. She falls to the floor pulling the shower curtain with her to create dramatic effect.
This part of the film contributes well to the idea of a thriller as the short burst of drama keeps the spectator intrigued and wanting to see more. It also adds well to the idea of a thriller because we are fooled into thinking the attacker is the mother of the boy who takes the main character into his motel. We later discover that the murderer was the boy himself and that because of his split personality, he dresses as his mother.
This part of the film contributes well to the idea of a thriller as the short burst of drama keeps the spectator intrigued and wanting to see more. It also adds well to the idea of a thriller because we are fooled into thinking the attacker is the mother of the boy who takes the main character into his motel. We later discover that the murderer was the boy himself and that because of his split personality, he dresses as his mother.
Recipe for a thriller
Thrillers are characterized by fast pacing, frequent action and resourceful heroes who must thwart the plans of more powerful and better equipped villains.
Thriller is a broad genre of literature, film and television that includes numerous and often overlapping sub genres.
Hitchcock - "to put their toe in the cold water of fear to see what it's like"
Suspense, red herrings and cliffhangers are used extensively.
Thriller is a broad genre of literature, film and television that includes numerous and often overlapping sub genres.
Hitchcock - "to put their toe in the cold water of fear to see what it's like"
Suspense, red herrings and cliffhangers are used extensively.
Monday, 8 October 2012
Welcome!
Welcome to my AS thriller blog! My name is Jade Pyke and in my blog I will be regularly updating the process in which I am making my own thriller. I will also be talking about other thrillers and how I am progressing in media.
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